GPR Depth Penetration Simulator

Ground penetrating radar signal strength decreases with depth in every soil, but the rate of that decrease varies enormously depending on soil composition and moisture content. This simulator shows a signal strength profile against depth for different soil conditions, illustrating why a scan report from one site cannot be assumed to apply to another with different ground conditions.

Why This Isn't a Fixed Number

Manufacturers publish maximum depth ratings for GPR antennas under ideal conditions, but real soil rarely matches that ideal. Clay with high moisture content is the most challenging material for GPR because water strongly attenuates electromagnetic signals, while dry sandy soil allows much deeper effective penetration. This is why a ground subsurface scan report should always note the soil conditions encountered during the survey, since that context matters for interpreting confidence levels.

Why Frequency Choice Is a Trade-off, Not a Default

Lower frequency antennas penetrate deeper but produce lower-resolution images, while higher frequency antennas give sharper resolution for shallow targets but lose penetration depth quickly. Choosing the right antenna for a GPR scan depends on both expected utility depth and required target discrimination, which is a field decision made based on the specific project, not a one-size-fits-all setting.

Antenna and frequency selection adjusted in the field based on observed soil conditions during the scan.