Ground penetrating radar and 3D model acquisition of the Wilhelmøya Subgroup in Eastern Spitsbergen

This project is intended to expand the usage of outcrop digitalisation techniques to compliment contemporary field studies. The acquisition of a GPR survey of the Wilhelmøya Subgroup at Friedrichfjellet in Agardhdalen, will result in a 1.5 km2 state-of-the-art 3D GPR dataset that can be integrated with a digital outcrop model (DOM) where interpretations can be driven by geological data collected in the area since 2015. Due to the suitability and present geological understanding, Friedrichfjellet is considered the most suitable location for this study. It features a relatively flat mountain top and this plateau essentially marks the top of the Wilhelmøya Subgroup in this area which is approximately 15-20 m in thickness and roughly the max penetration depth of GPR. Therefore, a GPR survey can be recovered through a near complete succession of the subgroup, other locations (e.g. Belemnitsletta or Deltaneset) lack the same areal extent, or aspect and quality of outcrop. The erosion profile of Friedrichfjellet allows for a high-resolution digital outcrop model to be acquired. The north eastern and south eastern flanks of the mountain are approximately perpendicular to each other and feature an extremely well exposed succession of the Wilhelmøya Subgroup. This means that a 3D GPR survey taken parallel to these exposure aspects (i.e. NW-SE and SW-NE trending survey lines) can be directly integrated with the outcrop model using methods proposed by Janocha (2020; RiS no: 10929) and Janocha et al. (submitted). Contemporary outcrop data will be collected to augment a dataset acquired in 2015 by Lord et al. (2017), to allow for a detailed understanding of sedimentological and facies variations that occur in the Wilhelmøya Subgroup.