Abandoned Underground Storage Tank Location Using Fluxgate Magnetic Surveying: A Case Study

Abstract

In 1993, during the removal of a diesel and a gasoline underground storage tank at the municipal garage of the Village of Kohler, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, soil testing revealed environmental contamination at the site. A site investigation revealed the possibility of a second on‐site source of petroleum contamination. Limited historical data and the present usage of structures within the suspected source area precluded the use of most invasive sampling methods and most geophysical techniques. A fluxgate magnetometer survey, followed by confirmatory excavation, was conducted at the site. The fluxgate magnetometer survey identified nine possible magnetic anomalies within the 18 × 25 m area. The subsequent excavation near the anomalies revealed the presence of five paired and two individual 2000 L underground storage tanks. The fluxgate magnetometer survey, although affected by the proximity of buildings, was able to detect the buried tanks within 3 m of the brick structures, using a 1.5 × 1.5 m sampling array.