Combined electrical resistivity tomography and ground penetrating radar to map Eurasian badger (Meles Meles) burrows in clay-rich flood embankments (levees)

White, Adrian; Wilkinson, Paul; Boyd, James; Wookey, James; Kendall, J.‐M.; Binley, Andrew; Grossey, Timothy; Chambers, Jonathan

doi:10.1016/j.enggeo.2023.107198

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 51 publications

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“…Inspecting these subsurface burrows in general can be challenging as many of the methods available are destructive, time consuming or dependent on specialised equipment. Some examples of common methods are creating and excavating (epoxy or cement grout) casts of burrows (e.g., Rudnick et al, 2005;Idsinga, 2022), ground-penetrating-radar (e.g., Allroggen et al, 2019;Di Prinzio et al, 2010) and electrical resistivity tomography (e.g., White et al, 2023). In this study we propose a technique that is based on the injection of smoke in the burrow system to assess the extent of the subsurface cavities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the extent and connectivity of animal burrows using smoke: a practical tool for levee inspections

Keirsebelik,

Tsimopoulou,

Lanzafame

et al. 2024

JCRFR

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This short communication presents a practical tool for assessing the subsurface connectivity of animal burrows, with emphasis on its potential for early detection and evaluation of animal-induced damages in levees that can compromise the structure during high water emergencies. Drawing inspiration from fundamental biology research and plumbing leak testing, the technique involves injection of coloured smoke into burrows using smoke bombs. A leaf blower then propels the smoke through the burrow network, enabling the identification of openings and providing insights into subsurface connections. Systematically tested in various environments and applied to investigate burrow networks of diverse animal species, including crabs, voles, and moles, the results underscore the efficacy of the smoke test as a rapid, non-destructive, and cost-effective approach for detecting interconnected burrow networks.

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