Near-Surface Imaging (GPR) of Biogenic Structures in Siliciclastic, Carbonate, and Gypsum Dunes

Neoichnology of vertebrate traces along the western barrier coast of Ukraine: preservation potential and subsurface visualization

“…3 b). Unfilled tunnel sections can be easily distinguished from buried roots based on signal velocity and polarity structure: blue-red-blue (-/+/-) vs. red-blue-red (+/-/+) of the air-tosediment response at the ground surface [Buynevich et al 2014;Chlaib et al 2014]. It may be even possible to identify tracking surfaces by focusing on deformation along bedding surfaces (circled area in Fig.…”

“…Heavy-mineral concentrations, common for beach and dune horizons that experienced winnowing and deflation, work well at accentuating biogenic deformation structures [van der Lingen & Andrews 1969; Lewis & Titheridge 1978]. Furthermore, thin horizons with moderate-to-high fraction of ferri-and paramagnetic minerals would aid in accentuating sedimentary structures in GPR images due to its electromagnetic signal response [Buynevich et al 2014;Buynevich 2020]. Along beach/ dune ridge complexes, such as this study, such mineralogical anomalies are typical for dune-base and beach sections, in contrast to a relatively quartz-rich dune substrate presented in Fig.…”

“…Within sand-dominated systems, especially aeolian lithosomes (dunes, loess), not only burrows, but also potential tracking surface deformation (circle in Fig. 3 b) can be resolved [Loope 1986;Milàn & Bromley 2006;Milàn et al 2007;Buynevich 2011;Buynevich et al 2014;Urban et al 2019]. GPR imaging is not possible in brackish or saline settings due to signal attenuation; however, exposed upper sections, especially following rainfall events, may potentially increase its suitability (e.g., low beach ridges, deflation flats; Fig.…”

“…No topographic correction was applied for short segments, with signal velocities of 14 and 6 cm/ns for unsaturated and saturated sands, respectively (based on empirical data and hyperbola fitting; [Chalaib et al 2014]). Radargrams (2D or B-scans) were post-processed in RadExplorer v. 1.41 software package using standard algorithms (for a detailed methodology of neoichnological applications of GPR, see [Buynevich et al 2014]).…”

Applications of Experimental Neoichnology to Paleobiological and Evolutionary Problems

“…The possibilities are unbounded! The present generation of neoichnologists is applying remote and laboratory imaging technologies to obtain in situ images and assess elemental distributions within modern and Holocene traces (Buynevich 2011;Gingras et al 2014;Buynevich et al 2014). Ichnologists often work with ichnologists, however neoichnology is, of need, a cross-disciplinary science, incorporating aspects of sedimentology, paleontology, biology, ecology and biochemistry.…”