An initial attempt to map carbonate buildups using Ground-Penetrating Radar: An example from the Upper Jurassic of SW-Germany

Summary Although carbonate buildups host important hydrocarbon reservoirs and industrial minerals, relatively little is known about their three-dimensional architecture. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR, “Georadar”) studies provide the opportunity to reconstruct both their internal anatomy and external geometry. This short paper reports an initial attempt to map some Upper Jurassic sponge/algal buildups in the Upper Jurassic of SW-Germany using georadar. Several distinct radar facies types can be distinguished and calibrated to lithofacies in adjacent quarry outcrops. Mapping of the radar facies types reveals the potential to reconstruct the distribution of “buildup” versus other facies. Moreover, it highlights the need of obtaining more closely spaced radar lines in order to arrive at a high-resolution image.