User's Manual

Page 16 of 17
Introduction to Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Data
With a minimal amount of training and practice, it is possible for most operators to
become proficient at reading raw GPR data in less than a day.
First, it is essential to understand that the radar signal spreads in a fan shape when it is
transmitted. Because of this, an object will be visible to the radar before and after the
radar is directly over it. This is the reason that a point-shaped object will show up as a
hyperbola (arc shape). Since the radar signal will always have the shortest time to travel
when the antenna is directly over the target, the centerline of the target will always be at
the highest point of the hyperbola in the data.
In the case of tanks and larger targets, the edges can be located in a similar fashion.
For most applications it is necessary to make a perpendicular pass over the target you are
looking for
Example of two pipes