Ground penetrating radar evaluation of the internal structure of fluvial tufa deposits (Devanos-Anavieja system, NE Spain): an approach to different scales of heterogeneity

The Quaternary Anavieja-Devanos tufa system is located in the northern sector of the Iberian Chain. It has been previously tackled by means sedimentological studies focused on the available outcrops and some boreholes. They have permitted the proposal of a sedimentary scenario that fits with a pool-barrage fluvial tufa model. However a better knowledge of the characteristics and internal distribution of the usually non-outcropping pool deposits as well as of its relationship with barrage deposits has not been evaluated in detail yet. Palaeoenvironmental studies on tufas are usually biased because tufas are commonly delicate facies exposed to intense erosion during water level fall stages; for this reason outcrops are usually scarce and very often coincide with the most cemented barrage deposits. In order to analyse the internal characteristics of the tufa deposits under study, but also the lateral correlation among different facies, ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been employed both for the evaluation of its applicability in such kind of environments and to improve, if possible, the sedimentary model using geophysical data in sectors without outcrops. A GPR survey including different antennas ranging from 50 to 500 MHz along different sectors and its comparison with natural outcrops has been carried out. GPR results have permitted to deduce clear differences between pool and barrage deposits and to recognise its internal structure and geometrical relationships. The survey also permitted an approach to different scales of heterogeneities in the radarfacies evaluation by using distinct antennas and therefore, reaching different resolutions and penetrations. The resulting integration from different antennas allows three different attenuant and eight reflective radarfacies to be defined permitting a better approach to the real extension of the pool areas. These results have permitted to decipher the horizontal and vertical facies changes and the identification of a scarcer development of pool deposits than expected in the studied system.