An initial attempt to map carbonate buildups using ground-penetrating radar: an example from the Upper Jurassic of SW-Germany

Although carbonate buildups host important hydrocarbon reservoirs and indus trial minerals, relatively little is known about their three-dimensional ar chitecture. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR, "Georadar") studies provide the opportunity to reconstruct both their internal anatomy and external geometr y. This short paper reports an initial attempt to map some Upper Jurassic s ponge/algal buildups in the Upper Jurassic of SW-Germany using georadar. Se veral distinct radar facies types can be distinguished and calibrated to li thofacies in adjacent quarry outcrops. Mapping of the radar facies types re veals the potential to reconstruct the distribution of "buildup" versus oth er facies. Moreover, it highlights the need of obtaining more closely space d radar lines in order to arrive at a high-resolution image.