Rockett, G.C.; Barboza, E.G., and Rosa, M.L.C.C. 2016. Ground Penetrating Radar applied to the characterization of the Itapeva Dunefield, Torres, Brazil. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 323–327. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Subsurface data obtained from Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) have been used in studies in various coastal plain environments. GPR applied to dune characterization and stratigraphy is well described in the literature, and enables the distinction between different depositional patterns and their delimitation. This study aimed to characterize the stratigraphy of the Itapeva dunefield, located at the municipality of Torres, north of the Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil) coastal plain, using subsurface data. This dunefield contains aeolian forms that differ from other dunefields in Rio Grande do Sul: namely, reversing dunes. The 150 and 400 MHz frequency antennas were used to collect subsurface data in dunes located in the central portion of the dunefield, with a linked GNSS system to obtain positional data. GPR data were processed, and the geospatial data were integrated to satellite images in a geographic information system. Results show that at least two different dune packages are present in the Itapeva dunefield, indicating two different depositional phases.