FORENSIC GEOPHYSICS USING GROUND PENETRATING RADAR SURVEY OVER THE HISTORIC PETROLIA CEMETERY

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a non-invasive geophysical method that uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range to image the subsurface. Though this method is limited to more shallow exploration, GPR is well suited for detecting buried objects, and is often utilized in fields such as construction and archaeology. GPRs non-invasive nature makes it perfectly suited to mapping a cemetery and locating unmarked graves. The purpose of this study was to conduct a GPR survey of the Petrolia Cemetery in North Texas to assist the city in remapping the east half of the cemetery and locating unmarked graves. The ground penetrating radar was used quite successfully to identify the presence of burials, both marked and unmarked. A control line was surveyed over graves that were currently mapped, and the resulting data was the model that the rest of the survey was compared to. A total of 67 unmarked graves were identified, with depths ranging from 3 to 6 feet. The municipal authorities are currently utilizing our findings to install memorial plaques at the identified locations, ensuring that any future restoration endeavors are executed without disturbing the resting places of the deceased. The resultant data has affirmed the existence of both marked and unmarked graves, with the preponderance of unmarked graves concentrated in the easternmost section of the cemetery.