Combining EMI and GPR for non‐invasive soil sensing at the Stonehenge World Heritage Site: the reconstruction of a WW1 practice trench

Integrating electromagnetic induction (EMI) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) enables the non-invasive reconstruction of buried features at UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Stonehenge. This study successfully mapped a WW1 practice trench using combined EMI apparent magnetic susceptibility (κa) and GPR data, overcoming limitations in traditional soil sampling methods. While EMI alone failed to detect the trench, its κa measurements, paired with GPR reflections, allowed for precise depth estimation by modeling relative permittivity (εr). The approach provides a scalable method for investigating protected archaeological landscapes without destructive sampling, offering new insights into buried heritage.

Saey, T., Van Meirvenne, M., De Smedt, P., Stichelbaut, B., Delefortrie, S., Baldwin, E., & Gaffney, V. (2014). Combining EMI and GPR for non‐invasive soil sensing at the Stonehenge World Heritage Site: the reconstruction of a WW1 practice trench. European Journal of Soil Science, 66(1), 166–178. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12177