Ground penetrating radar surveys on the ancient Dengfeng Guanxingtai observatory, China

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys of the ancient Guanxingtai Observatory in Dengfeng, China—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the earliest astronomical observatories—revealed key structural details. The study found that the brick layers have a dielectric constant ranging from 10.5 to 12, with a thickness of 0.57–0.6 meters, suggesting possible refilled mortar layers behind them. Strong diffractions in radargrams further indicated subsurface anomalies. Conducted using 500- and 900-MHz GSSI SIR-2 systems in 2009, the survey provides critical insights into the observatory's construction, aiding conservation efforts for this historic site.

Qian, R., & Liu, L. (2015). Ground penetrating radar surveys on the ancient Dengfeng Guanxingtai observatory, China. 2015 8th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (IWAGPR), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/iwagpr.2015.7292669