Timer LLC, Moscow-Troitsk, Russia¹ ; Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow-Troitsk, Russia²:

O. A. Gulevich^1,2, Deputy Director, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, o.a.gulevich@gmail.com
L. B. Volkomirskaya^1,2, CEO, Head of Laboratory, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences

InTerraScan LLC, Moscow, Russia
V. V. Antipov, Leading Geotechnical Engineer

NorNickel’s Polar Division, Norilsk, Russia
R. Sh. Batraliev, Chief Manager, Department of Innovation

The article gives the initial data of using the super-power mono-impulse georadars in underground excavations of sulfide copper–nickel mines. The georadar detection and ranging data correlate with the bearing of various mineralization strata, and enable identifying different anomalies in rock mass (tectonic fracturing zones, increased jointing, higher moisture content) by spatial changes in the electrophysical properties of rocks: dielectric permeability and conductance. The geophysical studies including georadar detection and ranging were carried out in underground excavations in Komsomolsky and Taimyr Mines, Norilsk, in July 2022 by InTerraScan LLC. In Komsomolsky Mine, two sites were surveyed. The 3D visualization of the georadar data using all profiles plotted in Komsomolsky Mine allows drawing a conclusion that geological structure of rock mass in the southern site in underground excavation RSH-5-14z-1 is complicated by discontinuities of various degree, including zones which hold the signs of the increased jointing and water content. In Taimyrsky Mine, the test embraced two sites, too. The observations exhibit a high difference between interfaces of rocks having different electrophysical characteristics, local inclusions and nodules of various shape and size. The analysis of the obtained georadar data in integration with hypsometry of a high-grade ore stratum has helped hypothesize on the influence exerted by the tectonic processes on the formation of rock mass in the test areas, and suppose the dominant orientation of the tectonic faults. The deep-level in-situ georadar detection and ranging studies allow an inference on the promising nature of this approach in terms of potential acquisition of additional information on rock mass structure in the phase of operational exploration in the mine fields of Norilsk Nickel.

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