Guide to using gravity in the detection of sinkholes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/Abstract
The gravity method is often applied in mining-related scenarios such as geological and mineral exploration, detecting incipient sinkholes, siting of surface structures, fault-mapping, and more. It is also widely applied in geotechnical engineering to map subsurface karst profiles and to detect subsurface cavities, such as can occur in open pit mines. While it is widely acknowledged that, compared with other available geophysical methods, this method is the most applicable to the karst profiling problem, survey geometries applied in the field are often far from optimal. This paper aims to explain how to apply the gravity method correctly to mining and geotechnical problems, specifically in the detection of subsurface cavities. We will discuss various factors to assist with optimising the acquisition of gravity data and its processing so as to maximise the practical value of gravity surveys.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Patrick Linzer, Lindsay Linzer
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