The Usefulness of Ground Penetrating Radar in locating burials in Charity Hospital Cemetery, New Orleans

The Charity Hospital Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana, was used as a potter's field for over 150 years. When Charity Hospital considered selling a portion of the property ground penetrating radar (GPR) and thermal infrared (TIR) data were collected in the cemetery to locate unmarked graves. The TIR data could not be used because the expert died before compiling the TIR data. Therefore, the GPR data was the sole source of subsurface information. GPR anomalies were used to excavate 3 areas where bones and hospital supplies were subsequently found, unfortunately very limited analyses were possible on the analog GPR data. The study presented here involved digitizing data and conducting a more thorough analysis of map patterns to determine whether GPR data could be used reliably to locate burials in the cemetery. The study's result indicates that GPR is a reliable source for burial detection and other anomalies in the subsurface.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geology and Geophysics

Year

2008

Author dc:creator

• Mitchell, Monique Tashell

Contributors dc:contributor

• Serpa, Laura
• Sarwar, Abu K.M.
• Kulp, Mark

• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
• Thermal Imagery (TIR)
• Charity Hospital
• Burials
• Anomalies

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/686

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-1686