Ground probing radar has a disadvantage of

• A. works only under certain soil conditions, requiring special expertise to interpret the results, being very expensive
• B. works in all soil types and is inexpensive
• C. detects only metallic objects
• D. provides instant readings

Answer: (A)

Ground penetrating radar images subsurface features by sending radar pulses and interpreting reflections. Its main drawback is that performance hinges heavily on soil conditions and it requires specialized interpretation, plus the equipment is expensive to purchase and operate. In soils with high moisture or conductivity—like clays or saline environments—signals attenuate quickly and image quality suffers, so you may not get useful results unless conditions are favorable. Interpreting the data isn’t straightforward and usually needs trained technicians and careful processing. Those factors together explain why, despite its usefulness, GPR isn’t a universal, inexpensive, or instantaneous solution. It’s not accurate to say it works in all soil types or is inexpensive, and it doesn’t only detect metallic objects; it detects anomalies based on dielectric contrasts, which can come from both metallic and non-metallic buried features. Also, readings aren’t instantly available on-site—the data must be collected, processed, and interpreted.