Site Characteristics Around the Gongsansung Circular Pond in Gongju Based on the Seismic Methods

We applied the seismic method to investigate the site characteristics around the Circular Pond (top diameter 7.3 m, bottom diameter 3 m, and depth 4.78 m) at the Ssangsujung Park within the Gongsansung in Gongju. Previous excavations for the cultural assets beneath the Ssangsujung Park disclosed the assumed site of the Palace of the Beakje Dynasty and the Circular Pond containing the Bakje relics. We demonstrated that the seismic prospecting can be applicable to delineate the underground structure around the cultural properties by the three kinds of seismic approaches: walk-away test, conventional refraction method, and equal-distance refraction survey. The last method which is designed by this work ran detect the I-W variations of seismic velocity in the subsurface medium across the Circular Pond on the basis of the difference of the P-wave arrival times between the 1-m-spacing 24 geophones and the corresponding 24 shots parallel with the geophone profile. From the combined results, prominent three-layer velocity structure is observed around the Circular Pond. The bottom layer is interpreted as the basement rock which is exposed near the Ssangsujung whereas the upper layer with relatively lower velocities is interpreted to be the artificial covering. The basement depth beneath the Circular Pond is deeper than the norhern area. The western basement of Circular Pond has the thicker weaker layer compared with the eastern part. Thus, the middle layer could be constructed as the artificial foundation during the Beakje Dynasty. Consequently, the Kong-sansung Circular Pond is possibly built upwardly rather than digging.