Opening GPRbase data
Software that reads GSSI files, from browser viewer to open-source code
GPRbase datasets are native GSSI files, unprocessed. This page lists the software able to open them, what each one does well, and what it does not do.
The shortest path
If you simply want to look at a radargram without installing anything, GPRviewer is enough: it runs in the browser and reads the ZIP archive downloaded from GPRbase directly, with no need to unzip it.
GPRviewer
Browser-based DZT viewer published by MDS. Load a file, adjust gain, apply filters, measure, and pick rebar with assistance.
Strength: nothing to install, reads GPRbase ZIP archives directly.
Limitation: advanced processing sits behind a subscription.
Geolitix
Online platform for 2D and 3D processing and interpretation: GSSI file import, georeferencing, time slices, horizon interpretation, export to GIS tools and DXF.
Strength: the Starter account is free and includes every feature; a free academic tier is available to accredited institutions.
Limitation: the free account caps projects at 10 MB, the academic tier at 100 MB. Beyond that, a paid subscription is required.
RGPR
R package by Emanuel Huber: reads, exports, processes and plots ground-penetrating radar data, with wide format support.
Strength: scriptable, reproducible processing chain — well suited to research.
Limitation: assumes familiarity with R.
readgssi
Python tool by Ian M. Nesbitt, usable from the command line or as a library: fast visualisation, filtering and translation of GSSI data.
Strength: built specifically for GSSI, uses DZG files for distance normalisation.
Limitation: no graphical interface.
GPRPy
Multi-format, GUI-based processing and visualisation, developed under NSGeophysics.
Strength: usable without writing code, while staying in Python.
Limitation: less actively maintained than the others.
RAGU
Radar interpretation interface compatible with several dataset types, focused on picking interfaces.
Strength: designed for interpretation rather than processing.
Limitation: originally aimed at airborne radar and glaciology.
gprMax
Finite-difference time-domain electromagnetic wave propagation simulator, running on CPU and GPU.
Strength: produces synthetic data with exact ground truth, complementary to field data.
Limitation: does not read DZT files — it is a simulator, not a reader.
Which one to choose
| What you need | Suggested tool |
|---|---|
| Look at a radargram without installing anything | GPRviewer |
| Automate processing in Python | readgssi |
| Process a 3D grid and produce deliverables | Geolitix |
| Pick interfaces along long profiles | RAGU |
| Generate synthetic reference data | gprMax |
| Work in a reproducible R workflow | RGPR |
What the files contain
A GSSI acquisition produces up to three files sharing the same base name. Keeping them together matters: their association relies on that name.
.DZT— radar data: traces and acquisition header.DZG— GPS positions recorded during acquisition.DZX— project and configuration information
Disclosure
GPRviewer is published by MDS, who publishes this page — so the mention is not neutral, and we would rather say so.