Geophysical study of palaeo-incisions in the Šventoji-Būtingė coastal ar ea, north-west Lithuania

Abstract

Palaeo-incisions (palaeo-tunnels, tunnel valleys, buried valleys, etc.) comprise the most prominent features in the sub-Quaternary surface covered by the Scandinavian continental ice sheets. An exception is the Scandinavian crystalline bedrock region. Palaeo-incisions are objects of Quaternary geology both from scientific and practical point of view and have been previously mapped along the Lithuanian coastal area using gravimetric and transient electromagnetic methods, complemented by traditional drilling. This paper presents an approach for high-resolution identification of the palaeo-incisions in the Sventoji-Būtingė coastal area of north-western Lithuania. Several geophysical methods have been tested, including shallow seismic reflection profiling, electrical tomography and ground-penetrating radar. A combination of shallow seismic reflection and electrical tomography profiling provides an optimal survey strategy for high-resolution investigations of