Sedimentary architecture and ground penetrating radar (GPR) analysis of sandy-gravel esker deposits in Kozlow, Central Poland

Abstract

The study area is situated near Kozlow village, about 70 km south-east from Warsaw (Central Poland), where relatively young unconsolidated fluvioglacial sediments are mined. The excavated sandy-gravel body is built up by architectural elements typical for esker deposits. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys and sedimentological outcrop analyses are combined in order to characterize reflection patterns, internal architecture and to assess the GPR method's potential for imaging of Quaternary fluvioglacial deposits. Ground penetrating radar is a non-invasive tool which allows visualization of the subsurface so that excavations or point data are unnecessary. The results show that the sediments deposited by the glacier meltwater produce characteristic radar facies, which can be observed in sandy-gravel pit. Representative research points were selected where the GPR data could be directly correlated and compared with sedimentary information derived from exposures thus, geomorphological data could be provided. The study generated a high resolution data set of lithofacies and ground penetrating radar profiles. The results obtained for the study area show that integration of sedimentological data with geophysical imaging (GPR) enables the identification of stratigraphie units at the scale of depositional elements. Gridded ground penetrating radar surveys hold promise for 3-dimensional discovery of stratigraphy in the Kozlow esker and in other fluvioglacial deposits in Central Poland. The integration of sedimentological and GPR results provides a more accurate description and visualization of sedimentary units compared to reconstructions based solely on point data.