The detection of King Xerxes' Canal by the use of shallow reflection and refraction seismics — Preliminary results

Abstract

Shallow reflection and refraction seismic studies were carried out in Greece in the eastern leg of the Chalkidiki peninsula, in order to test the validity of reports in history books which describe a legendary canal built by the engineers of King Xerxes during the major Persian invasion of Europe through Greece in the 5th century B.C. In the narrowest part of the Athos peninsula, where it is 2 km wide, an 85 m profile was topographically defined almost centrally between the two coastlines. The position of this profile was based on palaeogeographical, geomorphological and topographic studies and observations. A sledgehammer was used as the seismic source for the shallow target. Despite the presence of significant urban and coherent noise, a final stacked section was produced by a suitable choice of acquisition and processing parameters. Both the reflection and refraction seismic studies illustrated clearly the existence of a channel‐like structure of trapezoid cross‐section, almost midway between the two opposite sides of the peninsula.