ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Evaluating the Impact of Neogene Sediments
on River Runoff Formation
Andrius Litvinaitis1, Lina Bagdžiūnaitė-Litvinaitienė1, Valentinas Šaulys1, Oksana Barvidienė1, Rasa Stankevičienė1, Algimantas Česnulevičius2
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1Department of Water Engineering, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Sauletekio av. 11, Vilnius, Lithuania
2Centre for Cartography, Vilnius University, Ciurlionio 21/27, Vilnius, Lithuania
Submission date: 2014-09-14
Final revision date: 2015-03-15
Acceptance date: 2015-03-15
Publication date: 2015-07-27
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2015;24(4):1689-1696
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ABSTRACT
Due to the recently increasing frequency of extreme changes in river runoff regime, scientific literature
has dealt with the characteristics of runoff formation. Studies have been carried out on analyzing climate
change and a lot of attention has fallen on land-use structures. Migration of precipitation through the river
basin is influenced by the lithological composition of sediments. Its structure is determined by analyzing geological
and geomorphological maps and by drilling boreholes in the selected area. With the help of boreholes
the level of groundwater and lithological composition of sediments can be assessed. An installed system of
lysimeters and piezometers in the borehole allows us to monitor the change of groundwater level and the
amount of water moving through the unsaturated zone of sediments over time. The set of lysimeter boreholes
allows us to capture and map the spacial change of these parameters. Following thorough analysis of the lithological
structure of river basins in separate costal zones, this article aims at evaluating river runoff formation
characteristics. The basin lithological factor was calculated based on large-scale maps using ArcGis software.
In order to carry out more thorough analysis of the influence of lithology in given territories, sections of
0-50 m, 50-200 m, 200-500 m, 500-800 m, 800-1000 m, and >1000 m were established, calculating the distance
in meters from the riverbank. Eight river basins of typical lithological structure (sandy, loamy, argillaceous)
were selected and examined. The period of the year 1960-2013 was analyzed as this period and the relationship
between the runoff and precipitation with correlation of 0.72-0.83 was established, as well as that with
the lithological structure, established following the derivation of a hydromodule.