Basin-Scale 3D Sedimentary Modelling: An Approach to Subdivide Baltic Sea Onshore Sediments for Land use and Construction

Abstract

Understanding the local stratigraphy and geometry of sediment units is necessary for successful 3D modelling and the prediction of ground behaviour and engineering-geological properties for urban land use and construction. A detailed 3D model of the main sediment units for the Rastaala basin in southern coastal Finland was constructed, combining a conceptual geological model and information from local drill-hole logs and geotechnical drilling. The 3D modelling was based on a cross-section approach, where sediment units were defined on the basis of lithological boundaries that are of major geotechnical importance for land use and construction. The conceptual geological model was based on a sequence of events that characterize the late- and postglacial evolution of the Rastaala basin. The present study combines the allostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy of unconsolidated glacial, late-and postglacial sediment units in southern coastal Finland. It also investigates the appearance and distribution of sediment units in the Rastaala basin and compares modelling and visualization results for unit surfaces and solids using two independent modelling software packages. Finally, information on the geotechnical properties of different sediment units in the Rastaala basin is provided so that they can be applied to other onshore regions with similar geological settings in the coastal Baltic Sea Basin.