The Structure of the Sedimentary Cover of the Kandalaksha Gulf, White Sea, from Seismoacoustic Data

Abstract

The geological structure of water areas adjacent to the White Sea biological research station of Moscow State University (Rugozero Bay and Great Salma Strait; both are parts of the Kandalaksha Gulf, White Sea) was studied for the first time based on the seismoacoustic data. The morphology of the top of the Achaean basement, the structure of the Quaternary sedimentary cover, and the bottom topography were investigated. The sequence of glacial deposits dated back to the last glaciation and the compound sequence consisting of glaciolacustrine, glacial-marine, and marine sediments are distinguished. The spatial locations and changes of their thicknesses are considered. It is shown that the recent bottom topography is controlled by predominantly NW- and NE-striking faults that run through the entire sedimentary sequence, including the Holocene sediments.