Kvartero tyrimai geologijos ir geografijos institute

• Main Authors: Baltrūnas, Valentinas, Stančikaitė, Miglė, Šinkūnas, Petras
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Lithuanian; English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Quaternary; Postglacial period; Climate change; Geoscience; Greenland
• Online Access: http://lsmu.lvb.lt/LSMU:ELABAPDB5796580&prefLang=en_US

The Department of Quaternary Researches at the Institute of Geology and Geography is one of the largest units, although during se eral last years it was affected by problems in science funding. Thus the range of research subjects was smaller. Now the Quaternary researches deal with deposits of different origin and relief forms (which can be of significantly older rocks), as well as complex issues of stratigraphy, palaeogeography and palaeo- ecology. Recently, such themes as climate changes during the Last Interglacial-Glacial-Postglacial period and assistance of geosciences to archaeological investigations became the question of the day. The methods used comprise petrological, lithological, geochemical, radioisotope, palaeontological (studies of pollen and diatoms, palaeocarpological, rodents, molluscs and other organisms), absolute age determination (OSL, TL, "C, '"Be etc.) etc. The state-supported scientific programme 'Late Cenozoic Investigations' carried on in 2003-2007 has been newly finished. Some other projects supported by the Lithuanian State Science and Studies Fund have also been performed. Two projects are related to the expeditions in the country of continental glaciation-Greenland. The researchers of the Institute took part in some international projects as well.