High-resolution seismic profiling of the Mentue delta area, southern Lake Neuchatel (Switzerland)

A grid of ~16 km of high-resolution seismic reflection data was acquired in southern Lake Neuchâtel in order to study the Quaternary sedimentation associated with the Würmian glaciation and the La Mentue River delta (Fig. 1). In addition, neotectonic features, observed in profiles from previous seismic studies, were targeted. The earlier work was concentrated along the northwest-southeast trend of the La Lance strike-slip fault zone, a major Mesozoic/Cenozoic lineament crossing Lake Neuchâtel just northeast of the present study site (Fig. 1; Gorin et al., 2002). Other geophysical data from Lake Neuchâtel are scarce and mainly include single-channel echosounder (Schwalb, 1992) and air-gun surveys (Finckh et al., 1984) further north.