Integrated Geophysical Surveying for Landslides on the Slopes of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography and Self-Potential Methods

Slopes in urban agglomerations are increasingly vulnerable to gravity-driven geohazards, which pose significant risks to historical infrastructure and cultural heritage sites. At the UNESCO-protected Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, continuous slope instability threatens structural integrity, demanding advanced, non-destructive monitoring techniques. This study assesses soil characteristics and slope instability risks within the Blyzhnepecherskyi Garden through an integrated, non-invasive electrical prospecting. Subsurface features were mapped across a multi-profile grid using two complementary geophysical techniques: Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) with a Schlumberger array to measure electrical resistivity down to a depth of 20 meters, and the Self-Potential (SP) method to track hydrogeological variations between 2024 and 2026.

The ERT 2D inversion models revealed strong structural heterogeneity, transitioning from a dense, high-resistivity undisturbed block in the west to an extensive low-resistivity zone in the east. The SP surveys demonstrated a pronounced negative potential minimum spatially aligning with the low-resistivity ERT zone. These converging geophysical surveys delineate an active hydrogeological filtration zone where groundwater infiltration and high moisture saturation drive structural decompaction within the slope mass.