https://www.mdu.se/

Landfills and dumps mark the end of a product’s life cycle but often contain valuable secondary raw materials, posing both environmental risks and untapped resource potential. This study highlights the use of near-surface geophysical methods to map and characterize buried waste without excavation. These methods, including active/passive and invasive/non-destructive techniques, can explore depths from decimeters to tens of meters and are applied via both static setups and mobile platforms. Case studies performed in Latvia and Sweden demonstrate the effectiveness of geophysical surveys applying specifically proton magnetometry, induced polarization, and electrical resistivity in identifying hidden dumpsites and analyzing their contents. These techniques help assess the physical properties of buried waste materials, offering spatial insights into waste distribution and site structure. The findings underscore the role of geophysics in locating secondary raw materials and support advanced landfill mining strategies, contributing to environmental management and resource recovery.