114 since 1961 Intensity of relief geodynamic processes in the Coastal Lowland, Lithuania: based on cartographic analysis Loreta Šutinienė, Algimantas Česnulevičius*, Artūras Bautrėnas, Neringa Mačiulevičiūtė-Turlienė Šutinienė, L., Česnulevičius, A., Bautrėnas, A., Mačiulevičiūtė-Turlienė, N. 2022. Intensity of relief geodynamic processes in the Coastal Lowland, Lithuania: based on cartographic analysis. Baltica, 35 (2), 114–124. Vilnius. E-ISSN 1648-858X. Manuscript submitted 3 March 2022 / Accepted 14 July 2022 / Available online 17 October 2022 © Baltica 2022 Abstract. The article overviews the indirect methods employed in assessing the intensity of geodynamic proc- esses. These methods involve using and analysing various spatial topographic and thematic databases, includ- ing the databases of ortho-photo images, bogs and peatlands, CORINE land cover, crop felds, forest cadastre, food-prone areas, the geomorphologic database, the database of relief cadastre as well as that of reclamation status and wet soils. In this study, the intensity of geodynamic processes was estimated using mathematical models, which include a number of factors behind surface transformation (accumulation/degradation) process- es, i.e., the origin of the terrain, its morphographic and morphometric indicators, lithology, soil cover, the de- gree of sediment and soil wetness, and natural vegetation cover. In addition, the impact of the factors inhibiting surface erosion (ratio of clay and sand particles in the surface layer, slope inclination, humus content in soil, binary nature of soil-forming sediments) was evaluated. The cartographic analysis results were compared with the data obtained from the terrain investigation in key areas. The surface analysis based on the spatial distribu- tion of geomorphological relief types, their roughness, land cover, forest, soil types, reclamation and soaked lands shows that weak defation (up to 1 mm / year, 1214.8 km²), weak erosion (up to 1 mm / year, 367.1 km²) and medium biogenic accumulation (1–2 mm / year, 223.5 km²) are taking place in the Coastal Lowland. Keywords: cartographic analysis, accumulation, erosion, defation, morphographic and morphometric indexes Loreta Šutinienė (loreta.sutiniene@gf.vu.lt), Algimantas Česnulevičius* (algimantas.cesnulevicius@gf.vu.lt) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3912-2403, Artūras Bautrėnas (arturas.bautrenas@gf.vu.lt), Neringa Mačiulevičiūtė-Turlienė (neringa.maciuleviciute@gf.vu.lt), Vilnius University, M.K. Čiurlionio 21/27, Vilnius, Lithuania *Corresponding author INTRODUCTION Natural (direct) research into geodynamic processes is complicated and expensive. In addition, it is diffcult to perform measurements of geodynamic processes in slightly larger areas. The problem is usually solved ei- ther by conducting detailed surveys in reference areas and extrapolating the results obtained to a wider area, or by applying indirect measurement methods, one of which is the comprehensive analysis of the carto- graphic material. However, the cartographic approach to research always faces the problem of research scal- ability. The wider the analysed areas are, the more generalized data are used for analysis, and the more generalized measurement results are obtained. For a long time, the cartographic method was employed only when analysing the geodynamic processes that create relatively large (meso-rank) relief forms. The application of GIS and remote methods (LiDAR de- vices) allows collecting spatial information on small (micro-rank) terrain forms (Udin et al. 2012; Niet- hammer et al. 2011; Colomina, Molina 2014). On the other hand, extremely large volumes of information on surface dissections and roughness force researchers BALTICA Volume 35 Number 2 December 2022: 114–124 https://doi.org/10.5200/baltica.2022.2.2