Erroneous GNSS Strain Rate Patterns and their Application to Investigate the Tectonic Credibility of GNSS Velocities

The paper concerns investigation of the credibility of tectonic interpretation of GNSS strain rates. The analysis was focused on stable regions, where the crustal deformations are small and the reliability of GNSS velocities is questionable. We are showing how the unreliable motion of stations affects calculated strains around them. We expressed distribution of local principal strains by a sinusoidal function and used them to investigate the significance of strain distortion. Then we used this method to investigate real motions of GNSS stations. As a test object we used Polish GNSS stations belonging to the ASG-EUPOS network. Station velocities were estimated on the basis of the 4.5 years of observations. The results let us identify stations that disturb the obtained local GNSS strain rate field. After verification and exclusion of some stations, the new GNSS strains show a much greater internal compatibility and also better fit to the directions of lithosphere stresses.     

Nutrient dynamics in the Pomeranian Bay (southern Baltic): Impact of the Oder River outflow

The Pomeranian Bay is a coastal region fed by the Oder River, one of the seven largest Baltic rivers, whose waters flow through a large and complex estuarine system before entering the bay. Nutrients (NO₃ ⁻, NO₂ ⁻, NH₄ ⁺, Ntot, PO₄ ³⁻, P_tot, DSi), chlorophylla concentrations, oxygen content, salinity, and temperature were measured in the Pomeranian Bay in nine seasonally distributed cruises during 1993–1997. Strong spatial and temporal patterns were observed and they were governed by: the seasonally variable riverine water-nutrient discharges, the seasonally variable uptake of nutrients and their cycling in the river estuary and the Bay, the character of water exchange between the Pomeranian Bay and the Szczecin Lagoon, and the water flow patterns in the Bay that are dominated by wind-driven circulation. Easterly winds resulted in water and nutrient transport along the German coastline, while westerly winds confined the nutrient rich riverine waters to the Polish coast and transported them eastward beyond the study area. Two water masses, coastal and open, characterized by different chemical and physical parameters and chla content were found in the Bay independently of the season. The role of the Oder estuary in nutrient transformation, as well as the role of temperature in transformation processes is stressed in the paper. The DIN:DIP:DSi ratio indicated that phosphorus most probably played a limiting role in phytoplankton production in the Bay in spring, while nitrogen did the same in summer. During the spring bloom, predominated by diatoms, the DSi:DIN ratio dropped to 0.1 in the coastal waters and to 0.6 in the open bay waters, pointing to silicon limitation of diatom growth, similar to what is being observed in other Baltic regions.     

Provenance implications of Th–U–Pb electron microprobe ages from detrital monazite in the Carboniferous Upper Silesia Coal Basin, Poland

This paper reports the results of CHIME (chemical Th–U–Pb isochron method) dating of detrital monazites from Carboniferous sandstones in the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (USCB). A total of 4739 spots on 863 monazite grains were analyzed from samples of sandstone derived from six stratigraphic units in the sedimentary sequence. Age distributions were identified in detrital monazites from the USCB sequence and correlated with specific dated domains in potential source areas. Most monazites in all samples yielded ca. 300–320 Ma (Variscan) ages; however, eo-Variscan, Caledonian and Cadomian ages were also obtained. The predominant ages are comparable to reported ages of certain tectonostratigraphic domains in the polyorogenic Bohemian Massif (BM), which suggests that various crystalline lithologies in the BM were the dominant sources of USCB sediments.     

Physical and chemical characteristics of after-reclamation dust from used sand moulds

The paper presents the results of investigations of physical and chemical properties of after reclamation dust that is generated in the foundry industry. Universally applied mechanical reclamation processes of spent moulding sands generate large amounts of after-reclamation dusts containing mainly rubbed spent binding agents and quartz dusts. An amount of after-reclamation dusts—in dependence of the reclamation system efficiency and the reclaim dedusting system—can reach 5–10 % in relation to the total reclaimed spent moulding sand. After-reclamation dusts originated from spent moulding sands with different kinds of resins mostly belong to dangerous wastes, since they contain chemo-setting binders with dangerous substances removed in the reclamation process. None of the companies producing mechanical reclamation systems offers presently the complex technology and equipment for utilisation of after reclamation dusts, which would meet technical and economic expectations of foundry plants. The paper presents the results of research carried out at the Faculty of Foundry Engineering AGH UST in Cracow which aims on the determination of possibilities of using the post-reclamation dust generated during mechanical reclamation of used moulding sands with organic resins as a source of energy. Different dusts generated in the mechanical reclamation process of used organic sands, delivered from foundries, were tested to determine their chemical composition, granular characterisation and physicochemical properties. As a result of the investigations, possible ways to utilise the dusts are presented.