Identifying slope processes over time and their imprint in soils of medium‐high mountains of Central Europe (the Karkonosze Mountains,Poland)

Soils in mountainous areas are often polygenetic, developed in slope covers that relate to glacial and periglacial activities of the Pleistocene and Holocene and reflect climatic variations. Landscape development during the Holocene may have been influenced by erosion/solifluction that often started after the Holocene climatic optimum. To trace back soil evolution and its timing, we applied a multi‐methodological approach. This approach helped us to outline scenario of soil transformation. According to our results, some aeolian input must have occurred in the late Pleistocene. During that time and the early Holocene, the soils most likely had features of Cryosols or Leptosols. Physico‐chemical and mineralogical analyses have indicated that the material was denudated (between late Boreal to the Atlantic) from the ridge and upper‐slope positions forming a colluvium at mid‐slope positions. Later, during the Sub‐Boreal, mass wasting of the remains of silt material deposited at the end of the Pleistocene age on the ridge top seems to have occurred. In addition, the cool and moist conditions caused the deposition of a colluvium at the lower‐slope positions. The next phase was characterized by the transformation of Leptosols/Cambisols into Podzols at upper‐slope or shoulder positions and to Albic Cambisols at mid‐slope positions. During the Sub‐Boreal period, Stagnosols started to form at the lower part of the slope catena. Overall, the highest erosion rates were calculated at the upper‐slope position and the lowest rates at mid‐slope sites. Berylium‐10 (¹⁰Be) data showed that the Bs, BC/C were covered during the Holocene by a colluvium with a different geological composition which complicated the calculation of erosion or accumulation rates. The interpretation of erosion and accumulation rates in such multi‐layered materials may, therefore, be hampered. However, the multi‐methodological reconstruction we applied shed light on the soil and landscape evolution of the eastern Karkonosze Mountains. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geochemical and radioactivity mapping in Poland

In 1990 the Polish Geological Institute initiated geochemical mapping of the country aimed at determining the actual conditions of chemistry in the Earth's surficial environments (soils, water sediments, and surficial waters as well) and sea-floor deposits in the Polish economic sector of the Baltic Sea. The geochemical mapping on different scales covered the entire area of the country and selected more important urban agglomerations and industrial districts. Approximately 15,100 samples of soils, 16,200 samples of fresh water sediments, 14,600 samples of surface waters and 467 samples of marine deposits were collected and analysed. A list of geochemical atlases published by the Polish Geological Institute is presented. Investigation of the distribution of radionuclides (natural and artificial) has been done since 1992. Concentrations of U, Th, K, post-Chernobyl Cs and γ dose rate were measured. Approximately 20,000 points covering the whole country were measured. More detailed mappings were executed in the areas polluted by Cs.     

Organic-walled Microfossils from the Early Middle Cambrian sediments of the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland: Possible Implications for Sedimentary Environment in the SE Margin of the Baltica

An association of organic-walled microfossils consisting of filamentous cyanobacteria, algal coenobia and acanthomorphic acritarch have been documented from non-calcareous claystones and mudstones of the Pepper Mountains Shale Formation(PMSF), located in its stratotype area in the Pepper Mountains, which are part of the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland. These sediments represent the oldest strata of the ?ysogóry Unit, deposited on the edge of the East European Craton(Baltica). Non-branched, ribbon-like and thread-like cyanobacteria trichomes exhibit morphological similarities to families Nostocaceae and Oscillatoriaceae. Cells assembled in rounded to irregular clusters of monospecific agglomerations represent multicellular algal coenobia, attributed to the family Scenedesmaceae. The co-occurrence of acritarchs belonging to species as Eliasum llaniscum, Cristallinium ovillense and Estiastra minima indicates that the studied material corresponds to the lower Middle Cambrian. Deposition of the PMSF took place in shallow marine environment, influenced by periodical freshwater inputs. The varying degree of coloration of organic-walled microfossils is interpreted in this study as factor indication of possible different source of their derivation. Dark brown walls of cells assembled in algal coenobia might have sustained previous humification in humid, terrestrial environments, which preceded their river transport into the sea together with nutrients, causing occasional blooms of cyanobacteria in the coastal environment and the final deposition of both groups of organisms in marine deposits.     

Urban environments as habitats for rare aquatic species: The case of leeches (Euhirudinea, Clitellata) in Warsaw freshwaters

Reduced biological diversity in freshwater habitats situated in urban areas has been discussed in numerous studies. Certain municipal areas, however, can help save animal diversity of freshwater invertebrates. In the present study animals were collected or observed alive in 13 freshwater environments localized in Warsaw - the second largest city of Central Europe - in a densely populated, urban building complex close to the city, and also in suburban areas. Leech assemblages in all the environments under observation were numerically dominated by a few common species, but on the whole 19 species were collected or observed. The populations of six rare leech species inhabit both flowing and standing waters in Warsaw. Five of these species are on the Polish Red List of Species and one is strictly protected. The shallow Lake Powsinkowskie is the richest freshwater environment in the studied area in terms of species richness and rarity and also one of the richest lakes in Poland. Taxonomic diversity in the environments under study seems not to be directly related to the size of the water body or the level of degradation but rather to the habitat complexity, especially the diversity of the bottom in littoral zone. Certain freshwater habitats located inside this great urban complex still create good conditions for rare, highly specialized species.     

Natural Radioactivity at the Sin Quyen Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold Deposit in North Vietnam

The field radiometric and laboratory measurements were performed at the Sin Quyen copper deposit in North Vietnam. The field gamma-ray spectrometry indicated the concentration of uranium ranging from 5.5 to 87 ppm, thorium from 5.6 to 33.2 ppm, and potassium from 0.3 to 4.7%. The measured dose rates ranged from 115 to 582 nGy/h, the highest doses being at the copper ore. Concentrations in the solid samples were in the range of 20–1700 Bq/kg for uranium, 20–92.7 Bq/kg for thorium, and 7–1345 Bq/kg for potassium. The calculated doses were from 22 to 896 nGy/h; both measured and calculated dose rates are mostly related to uranium. Concentrations of radium in water samples were below 0.17 Bq/L. Uranium in water samples was significantly higher than the hydrogeological background; the maximum of 13 Bq/L was at the waste zone pool, but neither radium nor uranium were present in tap water. Radon concentration in the dwelling air was from 42 to 278 Bq/m³ for ²²²Rn and from 8 to 193 Bq/m³ for ²²⁰Rn. The estimated committed dose rates were principally related to ²²²Rn concentration and ranged from 1.1 to 8.1 mSv/y.     

Distributions of microcanonical cascade weights of rainfall at small timescales

Empirical frequency distributions of multiplicative cascade weights, or breakdown coefficients, at small timescales are analyzed for 5-min precipitation time series from four gauges in Germany. It is shown that histograms of the weights, W, are strongly deformed by the recording precision of rainfall amounts. A randomization procedure is proposed to statistically remove the artifacts due to precision errors in the original series. Evolution of the probability distributions of W from beta-like for large timescales to combined beta-normal distribution with a pronounced peak at W ≈ 0.5 for small timescales is observed. A new 3N-B distribution built from 3 separate normal, N, distributions and one beta, B, distribution is proposed for reproduction of the empirical histograms of W at small timescales. Parameters of the 3N-B distributions are fitted for all gauges and analyzed timescales. Microcanonical cascades models with a generator based on 3N-B distributions are developed and their performance at disaggregating precipitation at 1280-min intervals down to 5-min intervals is evaluated.     

Decumbent development: Urban sprawl in the Guwahati Metropolitan Area,India

Urban sprawl has become a global phenomenon as an outcome of growing population and rapid urbanization. Previous studies have addressed the rising incidence of uncontrollable urban development, particularly in peri-urban areas of cities, leading to chronic urban sprawl. The city of Guwahati, a million city in north east India, has expanded significantly in recent years. In this article, the links between population and growth of built-up areas were examined using geo-spatial techniques and remotely sensed datasets. The results indicate that the sprawl has accentuated in recent years. The intensity of land use remained uneven due to marked variations in the distribution of built-up areas, plausibly an outcome of unplanned urban growth. If current trends are anything to go by, future urban sprawl could pose serious threats to the vulnerable eco-sensitive and peri-urban areas of Guwahati. Secondary cities have unfortunately received scant attention in urban policy research, and Guwahati, epitomizes urban woes in a developing country.     

Evaluation of the Presence of Methane in Złoczew Lignite: Comparison with Other Lignite Deposits in Poland

Natural Resources Research - Catastrophic cases of methane explosion during exploratory drilling within the Be?chatów ortholignite deposit have led to testing for methane in other Polish...