Mineralogical and chemical analysis of the glacial deposits of the Petuniabukta region, laid down due to glacial advances occurring from the Billefjorden Stage to the Little Ice Age has been made. The deposits have substantial carbonate contents which, however, vary depending on rock types of which the bedrock is built up. The calcium ion is the main component of the sorption complex of the deposits under investigation. A proportion of other ions, including magnesium, sodium and potassium, is markedly lower. An increase in the magnesium, sodium and potassium ion contents of the sorption complex with age and a concurrent decline in calcium ions have been reported from glacial tills. The illite clay minerals prevail in glacial deposits occurring around Petuniabukta. Apart from them, there are large quantities of the chlorite and kaolinite clay minerals. The glacial deposits of Spitsbergen remain markedly richer in the chlorite group than glacial tills of Poland. Simultaneously, they contain markedly smaller amounts of minerals of the- smectite group and illite/smectite mixed-layer minerals. This is due to a fainter effect of the weathering processes on the glacial deposits of Spitsbergen, compared with the glacial tills of Poland.
A high content of fluorine was found in ornithogenic soils around penguin rookeries on King George Island. South Shetland Islands. Fluorine is inherent in 0.11% in krill (Euphausia superba). eaten by penguins. Fluorine content in penguins excreta increased approximately to 0.43%. and after decomposition and leaching to 1.03%. The concentration grew during mineralization of organic matter in guano (up to 2.2%). In a surface layer of guano fluorine occurred in apatite. A phosphatization was noted in a subsurface zone as the result of a reaction between guano leachates and weathered volcanic rocks. In the upper part of this zone near the large rookeries a fluorine occurred in minyulite (aluminium phosphate containing potassium and fluorine) and fluorine content here reached 3.5%. Sometimes fluorine was also bound with amorphous aluminium phosphate (up. to 2.0%). formed as a result of incongruently dissolving of minyulite in pure water.
In the Polish sector of the Magura Nappe have long been known and exploited carbonate mineral waters, saturated
with carbon dioxide, known as the “shchava (szczawa)”. These waters occur mainly in the Krynica Subunit
of the Magura Nappe, between the Dunajec and Poprad rivers, close to the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB). The
origin of these waters is still not clear, this applies to both “volcanic” and “metamorphic” hypotheses. Bearing
in mind the case found in the Szczawa tectonic window and our geological and geochemical studies we suggest
that the origin of the carbon dioxide may be linked with the thermal/pressure alteration of organic matter of the
Oligocene deposits from the Grybów Unit. These deposits, exposed in several tectonic windows of the Magura
Nappe, are characterized by the presence of highly matured organic matter – the origin of the hydrocarbon accumulations.
This is supported by the present-day state of organic geochemistry studies of the Carpathian oil and
gas bed rocks. In our opinion origin of the carbon-dioxide was related to the southern, deep buried periphery of
the Carpathian Oil and Gas Province. The present day distribution of the carbonated mineral water springs has
been related to the post-orogenic uplift and erosion of the Outer (flysch) Carpathians.
The research was conducted at the Kwiatków site,1 in the Koło Basin (Central Poland). It included a fragment of a low terrace and the valley floor of the Warta river valley. The archaeological investigation documented over 100 wells that archaeological material indicates are associated with the Przeworsk culture. Geomorphological, lithological and geochemical studies were carried out at the archaeological sites and their surroundings. Selected for the presentation were two wells whose fillings were carefully tested and subjected to geochemical and lithological analyses. The wells showed a slightly different content of artifacts, as well as differences in their grain-size distributions, the structure of their filling deposits, and their geochemistry. This allows us to conclude that the two wells were used differently, but also probably about a different course for how each well was filled after the end of its operation.
This article presents results of the analysis of 3 sediment cores taken from the bottom of Pomeranian Bay, southern Baltic Sea. These results are part of a larger project that aims to determine the characteristics and rate of the Atlantic marine ingression in the Pomeranian Bay area. The main geochemical elements and diatom assemblages from the cores were identified, revealing lacustrine sediments deposited during the time of Ancylus Lake and marine sediments deposited during the Littorina transgression. Distinct changes in the geochemical composition and diatom assemblages suggest that the Littorina transgression had a very large impact on the environment of Pomeranian Bay.
The organic carbon (OC)-rich, black shale succession of the Middle Triassic Bravaisberget Formation in Spitsbergen contains scattered dolomite-ankerite cement in coarser-grained beds and intervals. This cement shows growth-related compositional trend from non-ferroan dolomite (0–5 mol % FeCO3) through ferroan dolomite (5–10 mol % FeCO3) to ankerite (10–20 mol % FeCO3, up to 1.7 mol % MnCO3) that is manifested by zoned nature of composite carbonate crystals. The d13C (-7.3‰ to -1.8‰ VPDB) and d18O (-9.4‰ to -6.0‰ VPDB) values are typical for burial cements originated from mixed inorganic and organic carbonate sources. The dolomite-ankerite cement formed over a range of diagenetic and burial environments, from early post-sulphidic to early catagenic. It reflects evolution of intraformational, compaction-derived marine fluids that was affected by dissolution of biogenic carbonate, clay mineral and iron oxide transformations, and thermal decomposition of organic carbon (decarboxylation of organic acids, kerogen breakdown). These processes operated during Late Triassic and post-Triassic burial history over a temperature range from approx. 40°C to more than 100°C, and contributed to the final stage of cementation of the primary pore space of siltstone and sandstone beds and intervals in the OC-rich succession.
Geological carbon dioxide storing should be carried out with the assumption that there are no leakages from the storage sites. However, regardless of whether the gas which is injected in leaks from the storage site or not, the carbon dioxide stored will influence the environment. In a tight storage site the carbon dioxide injected in will dissolve in the reservoir liquids (groundwater and oil) and react with the rocks of the storage formation. Dissolving CO2 in underground water will result in the change of its pH and chemism. The reactions with the rock matrix of the storage site will not only trigger changes in its mineralogical composition, but also in the petrophysical parameters, because of the precipitation and dissolution of minerals. A leakage of CO2 from its storage site can trigger off changes in the composition of soil air and groundwater, influence the development of plants, and in case of sudden and large leaks it will pose a threat for people and animals. Carbon dioxide can cause deterioration of the quality of drinking waters related to the rise in their mineralization (hardness) and the mobilization of heavymetals' cations. A higher content of this gas in soil leads to a greater acidity and negatively affects plants. A carbon dioxide concentration of ca. 20-30% is a critical value for plants above which they start to die. The influence of high concentrations of carbon dioxide on the human organism depends on the concentration of gas, exposure time and physiological factors. CO2 content in the air of up to 1.5% does not provoke any side effects in people. A concentration of over 3% has a number of negative effects, such as: higher respiratory rate, breathing difficulties, headaches, loss of consciousness. Concentrations higher than 30% lead to death after a few minutes. Underground microorganisms and fungi have a good tolerance to elevated and high concentrations of carbon dioxide. Among animals the best resistance is found in invertebrates, some rodents and birds.
The main goal of the presented research was to investigate spatial distribution of surface sediments and to recognize relationships between chemical composition of water and sediments in a coastal Lake Sarbsko (northern Poland). The Lake Sarbsko is a freshwater basin. The water column is well oxygenated and waters exhibit only minor spatial variability of chemical composition indicating rapid and good mixing. Surface sediments of Lake Sarbsko are strongly diversified with respect to chemical composition. The sediments of Lake Sarbsko are characterized by elevated content of terrigenous silica indicating enhanced input of clastic material from the watershed and/or increased dynamics of the lake waters. Moreover, SiO2ter is strongly negatively correlated with SiO2biog, organic matter and element contents, which argues for diluting effect of the former towards authigenic components of sediments. Basically, terrigenous silica (quartz) content is highest in the lake shores and declines towards the lake center. Biogenic silica, organic matter and most of elements display reversed tendency. CaCO3 was encountered in three isolated areas, where it co-occurs with FeS. It is anticipated that precipitation of calcite in Lake Sarbsko resulted from postdepositional processes. Spatial distribution of Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, Na and K in Lake Sarbsko is also governed by their geochemical affinities to organic matter (Fe), Fe/Mn oxides (Fe, Mn), sulphides (Fe), clay minerals (Na, K, Mg, Mn) and carbonates (Ca, Mn).