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GEOLOGY, GEOPHYSICS & ENVIRONMENT

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Fields of science: environmental engineering, mining and energy (Engineering and Technology), biotechnology (Natural sciences), chemical sciences (Natural sciences), Earth and related environmental sciences (Natural sciences)

New!   Aktualny numer: 2025 - Vol. 51 - No. 4

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 631
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Article, Access status: Open Access ,
    Vertical variations in the concentration of traffic-related pollutants PM in a selected area along a transport corridor
    (Wydawnictwa AGH, 2025) Jaroń, Agata; Borucka, Anna
    Profiling pollutant distributions contributes to a deeper understanding of the diffusion of traffic air pollution, with road transport being a significant source of air pollution. The available literature presents numerous methods for analyzing air pollution distributions resulting from vehicular transport. However, these studies primarily focus on simulated conditions rather than real-world field measurements. This study examines real-world field measurements of air pollution near a highway in Poland using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform across different seasons. The UAV platform was equipped with a semiconductor laser sensor for measuring air pollutants such as $SO_2$, $CO_2$, $N_{x}O_{y}$, $O_3$ and $PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_1$. Although there are many works on profiling pollutants, this is the first such attempt to visualize pollutants in Poland, along with comparing the indications to the National Air Pollution Monitoring. By applying Spearman’s correlation coefficient, the study assesses the correlation of pollutant concentrations within the vertical profile from a street canyon and conducts pollution mapping. Observations indicate that in spring, summer, and autumn, pollutant concentrations decrease with altitude. However, in winter, a »pollution cloud« was detected at an altitude of 20–30 m, while concentrations above this threshold declined. The findings provide valuable insights for developing recommendations to protect public health. In the future, they may be used to properly manage urban infrastructure in order to protect the population from the negative effects of air pollution.
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Journal Issue,
    Geology, Geophysics & Environment
    2025 - Vol. 51 - No. 4
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Article, Access status: Open Access ,
    Trace elements and rare earth elements in post-mining pit lakes of the Muskau Arch (Poland): AMD-related enrichment and toxicity assessment
    (Wydawnictwa AGH, 2025) Śniady, Igor; Machowska, Aleksandra; Dysierowicz, Maciej; Siepak, Marcin
    This study presents results for trace elements (TEs) and rare earth elements (REEs) in five pit lakes located within the Muskau Arch, one of the largest regions in Central and Eastern Europe affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). Concentrations of TEs (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Th, Tl, U, V, Zn) and REEs (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) were determined using inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QQQ-MS). The highest concentrations were recorded for Fe (0.14–156.9 mg/L), which was the dominant TE in all pit lakes except MA1, where Al was dominant. PCA indicated that TEs such as Al, Be, Co, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Rb, Sc, Th, and Zn were strongly associated with pit lakes affected by AMD. Two subgroups were identified: (1) Be, Co, Ni, and Zn, which correlated with Al and low pH, and (2) Fe, Mn, Li, Rb, and Th, which correlated with slightly higher pH and anoxic and more reducing conditions. The toxicity analysis of TEs revealed substantial variation among the pit lakes (from extreme to low toxicity) and indicated that the most important TEs contributing to water toxicity were Al, Mn, Zn, and Ba. Total REE concentrations ranged from 0.15 µg/L to 149.3 µg/L, with by far the highest values recorded in MA2, and their concentrations were strongly influenced by pH. The pit lakes generally exhibited LREE (including La to Eu) enrichment, as well as a weaker MREE (including Sm to Dy) enrichment. Positive Gd anomalies were identified at all sampling points. Additionally, positive Eu anomalies were observed in all pit lakes except MA2, which was the most strongly affected by AMD, and positive Tb anomalies were recorded primarily in samples influenced by AMD.
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Article, Access status: Open Access ,
    A record of Eocene subaqueous large-scale mass movements in the external Tethys Ocean (Skyba Nappe, Outer Carpathians, Ukraine)
    (Wydawnictwa AGH, 2025) Waśkowska, Anna; Hnylko, Svitlana; Kowal-Kasprzyk, Justyna; Golonka, Jan; Słomka, Tadeusz; Hnylko, Oleh; Heneralova, Larysa; Pilarz, Monika
    Studies were carried out on the Popeli Beds, which were mainly deposited by mass movements along the northern slope of the Tethys Ocean and form an olistostrome sequence occurring within Paleogene deposits. The analysis focuses on the deposits exposed in the northern limb of the Pobuk Syncline – the structural element of the Oriv Skyba – in the external zones of the Skyba (Skole) Nappe. Structural, lithological, sedimentological and paleontological studies allowed for the identification and characterisation of the olistostrome sequence and revealed its structure. Six individual olistostrome complexes were distinguished and described in detail. Five of these are gravelly mudstoneswith oversized clasts, overlain by medium-bedded mudstones and sandstones, the last one consists of deformed packages of thin bedded mudstones and sandstones. The olistostrome sequence is composed of a wide range of lithological and stratigraphic components, including Tithonian – Berriasian shallow- water limestones (so-called Štramberk-type limestones), Upper Cretaceous limestones, sandstones, and siliceous rocks, as well as Paleogene mudstones, sandstones, limestones, and marls. Biostratigraphic analysis of foraminifera indicates the Bartonian as the time of displacement. The olistostrome niche migrated downslope from a lower shelf-upper slope position characterized by marl sedimentation, to slope areas dominated by turbidite sedimentation.
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Article, Access status: Open Access ,
    Assessment of the geogenic salinity conditions in the hyporheic zone of the Moszczenica River in the Rogóźno salt dome zone (Zgierz district) based on radium isotopes
    (Wydawnictwa AGH, 2025) Ziułkiewicz, Maciej; Grabowski, Paweł; Długosz-Lisiecka, Magdalena
    On the border of the Kujavian Anticlinorium and the Łódź Synclinorium, the Rogóźno salt dome was formed and broke through the overburden of Mesozoic formations. The groundwater circulating around them leaches the salt body and, being saline, is subject to drainage in the Moszczenica valley. Previous measurements of vertical hydraulic gradients and physicochemical analyses showed conditions favorable for the penetration of aqueous solutions of Zechstein salt into the riverbed, which is particularly intensified at low surface water levels. The main objective of this publication is to determine the origin of groundwater flowing into the hyporheic zone (HZ) of Moszczenica using radium isotopes. Hydrochemical studies were carried out on deep groundwater in the supply area, flow and drainage zones of the Groundwater Body, within the boundaries of which the salt dome is located. The preliminary assessment of the hydrochemical specificity of HZ waters, carried out using the EMMA method, showed that these are waters which, as a mixture, cannot be related to any of the end member elements selected from the set of local groundwaters. Based on previous hydrochemical studies, the share of deep groundwaters in the HZ was determined to be 22–33%. On this basis, the reconstruction of the sought mixing end element was performed with the isotopic signature of the river water and the mixture of HZ waters. Using several computational scenarios, it was indicated that these may be waters from deep parts adjacent to the salt diapir of Cretaceous aquifers from the southwest.
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Article, Access status: Open Access ,
    Geothermal water and energy management in Polish district heating – directions for effective use in the Polish Lowlands
    (Wydawnictwa AGH, 2025) Pierzchała, Karol; Pająk, Leszek; Tomaszewska, Barbara; Tyszer, Magdalena; Kępińska, Beata; Kasztelewicz, Aleksandra; Stokłosa, Alicja Wiktoria; Pétursson, Baldur
    The possibility of utilising the available potential of the main geothermal reservoirs in Poland, i.e., the Lower Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous, by using the existing infrastructure in the form of still-operating district heating networks is the subject of this work. The suggested solution, therefore, integrates the resource side with the infrastructure side. This approach should significantly accelerate the implementation of the proposed solutions, supporting the achievement of the ambitious objectives of Poland’s Energy Policy 2040. Geothermal resources in Poland are characterised by low enthalpy and low temperature. Their temperature is often too low for direct utilisation in systems relying solely on geothermal energy. Existing district heating networks require significantly higher heating medium temperatures during specific periods (when low ambient air temperature is observed). Using gas boilers as peak energy sources while employing geothermal energy as the base load for meeting annual heating demands appears to be an attractive and feasible technical option. Poland, alongside Denmark, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania, is among the countries with the highest density of district heating networks. These networks serve as invaluable infrastructure, reducing the costs associated with geothermal energy extraction. However, this infrastructure is under real threat from the trend towards decentralised energy systems. The liquidation of district heating networks would be irreversible, further exacerbated by the lack of access to clean and alternative energy carriers to replace fossil fuels. It has been demonstrated that in most analysed cases the combination of available geothermal resources and district heating infrastructure can successfully contribute to achieving the assumed goals of Poland's Energy Policy. In the best locations, the share of renewable energy exceeded 80%, with an average of around 50%. The total reduction of $CO_2$ emissions is estimated as 1.16 million tonnes yearly. The work draws attention to the slow but positive change in the electricity mix, in which the share of RES is growing. This trend is extremely beneficial for popularising heat pumps powered by electricity using geothermal resources as a low-temperature energy carrier.
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Article, Access status: Open Access ,
    Exploratory analysis of elements in incineration bottom ash with numerous values below the detection limit using selected substitution methods
    (Wydawnictwa AGH, 2025) Chuchro, Monika; Zaręba, Mateusz; Jędrusiak, Radosław
    This study investigates the influence of substitution methods for left-censored values on exploratory data analysis (EDA) of the incineration bottom ash (IBA). IBA, a by-product of municipal solid waste incineration, contains a wide range of economically valuable elements, many of which are frequently reported below detection limits due to analytical constraints. The study aims to evaluate the impact of different substitution methods on descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression modeling outcomes.Four widely used substitution approaches were compared: (i) replacement with half of the detection limit, (ii) random values from a uniform distribution, (iii) robust regression on order statistics (ROS), and (iv) tobit regression (applied in both small and large variants). Five trace elements with different proportions of censored values (13–67%) were analyzed using a dataset of 52 weekly samples collected throughout 2021 at the Krakow Thermal Waste Treatment Plant. The impact of each method was assessed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation matrices, and multiple linear regression models. Additional analyses incorporated 11 auxiliary elements to enhance correlation and regression model robustness. The results show that substitution methods significantly affect data distributions, particularly for elements with high censoring rates. ROS and tobit regression produced more stable statistical outputs and narrower histograms compared to simpler methods. Furthermore, regression model performance improved with substitution compared to raw data, with tobit methods demonstrating the highest accuracy for elements with strong inter-element correlations. The findings provide methodological guidance for reliable data handling in IBA analysis and recovery assessments.
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Article, Access status: Open Access ,
    Non-history-based DEM model for predictions of numerical earthquakes
    (Wydawnictwa AGH, 2025) Klejment, Piotr
    Stick-slip phenomena roughly describe the behavior of a tectonic fault. A simplified model of stick-slip events is often assumed in laboratory experiments and numerical simulations of laboratory earthquakes. This work proposes a more advanced approach. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) was used to generate a numerical model for simulating the laboratory earthquakes in which the granular layer was taken into account. The proposed model takes into account an irregular, random pattern of stress increase and decrease in such a system. At 5,000 selected, regularly spaced time points, the so-called “checkpoints”, 25 parameters were measured, describing the average state of all particles forming the numerical fault at a given moment. The created dataset was used to train the Random Forest algorithm, and then, as part of the tests, this algorithm was used to predict subsequent stick-slip events. The algorithm made predictions solely on the basis of information about the current parameters of the particles. Importantly, the predictions made did not use the history of previous stick-slip events. Feature Importance and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were used to assess the contribution of individual particle physical parameters to the prediction results.
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Article, Access status: Open Access ,
    Hydrogeochemistry of brines on the example of selected water phenomena in the Kłodawa Salt Mine (central Poland)
    (Wydawnictwa AGH, 2025) Trałka-Błachowicz, Marta; Modelska, Magdalena; Buczyński, Sebastian
    Chemical and isotopic studies of brines in salt mines are a key element in identifying their origins. This, in turn, is applied in determining the degree of water hazard. Studies of the chemical and isotopic composition of eight brine samples in two measurement series were carried out at the Kłodawa Inc. Salt Mine in 2022 for pH, electrolytical conductivity of water (EC), mineral alkalinity, total alkalinity, total hardness, carbonate hardness, non-carbonate hardness, $HCO_3^-$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Na^+$, $K^+$, $Ba^{2+}$, $Li^+$, Sr^{2+}$, $NH_4^+$, ^Cl^-$, $SO_4^{2-}$, $NO_3^-$, $NO_2^-$, $Br^-$, $F^-$, $I^-$, $CO_3^{2-}$ ions as well as $\delta^{18}O$ and $\delta^2H$ in $H_2O$. Analysed water phenomena were selected based on archival data which indicated their various chemical compositions. Using analyses based on hydrochemical indices and isotopic composition, it was found that the studied brines represented the isotopic composition of O and H in $H_2O$ typical of Zechstein brines, Paleo-infiltration waters, pre-Pleistocene infiltration waters and waters of mixed origin. Their salinity was mainly primary (inherent) in nature. The dominant processes affecting chemical transformations were ion exchange, precipitation and dissolution of sulphate minerals and halite, redox processes and, to a lesser extent, mixing of waters. The possible influence of inclusions on water chemistry was also found. Additionally, the analysis showed limitations in the applicability of selected hydrochemical indices.
  • thumbnail.journal.alt
    Item type:Article, Access status: Open Access ,
    Interaction of silty loam soil on the change of soil retention capacity and soil compaction following subsoiling
    (Wydawnictwa AGH, 2025) Borek, Łukasz
    The subsoiling of arable soils as part of a strategy against excessive compaction and the resulting plow pan can be successfully used as a pro-retention treatment. The study of changes in the physical and water properties of soil as a result of subsoiling was carried out on three sites: Wojnowice, Strzybnik, and Owsiszcze, located in the Racibórz district, Śląskie Voivodeship (Poland), in a silty-loam soil. A total of five soil profiles (0–150 cm) were analyzed before and after subsoiling. The experiment used a seven-tine Maschio subsoiler at a depth of 50–60 cm between 2012–2014. The physical (e.g., soil bulk density, soil organic matter) and water (e.g., maximum water capacity, field water capacity, permanent wilting point, total plant available water) properties of the soil were determined before and after subsoiling, taking into account the division into layers: 0–25 cm, 25–50 cm, and 50–150 cm. Statistical analyses were used to check changes in soil physical and water parameters. The results show that the subsoiling treatment caused a statistically significant decrease in soil compaction (bulk density) at all three layers and increased moisture in the range of total plant available water in the subsoil layer (25–50 cm). Subsoiling in silty-loam soil will enable the soil’s retention potential to be used, especially in dry years.