Geology Geophysics and Environment

Table of contents

2025-12-29

Vertical variations in the concentration of traffic-related pollutants PM in a selected area along a transport corridor

2025-12-21

Agata Jaroń, Anna Borucka

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.

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

2025-12-21

Maciej Ziułkiewicz, Paweł Grabowski, Magdalena Długosz-Lisiecka

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.

Rare earth elements in supergene zone: a case study of the xenotime-(Y)-chernovite-(Y) solid solution from Rędziny, Sudetes, SW Poland

2025-09-29

Bożena Gołębiowska, Natalia Chmaj, Adam Włodek, Monika A. Kusiak, Stanislav Jeleň, Beata Marciniak-Maliszewska, Petras Jokubauskas

Rare earth element (REE) mineralization has been documented at Rędziny, located on the eastern margin of the Karkonosze granite (Sudetes, Poland). Minerals of the REE[(As,P)O₄] group with a tetragonal zircontype structure, primarily xenotime-(Y)-chernovite-(Y), Y(PO 4 )-Y(AsO 4 ) solid solutions, have been identified. These minerals occur as euhedral grains and also as intergrowths with secondary arsenates and silicates, filling cracks, fractures, and voids. Their textural diversity and paragenetic relationships with Ca-, Cu-, Pb-, and Bi-bearing arsenates indicate a crystallization sequence involving successive mineral-forming episodes. Local enrichments in REEs have also been recorded in common supergene arsenates, such as Ca(Pb)-Cu phases including conichalcite (CaCu(AsO 4 )(OH)) and duftite (PbCu(AsO 4 )(OH)). Minerals of the xenotime-(Y)-chernovite-(Y) solid solution correspond to intermediate compositions, with the chernovite end-member molar fraction ranging from 0.46 to 0.89. Based on EPMA analyses, yttrium is the dominant cation, accompanied by considerable amounts of middle rare earth elements (MREEs), especially neodymium (up to 12.60 wt.%; 0.21 apfu), samarium (up to 10.39 wt.%; 0.167 apfu), and gadolinium (up to 6.72 wt.%; 0.107 apfu). Some chemical compositions also show a trend towards the gasparite-(LREE) (LREE(AsO 4 )) compositional field. Xenotime-(Y)-chernovite-(Y) minerals display microporosity, likely resulting from dissolution, metasomatic alteration, and subsequent recrystallization. The REEs at Rędziny likely originated from both evolved, late-stage hydrothermal fluids and rocks of the metamorphic envelope of the Karkonosze granite, where REEs were mobilized by post-magmatic fluids. Subsequent supergene processes may have further enhanced secondary enrichment.

Instruction for the Authors

2025-09-29

Hydrogeochemistry of brines on the example of selected water phenomena in the Kłodawa Salt Mine (central Poland)

2025-09-23

Marta Trałka-Błachowicz, Magdalena Modelska, Sebastian Buczyński

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 δ18O and δ2H in H 2 O. 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 2 O 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.

Surface water runoff estimation: a review of methods incorporating terrain shape

2025-09-21

Yessica Ramirez-Yara, Agnieszka A. Malinowska, Ryszard Hejmanowski

Surface runoff is a key variable in the water balance, representing excess water that exceeds soil infiltration capacity and is not absorbed by drains. Accurate estimation of surface runoff is crucial for flood prevention, optimizing agricultural water use, and detecting irregular water capture. Various computational approaches, including machine learning, deep learning, statistical models, and hydraulic simulations, have been developed to estimate runoff. However, despite extensive research, many models overlook the influence of terrain characteristics – such as topography, slope, and surface roughness – leading to potential inaccuracies in runoff prediction. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliographic review of state-of-the-art research on surface runoff estimation, with a focus on methods that integrate digital terrain models (DTMs), remote sensing, and computational modeling techniques. Through this analysis, a specific research niche was identified and verified, highlighting the need for terrain-sensitive runoff models that better incorporate topographic variables into hydrological modeling. By evaluating and comparing existing methodologies, this review provides insights into the most effective approaches for runoff estimation and offers recommendations for selecting the appropriate models based on landscape and hydrological conditions. It also presents potential solutions that may pave the way for a better understanding of runoff processes.

Non-history-based DEM model for predictions of numerical earthquakes

2025-09-14

Piotr Klejment

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.

Editorial page

2025-07-29

Table of contents

2025-07-29