Submarine geomorphology at the front of the retreating Hansbreen tidewater glacier, Hornsund fjord, southwest Spitsbergen

A 1:10,000 scale bathymetric map as well as 1:20,000 scale backscattering and geomorphological maps of two bays Isbjørnhamna and Hansbukta in the Hornsund fjord (Spitsbergen) present the submarine relief that was primarily formed during and after the retreat of the Hansbreen tidewater glacier. Geomorphological mapping was performed using multibeam bathymetric data and seismoacoustic profiling. The identified landforms include two types of transverse ridges interpreted as terminal and annual moraines, flat areas that are depressions filled with glaciomarine sediments, iceberg-generated pits and ploughmarks, pockmarks and fields of megaripples. Most of the identified landforms are genetically related to the retreat of Hansbreen since the termination of the Little Ice Age at the beginning of the twentieth century. Although Hansbreen has been speculated to be a surge-type glacier, no evidence of surging was identified in the submarine landform assemblage, which is in accordance with the absence of historically documented surges for that period.The work has been partially supported by National Science Centre (Poland) [grant number 2013/09/B/ST10/04141], [grant number 2013/10/E/ST10/00166], Arctic Field Grant funded by the Research Council of Norway [grant number 256879/E10] (Svalbard Science Forum), the Leading National Research Centre (KNOW) received by the Centre for Polar Studies for the period 2014–2018, and statutory activities no. 3841/E-41/S/2017 of the Ministry of Sciences and Higher Education of Poland

Wykorzystanie gruntów rodzimych do budowy dróg lokalnych na terenach wiejskich

Virgin soils as a result of geotechnical processes are element of road’s solid bottom. The bottom ought to have enough capacity and durability which is provided by proper virgin sub-grade’s enhancement. The sub-grade is road’s base course right bottom. It is possible to improve virgin soil’s parameters by road’s hydraulic binding agent. The agent is a mineral frame’s micro-particle extender or enhancement. The researches were focused to define main soil-cement compound’s mechanical parameter called CBR. Compounds consisted of rural virgin soils (five grain-size types) and two hydraulic agent types (endurance rates 3 MPa and 9 MPa). Hydraulic agent’s main component was activated fly ash and white cement (CEM I 42,5 MPa). The ash is from Pątnów Power Plant and is a result of brown coal burning. The researches answered that it is possible to exploit virgin soils in rural service road’s construction thanks to innovative road cements with binding qualities.Grunty rodzime, powstałe w wyniku procesów geologicznych w miejscu zalegania, stanowią fundamentalny element konstrukcji drogowej. Fundament ten powinien charakteryzować się odpowiednią nośnością i trwałością, osiąganą dzięki prawidłowo ulepszonemu naturalnemu podłożu gruntowemu. Ulepszone podłoże gruntowe to mocny fundament dla podbudowy nawierzchni drogowej. Polepszenie właściwości gruntów rodzimych można uzyskać poprzez zastosowanie w nich hydraulicznych spoiw drogowych, spełniających rolę wypełniacza drobnych cząstek (bądź doraźnego wzmocnienia) szkieletu mineralnego gruntu. W niniejszej pracy skupiono się na określeniu podstawowego parametru mechanicznego mieszanek gruntowo-spoiwowych, a mianowicie wskaźnika nośności CBR. Mieszanki gruntowo-spoiwowe składały się z gruntów rodzimych, pobranych na terenach wiejskich (pięć rodzajów o zróżnicowanym uziarnieniu) oraz z dwóch rodzajów spoiwa hydraulicznego (o klasie wytrzymałości 3 MPa i 9 MPa). Głównym składnikiem spoiw hydraulicznych był aktywowany popiół lotny, pochodzący ze spalania węgla brunatnego w Elektrowni Pątnów, oraz cement portlandzki (CEM I 42,5 MPa). Wyniki badań wykazały, że przy zastosowaniu innowacyjnych spoiw drogowych o właściwościach wiążących, możliwe jest wykorzystanie gruntów rodzimych do budowy dróg lokalnych na terenach wiejskich

Historia zlodowacenia archipelagu Svalbard od późnego vistulianu do współczesności

The glacial history of the Svalbard archipelago is often a hot topic for researches, but the articles usually refer to a particular piece of Svalbard. The authors of this work studied many scientific articles based on the researches to find and collect this history.Svalbard archipelago is located in the Arctic, at the edge of the continental shelf of Europe. The end of shelf boundary noted occurrence of ice caps in the past glaciations. In turn, the main elements of the landscape of the archipelago are glaciers that are currently in a recession. Spitsbergen (the biggest island of the archipelago) sets the limit of Pleistocene glaciations, and the current state of glaciers allows determining the place where the recession is intense.The main aim of the authors in this study is to show this history only from the late Vistulian to the late Holocene (the beginning of 21st century). Interstadials and Stadials start time varies, as their duration in different places, according to various authors. It is very hard to collect all information and describe this history. By knowing the history of glaciation, we can distinguish in the late Vistulian: Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), Bølling/Older Dryas/Allerød and Younger Dryas (YD). LGM was the stadial in which was the maximum extent of ice sheet in late Vistulian. After this period, ice sheet began to retreat from the continental shelf. In turn, YD was the stadial in which the last advance of glaciers took place, about 11 000 years BC. In the Holocene we can distinguish Holocene Climatic Optimum (in the meantime short Cooling Holocene), Revdalen Stadial, Medieval Warm Period, Little Ice Age (LIA) and 20th century warming. The maximum extent of glaciers in Holocene was in LIA. In LIA, the extent of glaciers was bigger than in YD. In 20th century a warming started and continues until now.Svalbard jest obszarem, gdzie zachowały się w różnym stopniu „ślady” zdarzeń glacjalnych. Dowodami ich wystąpienia są między innymi osady oraz formy glacjalne i fluwioglacjalne (np. Boulton 1979; Boulton i in. 1982; Landvik i in. 1998; Mangerud i in. 1998; Pękala, Repelewska-Pękalowa 1990; Lindner, Marks 1993ab; Ingólfsson, Landvik 2013). Bliskość tego obszaru w stosunku do centrów zlodowaceń powodowała, że kolejne epizody glacjalne „zamazywały ślady” poprzednich, niszcząc je lub przekształcając (np. Landvik i in. 1992; Mangerud i in. 1998; Zagórski 2007). Po deglacjacji następował zazwyczaj okres intensyfikacji działania procesów nieglacjalnych (paraglacjalnych), np. morskich, peryglacjalnych (Mercier, Laffly 2005; Strzelecki 2011; Zagórski i in. 2012). Stąd najlepiej zachowały się pozostałości najmłodszych zdarzeń i epizodów glacjalnych, np. małej epoki lodowej (np. Baranowski 1977abc; Lindner Marks 1993b; Werner 1993; Wójcik, Ziaja 1999; Reder 1996ab;  Birkenmajer, Łuczkowska 1997; Svendsen Mangerud 1997; Zagórski i in. 2008, 2012; Rodzik i in. 2013)

The structure of municipal wastes in various administrative units of the Pedagogical University of Kraków

Wastes as a result of civilizational impact on the environment pose a major threat, not only to our lives, but also those of other living creatures. Therefore, current state’s policy sets some strict rules for administering wastes by minimizing their production, reusing them in various technological processes and neutralizing their harmful effects. Waste segregation is essential in the process of their reusage for the production of new materials. The study presents monthly reports concerning wastes disposed of at, and removed from selected administrative units of the University. The data provided in the study has been based on the bills paid for disposal of segregated wastes, such as glass, cardboards, metal and plastic, as well as bills for non-segregated wastes. Waste structure for the whole university does not differ significantly from those of typical Polish households and offices. Differences in the waste structure can only be spotted after a thorough analysis of particular administrative units of the University