Application of remote sensing methods in geological mapping

Aerial photographs are a source of geological information that may be unobtainable elsewhere. If the fullest use is to be made of this information for the purpose of geological mapping, there must be a planned integration of the photogeological work with the field and laboratory investigations. The appearance of the first satellites for civil purposes on the beginning of the 1970s (such as ERTS – Landsat series), of most land areas of the Earth has provided new opportunity for photogeologists. Many areas can now be studied and mapped geologically for which neither adequate maps nor vertical aerial photograps were available. The advantages of the present satellite systems and examples of their application by specialists of the Polish Geological Institute are presented in this paper. Nowadays, it is practically impossible to imagine performing geological mapping without application of remote sensing data and analysis. Development of new technologies is very fast and new borne techniques are coming like permanent scatter interferometry, laser scanning etc. However, we should always remember, that they are only very useful tools to help geologists in their field mapping art and practise

Comprehensive use of InSAR and PSInSAR in the study of vertical ground movements in selected regions of the GOP

W artykule przedstawiono analizę danych pozyskanych z różnych przetworzeń technikami satelitarnej interferometerii radarowej w celu uzyskania mapy pionowych przemieszczeń terenu zaistniałych w ciągu jednego roku na dwóch obszarach badawczych, Bytomia i Katowic. Przedstawiona metodyka łączenia różnych typów danych (DInSAR i PSInSAR), pochodzących z obrazów pozyskanych w różnych pasmach radarowych (C, L oraz X), pozwoliła na zbadanie zarówno małych, milimetrowych ruchów powierzchni terenu jak i bardzo szybkich obniżeń, dochodzących do 58 centymetrów na rok. Wyniki przedstawiono w formie mapy wartości pionowych przemieszczeń na obszarze Katowic dla okresu od 22 lutego 2007 r. do 27 maja 2008 r. oraz na obszarze Bytomia dla okresu od 5 lipca 2011 r. do 21 czerwca 2012 r. Mapy te uzyskano poprzez interpolację złożonego zestawu punktów metodą Simple Kriging oraz warunkowych Symulacji Gaussa. Dodatkowo otrzymano mapy prawdopodobieństwa przekroczenia zadanej wartości progowej, pozwalające określić granice obszaru znajdującego się pod wpływem ciągłych obniżeń powierzchni terenu. Wyniki analiz pozwalają stwierdzić, iż satelitarna interferometria radarowa może w znaczący sposób wspomagać klasyczne metody monitoringu deformacji powierzchni terenów aktywnych górniczo, gdyż umożliwia detekcję powolnych, pozornie nieszkodliwych przemieszczeń, jak i bardzo szybkich obniżeń towarzyszących procesowi powstawania poszczególnych niecek obniżeniowych.This paper presents an analysis of the dataset obtained from various satellite radar interferometry processing techniques in order to create maps of one-year vertical ground displacements which occurred in two areas of the research - Bytom and Katowice. The presented methodology of combining different types of data (DInSAR and PSInSAR), derived from images acquired at different radar bands (C, L, and X), enabled the identification of small, millimeter-ground surface movements and very fast subsidence, of up to 58 centimeters per year. The results are presented in the form of vertical displacements maps of Katowice area (for the period of 22 February 2007 - 27 May 2008) and of Bytom area (for the period of 5 July 2011 - 21 June 2012). These maps were obtained by Simple Kriging and Conditional Gaussian Simulation interpolation of a complex set of points. In addition, the probability maps were used for determining the boundaries of the area under the influence of continuous ground surface subsidence. The results of analyses allow us to conclude that satellite radar interferometry can significantly support the classic methods of surface deformation monitoring over active mining areas, as it enables the detection of slow, seemingly negligible movements, as well as very fast subsidence associated with the process of formation of individual subsidence troughs

90th anniversary of the Polish Geological Institute at the background of developments in earth sciences in Poland

Zawiera: Zaranie; Podwaliny nowoczesnej geologii; Dokonania polskich geologów w kraju i za granicą w okresie rozbiorów; Próby organizacji instytucji geologicznych u schyłku rozbiorów; Odzyskanie niepodległości i utworzenie Państwowego Instytutu Geologicznego; Siedziba; Pierwsi pracownicy; Działania organizacyjne w dwudziestoleciu międzywojennym; Badania geologiczne w latach 1919-1939.It could be stated that the history of the mining and earth science in Poland is much anterior than the dynasty of the Polish Piast's kings. The different mineral resources were already recognized and exploited in the mediaeval times at the territory of Poland. Very important event was establishing of the Ore's Commission by the king Stanislav August Poniatowski in the 1782. Partotion of Poland stopped considerably development of the geological sciences in Poland. However, some important investigations and organization measures were undertaken. The name of the Stanislav Staszic should be mentioned who is considered as "father of the Polish geology". Several outstanding followers should be mentioned too, e.g.: Georg Gottlieb Pusch, or Ludwig Zejszner. Many Polish geologists emigrated and contributed much to the important geological discoveries in other countries as: Paweł Edmund Strzelecki (America, Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand), Ignacy Domeyko (Southern America), Aleksander Piotr Czekanowski and Jan Czerski (Asia), and many others. In the end of the XIX century several initiative started devoted establishing in Poland national geological survey. The idea of Józef Morozewicz prevailed to establish the Polish Geological Institute within the structure of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. These ideas could be realized when Poland get independence in November 1918. Several members of the Parliament, undertaken the initiative to constitute the Polish Geological Institute, which was accepted in April 1919. Official opening of the Institute took place on 7th May 1919 in the Staszic Palace, which was the first seat of this organization. Two years later the PGI status and budget was accepted by the Polish government and Józef Morozewicz has got director's nomination from the Head of State Józef Piłsudzki. In these difficult times big organizational efforts were made to enable performing of the basic survey tasks and investigations, First staff of the Institute has included above 30 persons (17 geologists). In the first years of activities PGI geologists undertaken studies in the different parts of Poland, among them: the Carpathians, High Tatra's, Carpathian Foredeep, Upper Silesia, the Holy Cross Mountains as well as Polish Lowlands. The results of these studies were printed in the yearly reports. Several important discoveries were reported, for example: first suggestions concerning existence of the coal deposits in the Lublin Basin, iron deposits in Rudki, phosphorite resources in Rachów or salt deposits in Kłodawa. Simultaneously the geological mapping survey was performed. Two important maps at a scale of 1:750 000 was published: Geological Map of Poland and Geological Map of the Natural Resources of Poland. Several maps in the bigger scale was printed, too. In the meantime, the Institute has obtained a new parcel at the corner pf the Rakowiecka and Wiśniowa streets where two buildings were erected, in 1926 and 1936. In March 1938, President of Poland accepted new decree concerning geological survey of Poland which was performed by the Polish Geological Institute and Geological Council. The role of the PGI has grown and the budget increased substantially. Unfortunately this positive trend was stopped due to the beginning of the Second World War. The part of the PGI together with Director Karol Bohdanowicz started evacuation on 6th September 1939. The first heroic period of the Institute came to the end

"Initiative" of the Polish Worker’s Party organization in the Polish Geological Institute in Kraków – echoes of the real socialism era

Two documents were commented in this paper. They were prepared by the Polish Worker’s Party organization in the Polish Geological Institute in Kraków, in 1948. There are: "Memorandum on the Polish Geological Institute" and letter to Central Committee of the Polish Worker’s Party sent through the Urban Committee of the Polish Worker’s Party in Kraków. These documents were found during organizing of the Stanisław Tyski materials and delivered to PGI-NRI Central Geological Archive by Professor Krzysztof Jaworowski. They constitute example of the harmful action on realization of the Institute’s tasks and personal policy using brutal political pressure. The party members generally criticized situation in Institute. They also demanded removal of director and other persons from management and replaced them by the party members. Let’s hope that such practices will never happen again

Support of African geological surveys by their European partners in the context of the Polish initiatives

African countries in the 1960s began to recover their independence. These facts coincided with the good results in raw materials findings of the Polish geologists and geophysicists. Therefore, in the 1960s and 1970s, geologists of the Polish Geological Institute and other companies indicated their presence in the research works in several countries of the African continent. Nowadays, the EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) members with the support from the Organization of African Geological Surveys (OAGS) prepared a strategy for sustainable strengthening of African countries’geological administrations. The strategy focuses on natural resources governance, enforcing sustainable mineral resources exploitation as well as preventing and mitigating natural disasters by establishing long-term strategic cooperation relationships in these areas. EGS, on behalf of the European Commission’s DG Development and Cooperation (DEVCO) and with the support and additional supervision of DG ENTR, was requested to cooperate with the OAGS to develop, over a period of about twelve months, a feasibility study focusing on one key priority of the EU-Africa Strategy Action Plan 2011-13, which is to "foster fur ther co-operation between African and European geological surveys”. As the result of this cooperation the identification of the Africa’s challenges in geological knowledge and skills has been done, that emerged by analysis of targeted information derivedfrom questionnaires distributed via OAGS to their members

Lineaments interpreted at the radar images and the digital elevation model within the Palaeozoic rocks of the Holy Cross Mts.

Lineaments, visible in radar images and detected with the digital elevation model, and occurring within the Palaeozoic of the Holy Cross Mts., were analysed using computer processing of the tectonic data. The fault network in the Palaeozoic Holy Cross Mts., up to now studied mostly with surface cartography methods, is rather weakly expressed in linear structures, discernible in aerial, satellite and radar imagery. A detailed analysis allowed to determine main directions of the lineaments of tectonic origin and to arrive at cinematic characteristics of large dislocations present, important for reconstructing the tectogenesis of the area

An application of the remote sensing technology to the high-energy seismic activity assessment, on the example of the Upper Silesian coal basin (USCB)

Ruchy masowe (zjawisko przemieszczania się mas skalnych pod wpływem grawitacji) dotyczą m.in. terenów górniczych, będących obszarami o podwyższonym ryzyku ruchliwości sejsmicznej (tzw. sejsmiczności indukowanej). Najbardziej niebezpieczne są wstrząsy wysokoenergetyczne, powstające w wyniku kumulacji naprężeń eksploatacyjnych i tektonicznych (sejsmiczność górniczo-tektoniczna). W artykule pokazano możliwości wykorzystania metody teledetekcyjnej do oceny sejsmiczności wysokoenergetycznej na obszarze Górnośląskiego Zagłębia Węglowego. Wstępna analiza wykazała jej dużą przydatność, a także nowe możliwości interpretacji danych ze zdjęć satelitarnych