The geological and tourist attractions of the largest Australian cities and their surroundings

Australia, labelled the continent of contrasts, is one of the most geologically interesting places in the world. Australia is home to some of the oldest rocks and minerals in the world. Some of the oldest parts of Australia are incredibly well preserved, with rocks that appear as though they could have formed yesterday. The majority of Australians live in coastal areas, because the interior of the country, called the Outback can be a very arid area with many deserts and a lack of water. The largest cities, like Sydney, Perth and Melbourne, are situated along the coast. Great distances between the cities are surprising to foreigners. In these areas, buildings or people are not the most interesting attractions. In fact, it is the geology that is most interesting

The significance of therapeutic waters of Swoszowice, Krzeszowice and Mateczny in the development of spa tourism // Znaczenie wód leczniczych Swoszowic, Krzeszowic i Matecznego dla rozwoju turystyki uzdrowiskowej

Mineral waters have been applied for therapeutic purposes in Cracow since the fifteenth century. The complex geological structure of this area has had considerable influence upon various hydrogeological conditions. Sulphide waters in Cracow and in its vicinity are connected to the presence of gypsiferous formations occurring within the Miocene rocks deposits. Sulphide mineral waters help to treat such cases as: osteoarthritis, diseases of digestive system and nervous system, foodborne diseases, skin diseases, and illnesses of movument organs. The springs of those waters are located in a region that is particularly attractive to tourists. Both historical and natural attractions of Cracow and its neighbouring area create a big opportunity for further development of spa tourism there. This fashionable form of recreation may help old forgotten sulphide waters and Cracow health resorts revive their glamour.//Wody mineralne znane były i stosowane w Krakowie w celach leczniczych od XVw. Skomplikowana budowa geologiczna tego obszaru wpływa na różnorodne warunki hydrogeologiczne. Wody siarczkowe Krakowa i okolic związane są z obecnością na tym obszarze utworów gipsonośnych występujących w obrębie piętra mioceńskiego. Siarczkowe wody lecznicze pomagają w leczeniu takich dolegliwości jak: choroby zwyrodnieniowe stawów, schorzeń skóry, przewodu pokarmowego, systemu nerwowego, zatruć pokarmowych i pourazowych narządu ruchu. Źródła tych wód znajdują się w atrakcyjnym turystycznie regionie Polski. Zarówno historyczne, jak i przyrodnicze atrakcje Krakowa i okolic stwarzają ogromne możliwości rozwoju na tym obszarze turystyki uzdrowiskowej. Ta modna w obecnych czasach forma wypoczynku może pomóc zapomnianym wodom siarczkowym i uzdrowiskom krakowskim przywrócić ich dawną świetlność

Dynamics of the status of groundwater in the Polish Lowland: the River Gwda catchment example

The aim of the present study is to monitor changes in the location of the groundwater table in the catchment area of the River Gwda within the Quaternary and Neogene water-bearing level over a 35-year period, between 1981 and 2015. In addition, on account of very diverse total annual precipitation levels in particular parts of the catchment, attempts were made to determine the influence of precipitation on the location of the groundwater table. By correlating groundwater level and meteorological parameters (precipitation), it was discovered that precipitation in the previous year made the largest impact on the groundwater table. Moreover, low precipitation totals in the southern part of the catchment are not discernible in groundwater table fluctuations, which is linked to the location of the observation well within the drainage zone as well as to water ascension from deeper aquifers

Geological and tourist attractions of southern Bornholm

The following article presents the description of seven geological and tourist routes in the southern part of the Danish island called Bornholm. The fi eldwork, which took place during the expedition of the Geography Students’ Scientifi c Group from the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, included photographic documentation and the location of rock concentrations by means of a GPS receiver. The researched routes reveal both geological diversity of the island – Precambrian, Palaeozoic, and Mesozoic rocks, as well as tourist sites, such as round churches, historical windmills, rune stones and numerous attractions of major cities of the island

Geological and tourist attractions of southern Bornholm

Tyt. z nagłówka.Bibliogr. s. 32.The following article presents the description of seven geological and tourist routes in the southern part of the Danish island called Bornholm. The fieldwork, which took place during the expedition of the Geography Students’ Scientific Group from the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, included photographic documentation and the location of rock concentrations by means of a GPS receiver. The researched routes reveal both geological diversity of the island – Precambrian, Palaeozoic, and Mesozoic rocks, as well as tourist sites, such as round churches, historical windmills, rune stones and numerous attractions of major cities of the island.Dostępny również w formie drukowanej.KEYWORDS: geological and tourist route, Bornholm Island, round churches, rock concentrations

The Identification of Risks for Drinking Water Intakes in Urbanized Area: The Case Study of Toruń (Central Poland)

This article discusses the problem of natural hazards connected with climatic changes and their influence on water safety. A medium-sized town in central Poland which is supplied with consumption water from both underground water intakes and surface water resources was selected as a case study. Natural hazards, such as droughts or floods, were identified and the risk of the occurrence of natural hazards concerning water supply systems assessed. The findings of the archived data analysis for the period 1971–2020 helped to identify extreme circumstances, the occurrence of which had an impact on secure water supplies in terms of quantity. Moreover, the results obtained indicate that the greatest influence had all the situations connected with the Drwęca low water discharge, which in the long term could lead to temporary water shortages. In the analyzed period, there was a significant increase in the number of days without precipitation, together with a statistically significant increase in the average annual air temperature. Meteorological hazards related to days without precipitation far outweighed the occurrence of days with intense precipitation. The analysis of water table fluctuations observed at the Jedwabno infiltration intake showed a high sensitivity of the aquifer to atmospheric conditions

Dynamics of the status of groundwater in the Polish Lowland: the River Gwda catchment example

The aim of the present study is to monitor changes in the location of the groundwater table in the catchment area of the River Gwda within the Quaternary and Neogene water-bearing level over a 35-year period, between 1981 and 2015. In addition, on account of very diverse total annual precipitation levels in particular parts of the catchment, attempts were made to determine the influence of precipitation on the location of the groundwater table. By correlating groundwater level and meteorological parameters (precipitation), it was discovered that precipitation in the previous year made the largest impact on the groundwater table. Moreover, low precipitation totals in the southern part of the catchment are not discernible in groundwater table fluctuations, which is linked to the location of the observation well within the drainage zone as well as to water ascension from deeper aquifers

Geoturist Evaluation of Geosites in the Tuchola Forest Biosphere Reserve (N Poland)

The geotourist evaluation of 32 geosites, including mineral deposits occurrence (1), petrological (12), sedimentological (2), and geomorphological (9), as well as hydrological and hydrogeological (8) sites, located in the area of Tuchola Forest Biosphere Reserve (TFBR), has been carried out. The study aims to provide a qualitative assessment of geodiversity via the evaluation of abiotic nature objects, as well as propose modifications in geotourist valuation criteria, for the purpose of applying it to the areas located in the Central European Plains. The evaluated geosites represent both perfect examples of typical features for the physiography of the TFBR, as a young glacial landscape, e.g., erratic boulders, glaciofluvial landforms, postglacial landforms, and lakes or peatbogs, as well as values proving the uniqueness of the area on both regional and international scales, e.g., disused underground lignite mine “Montania”. High scores of geotourist attractiveness (between 36 and 44 points) have been received by 14 evaluated geosites (1 mineral deposits occurrence geosite, 4 petrological geosites, 1 sedimentological geosite, and 5 geomorphological geosites, as well as 3 hydrological and hydrogeological geosites). The remaining 18 geosites have received a medium score (between 25 and 34 points). Three areas of high concentration of geosites, which overlap with the boundaries of Tuchola, Wdecki, and Zaborski (area of the greatest diversity of highly-ranked geosites) landscape parks, were distinguished. The authors proposed geosites that require improving their accessibility to enhance the geotourist attractiveness, recognized the necessity of marking out geotourist trails in the most attractive and diversified areas, and noticed the influence of extreme weather phenomena (whirwinds) on changes in the geotourist attractiveness of some geosites. It is believed that the results of the conducted evaluation may favorably affect the importance, position, and publicity of the whole area by supplementing the well-recognized biodiversity with the geodiversity presented in the study