The isotopic record in ancient lacustrine deposits of the Sucha Wieś (Ełk Lakeland) and Czarnucha Sites (Augustów Plain), northeastern Poland

Badania stosunków izotopów tlenu i węgla w kopalnych osadach zbiornikowych kompleksu augustowskiego, w stanowiskach Sucha Wieś i Czarnucha w północno-wschodniej Polsce, pokazują złożony obraz zmian klimatu, w którym występują przynajmniej dwa ocieplenia. Detrytyczny kalcyt występujący w obrębie kopalnych osadów jeziornych utrudnia interpretację stosunków izotopowych. Zaznaczający się w osadach wzrost zawartości kalcytu pochodzenia morskiego, ze starszych formacji, jest charakterystyczny dla zimnych okresów interglacjału augustowskiego, w którym następowało rozrzedzenie pokrywy roślinnej ułatwiające spłukiwanie osadów, co jest wyrażone w postaci wysokich wartości δ. Tam, gdzie przeważa kalcyt autochtoniczny powstały w zbiorniku czwartorzędowym, wartości δ maleją. Stwierdzenie obecności okrzemek słonawowodnych we wszystkich profilach osadów może wskazywać na okresowe przesuszenia jezior. W takich warunkach dochodziło do koncentracji izotopów cięższych, co objawia się wysokimi wartościami δ.Investigations of the O/C ratio in ancient deposits of the Augustovian complex of the Sucha Wieś and Czarnucha sites, northern Poland, indicate a complicated image of climate changes with at least two warmings. Detrital calcite, found in the ancient lacustrine deposits, makes it difficult to interpret the isotope ratio. An increase in content of marine calcite derived from older formations is characteristic of cool periods of the Augustovian when the vegetation was sparse, favouring washout of the particles, as evidenced by high δ values. If there is apredominance of autochthonous calcite deposited in the Quaternary basin, then the δ values are lower. The presence of saline-water diatoms in all the sections can indicate a periodic drying up of the lakes when heavier isotopes were being concentrated resulting in high δ values

Lightning-caused and human-induced forest fires as evidenced by Pteridium spores in selected Quaternary records from Poland

The oc cur rence of Pteridium spores – the com mon fire-adapted plant – was ob served in Po land’s Pleis to cene (three interglacials and nu mer ous interstadials) and Ho lo cene pol len se quences. Un til the on set of the mid dle Ho lo cene, bracken was re corded rel a tively rarely. This marks cli ma tic con di tions with spo radic wildfires, fol lowed by quick re - moval of the clones (or main te nance of the clones in a sup pressed state) in the sub se quent, post fire successional stages. In each inter gla cial we can also iden tify short pe ri ods (most of ten syn chro nous) of some what higher fre quency of Pteridium, in di cat ing a pos si ble in crease in nat u ral fires as an ef fect of stormy con di tions. These short pe ri ods are placed mainly within phases dom i nated by co nif er ous wood lands. The very high con tent of bracken found from a reanalysis of the long Saalian se quence at Ossówka as three reg u lar cul mi na tions just above three non-tree phases, east ern Po land is the unique ex cep tion. To ex plain this we found the close mod ern an a logue of the above phe nom e non in the Alas kan re gion, at the bound ary be tween the tun dra and the bo real zone where in a very nar row for est zone, es - pe cially with the con ti nen tal sig na ture, light ning-ini ti ated fires are very fre quent (the edge ef fect). Pleis to cene re cords of bracken dur ing for est pe ri ods might in di cate that thun der storms and light ning strikes were re spon si ble for its higher con tent. This is not to ex clude the pos si bil ity that inter gla cial fires were set by Palaeo lithic hu mans. How ever, it is more likely that the wildfires were uti lized and to some ex tent con trolled, es pe cially at Ossówka, where the palaeolake ex isted for a long time af ter the inter gla cial; and this surely at tracted the at ten tion of game and hu mans. Our in ves ti ga - tions show that rare, more abun dant Pteridium in the Pleis to cene se quences can be traced through out the cor re sponding pe ri ods even at dis tant sites. This might be in di rect ev i dence of a cli ma tic pat tern that pro mote stormy con di tions and fires at that time. In the Ho lo cene, dif fer ent fac tors seem to be re spon si ble for the long-term dy nam ics in Pteridium clones. Both in Po land and in ad ja cent ar eas bracken peaked in the mid dle Ho lo cene from 8000 to 5000 BP, when this ter ri tory was oc cu pied by de cid u ous wood lands. There is agree ment that this is due to burn ing of for ests by the hunter-gath erer so ci et ies of the Late Mesolithic. How ever, in spite of in creased clear ings in the sub se quent phases bracken sub stan tially de creased in abun dance. This means first of all that fires rather than clear ings were re spon si ble for the rise in Pteridium spores in the Ho lo cene pol len se quences

The Late Saalian, Eemian and Early Vistulian pollen sequence at Dziewule, eastern Poland

A relatively undisturbed pollen sequence from the Late Saalian–Eemian–Early Vistulian interval has been discovered in Dziewule in the Podlasie region, eastern Poland. Geological and palynological investigations are used to illustrate the evolution of Eemian climate, which, at this site, shows no large-scale and abrupt oscillations. Almost full interglacial conditions are already present from the early part of the sequence (the end of the boreal Betula–Pinus Zone). Thermophilous indicator plants (e.g. Viburnum lantana, Cornus mas, Cotinus coggygria—newly found in the Eemian of Poland) show their maximum occurrence in the second half of the Quercus Zone and in the Corylus Zone, marking the climatic optimum of the interglacial. We found no signs of substantial climate fluctuations in the Carpinus Zone suggested by some authors

Last Glacial Maximum climatic conditions in the Polish part of the High Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians)

Palaeoclimatic conditions in the Polish part of the High Tatra Mountains during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) were reconstructed based on the former glacial topography with the use of two independent glacier-climate models. The extent of the palaeoglaciers was determined using the glacial-geomorphological record of terminal and lateral moraines as well as trimlines. Two north-faced prominent glaciers were reconstructed (Sucha Woda/Pańszczyca and Biała Woda) with their surface areas as 15.2 and 40.3 km2, respectively. The equilibrium line altitudes (ELA) of these glaciers were determined at the level of 1460 and 1480 m a.s.l. Modelled palaeoclimatic parameters show a mean summer temperature of about 0.3°C and mean annual precipitation of around 580 mm at the equilibrium line altitude of the former glaciers. This means that the summer temperature was lower by 10°C and precipitation was lower by about 60% in relation to the modern conditions. The mean annual temperature was lower by at least 12°C. On the basis of palaeoclimatic data the modern snowline altitude was established at the level of 2450-2550 m a.s.l. This indicates an ELA depression of 1000-1100 metres. Reconstructed climatic parameters at the ELA and ablation gradients indicate that both glaciers were similar to the modern glaciers in Canadian Arctic. Such climatic conditions in Central Europe indicate a cold and dry climate characteristic of the subarctic zone

Digital photogrammetric analysis of the rate and nature of mass movements of the Bug river valley escarpment in the Drohiczyna area (southern Podlasie)

The traditional approach in photogrammetric studies relies mainly on the analysis of topographic maps, supported by geological and geomorphological field mapping. This paper presents an application of the modern method of three-dimensional earth imaging – Airborne Laser Scanning. The major advantage of this method is the filtering procedure, which allows to removing vegetation and other objects from the analysed surface, resulting in more precise terrain model. We used aerial photographs for preparation of two photogrammetric digital terrain models (DTMs), which were subsequently compared to evaluate dynamic properties of landslide areas. The difference between gratings within digital models was used to determine horizontal shifts in the area of landslide. The discrepancy presented observed in the shaded relief image characterises positive elevations (erosion) shown in reddish colour, and negative ones (accumulation) displayed in bluish. The maximum scarp retreat driven by landsliding processes reached 17 m during the last 53 years, with ca. 562 m3 of accumulated colluvium

Outline of Quaternary glaciations in the Tatra Mts. : their development, age and limits

Geomorphological and geological data collected over many years suggest at least eight episodes during which the Tatra Mts. were glaciated during the Quaternary. Evidence of glaciers can be found both in the Slovakian and Polish parts of the mountains as glaciofluvial deposits located at different altitudes, and in some cases also as terminal and lateral moraines. There are no moraines for the three oldest glaciations, Biber, Donau and Günz, maybe as a result of less intense development of glaciers. During the Mindel (Sanian 2) Glaciation the glaciers occuped a larger area in the High Tatra Mts. in comparison to the Western Tatra Mts., whereas during the succeeding younger pre-Riss (Liviecian) Glaciation their development was more restricted. A greater extent of the Tatra Mts. glaciers occurred again during the Riss I (Odranian) Glaciation, while they were less extensive during the Riss II (Wartanian) Glaciation. During the Würm (Vistulian) Glaciation the glaciers were surprisingly large. This might have resulted from many factors, including changes in atmospheric circulation responsible for the distribution of precipitation, as well as changes in the position of the permanent snow limit due to climatic changes and/or neotectonic movements. Glaciers finally retreated from the Tatra Mts. by the end of the pre-optimal part of the Holocene

Ekonomiczne aspekty recyklingu odpadów ceramicznych przez ich wykorzystanie jako kruszywa w mieszankach mineralno-asfaltowych

Subject and purpose of work: This article is a continuation of ongoing research; whose primary aim was to show ceramic waste as a full-value substrate for the production of mineral-asphalt mixtures. The authors, basing on the examined characteristics of aggregate obtained in the process of crushing the socalled “ceramic cullet”, present the thesis that this material can be a full-fledged aggregate for concretes used in road construction. The authors emphasize ecological advantages of such a solution. The purpose of this research was to analyse whether such measures as those described above are economically justifiable. Materials and methods: In the article, based on business data, the costs were estimated and compared to the prices of the aggregates used by companies producing asphalt mixtures. Results: Economic comparisons have shown that the costs of described recycling were not satisfactory. Conclusions: Taking into account the ecological effect, it is recommended that ceramic waste is recycled by using it for the production of mineral-asphalt mixes for general use.Przedmiot i cel pracy: Artykuł jest kontynuacją prowadzonych prac badawczych, których celem nadrzędnym było ukazanie odpadów ceramicznych jako pełnowartościowego substratu do produkcji mieszanek mineralno-asfaltowych. Autorzy opierając się na zbadanych cechach powstałego z rozkruszenia tzw. „stłuczki ceramicznej” kruszywa prezentują tezę, że materia ta może być pełnowartościowym kruszywem do betonów używanych w drogownictwie. Autorzy podkreślają ekologiczne zalety takiego rozwiązania. Celem niniejszej pracy było przeprowadzenie analizy czy wymienione działania są uzasadnione ekonomicznie. Materiały i metody: W artykule na podstawie danych z przedsiębiorstw oszacowano wymienione koszty oraz porównano je z cenami kruszyw, które wykorzystywane są przez firmy produkujące mieszanki asfaltowe. Wyniki: Porównania ekonomiczne udowodniły, że koszty opisanego recyklingu nie były na satysfakcjonującym poziomie. Wnioski: Biorąc pod uwagę efekt ekologiczny zarekomendowano recykling odpadów ceramicznych przez ich wykorzystanie do produkcji mieszanek mineralno-asfaltowych do ogólnego użycia

Initial assessment of the possibility of using glass waste coming from worn-out fluorescent lamps as aggregates for cement concrete

W pracy przedstawiono wstępne analizy możliwości wykorzystania odpadów szklanych pochodzących z wyeksploatowanych świetlówek, jako kruszywa do betonów cementowych. Materiał badawczy pozyskano z firmy utylizującej odpady elektryczne. Szkło ze wstępnie posegregowanych elementów oświetleniowych przetransportowano do laboratorium i pokruszono w moździerzu stalowym. W ten sposób uzyskane kruszywo poddano podstawowym badaniom, jakie wykonuje się dla kruszyw tradycyjnie stosowanych w budownictwie. Zbadano gęstość właściwą kruszywa, gęstość objętościową, nasiąkliwość, oceniono kształt ziaren oraz typ tekstury. W kolejnym etapie prac badawczych wykonano mieszankę betonową, w której jako substytut 25% kruszywa żwirowego zastosowano kruszywo z pokruszonych świetlówek. Zbadano wytrzymałość na ściskanie i rozciąganie tak powstałego betonu. Analiza wyników badań wykazała, że pokruszone szkło z wyeksploatowanych świetlówek może być potencjalnie wykorzystywane, jako kruszywo do betonów cementowych.The paper presents preliminary analyzes of the possibilities of using glass waste from extruded fluorescent lamps as aggregates for cement concretes. The research material was obtained from a company that utilizes electrical waste. Glass from pre-sorted lighting elements was transported to the laboratory and crushed in a steel mortar. In this way, the aggregate obtained was subjected to the basic tests that are carried out for aggregates traditionally used in construction. The specific density of aggregate, bulk density, absorbability, grain shape and texture type were examined. In the next stage of research work, a concrete mix was made, in which, as a substitute for 25% gravel aggregate, crushed aggregate from crushed fluorescent lamps was used. The compressive and tensile strength of the concrete thus formed was tested. Analysis of the test results showed that broken glass from worn out fluorescent lamps can potentially be used as an aggregate for cement concrete

Initial assessment of the possibility of using glass waste coming from worn-out fluorescent lamps as aggregates for cement concrete

W pracy przedstawiono wstępne analizy możliwości wykorzystania odpadów szklanych pochodzących z wyeksploatowanych świetlówek, jako kruszywa do betonów cementowych. Materiał badawczy pozyskano z firmy utylizującej odpady elektryczne. Szkło ze wstępnie posegregowanych elementów oświetleniowych przetransportowano do laboratorium i pokruszono w moździerzu stalowym. W ten sposób uzyskane kruszywo poddano podstawowym badaniom, jakie wykonuje się dla kruszyw tradycyjnie stosowanych w budownictwie. Zbadano gęstość właściwą kruszywa, gęstość objętościową, nasiąkliwość, oceniono kształt ziaren oraz typ tekstury. W kolejnym etapie prac badawczych wykonano mieszankę betonową, w której jako substytut 25% kruszywa żwirowego zastosowano kruszywo z pokruszonych świetlówek. Zbadano wytrzymałość na ściskanie i rozciąganie tak powstałego betonu. Analiza wyników badań wykazała, że pokruszone szkło z wyeksploatowanych świetlówek może być potencjalnie wykorzystywane, jako kruszywo do betonów cementowych.The paper presents preliminary analyzes of the possibilities of using glass waste from extruded fluorescent lamps as aggregates for cement concretes. The research material was obtained from a company that utilizes electrical waste. Glass from pre-sorted lighting elements was transported to the laboratory and crushed in a steel mortar. In this way, the aggregate obtained was subjected to the basic tests that are carried out for aggregates traditionally used in construction. The specific density of aggregate, bulk density, absorbability, grain shape and texture type were examined. In the next stage of research work, a concrete mix was made, in which, as a substitute for 25% gravel aggregate, crushed aggregate from crushed fluorescent lamps was used. The compressive and tensile strength of the concrete thus formed was tested. Analysis of the test results showed that broken glass from worn out fluorescent lamps can potentially be used as an aggregate for cement concrete