Palynology of the Palaeogene and Neogene from the Warmia and Mazury areas (NE Poland)

Pollen, phytoplankton and microfauna from the Palaeogene and Neogene of two boreholes in NE Poland have been studied. Borehole Klucznik 1 is located in the Warmia area, and borehole Sąpłaty 3 borehole in the Mazury area. The oldest palynomorph assemblage comes from the Klucznik sediments; it consists of phytoplankton from the Early Palaeocene (Danian) D1 and D2 dinocyst zone, and from the Selandian D3 zone. The Eocene is present in the both the Klucznik and the Sąpłaty successions. The Middle Eocene assemblage has been dated as late Bartonian and belongs to the D11 dinocyst zone. The Late Eocene (Priabonian) D12 dinocyst zone is also present in both boreholes. Sporomorphs of a Late Eocene palynomorph assemblage point on the proximity of land and on terrestrial vegetation. The dinocyst zone D13, characteristic for the earliest Oligocene (‘Latdorfian’) has been found in both profiles as well. A Neogene sporomorph assemblage dating from the Middle Miocene (Early Serravallian) occurs only in the Sąpłaty profile. This sporomorph assemblage is correlated with pollen zone VIII. Pollen zone IX is present in the uppermost part of the Middle Miocene (Middle Serravallian). Late Miocene deposits (Late Tortonian) with pollen zone XI are present, too. The Miocene deposits accumulated in densely vegetated swamps, resulting now in the occurrence of lignite. The sedimentary conditions in the Warmia and Mazury regions were identical during the Neogene and Palaeogene, implying that both provinces belonged at the time to one sedimentary basin

Vegetation response to environmental changes based on palynological research on the Middle Miocene lignite at the Jóźwin IIB open-cast mine (Konin region, central Poland)

Palynological research was performed on the first Mid-Polish lignite seam (MPLS-1) at the Jóźwin IIB open-cast mine. The extremely rich pollen assemblages allowed investigation of the development of phytogenic sedimentation and the succession of plant communities. The vegetation cover, representing peat accumulation and adjacent areas, was reconstructed in the homogeneous lignite seam. Despite the lack of clear macroscopic differences in the lignite lithology and a similar floristic composition, a similar succession of plant communities was observed in three repetitions in the profile. The plant communities described were grouped into five cycles. Changes in the succession resulted mainly from oscillations of the groundwater level. On the basis of the vegetation composition, the climatic conditions predominant during the peat-forming sedimentation were reconstructed. Climate changes are most precisely recorded in the mixed mesophilous forest community. Its floristic composition shows that the climate was warm-temperate and humid at that time. The lower part of the profile contains more taxa with high thermal requirements: Araliaceae, Mastixiaceae, Anacardiaceae, Hammamelidaceae, Cornaceae, Symplocaceae, Ilex, Itea, Engelhardia, etc. It is related to the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO). In the upper part of the profile, the vegetation composition reflects the beginning of a cooling trend. This is indicated by the reduced number of highly thermophilous taxa and the decreased taxonomic diversity of forest communities. The changing climatic and environmental conditions interrupted peat-bog sedimentation and caused termination of the development of thicker lignite seams

Reconstruction of the sedimentary environment of phytogenic deposits in the Tomisławice opencast mine (Konin Region, central Poland)

Palynological analysis of the Tomisławice opencast mine deposits has allowed reconstruction of the plant communities and investigation of the evolution of sedimentary environments at various stages of lignite-forming marsh development, recorded in the composition of pollen assemblages from deposits of the 1st Mid-Polish lignite seam (MPLS-1). Rich pollen communities from an ~9 m thick section has enabled study of the succession of plant communities and of the evolution of phytogenic sedimentation. The pollen succession indicates that the assemblages in the whole lignite seam represent the VIII Celtipollenites verus pollen Zone. Slight differences in the composition of the communities reflect different stages of basin development, depending more on the variable water dynamics than on climatic oscillations. Lignite of the MPLS-1 developed in a continental regime on alluvial plains. Changes in the succession of plant communities in the Tomisławice section record flooding-drainage cycles caused by groundwater level oscillations. Peat bog accumulation took place in river basins, in which the lack of siliciclastic intercalations within the massive lignite seams points to weak fluvial dynamics. A rise in groundwater level and/or surface water resulted in flooding of the marshes and the formation of an extensive shallow lake basin, as shown by the presence of freshwater algae and pollen of aquatic plants. The section as a whole does not record an increased contribution of thermophilic plant taxa. The flora was generally dominated by warm-temperate and thermophilic species, without the participation of strongly thermophilic vegetation, which indicates that the lignite seam in the Tomis³awice opencast mine was formed in the generally stable conditions of a warm temperate climate

Stratigraphic and environmental conditions of the occurrence of amber-bearing deposits in the northern Lublin region

In the northern Lublin region, the Eocene amber-bearing association has been recognized. It is a group of clastic deposits in which amber crumbs are scattered, and the characteristic feature of the association is the content of glauconite. The sedimentological and lithofacies studies allowed determining the conditions necessary for amber deposition. Accumulation of amber-bearing sediments took place in the Middle and Late Eocene. The Upper Eocene formations in this area occur in isolated patches. Amber accumulations are found in marine sediments associated with regressive facies, usually in depressions of the Cretaceous basement. Understanding the correct distribution of amber in the sediment and determining the dynamics of the Eocene sedimentary basin in the Lublin region have a practical aspect, and are the basis for developing the characteristics of the geological economic conditions for the occurrence of amber-bearing deposits. The recently drilled boreholes confirmed amber resource prospectivity in the Lubartów area and the recognition of new deposits with amber reserves

Honorary Golden Medal of the Polish Geological Institute

The Golden Medal of the Polish Geological Institute (Fig. 1) was officially established in 1994 with the Decision No. 13 of the Director of PGI. It is dedicated to the active and retired employees of PGI, who were employed there over 20 years, expressing distinctive successes in scientific or organization progress of the Institute and realizing the perfect moral standards. The candidates to Golden Medal should be approved by the independent Chapter of Medal consisting of 5-7 persons, elected for each 4 years. Hither to, only 245 workers (Table 1) – from among almost 1500 employees of the Polish Geological Institute – became honored with the Golden Medal of PGI since 1994, which expressed its unusual importance(for the list of persons see Prz. Geol., vol.67, no. 7, p. 618-619)

Paleocene and Eocene deposits on the eastern margin of the Gulf of Gdańsk (Yantarny P-1 borehole, Kaliningrad region, Russia)

Lithological and palynological studies of Paleogene siliciclastic deposits from the Yantarny P-1 borehole located on the western coast of the Sambian Peninsula (Kaliningrad region, Russia) show that the succession is characterized by numerous sedimentary discontinuities related to lithification horizons and erosional surfaces. Sedimentary gaps are emphasised by hardgrounds. Palynological data suggest the Selandian-Priabonian age of the succession and indicate a number of significant stratigraphic gaps. An important change in heavy mineral composition is recognized between the Paleocene and Eocene deposits in the area studied. A significant number of reworked Cretaceous microfossils is observed in the Selandian part of the succession studied

Tectonic-climatic interactions during changes of depositional environments in the Carpathian foreland: An example from the Neogene of central Poland

Many geological problems have not been convincingly explained so far and are debatable, for instance the origin and changes of the Neogene depositional environments in central Poland. Therefore, these changes have been reconstructed in terms of global to local tectonic and climatic fluctuations. The examined Neogene deposits are divided into a sub-lignite unit (Koźmin Formation), a lignite-bearing unit (Grey Clays Member), and a supra-lignite unit (Wielkopolska Member). The two lithostratigraphic members constitute the Poznań Formation. The results of facies analysis show that the Koźmin Formation was deposited by relatively high-gradient and well-drained braided rivers. Most likely, they encompassed widespread alluvial plains. In the case of the Grey Clays Member, the type of river in close proximity to which the mid-Miocene low-lying mires existed and then were transformed into the first Mid-Miocene Lignite Seam (MPLS-1), has not been resolved. The obtained results confirm the formation of the Wielkopolska Member by low-gradient, but mostly well-drained anastomosing or anastomosing-to-meandering rivers. The depositional evolution of the examined successions depended on tectonic and climatic changes that may be closely related to the mid-Miocene great tectonic remodelling of the Alpine-Carpathian orogen. This resulted in palaeogeographic changes in its foreland in the form of limiting the flow of wet air and water masses from the south and vertical tectonic movements