ALBERT

Description: A sedimentary succession in a gravel pit at Niedźwiedziny was investigated in order to determine its origin: kame or moraine. The gravel pit is located in an isolated hill of approx. 600 m long and 250–400 m wide. The succession is built of glaciofuvial deposits: a sandy/gravelly unit in the lower and middle parts, overlain by diam-icton. Five lithofacies have been distinguished, which represent two facies associations: (1) a fuvial association evolving from a high-energy to a transitional to a shallow braided river on an alluvial fan, and (2) an association of cohesive deposits representing a glacigenic mass fow. The interpretation is based mainly on palaeocurrent data and differs from conclusions by earlier investigators. The ice-marginal zone is characterised by a large variety of glaciomarginal forms. Their sedimentology, morphology and palaeogeography are determined by successive phases of deglaciation. The results of the present study show that the character of the deglaciation in the study area changed with time from frontal to areal deglaciation.

Description: At a glance, progress in palaeontology and eustatic reconstructions in the past decade permits to prove or to disprove the possible dependence of Palaeozoic brachiopod generic diversity dynamics on global sea-level changes. However, the available diversity curve is of much lower resolution than the eustatic curve. This problem can be resolved by decreasing the resolution of the latter. The other restriction linked to the chronostratigraphical incompatibility of the available data allows to focus on the Middle Palaeozoic only. A series of mass extinctions and other biotic crises in the Silurian-Devonian does not allow to interpret correctly the results of direct comparison of the brachiopod generic diversity dynamics with global sea-level changes. With the available data, it is only possible to hypothesize that the eustatic control was not playing a major part in diversity dynamics of Middle Palaeozoic brachiopods. The resolution of the stratigraphic ranges of Palaeozoic brachiopods should be increased signifcantly, and these ranges should be plotted against the most up-to-date geologic time scale. Until this task will be achieved, it is impossible to judge about the existence of any dependence (either full or partial) of the Palaeozoic brachiopod diversity dynamics on global sea-level changes.

Description: The Yishu Fault Zone runs through the centre of Shandong Province (E China); it is a deep-seated large fault system that still is active. Two volcanic faulted basins (the Shanwang and Linqu Basins) in the Linqu area, west of the fault zone, are exposed to rifting, which process is accompanied by a series of tectonic and volcanic earthquakes with a magnitude of 5-8. Lacustrine sediments in the basins were affected by these earthquakes so that seismites with a variety of soft-sediment deformation structures originated. The seismites form part of the Shanwang Formation of the Linqu Group. Semi-consolidated fluvial conglomerates became deformed in a brittle way; these seismites are present at the base of the Yaoshan Formation. Intense earthquakes triggered by volcanic activity left their traces in the form of seismic volcanic rocks associated with liquefied-sand veins in the basalt/sand intercalations at the base of the Yaoshan Formation. These palaeo-earthquake records are dated around 14-10 Ma; they are responses to the intense tectonic extension and the basin rifting in this area and even the activity of the Yishu Fault Zone in the Himalayan tectonic cycle.

Description: In sections exposing Frasnian limestones at five outcrops in the Holy Cross Mountains, five lithofacies (L1 to L5) that represent upper slope to basinal environments are identified. These lithofacies are characterised by dark-coloured micritic limestones-marly shale couplets with many light-coloured intercalations of fine- to coarse-grained limestones (= event beds). This lithofacies pattern characterises mostly low-energy domains punctuated by storm episodes. In addition, these upper-slope to basinal lithofacies are arranged into small-scale, coarsening-upward beds and cycles. The cycles are locally composed of fining/thinning-upward beds. The small-scale cycles have a calculated duration of 19 to 42 kyr. The differential thickness of beds and cycles within and between sections was probably caused by differential subsidence and local tectonics. Possible evidence of tectonic activity is also related to a difference in number of cycles recorded in the time-equivalent sections. The recognised cyclicity shows sea-level fluctuations and a few deepening episodes. Some of them are correlated with the Timan global eustatic events. However, local tectonics and episodic subsidence may have played a significant role in recording brief deepening pulses. Thus, low-amplitude sea-level changes were major factors in platform generation and evolution in the Frasnian of the Holy Cross Mountains modified by local, block-related subsidence.

Description: Soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDS) are widespread in the upper part of the S. Mauro Formation (Cilento Group, Middle-Late Miocene). The succession is represented mainly by thick and very thick, massive, coarse-grained sandstones, deposited by rapid sedimentation of high-density turbidity currents. The most common SSDS are short pillars, dishes, sedimentary sills and convolutions. They occur mostly in the upper parts of sandstone beds. Vertical tubes of 4-5 cm in diameter and up to 50 cm long constitute the most striking structures. They begin in the middle part of sandstone beds, which are basically massive or contain faint dish structures. These tubes can bifurcate upwards and/ or pass into bedding-parallel veins or dikes. The vertical tubes sometimes form sand volcanoes on the then sedimentary surface. The SSDS are interpreted as the result of earthquake-triggered liquefaction and/or fluidisation of the turbidites that were affected by the seismic shocks. This implies that the deformed layers should be considered as seismites.

Description: The composition of the transparent heavy-mineral assemblages (0.25-0.1 mm) in Quaternary slope, karst, glacial, fluvioglacial and fluvial deposits with different parent material was investigated in the Kielce-Łagów Valley (the central part of the Palaeozoic core of the Holy Cross Mountains). For the purpose, 93 samples of mostly sandy sediments were examined. Some marker and some supporting minerals can be distinguished. Slope and karst deposits are dominated by the abrasion-resistant minerals zircon, tourmaline, staurolite and rutile. This assemblage points at a source consisting of strongly weathered pre-Quaternary bedrock. Glacial and fluvioglacial deposits are dominated by medium-resistant and non-resistant minerals (garnet, amphibole, pyroxene and biotite). The two types of parent material of the heavy minerals are typical of the Quaternary deposits in the Polish uplands. The two sources are most clear in the younger (Vistulian and Holocene), mostly fluvial sediments. The results of the analysis imply that the impact of Pleistocene glaciers on the central part of the Holy Cross Mountains was neither large enough to hide the local mineralogical background, nor sufficient to dominate over the main processes transforming the mineral composition under the variable climatic conditions of the Quaternary, including aeolian processes and chemical weathering.

Description: The possible reconstruction of ancient sedimentary environments on the basis of heavy-minerals assemblages is presented by means of discriminant lithogeodynamic diagrams that compare modern and ancient sedimentary environments. This is exemplified by Mesozoic-Cenozoic deposits recovered from ODP cores obtained from the Philippine and Japan Seas, the Japan Trench and the North Atlantic, as well as by deposits from folded areas onshore. On the basis of the comparative analysis, it can be deduced that the main tendencies in mineral assemblages of modern deposits that depend on the structural-tectonic conditions, are fairly well preserved in Cenozoic deposits (including the deposits recovered by ODP drilling). On the other hand, the environmental reconstruction of folded and faulted pre-Cenozoic continental areas on the basis of their heavy-mineral assemblages, by comparing them with supposed modern analogs, is not always possible with much certainty. The main reasons may be either a considerable change in the composition of the initial (primary) mineral assemblages as a result of intralayer solution or the absence, at the time of deposition, of geodynamic environments that closely resembled modern ones.

Description: Hydrocarbon exploration in The Netherlands has a chequered history from serendipitous oil shows via chance oil/ gas discoveries to finding the largest continental European oil field in 1943, followed by finding the largest gas field in the world in 1959. The present contribution traces the development of moderate to good porosity/permeability trends in depositional facies of Zechstein Stassfurt carbonates in a ‘gas play’ intermediate in significance between the above two plays but all in the northern part of The Netherlands. Various depositional facies in the Stassfurt carbonates were turned into ‘carbonate fabric units’ by diagenetic processes creating or occluding the porosity/permeability. This formed moderate to good gas reservoirs in barrier-shoal, open-marine shelf and proximal-slope carbonates in the subsurface of the province of Drenthe in the NE Netherlands. The diagenetic models forming these carbonate fabric units are linked to the variety of facies in a depositional model which shows explain and predicts the reservoir trends. Such depositional/diagenetic facies are ‘translated’ into characteristic petrophysical values recognisable on wire line logs in uncored wells, and in characteristic seismic expressions that show these trends in undrilled areas. This approach has been proven to be effective in delineating porosity trends, visualised by 3-D seismic in the Collendoornerveen field, and thus provides a new exploration ‘tool’ in hydrocarbon exploration .

Description: Part of northern Podlasie (NE Poland), shaped during the Wartanian stadial of the Odranian glaciation (Saalian), was situated in the periglacial zone during the Vistulian (Weichselian) glaciation. Both landforms and sediments were affected by the periglacial conditions. This is recorded at the Jałówka site, at the floor of a dry valley, where mineral deposits of 4.13 m thick, overlying organic deposits from the Eemian interglacial, were examined. These mineral deposits form four units, from bottom to top: a fluvial unit (I), a loess-like unit (II), a solifluction unit (III), and an aeolian unit with ice wedges (IV) on top of unit III. The heavy and light minerals were analysed, as well as the geochemistry, in order to find out about the parent material and to reconstruct the climatic conditions during deposition. The mineral analysis indicates that the Saalian till was predominantly derived from shallow-marine deposits; erosion accompanied by sorting of the heavy minerals took place on the basis of their mass and grain size. The original material of the till seems therefore to be sedimentary rocks from the eastern Central Baltic Basin. This material became strongly weathered under the periglacial conditions, resulting in the destruction of the quartz grains, as well as in leaching, leading to complete decalcification of the deposits. Aeolian activity resulted in infilling of ice wedges and the creation of thin layers. The intensity and the duration of these processes was limited, so that the effects of the aeolian abrasion are insignificant. Neither resulted the aeolian activity in significant reshaping of the landscape.

Description: An essentially pure tephra layer on a steep slope in the La Sal Mountains, Utah, U.S.A., is correlated with the 1.65 Ma old Guaje Tephra derived from the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, U.S.A. The heavy-mineral contents and glass shards in sediments beneath the La Sal tephra layer indicate that tephra constituents are contained in deposits considerably older than the pure layer. This suggests that tephra material may become reworked while retaining its pure character, possibly due to laminar transport or to dislocation in a frozen condition. This raises the need to handle tephrochronological findings with great care.

Description: Several important earthquake source models that have been extensively used in seismological research and earthquake prediction are presented and discussed. A new fault source model is used to explain the earthquake focal mechanism solution and tectonic stress field, which play a crucial role in earthquake initiation and preparation. The elastodynamic-dislocation theory is demonstrated which provides the theoretical background of most earthquake source models. Important earthquake source models reviewed here include the double-force-couple point-source model, the circular-shear dislocation model, the finite moving-source model, the Brune model, and the spherical explosive source model.

Description: The heavy-mineral assemblages of Pleniglacial fluvial sediments were analysed for two river valleys, viz. the Luciąża River (at Kłudzice Nowe) and the Belnianka River (at Słopiec). These sites, on the Piotrków Plateau and in the Holy Cross Mountains respectively, are located in different morphogenetic zones of Poland that were affected to different degrees by the Middle Polish ice sheets. The study was aimed at determining the kind of processes that modified the heavy-mineral assemblages in the two fluvial sediments, at reconstructing the conditions under which these processes took place, and in how far these processes caused changes in the assemblages. The heavy-mineral associations of the parent material was taken as a starting point; this parent material were the sediments left by the Odranian glaciation (Warta stadial = Late Saalian). It was found that heavy-mineral assemblages in the Luciąża valley deposits are varied, particularly if compared with other fluvioglacial Quaternary deposits from the Polish lowlands, with a dominance of garnet. In the fluvial deposits of the Belnianka valley, zircon, staurolite and tourmaline dominate, with minor amounts of amphibole, pyroxene, biotite and garnet. This suggests that the deposits were subject to intensive and/or persistent chemical weathering and underwent several sedimentation/erosion cycles under periglacial conditions. In both valleys chemical weathering and aeolian processes were the main factors that modified the assemblages of the transparent heavy minerals; these processes were largely controlled by the climatic changes during the Pleistocene.

Description: Sedimentary environment and palaeogeography of the ?Palaeocene-Middle Eocene Kashkan Formation, Zagros fold-thrust belt, SW IranThe Kashkan Formation (?Palaeocene to Middle Eocene) in the Zagros fold-thrust belt, SW Iran, which is intercalated between to marine limestone formations, consists of conglomerates, sandstones and siltstones. The sedimentology and the palaeogeography of the Kashkan Formation had not received any attention thus far, but have now been studied in seven sections, situated in the province of Lorestan. The sediments form twelve lithofacies, three ichnosubfacies and seven architectural elements, which are described, depicted and analysed. The analysis leads to the conclusion that most sediments accumulated in a low-sinuosity, low-gradient braided-river system (characterised by mainly unidirectional palaeocurrent directions, and by sheetfloods), that occasionally showed meandering characteristics (represented by overbank deposits and large bars). The deposits of this system closely resemble those of the South Saskatchewan River in Canada, which is considered as the classical example of a sand-bed braided river. The river flowed roughly from North to South, as deduced by palaeocurrent indicators such as imbrication and large-to medium-scale trough cross-stratification (direction measured in the trough axes). This current direction is supported by the southward to south-westward thinning of the formation and by the diminishing average grain size in the same direction. The trace fossils in the Kashban Formation fit all in theSkoyeniaichnofacies, which has here three ichnosubfacies which allow a more detailed palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, indicating that the braided stream passed into the low-energy shoreface zone of a tidally-influenced sea.

Description: Unusual development of sandur sedimentary succession, an example from the Pleistocene of S PolandAn atypical lithological development of outwash deposits in the Carpathians Foreland (S Poland) shows lower and middle parts of the sedimentary succession that are characterized by sinuous palaeochannels. This channel facies consists of laterally accreted sands derived from side bars. The sedimentary environment was a proglacial system of anabranching channels, presumably of anastomosed type. The outwash channel pattern was most probably controlled by the raising base level of the fluvial system. Both proglacial and extraglacial waters were dammed by a sandur within a small upland valley. Aggradation and progradation of the glaciofluvial deposits resulted in progressive rising of the dammed lake level. The low hydraulic gradient of the outwash streams resulted in a sinuous planform as well as a low-energy style of deposition. Afterwards, the rising lake water was drained off through a low watershed and the entire valley became filled with outwash sediments. The bedrock morphology thus became buried and a typical unconfined sandur with a braided channel network developed during the last phase of the glaciomarginal sedimentation (upper part of the sedimentary succession under study).

Description: Source and depositional processes of coarse-grained limestone event beds in Frasnian slope deposits (Kostomłoty-Mogiłki quarry, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland)The Kostomłoty-Mogiłki succession is situated in the Kostomłoty transitional zone between the shallow-water Kielce stromatoporoid-coral platform and the deeper Łysogóry basin. In the Kostomłoty-Mogiłki quarry, the upper part of the Szydłówek Beds and Kostomłoty Beds are exposed. The Middle-Upper Frasnian Kostomłoty Beds are composed of shales, micritic and nodular limestones with abundant intercalations of detrital limestones. The dark shales and the micritic and nodular limestones record background sedimentation. The interbedded laminated and detrital limestones reflect high-energy deposition (= event beds). These event beds comprise laminated calcisiltites, fine-grained calcarenites, coarse-grained grain-supported calcirudites fabrics, and matrix-supported calcirudites. The material of these event beds was supplied by both erosion of the carbonate-platform margin and cannibalistic erosion of penecontemporaneous detrital limestones building the slope of this platform. Storms and the tectonic activity were likely the main causes of erosion. Combined and gravity flows were the transporting mechanisms involved in the reworking and redeposition.

Description: The composition of heavy-mineral assemblages is one of the main textural features of sediments because they can have significant value for the interpretation of, among others, their depositional environment, their depositional processes, and their stratigraphic position. Distinctive features of heavy minerals include their resistance to chemical weathering and mechanical abrasion, their habit, and their density. These parameters are the most widely used in the heavy-mineral research of Quaternary deposits in Poland, as well as in such research in other countries conducted by Polish scientists. Several other heavy-mineral parameters can also be used in various types of interpretation. It is discussed whether heavy-mineral analysis is decisive in the evaluation of deposits or whether it plays mainly a role that may support evidence obtained by other types of analysis. The attention is mainly devoted to transparent heavy minerals; the significance of opaque heavy minerals for interpretational purposes is only mentioned.

Description: Fining-upwards cyclothems found in five boreholes in the Carboniferous (Lower Bashkirian) of the Lublin Basin were analysed sedimentologically. It was established that the cyclothems represent fluvial deposits, and the lithofacies were grouped into lithofacies associations. Most lithofacies associations represent three types of sand-bed braided rivers: (1) high-energy, (2) deep and (3) distal sheetflood-affected. Other associations represent hyperconcentrated flows. Both coarse-grained (type I) and fine-grained (types IIa and IIb) occur among the fining-upward cyclothems. The formation of most thick cyclothems was related mainly to allocyclic factors, i.e. a decrease in the river’s gradient. The thickest fining-upward cyclothems are characteristic of hyperconcentrated flows and braided-river channels. The aggradation ratios were commonly high. During the early Namurian C and early Westphalian A (Early Bashkirian), the eastern part of the Lublin Basin was located close to the source area. The sedimentary succession developed due to a transition from high-energy braidedrivers and hyperconcentrated flows to lower-energy braided rivers, controlled by a rise of the regional base level.

Description: During the Cenozoic, the Arabian Plate separated from continental Africa and assumed a closer geographical relationship with Eurasia. As such, the vertebrate fossil record of the Arabian Peninsula has great potential for documenting faunal interchanges that occurred as a result of such tectonic events, with a shift from a primarily Afro-Arabian fauna in the Palaeogene to a more cosmopolitan fauna in the Neogene. Understanding of the sequence and timing of this faunal interchange has long been hampered by a lack of palaeontological data. Recently recovered fossils from the Middle Eocene Kaninah Formation of Yemen constitute the earliest Palaeogene record of continental vertebrates from the Arabian Peninsula, thereby offering a rare glimpse at the region’s post- -Cretaceous fauna. Here we describe fossil materials from the Kaninah Formation, a collection of dental and postcranial elements representing a mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliform of unclear affinities. The specimen exhibits ziphodont tooth morphology along with a biserial paravertebral shield and polygonal gastral osteoderms, consistent with certain mesoeucrocodylians (e.g., ziphodontan notosuchians). Yet the associated fragmentary anterior caudal vertebra, although badly abraded, preserves morphology suggestive of procoely. This vertebral type in combination with the dental and osteoderm morphology is much more taxonomically restrictive and consistent with the suite of characters exhibited by atoposaurids, a finding that would significantly extend that clade through the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary. Alternatively, given the relative paucity of information from the region during the Palaeogene, the combination of characteristics of the Kaninah crocodyliform may reflect a novel or poorly known form exhibiting previously unrecognised character mosaicism. We take a conservative approach, and refer the Kaninah specimen to Mesoeucrocodylia, Atoposauridae (?) pending discovery of more complete material. New fossils recovered from the Kaninah Formation raise unanticipated questions about the longevity of Mesozoic clades, underscoring the role that the region may play in revealing novel occurrences, relictual forms, and evidence of faunal dispersals from this critical interval in vertebrate evolutionary history.

Description: Some limestone breccias and conglomerates from the Furongian (Late Cambrian) Chaomidian Formation (Shandong Province, China) were investigated in order to understand the depositional and deformational processes induced by storms. The sediments under study occur in a hummocky cross-stratified peloidal grainstone layer. The limestone conglomerates consist of well-rounded clasts that are mostly flat-lying or imbricated, and have erosional bases. They formed by surface reworking (erosion and rip-up) of thin-bedded grainstones by storm waves and currents. The limestone breccias consist of subangular to subrounded clasts of grainstone, which are often associated with small-scale grainstone clastic dykes. The breccias and dykes resulted from subsurface soft-sediment deformation (i.e., differential liquefaction and fluidization of heterogeneously cemented carbonate grains), most likely triggered by storm-wave loading. The limestone breccias and conglomerates bear important implications for understanding the reworking mechanisms of storms on ancient carbonate platforms

Description: Cleats (fractures, joints) are discontinuities in coals, including lignites. They are important in mining activity because of their gas and water permeability in hard coal, and mainly because of their water permeability in lignites. As opposed to hard-coal cleats, lignite cleats have not been studied in detail before. The present contribution does so, using as an example the 1st Middle-Polish Lignite Seam (MPLS-1) in the Jóźwin IIB opencast mine in central Poland. It should be mentioned here that any remarks in the present contribution concerning MPLS-1 refer exclusively to this lignite seam in the Jóźwin IIB opencast mine. The investigated discontinuities consist of two sets, i.e. the face and butt cleats, which are roughly oriented NW-SE and NE-SW, respectively. The mean spacing of the face cleats is ~12.4 cm, while the mean spacing of the butt cleats is ~12.8 cm. The maximum average aperture is ~4.9 mm for the face cleats and ~4.1 mm for the butt cleats. The cleat spacing and aperture do not depend on the lignite thickness, but the cleat spacing increases with increasing mineral-matter and xylite content, whereas the aperture increases when the contents decrease. The regional folding and local salt diapirism tentatively explain the formation of the orthogonal system of the lignite cleats, partly because of the parallelism of the face cleats and the major tectonic directions in central Poland.

Description: The Almoughlagh batholith intruded the dioritic Baba Ali pluton during the Oligo-Miocene; the pluton and is now exposed as a big enclave within the batholith. The pluton intruded the Songhor Series during the Late Kimmeridgian (~136 Ma) orogeny. The intrusion by the batholith transformed the diorite to metadiorite and the impure carbonate units of the Songhor Series. The batholith consists of rock types such as quartz syenite and syenogranite, which have a low average quartz content, and which are metaluminous to peraluminous and calc-alkaline in composition. Comparison of the compositions of the Almoughlagh batholith and the pluton with its Cu, Mo, Fe, Sn, W, Au, and Zn skarn deposits, indicates that the Baba Ali diorite geochemically shows much resemblance with those which could bring about Fe-Cu skarn mineralization, whereas the compositions of the Almoughlagh granitoids resembles those of the plutons associated with Mo and Zn skarn deposits. The associated hydrothermal activity related to the Almoughlagh batholith culminated in magnetite mineralisation in the Baba Ali and the Chenar mines in which copper mineralisation also is considerable.

Description: The Kaali crater field and other geosites of Saaremaa Island (Estonia): the perspectives for a geoparkThe Island of Saaremaa in Estonia offers highly spectacular geological features that belong to the most interesting in the Baltic Sea area. A unique geological monument on the island is the Kaali meteorite-crater field, formed by nine meteorite impacts. There are also attractive coastal cliffs, huge erratics, alvars (limestone areas covered by a very thin soil) and well-developed glacial and marine landforms. Limestone cliffs and shingle beaches abound with Silurian fossils and offer great opportunities to fossil collectors. The island is a prospective geopark. During the past few years, the geology of the island has become an intensely studied object of Estonian and Polish geologists.

Description: Numerous soft-sediment deformation structures occur within the Proterozoic Bhander Limestone of an intracratonic sag basin in a 750 m long section along the Thomas River, near Maihar, central India. Part of these deformation structures have most probably a non-seismic origin, but other structures are interpreted as resulting from earthquake-induced shocks. These seismic structures are concentrated in a 60 cm thick interval, which is interpreted as three stacked seismi-tes. These three seismites are traceable over the entire length of the section. They divide the sedimentary succession in a lower part (including the seismites) deposited in a hypersaline lagoon, and an upper open-marine (shelf) part. Most of the soft-sediment deformations outside the seismite interval occur in a lagoonal intraclastic and muddy facies association. The SSDS within the seismite interval show a lateral continuity. They record simultaneous fluidisation and liquefaction. The bases of each of the three composing seismite bands are defined by small-scale shear folds, probably recording an earthquake and aftershocks. The presence of the three seismite bands at the boundary between the lagoonal and the overlying open-marine oolitic facies association suggests that the seismic event also triggered basin subsidence.

Description: Soft-sediment deformation structures formed by liquefaction and/or fluidisation of unconsolidated sediments due to seismic shocks are frequent in the Quaternary sandy, silty and clayey deposits of Lake Van. They are present in both marginal and deep lacustrine facies. Their morphology and interpreted genesis imply that they should be considered as fluid-escape structures (dish and pillar structures, flame structures and sand volcanoes), contorted structures (simple and complex convolutions and ball-and-pillow structures) and other structures (disturbed layers and slump structures). The most recently formed structures are related to the October 23rd, 2011 Van-Tabanli (M 7.2) earthquake. The existence of seismites at various stratigraphic levels in the lacustrine deposits is indicative of tectonic activity that frequently triggered earthquakes with magnitudes of 5 or more, affecting the Lake Van Basin.

Description: The coastline in the Jastrzębia Góra area can be divided into three major zones of general importance: a beach and barrier section, a cliff section, and a section protected by a heavy hydrotechnical construction. These areas are characterised by a diverse geology and origin, and hence different vulnerability to erosion. In addition, observations have demonstrated a different pace of erosion within each zone. Based on the results obtained by remote sensing methods (analysis of aerial photographs and maps), it has been determined that the coastline in the barrier area, i.e., to the west of Jastrzębia Góra, moved landwards by about 130 m, in a period of 100 years, and 80 m over about 50 years. A smaller displacement of the shoreline could be observed within the cliff. Between the middle of the twentieth and the start of the twenty-first centuries the shore retreated by about 25 m. However, in recent years, an active landslide has led to the displacement of the uppermost part of the cliff locally up to 25 m. Another issue is, functioning since 2000, a heavy hydrotechnical construction which has been built in order to protect the most active part of the cliff. The construction is not stable and its western part, over a distance of 50 m, has moved almost 2 m vertically downwards and c. 2.5 m horizontally towards the sea in the past two years. This illustrates that the erosional factor does not comprise only marine abrasion, but also involves land-based processes determined by geology and hydrogeology. Changes in the shoreline at the beach and barrier part are constantly conditioned by rising sea levels, the slightly sloping profile of the sea floor and low elevation values of the backshore and dune areas. Cliffs are destroyed by mass wasting and repetitive storm surges that are responsible for the removal of the colluvium which protects the coast from adverse wave effects. Presumably, mass movements combined with groundwater outflow from the cliff, plus sea abrasion cause destabilisation of the cliff protection construction.

Description: Geostatistical methods for 2D and 3D modelling spatial variability of selected physicochemical properties of biogenic sediments were applied to a small valley mire in order to identify the processes that lead to the formation of various types of peat. A sequential Gaussian simulation was performed to reproduce the statistical distribution of the input data (pH and organic matter) and their semivariances, as well as to honouring of data values, yielding more ‘realistic’ models that show microscale spatial variability, despite the fact that the input sample cores were sparsely distributed in the X-Y space of the study area. The stratigraphy of peat deposits in the Ldzań mire shows a record of long-term evolution of water conditions, which is associated with the variability in water supply over time. Ldzań is a fen (a rheotrophic mire) with a through-flow of groundwater. Additionally, the vicinity of the Grabia River is marked by seasonal inundations of the southwest part of the mire and increased participation of mineral matter in the peat. In turn, the upper peat layers of some of the central part of Ldzań mire are rather spongy, and these peat-forming phytocoenoses probably formed during permanent waterlogging.

Description: Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) produced from stereoscopic, submeter-resolution High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) imagery provide a solid basis for all morphometric analyses of the surface of Mars. In view of the fact that a more effective use of DTMs is hindered by complicated and time-consuming manual handling, the automated process provided by specialists of the Ames Intelligent Robotics Group (NASA), Ames Stereo Pipeline, constitutes a good alternative. Four DTMs, covering the global dichotomy boundary between the southern highlands and northern lowlands along the line of the presumable Arabia shoreline, were produced and analysed. One of them included forms that are likely to be indicative of an oceanic basin that extended across the lowland northern hemisphere of Mars in the geological past. The high resolution DTMs obtained were used in the process of landscape visualisation.

Description: The petrographical features of the medium- and coarse-grained gravels (4-10 mm and 20-60 mm, respectively) of weathered and fresh (unweathered) deposits indicate, in combination with so-called indicator and statistical erratics, that two glacial lobes joined in the borderland of the Polish Lowlands and Uplands. Lower Palaeozoic limestones become less frequent in the fner gravel fraction, whereas crystalline rocks and fints become more frequent. The petrographical analysis of the coarser gravel fraction indicates that the ice sheet advanced from the NE to NNW (the Widawka lobe) and from the NE to ENE (the Rawka, Pilica and Luciąża lobes). The source areas of the gravel deposited by the Warthian ice sheet were magmatic and sedimentary areas of both the Baltic and the SE Sweden basins.

Description: Various millimetre-, centimetre- and metre-scale soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDS) have been identified in the Upper Ordovician and Lower-Middle Silurian from deep drilling cores in the Tarim Basin (NW China). These structures include liquefied-sand veins, liquefaction-induced breccias, boudinage-like structures, load and diapir- or flame-like structures, dish and mixed-layer structures, hydroplastic convolutions and seismic unconformities. The deformed layers are intercalated by undeformed layers of varying thicknesses that are petrologically and sedimentologically similar to the deformed layers. The SSDS developed in a shelf environment during the early Late Ordovician and formed initially under shear tensile stress conditions, as indicated by boudinage-like structures; during the latest Ordovician, SSDS formed under a com-pressional regime. The SSDS in the Lower-Middle Silurian consist mainly of mixed layers and sand veins; they formed in shoreline and tidal-flat settings with liquefaction features indicating an origin under a compressional stress regime. By Silurian times, the centre of tectonic activity had shifted to the south-eastern part of the basin. The SSDS occur at different depths in wells that are close to the syn-sedimentary Tazhong 1 Fault (TZ1F) and associated reversed-thrust secondary faults. Based on their characteristics, the inferred formation mechanism and the spatial association with faults, the SSDS are interpreted as seismites. The Tazhong 1 fault was a seismogenic fault during the later Ordovician, whereas the reversed-direction secondary faults became active in the Early-Middle Silurian. Multiple palaeo-earthquake records reflect pulses and cyclicity, which supports secondary tectonic activity within the main tectonic movement. The range of SSDS structures reflects different developments of tectonic activity with time for the various tectonic units of the centralbasin. The effects of the strong palaeo-earthquake activity coincide with uplift, fault activity and syn-tectonic sedimentation in the study area during the Late Ordovician to Middle Silurian.

Description: A 1-million m3 breccia near Laiyuan (Hebei Province, E China) occurs as a block-like lithological unit between dolo-stones of the 1.55-1.45 Ga (Early Mesoproterozoic) Wumishan Formation. It has previously been interpreted as a seismite, but it appears not to fulfil any of the commonly accepted criteria that jointly are considered diagnostic for seis-mites. Its presence in a graben-like structure with almost vertical bounding fault planes rather indicates an origin as a (submarine) valley fill. As the valley originated by tectonic activity in the form of faulting, the breccia can be considered as a secondary effect of seismic activity, but it does not represent a seismite.

Description: The nature of the Pleistocene-Holocene palaeosols in the Gaza Strip, PalestineThe Pleistocene to Holocene succession in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, consists of an alternation of calcareous sandstones and reddish fine-grained deposits (palaeosols). The palaeosols can be subdivided into two main groups based on the sand-sized versus clay- to silt-sized grains: (1) the sandy hamra palaeosols, and (2) the loess and loess-derived palaeosols. The hamra palaeosols can, in turn, also be subdivided into two main types according to their colour and grain size: (1) light brown loamy to sandy hamra palaeosols, and (2) dark brown sandy clay hamra palaeosols. The hamra palaeosols are polygenetic and originated in humid environments. Their red colour results from ferric oxides coating the sand grains, but also by illuviation. The various pedogenitic units and their gradual transition to loess palaeosols are due to different phases of dust accretion. Both groups of palaeosols developed during the last glacial. They are considered to represent different climate environments: hamra palaeosols represent humid climates, whereas the loess and loess-derived palaeosols represent dry and semi-dry climates.

Description: The challenge of reconstructing the Phanerozoic sea level and the Pacific Basin tectonicsThe relationships between the interior dynamics of our planet and global sea level can be unravelled when plate-tectonic reconstructions are available for the entire Earth. A review of global tectonics reveals significant deficiencies in our understanding of the geodynamic evolution of the Pacific (Panthalassa or Proto-Pacific) during the Cambrian-Jurassic time-span. This particular, but major, shortcoming presents a true challenge for modern geoscientists, who are encouraged to produce a detailed plate-tectonic reconstruction of the Pacific for the pre-Cretaceous in order to advance our understanding of Phanerozoic sea-level change. A set of approaches, including geological/geophysical modelling, investigation of accretionary prisms, palaeobiogeographical studies, and careful examination of eustatic sea-level changes, are proposed that will help geoscientists tackle the challenge of understanding how Pacific geodynamics affected global sea level during the Phanerozoic.

Description: On the applicability of in situ soil probings to geological analyses Examples of geoengineering methods (static and dynamic probings) that can be applied to analyses of geological environments are presented. The potential is shown by the results of the determination of the values of the soil-density index (ID), the soil-behaviour index (Ic), the constrained modulus (M), the overconsolidation ratio (OCR) and their vertical changes. The values obtained for ID and Ic facilitate the determination of layers with a specific character. This is demonstrated for several aeolian and glacial deposits in Poland. The application of static probings to the analyses of changes in OCR and M made it possible to identify several depositional phases and the effect of postdepositional processes. Usages of the probings can significantly contribute to the interpretation of palaeo-environments (e.g. in the context of geostatistical models), but the results obtained should be handled cautiously.

Description: Four bryozoan species are described from the upper member (Shishtu II) (Visean, Early Carboniferous=Mississippian) of the Shishtu Formation of central Iran: Nikiforovella ulbensis Nekhoroshev, 1956, Nicklesopora elegantulaformis (Nekhoroshev, 1956), Primorella cf. iranica Gorjunova, 2006, and Nikiforopora intermedia (Nikiforova, 1950). This Visean assemblage shows close palaeogeographical affinities of Iran with Kazakhstan and Russia (eastern Transbaikalia, Kurgan region).

Description: The Pelotas Basin, located on the SE Brazilian shelf, has evolved since the Aptian. Stratigraphical data from the basin can be used for delineation of the unconformity-bounded units (synthems) on the shelf, which is a first step towards a full understanding of its stratigraphic architecture, evolution, and hydrocarbon potential. Hiatuses in the Cenozoic succession of the Pelotas Basin are established with both biostratigraphic (planktonic foraminifers and calcareous nannofossils) and isotopic (87Sr/86Sr) data. The seven recognised hiatuses are dated respectively as (1) Palaeocene (Danian- Thanetian), (2) Palaeocene/Eocene boundary (Thanetian-Ypresian), (3) Eocene (Ypresian-Lutetian), (4) Eocene-Oligocene (Lutetian-Rupelian), (5) early-late Oligocene (Rupelian-Chattian), (6) early Miocene (Aquitanian-Burdigalian), and (7) middle-late Miocene (Serravallian-Tortonian). These intervals between the hiatuses are correlated with those of the Santos and Campos Basins north from the Pelotas Basin. The breaks in sedimentation that these basins have in common occurred (1) at the Palaeocene-Eocene and (2) Eocene-Oligocene transitions, (3) in the early Miocene, and (4) in the middle-late Miocene. These main unconformities outline five synthems on the SE Brazilian shelf, viz. the SEBS-1 (Palaeocene), SEBS-2 (Eocene), SEBS-3 (Oligocene), SEBS-4 (early-middle Miocene) and SEBS-5 (late Miocene-Holocene). The above unconformities are correlated with those established in the Cenozoic sedimentary successions of different regions such as Western Siberia, Arabia, NW and NE Africa, peninsular India, S Australia, the Gulf of Mexico, NW Europe, and South Africa. The only regional unconformity, near the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, coincides with the nearly-global sedimentation break. The latter was resulted from a climatic event, i.e., the ‘Mi-1 glaciation’. Thus, a eustatic origin is supposed for this regional unconformity. The other regional unconformities also correspond to global sea-level falls (probably with an exception for the Palaeocene/Eocene surface), which suggests that global eustatic movements controlled the development of the regional synthem architecture.

Description: Megaclasts are sedimentary particles larger than boulders. Their huge size and scattered occurrence make them objects that deserve geological heritage, requiring conservation. Investigation of megaclasts for the purpose faces difficulties because of the distinction between boulders and megaclasts. Local study of Quaternary large stones in Mountainous Adygeja (W Caucasus, SW Russia) suggests ~ 2 m as a suitable size criterion, although only locally. Shape, occurrence, and origin of megaclasts require additional attention. Geoconservation may result in anthropogenic disturbances of the natural landscape through removal of vegetation, access constructions, and restoration. The geotourism potential of megaclasts is partly determined by their huge size and their rare and scattered occurrence. Aesthetic qualities, local legends, and co-occurrence with prehistoric megalithic constructions increase this potential. The Maiden’s Stone in Mountainous Adygeja, which is ~ 35 m long, has been a tourist attraction already for decades. It is an impressive example of geoconconservation and geotourism connected with megaclasts. Generally, megaclasts increase the value (including the scientific importance) of the geological heritage of Mountainous Adygeja, where a geopark might be established.

Description: Late Devonian coarse-grained carbonate deposits in the Holy Cross Mountains were studied for possible storm depositional systems and catastrophic tsunami events, as it must be assumed that the investigated area was strongly affected by tropical hurricanes generated in the open ocean North of Gondwana. This assumption appears consistent with diagnostic features of carbonate tempestites at several places in the Holy Cross Mountains. Sedimentary structures and textures that indicate so are, among other evidence, erosional bases with sole marks, graded units, intra- and bioclasts, different laminations and burrowing at the tops of tempestite layers. It has been suggested before that a tsunami occurred during the Late Devonian, but the Laurussian shelf had an extensional regime at the time, which excludes intensive seismic activity. The shelf environment also excluded the generation of tsunami waves because the depth was too shallow. Additionally, the Holy Cross Mountains region was surrounded in the Devonian by shallow-marine and stable elevated areas: the Nida Platform, the Opatkowice Platform and the Cracow Platform to the South, and the elevated Lublin-Lviv area to the NE. Thus, tsunami energy should have been absorbed by these regions if tsunamites would have occurred.

Description: Palaeontology of the Middle Turonian limestones of the Nysa Kłodzka Graben (Sudetes, SW Poland): biostratigraphical and palaeogeographical implicationsThe ammonitesLewesiceras peramplumMantell and?Lewesicerassp. are reported from the Upper Cretaceous in the Nysa Kłodzka Graben; they date from the Middle Turonian and ?Coniacian, respectively. The Middle Turonian limestones of the Stara Bystrzyca quarry contain an abundant assemblage of inoceramids (Inoceramus cuvieriSowerby and I. lamarcki Parkinson) and other bivalves, including oysters, as well as brachiopods and trace fossils. Micropalaeontological data show the presence of foraminifers and siliceous sponge spiculae, bryozoans, ostracods and fragments of bivalves and gastropods. The Middle Turonian calcareous deposits belongs to the upper part of theInoceramus lamarckiZone (late Middle Turonian) and were deposited on a shallow, subtidal offshore shelf. They overlie the Middle Turonian Bystrzyca and Długopole Sandstones, which represent foreshore-shoreface delta deposits. The fossil assemblage suggests a moderate- to low-energy, normal-salinity environment with occasionally an oxygen deficit.

Description: Mesozoic mass extinctions and angiosperm radiation: does the molecular clock tell something new?Angiosperms evolved rapidly in the late Mesozoic. Data from the genetic-based approach called ‘molecular clock’ permit an evaluation of the radiation of flowering plants through geological time and of the possible influences of Mesozoic mass extinctions. A total of 261 divergence ages of angiosperm families are considered. The radiation of flowering plants peaked in the Albian, early Campanian, and Maastrichtian. From the three late Mesozoic mass extinctions (Jurassic/Cretaceous, Cenomanian/Turonian, and Cretaceous/Palaeogene), only the Cretaceous/Palaeogene event coincided with a significant, abrupt, and long-term decline in angiosperm radiation. If their link will be further proven, this means that global-scale environmental perturbation precluded from many innovations in the development of plants. This decline was, however, not unprecedented in the history of the angiosperms. The implication of data from the molecular clock for evolutionary reconstructions is limited, primarily because this approach deals with only extant lineages.

Description: An oolite in the Furongian (Late Cambrian) Chaomidian Formation in Shandong Province, China, which was deposited on the North China Platform in an epeiric sea, contains several limestone breccia lenses of various dimensions (centimetres to decimetres thick and decimetres to more than 10 metres in length) in an E-trending section. The oolite, which is approximately 40 cm thick, was originally thicker, as indicated by a planar truncation surface that formed by wave abrasion. The breccia lenses in this oolite are generally mound-shaped with a flat base and a convex top. The western margin of the lenses is commonly rounded whereas the eastern margin commonly has a tail (consisting of a rapidly eastwards thinning breccia horizon that gradually ends in a horizon of isolated clasts). Some of the breccia lenses are underlain by a shear zone. The formation of the breccia lenses cannot be easily explained by normal depositional or deformational processes. It is concluded that the lenses represent fragments of a partly consolidated layer, consisting of both rounded and angular platy clasts, which slid down over a very gently inclined sedimentary surface which acted – possibly together with a water film – as a lubricant layer. During transport, the layer broke up into several discrete bodies that formed small ‘highs’ at the sedimentary surface of the shallow epeiric sea. Subsequently, waves partially eroded the lenses, mostly at their margins, producing their mound-shaped form. Sliding of blocks is known from a wide variety of environments in the sedimentary record; however, this is the first description of the sliding of blocks in an epeiric sea. This indicates that such a low-relief submarine carbonate setting is, like its siliciclastic counterparts, susceptible to this process.

Description: Shock veins in the Sahara 02500 ordinary chondriteA specimen of the Sahara 02500 ordinary chondrite contains shock-produced veins consisting of recrystallised fine-grained pyroxenes that include small droplets of Ni-rich metal. Non-melted olivines and pyroxenes show planar deformations filled by shock-melted and -polluted metal and troilite. Shock-melted feldspathic glass is present close to the shock veins. Geothermometric estimations indicate that the meteorite locally experienced moderate shock metamorphism with a minimum local peak temperature above 1400°C, resulting in partial melting of Ca-poor pyroxene and full melting of feldspars, metal and sulphides. The mineral assemblage in the shock veins suggests a pressure during melt recrystallisation below 10 GPa.

Description: Gierałtów versus Śnieżnik gneisses - what is the real difference?Structural and petrographic study applied to the gneisses from the eastern part of the Orlica-Śnieżnik Dome, indicate that two different types of gneiss are present. The Śnieżnik gneisses are porphyrithic granites, constricted and sheared into L-S tectonites, most commonly with augens; the Gierałtów gneisses are sheared migmatites, porphyroblastic gneisses and banded gneisses, with two sets of metamorphic foliation, intrafolial folds and lensoid leucosome aggregates or metamorphic porphyroblasts. Both lithologies were later zonally sheared and transformed into more or less deformationally advanced mylonites, difficult to be distinguished from one of the two types. Identification of the Śnieżnik and Gierałtów gneisses is possible only between zones of the late (Variscan) shearing, in which the original, pre-kinematic structures are preserved.

Description: Palaeoslopes of Weichselian sand-bed braided rivers in the Toruń Basin (Poland): results of a palaeohydraulic analysis Palaeoslopes of Weichselian sand-bed braided rivers have been reconstructed for two stages of fluvial development in the Toruń Basin. (1) The palaeoslope of the ‘fossil’ fluvial succession (buried under Weichselian tills) was calculated on the basis of the median grain size and the Shields parameter. The hydraulic gradient thus found is comparable with the hydraulic gradient of the present-day river. (2) The second developmental stage of the Toruń Basin (as a apart of the Noteć-Warta ice-marginal valley) took place after deglaciation. The slopes of river terraces are a few times lower than those calculated on the basis of the Shields parameter. The palaeoslope of the then river was estimated on the basis of a constant interdependency between the braidplain width, the channel geometry and the grain size. The river gradient that was thus calculated is similar to the measured terrace slope. Palaeoslope estimates in valleys similar to those in the Toruń Basin should consider the width of the braidplain.

Description: Adjustment coefficients for planimetric analysis of the granulometry of coarse-grained sedimentsThe relationship between results from granulometric analyses of by sieving and by planimetry was investigated by numerical simulation of cubes filled with boulders, cobbles and pebbles. Cross-sections through the sediment were simulated and compared with photos of an actual outcrop wall. Volumes estimated on the basis of planimetric analysis using the cross-sections were compared with sieve analyses, thus allowing to determine adjustment coefficients. The coefficients for pebbles and cobbles have a small standard error, but are larger for boulders, which might be a consequence of too small areas formed by the cross-sections.

Description: Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys and sedimentological outcrop analyses were combined in order to determine the reflection patterns and internal architecture of terrace deposits of the Vistula River at Kępa Zawadowska in the southern part of Warsaw (central Poland). The sedimentary analyses concerned the granulometric composition and lithofacies analysis. The 34 GPR profiles, which were obtained in two outcrops, using a Malå RAMAC/GPR system with 500-MHz and 250-MHz shielded antennas, were up to 100 m long. The most characteristic ground-penetrating radar profiles are presented; they show a high-resolution data set of radar facies. The GPR data suggest the presence of three geophysically different units, namely with high-angle inclined reflections (radar facies 1), with discontinuous undulating or trough-shaped reflections (radar facies 2), and with low-angle reflections (radar facies 3). The internal structure of the fluvial deposits was obtained by integration of the GPR and sedimentological data, which combination provides a more accurate visualisation of sedimentary units than do reconstructions that are based only on standard lithologic point data.

Description: Grain-size distribution analysis of Quaternary sediments from the southern part of the Lodz region in Poland: a computational-methods approachEighteen samples of Quaternary unconsolidated sediments from the Piotrków Plateau and the Radomsko Hills in central Poland have been analysed for their average grain size, sorting, skewness and kurtosis. The analysis was carried out by seven computational methods of interpolation and nine extrapolation methods. It appears that linear interpolation, the traditional method (DOS), and the Josek and Gradistat Programs give comparable results, but that quadratic interpolation and the method of moments should not be applied since they yield unreliable results. The method of moments gives unduly high or unduly low parameter values because of the application of different, i.e. incomparable measures in the applied formulae. It should be stressed that only extrapolation provides, if performed under the right conditions, the possibility to determine some parameters, in particular skewness values.

Description: The tectonic evolution of Lake Eğirdir, West Turkey Lake Eğirdir is one of the most important fresh-water lakes of Turkey. It has a tectonics-related origin. The area formed under a roughly N-S compressional tectonic regime during the Middle Miocene. The stresses caused slip faults west and east of Isparta Angle, and the lake formed at the junction of these faults. The area subsided between normal faults, thus creating the topographic condition required for a lake. The lacustrine sediments have fundamentally different lithologies. After the Late Miocene, central Anatolia started to move westwards, but western Anatolia moved in a SW direction along the South-western Anatolian Fault, which we suggest to have a left lateral slip, which caused that the Hoyran Basin moved t7 km towards the SW and rotated 40° counterclockwise relative to Lake Eğirdir.

Description: Hydrothermal alteration of the Meiduk porphyry copper deposit, south of the Kerman Cenozoic magmatic arc and southeast of the central Iranian volcano-plutonic belt has resulted in three stages of mineralisation characterised by veins and veinlets. These are, from early to late: (1) quartz + K-feldspar + biotite + pyrite ± chalcopyrite ± pyrrhotite ± magnetite (early potassic alteration and type-A veins); (2) quartz + chalcopyrite + pyrite + bornite + pyrrhotite + K- -feldspar + biotite + magnetite (potassic-sericitic alteration and type-B veins); and (3) quartz + pyrite + chalcopyrite + sericite (sericitic alteration and type-C veins). Most ores were formed during stages 2 and 3. Three main types of fluid inclusions are distinguished based on petrographical, microthermometrical and laser Raman spectroscopy analyses, i.e. type I (three-phase aqueous inclusions), type II (three-phase liquid-carbonic inclusions) and type III (multi-phase solid inclusions). The fluid inclusions in quartz veins of the stages are mainly homogenised at 340-530°C (stage 1), 270-385°C (stage 2) and 214-350°C (stage 3), respectively, with salinities of 3.1-16 wt.% NaCl equivalent, 2.2-43 wt.% NaCl equivalent and 8.2-22.8 wt.% NaCl equivalent, respectively. The estimated trapping pressures are 97.9-123.6 MPa (3.7-4.6 km) in stage 1 and 62.5-86.1 MPa (2.3-3.1 km) in stage 2, respectively. These fluid inclusions are homogenised in different ways at similar temperatures, suggesting that fluid boiling took place in stages 2 and 3. The fluid system evolved from high-temperature, medium-salinity, high-pressure and CO2-rich to low-temperature, low-pressure, high-salinity and CO2-poor, with fluid boiling being the dominating mechanism, followed by input of meteoric water. CO2 escape may have been a factor in increasing activities of NaCl and S2- in the fluids, diminishing the oxidation of the fluids from stage 1 to 3. The result was precipitation of sulphides and trapping of multi-phase solid inclusions in hydrothermal quartz veins.

Description: Sedimentation style of a Pleistocene kame terrace from the Western Sudety Mountains, S PolandThe depositional conditions of kame terraces in a mountain valley were analysed sedimentologically and petrologically through a series of kame terraces in the Rudawy Janowickie mountains. The kame terraces comprise five lithofacies associations. Lithofacies association GRt, Sp originates from deposition in the high-energy, deep gravel-bed channel of a braided river. Lithofacies association GC represents a washed out glacial till. Probably a thin layer of till was washed out by sandy braided rivers (Sp). The fourth association (Fh, Fm) indicates a shallow and quite small glaciomarginal lake. The last association (GRt, GRp) indicates the return of deposition in a sandy-bed braided channel. The petrography of the Janowice Wiekie pit and measurements of cross-stratified beds indicate a palaeocurrent direction from N to S. The Janowice Wielkie sedimentary succession accumulated most probably during the Saalian (Odranian, Saale I, Drenthe) as the first phase of ice-sheet melting, because the kame terrace under study is the highest one, 25-27 m above the Bóbr river level. The deposits under study are dominated by local components. The proglacial streams flowed along the margin of the ice sheet and deposited the kame terrace. The majority of the sedimentary succession was deposited in a confined braided-river system in quite deep channels.

Description: The concentrations of Al, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Fe and Mn were determined in June 2010 for 100 tap-water samples, collected directly at consumers in the older part of the city of Szczecin (Poland). Increased concentrations of metals were thus detected. This concerns mainly Fe (19% of samples showed concentrations above drinking-water quality standards) and Pb (5%). In some samples, the maximum admissible concentration levels for Mn, Cu and Ni were also exceeded. This was not the case for Al, despite the use of aluminium compounds during water treatment; the Al concentrations in treated water were, however, significantly higher than in raw water. It was also found that (1) the corrosive properties of water (low alkalinity and increased concentration of sulphates), (2) the water-treatment processes causing a decrease of the pH and an increase of the CO2, and (3) transport of the treated water over long distances (30 km) provide favourable conditions for the leaching of metals from water-pipe networks. The type of material used in domestic plumbing and the content of Ce, Fe, Mn, Ni and Cd in the tap-water at consumers show a correlation. The high content of Pb is mainly a result of lead pipes connecting the network to the buildings

Description: A long-term eustatic cycle (fall and subsequent rise of the global sea level) embraced the late Silurian-Middle Devonian time interval. Potentially, these sea-level changes could drive global biodiversity. The stratigraphic ranges of 204 bivalve genera and 279 gastropod genera included into the famous Sepkoski database allow reconstructing changes in the total diversity and the number of originations and extinctions of these important groups of marine benthic macro- -invertebrates during this interval. None of the recorded parameters coincided with the long-term global sea-level cycle. It cannot be not excluded, however, that the global sea-level changes did not affect the regions favourable for bivalve and gastropod radiation because of regional tectonic mechanisms; neither can it be excluded that the eustatic control persisted together with many other extrinsic and intrinsic controls. Interestingly, the generic diversity of gastropods increased together with a cooling trend, and vice versa. Additionally, the Ludlow, Eifelian, and Givetian biotic crises affected, probably, both fossil groups under study. There was also a coincidence of the relatively high bivalve generic diversity, initial radiation of gastropods and the entire biota, and the diversification of brachiopods with the Early Devonian global sea-level lowstand, and this may be interpreted as evidence of a certain eustatic control on the marine biodiversity.

Description: The study of 114 core samples from seven borehole sections of the Van-Eganskaya area in the central part of Western Siberia yielded sufficient data to investigate the Late Cenomanian-Turonian foraminifers, palaeoenvironments, and the Late Cenomanian-Turonian biostratigraphy of this poorly studied area. Two Late Cenomanian foraminifer zones were established, viz. a (lower) Saccammina micra - Ammomarginulina sibirica Zone and an (upper) Trochammina wetteri tumida - Verneuilinoides kansasensis Zone. They reflect changes in the species composition of the foraminifer assemblages and lithology of the host rocks of the Uvatskian Horizon. In the lower part of the upper zone, beds with Gaudryinopsis nanushukensis elongatus are present. The changes in the species composition and lithology of the upper Cenomanian resulted from water-depth variations during the Boreal transgression. Two distinct assemblages and two homonymous zones, viz. the (lower) Gaudryinopsis angustus and the (upper) Pseudoclavulina hastata zones occur in the Turonian clayey cap-rocks of the superimposed Kuznetsovskian Horizon. Comparison of the Late Cenomanian-Turonian assemblages from the West-Siberian and Canadian provinces of the same Arctic palaeobiogeographical realm shows that the West-Siberian species are the same as, and closely related to, Canadian taxa, along with geographical subspecies. This comparison allows a detailed correlation, which results in a precise dating of the foraminifer zones.

Description: The Palaeoproterozoic succession of the Singhbhum craton in E. India was hitherto considered as almost entirely siliciclastic and partly volcanogenic. Here we describe, from the fine-grained, tidally influenced shale facies of the Palaeoproterozoic Chaibasa Formation (2.1-1.6 Ga), a fine, originally more or less horizontal, wavy to strongly undulating (later locally deformed) lamination. Investigation of these laminae shows that they must be ascribed to the accumulation of fine particles on microbial mats that covered a sandy substrate. The structures must therefore be considered as stromatolites, features that are accepted as proof of the presence of micro-organisms, in this case most probably cyanobacteria. The interpretation of biogenic activity is supported by microscopic analysis. It is the first description of traces left by biogenic activity that took place in the Palaeoproterozoic of the Singhbhum craton.

Description: The Permian carbonate-hosted Farsesh barite deposit is located southeast of the City of Aligudarz in the province of Lorestan, Iran. Structurally, this deposit lies in the Zagros metallogenic belt and the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone. Barite mineralisations occur as open-space flling veins, and as massive and replacement ores along fractures, faults and shear zones of the Permian carbonate host rocks. In order to determine the structure, in addition to pe-trographic and fuid-inclusions studies, an ICP-MS analysis was carried out in order to measure the major as well as the trace and rare earth elements. The Farsesh barite deposit has a simple mineralogy, of which barite is the main mineral, followed by calcite, dolomite, quartz, and opaque minerals such as Fe-oxides. Replacement of bar-ite by calcite is common and is more frequent than space-flling mineralisation. Sulphide minerals are minor and mainly consist of chalcopyrite and pyrite, which are altered by weathering to covellite, malachite and azurite. Petrographic analysis and micro-thermometry were carried out on the two-phase liquid/vapour inclusions in ellipsoidal or irregularly shaped minerals ranging in size from 5–10 µm. The measurements were conducted on fuid inclusions during the heating and subsequent homogenisation in the liquid phase. The low homogenisation temperatures (200–125°C) and low to moderate salinity (4.2–20 eq wt% NaCl) indicate that the barite had precipitated from hydrothermal basinal water with low to moderate salinity. It appears from the major and trace elements that geochemical features such as Ba and Sr enrichment in the barite samples was accompanied by depletion of Pb, Zn, Hg, Cu and Sb. The geochemistry of the rare earth elements, such as low σREE concentrations, LREE-enrichment chondrite-normalised REE patterns, the negative Ce and positive Eu anomalies, the low Ce/La ratio and the positive La and Gd anomalies, suggest that the Farsesh barite was deposited from hydrothermally infuenced sea water. The Farsesh deposit contains low-temperature hydrothermal barite. The scatter plots of the barite (close to sea water) in different areas on the CeN/SmN versus CeN/YbN diagram support the possibility that the barite was formed from seawater-bearing hydrothermal fuids.

Description: Evidence of earthquake-induced liquefaction features in the Acequión river valley, central western Argentina, is analysed. Well-preserved soft-sediment deformation structures are present in Late Pleistocene deposits; they include two large slumps and several sand dikes, convolutions, pseudonodules, faults, dish structures and diapirs in the basal part of a shallow-lacustrine succession in the El Acequión River area. The water-saturated state of these sediments favoured deformation. All structures were studied in a natural trench created as a result of erosion by a tributary of the Acequión River, called El Mono Creek. They form part of a large-scale slump system. Two slumps occur in the western portion of the trench and must have moved towards the ENE (70°), where the depocentre of the Boca del Acequión area is situated. Considering the spatial relationship with Quaternary faults, the slumps are interpreted as being due to a seismic event. The thickest dikes in the El Mono Creek trench occur in the eastern portion of the trench, indicating that the responsible earthquake was located to the east of the study area, probably at the Cerro Salinas fault system zone. The slumps, sand dikes and other soft-sediment deformation features are interpreted as having been triggered by earthquakes, thus providing a preliminary palaeoseismic record of the Cerro Salinas fault system and extending the record of moderate-to high-magnitude earthquakes in central western Argentina to the Late Pleistocene.