Volume of abstracts.pdf

International Conference

“““GGGEEEOOOHHHEEERRRIIITTTAAAGGGEEE FFFOOORRR SSSUUUSSSTTTAAAIIINNNAAABBBLLLEEE DDDEEEVVVEEELLLOOOPPPMMMEEENNNTTT”””

May 27–30, 2006, Druskininkai, Lithuania

VVOOLLUUMMEE OOFF AABBSSTTRRAACCTTSS

VILNIUS, 2006

International Conference “GEOHERITAGE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”: VOLUME OF ABSTRACTS

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International Conference „Geoheritage for Sustainable Development“, May 27–30, 2006, Druskininkai, Lithuania: Volume of Abstracts / Eds.: J. Satkūnas, A. Grigienė; IUGS Commission GEM, ProGEO, Lithuanian Geological Survey, Polish Geological Institute, Lithuanian Institute of Geology and Geography. – Vilnius: LGT, 2006. – 72 p.: iliustr. – ISBN 9986-623-42-1

OORRGGAANNIISSEERRSS::

ProGEO – “European Association for Conservation of Geological Heritage”, Northern European Working Group

IUGS Commission GEM – “Geosciences for environmental management”, working group IBC “International borders – Geoenvironmental concerns”

Lithuanian Geological Survey Polish Geological Institute Institute of Geology and Geography, Lithuania

TTHHEE CCOONNFFEERREENNCCEE IISS HHEELLDD UUNNDDEERR AAUUSSPPIICCEE OOFF TTHHEE::

INTERREG project No. 2005/041 “Elaboration of geoenvironmental assumptions for “Geopark Yotwings” in the cross-border Polish–Lithuanian area”. Project part - financed by European Union.

IUGS-ICSU project Application of geosciences for sustainable development of cross-border areas (GEOCrossBorder).

OORRGGAANNIIZZIINNGG CCOOMMMMIITTTTEEEE:: Marek Graniczny and Jonas Satkūnas Co-Chairmen Alma Grigienė and Magdalena Czarnogorska Co-secretaries Gražina Skridlaitė, Institute of Geology and Geography, Lithuania Albertas Bitinas, Lithuanian Geological Survey Donatas Pupienis, Lithuanian Geological Survey

CCOONNFFEERREENNCCEE AAIIMMSS:: to promote better understanding of geological heritage in Northern Europe and to aim at a

increasing level of awareness concerning geological knowledge and related problems in society; to promote best practice on such matters as inventory, on-site management, planning, development

of geotourism, etc.; to strengthen transboundary co-operation and promote initiatives in application of elements of the

geological heritage in the sustainable development.

The Conference Venue – HHOOTTEELL DDRRUUSSKKIINNIINNKKAAII (www.hotel-druskininkai)

Published by Lithuanian Geological Survey Compiled by: Jonas Satkūnas, Alma Grigienė Layout and cover design: Regina Norvaišienė (photo R. Guobytė)

Circulation: 60 copies

ISBN 9986-623-42-1 © Lietuvos geologijos tarnyba


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CCOONNTTEENNTTSS

1. SOILS AND SOIL SYSTEMS RELATED TO GEOHERITAGE AND GEODIVERSITY ....................5 Van den Ancker J. A. M.

2. FLINT AS A RAW MATERIAL OF THE PREHISTORIC ARTEFACTS IN LITHUANIA..................7 V. Baltrūnas, B. Karmaza, D. Kulbickas, T. Ostrauskas

3. THE ‘ESSEN’ OF DRENTHE THREATS TO GEOHERITAGE SITES IN SUSTAINABLE USE AS PLAGGEN SOILS IN THE NETHERLANDS ..........................................................................................10 E. P. H. Bregman & P. D. Jungerius

4. GEOTOURISM IN FINLAND'S NATIONAL PARKS – CO-OPERATION BETWEEN METSÄHALLITUS AND THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF FINLAND ...........................................15 O. Breilin, P. Itkonen, P. Johansson & S. Ollqvist

5. THE KVARKEN ARCHIPELAGO IN WESTERN FINLAND – WORTHY OF WORLD HERITAGE STATUS........................................................................................................................................................17 O. Breilin, J. Ojalainen, S. Ollqvist

6. THE PHENOMENON OF THE UKRAINIAN GEOLOGIC HERITAGE AND THE PROBLEMS WITH ITS RESERVATION AND USE WITHIN THE STABLE DEVELOPMENT............................19 N. Duk, I. Sumatokhina, K. Gorb

7. GEOCONSERVATION IN A MULTIDISCIPLINARY SETTING ………………………………… 22 L. Erikstad

8. GEODIVERSITY OF THE POLISH–LITHUANIAN CROSS-BORDER AREA, ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF GEOPARKS – PROJECT GAJA.........................................................24 M. Graniczny, M. Czarnogórska, J. Satkūnas

9. GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE POLISH AND LITHUANIAN LANDS, SINCE XVIII CENTURY TO THE PRESENT – COMMON HERITAGE.....................................................................26 M. Graniczny, H. Urban, J. Satkūnas

10. NATURE TOURISM AND GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL FINNISH LAPLAND ....................................................................................................................................................29 P. Johansson

11. GEOHERITAGE OF THE GREAT NEMUNAS LOOPS, SOUTH LITHUANIA.................................33 B. Karmaza, V. Baltrūnas

12. VULNERABILITY OF GEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS IN THE NEMUNAS RIVER VALLEY......36 B. Karmaza, A. Zuzevičius

13. GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF DRUSKININKAI – FROM DEEPLY SEATED CRYSTALLINE BASEMENT TO PRESENT LANDSCAPES............................................................................................38 J. Lazauskienė & J. Satkūnas

14. GEOTOPES DATA BASE AND ITS APPLICATION FOR GEOTOURISM IN POLISH LITHUANIAN CROSS-BORDER AREA .................................................................................................41 D. Pupienis, J. Kmita, Z. Kowalski and V. Mikulėnas

15. GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE – PROTECTION BY UNDERSTANDING OF VALUE.........................43 J. Satkūnas

16. SELECTED EXAMPLES OF CROSS-BORDER GEOLOGICAL AND GEOENVIRON-MENTAL STUDIES – BELT OF YOTVINGS............................................................................................................51 J. Satkūnas, M. Graniczny, M. Czarnogórska


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17. GEOHERITAGE AND INTERNATIONAL BORDERS..........................................................................53 J. Satkūnas, J. Lazauskienė & M. Graniczny

18. GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PROTECTED AREA: SARTAI LAKE CASE, NORTHEASTERN LITHUANIA ......................................................................55 G. Skridlaitė, R. Guobytė, M. Stančikaitė, D. Norkūnienė and A. Gegžnas

19. MODELLING OF WATER SYSTEMS FOR PLANNING OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT...58 A. Spalvins, J. Slangens, R. Janbickis, I. Lace

20. ECOLOGICAL SAFETY OF GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OBJECTS ..................................................61 I. Sumatokhina, G. Rudko

21. ISLAND SAAREMAA (ESTONIA) – WORTHY CANDIDATE OF THE UNESCO LIST OF GEOPARKS..................................................................................................................................................64 K. Täht

22. BRITISH INSTITUTE FOR GEOLOGICAL CONSERVATION: GEOSITES, SITE ACQUSISTION AND A COALFIELD GEOPARK..............................................................................................................68 B. A. Thomas

23. COASTAL GEOTOPES OF THE GULF OF GDAŃSK...........................................................................69 S. Uścinowicz, G. Miotk-Szpiganowicz, W. Jegliński


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SOILS AND SOIL SYSTEMS RELATED TO GEOHERITAGE AND GEODIVERSITY

Van den ANCKER J. A. M.

Geoheritage, The NETHERLANDS E-mail: [email protected] Soils as part of geoheritage and geodiversity Up to recently soil conservation was mainly directed towards measures and research preventing soil erosion and loss of production capacity of the soil. Of course for many countries these have been the most important aspects of soil conservation in the world, affecting the basic conditions of human living.

But modern societies also aim at geoconservation and safeguarding of geodiversity as part of a sustainable use of resources. After geologists and geomorphologists, also soil scientists are becoming aware that soil conservation should include the protection of natural habitats, as well as cultural and reference soil systems for scientific, educational, ecological and recreational purposes.

Geoheritage for soils comprises the conservation of natural soils, traditionally sustainable cultivated soils and benchmark soils for scientific and educational purposes of which examples will be given. Soils play also an important role in the conservation of biodiversity, because specific flora and fauna are related to specific soil types and condition of the soil. The following categories of soil protection are distinguished:

1) natural heritage soils, 2) sustainable cultural heritage soils, 3) benchmark soils, 4) soils in nature areas.

Geodiversity for soils is concerned with the sustainable use of the soil system, a use minimizing adverse effects but also a use in line with the spatial diversity, qualities and potentials of the soil system.

Soils are hierarchical systems Soils are no standalone objects, but are intrinsically related with other aspects of the landscape. This was already recognized in the 19th century by the Russian pioneers of soil science. Probably through the problems of making international classifications and the huge soil pollution problems at the end of the last century, the broader perspective of soils as systems got out of sight. We argue for a reintroduction of the soil system approach in making geodiversity and geoheritage operational and to include the hierarchical landscape model as a further tool.

The hierarchical model is way of showing that soils are systems influenced by many factors and that they are (part of) environmental systems at a specific moment in time. This figure is a simplified version of the model.

This hierarchical landscape model is applicable also in spatial planning. A simple version is used in Dutch spatial planning policy in which the ground surface layer is considered longer lasting and more resistant to change than the overlying communication and occupation levels, including land use.


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The land system mapping in Australia developed by the CSIRO in the 1960's was a good example of describing soil and land as part of a hierarchical system. The hierarchal and CSIRO models clarify that the geocomponents of the soil system include geomorphology and geology and are closely interrelated.

Soil Policy A practical consequence of the interrelationship is the fact that the same legislation can apply for all three geocomponents geology, geomorphology and soils. In March 2005 the EC Environment agreed to include Geodiversity and Geoheritage in the EU Soil Strategy. Protection of the soil system will also protect geomorphological and geological features of the land. But geology and geomorphology have different aspects as well. Also, their interests are by tradition guarded by different groups of scientists. For this reason we recommended to incorporate geological and geomorphological conservation as separate articles in the EU Soil Strategy and in the IUCN Soil Policy.

Examples of soil heritage and geodiversity The presentation will conclude with examples from The Netherlands of soil systems of interest for geoconservation as well as problems relating to soil geodiversity.


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FLINT AS A RAW MATERIAL OF THE PREHISTORIC ARTEFACTS IN LITHUANIA

Valentinas BALTRŪNAS1, Bronislavas KARMAZA1, Dainius KULBICKAS2, Tomas OSTRAUSKAS3

1Institute of Geology and Geography, T. Ševčenkos 13, LT-03223 Vilnius, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 2Vilnius Pedagogical University, Studentų 39, LT-08106 Vilnius, Lithuania, e-mail: [email protected] 3Institute of Lithuanian History, Kražių 5, LT-01108 Vilnius, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected]

Articles mode of solid, shelly and razor-edge silicites usually referred to as “flint” (hardness according to Moso scale is 6.5–7) abound among archaeological artefacts. The first Lithuanian postglacial (Late Paleolite) inhabitants used flint for production of arrowheads, knives, burins, scrapers, borers, axes, etc. The natural bedding form of silicites is variable. The Cretaceous flint concretions (nodules) are sized 2–30 cm and even 70 cm. Flint were scattered over a large territory by advancing glaciers in south-western, southern and south-eastern directions (Fig.). It was observed that the network of finding sites of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic flint artefacts almost coincides with the distribution of flint concretions in the Upper Cretaceous carbonaceous sediments. This was a shrewd observation yet no special and particular geological research was undertaken.

Fig. Distribution of chalk blocks and flint mines of the Stone Age in South Lithuania. Chalk blocks: 1 – Akmuo (see in NS), 2 – Kuktiškės, 3 – Juodžiai, 4 – Naujoji Vilnia, 5 – Tetėnai, 6 – Mielupis, 7 – Šarkiškės, 8 – Matuizos. Flint mines: 1 – Ežerynas, 2 – Margionys, 3 – Titnas Lake

The grey gaize and its strongly silicified varieties sometimes referred to as flint attracted attention when studying the evolution of the cultural landscape of Žemaičiai Upland. These flint artefacts are genetically related with the erosion relicts of the Late Cretaceous Campanian rocks in the sub-Quaternary surface, which were used as a tool material in the Stone Age. A preliminary survey of flint artefacts in the Lithuanian National Museum showed that a rather wide spectrum of rocks with similar properties is referred to as „flint“. Their colour (blackish, bluish, grey, white, and brown) and natural contacts with other kinds of rocks show that rocks of different age and genesis are often classified into one group of “flint”. According to the available data of visual observations, the artefacts uncovered in the Žemaičiai Upland (e.g., in the Daktariškės, Pabiržulis, Dreniai, Šarnelė and other settlements) are made of the local raw material white silicified gaize, which is not found in other localities (Baltrūnas, Karmaza, Kulbickas, Pukelytė, 2004). There are few sites in Lithuania with in situ


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lying Cretaceous sediments (at Skirsnemunė and Marvelė by Nemunas, Rokai by Jiesia, etc.). The Neolithic and Bronze Age flint mines are known in the western part of Grodno Region. Flint artefacts might have been transported from this locality to the neighbouring countries (Quaternary..., 1997).

The archaeologists of Lithuania have investigated three of four known prehistoric complexes of flint mining and processing areas: in Ežerynai (Alytus District) (Jablonskytė-Rimantienė, 1966; Rimantiene, 1984), environs of Titnas Lake (Varėna District) (Šatavičius 2002) and Margionys village (Varėna District) (Ostrauskas 2000). Prehistoric miners extracted flint concretions from washed up by melting ice water chalk and chalk with pebbles or pebbles with gravel layers in all tree areas of investigated mines. Flint raw materials were exploitated in Ežerynai flint mines mostly during the Final Palaeolithic (X–IX c. BC). This area was used by Baltic Magdalenian Culture groups during Alleriod period and the begginning of Younger Dryas, and by various groups of Swidrian Culture groups During Younger Dryas. People excavated pits in gravel and extracted flint concretions from it on upper terrace of the Nemunas River in Ežerynai. Titnas Lake flint mining area is investigated to a less degree. Investigated test pits showed that flint concretions are found mostly in washed up chalk layers. Flint sources from Titnas Lake banks were heavily used by final palaeolithic Swidrian Culture, but some finds from surface survey revealed mining activity in Titnas Lake environs during younger periods of the Stone Age and possibly the Bronze Age as well.

Margionys flint mining and processing area covers an area of more than 800×300 meters. Flint concretions here were dug out of the upper terrace of the Skroblus River from washed up by melting ice-sheet waters chalk with pebbles or pebbles with gravel layers. Chalk layer with flint concretions are laying only 0.4–0.5 m from the surface of the ground in some cases. Flint concretions were extracted from the gravel with pebbles from the depth more than 2 meters in other cases. A fragment of a long bone of a big animal, which probably was used for a digging, was found in the deepest pit. This bone find was dated by C14 to 3770+/-80 BC (Ki-9464) Prehistoric mines were used by South Lithuanian population starting from the Final Palaeolithic until the Late Bronze or even the Early Iron Age (IX–I mill. BC). Mining activity of Svidrian Culture was identified here during the Final Palaeolithic (IX mill. BC), Kudlayevka Culture during the Early Mesolithic (VIII mill. BC), Janislawice Culture during the Late Mesolithic and the Early Neolithic (the end of VII mill – V mill BC). Huge amount of debris from production of bifaces (a bank of a sickle) and damaged half finishd bifaces and axes in some parts of Margionys flint mines revealed flint exploitation during the Bronze Age and possibly the Early Iron Age (II–I mill. BC).

Margionys flint mines are in the southern periphery of Lithuania in the sandy South-Eastern (Dainava) Plain, which is the spread area of glaciofluvial sediments. The Margionys sandur left by the last glaciation is composed of badly sorted gravel with coarse pebble and scanty boulders up to 0.6 m in diameter. It contains many flint concretions and debris. Flint fragments also abound on the surface. Dune massifs are widespread east, north and west of the sandur. They developed because of reworking of fine glaciolacustrine sand during the late glaciation and at the beginning of Holocene. According to the data of Margionys borehole No. 357, the thickness of Quaternary sediments in this locality reaches 183.5 m. The thickness is smaller (120–100 m) east and west of the locality. This sediment complex is overlying the Campanian carbonaceous rocks (chalk, chalk marl, etc.) of the Upper Cretaceous. It is composed of till layers left by the Middle Pleistocene glaciations and interstratified interglacial lacustrine sediments of Butėnai (Holsteinian) Formation. The in situ carbonaceous Cretaceous sediments are exposed only further south of Margionys (Grodno District of Belarus). The flint concretions lying close to the surface or exposed are related with the large blocks (up to several million of m3) of Cretaceous carbonaceous rocks carried by glaciers or with their erosion sites (residua). These blocks of old rocks and their relicts are characteristic of South Lithuania (Baltrūnas, 2002).


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Samples for the emission spectrophotometric analysis were taken from one flint concretion found in the ancient Margionys settlement complex, manufactories and flint mines. The main tasks are: to evaluate the dependence of the spread of flint artefacts uncovered in the Stone Age settlements on the natural bedding areas of silicites (flint concretions, silicified gaize layers, etc.) in the region. A white patina (weathering film), flint with patina and blackish and grey flint from the inner part of concretion were analysed separately (table). The samples with patina differ from the flint of the inner part in smaller concentrations of Cr, Fe, Li, Mn, P, and V. Table. Distribution of chemical element composition in flint concretion from Margionys locality.

(% for Ca, Fe, Mg and mg/kg for other trace elements)

The links between the silicate artefacts found in ancient settlements and bedding of the

raw material in situ and its territorial distribution are sophisticated and multiplanar. The artefacts, most likely, are made of the raw material of triple genesis: the Upper Cretaceous concretions, the Upper Cretaceous stratified flint and the Upper Devonian silicites. The artefacts of Margionys ancient settlement can be identified as made of the local flint concretions. However, the raw material of Biržulis artefacts is, presumably, of two types: the flint concretions imported from the south and the local stratified flint (silicified gaize). References: Baltrūnas V. 2002. Stratigraphical subdivision and correlation of Pleistocene deposits in Lithuania

(methodical problems). Vilnius: Geologijos institutas Baltrūnas V., Karmaza B., Kulbickas D., Pukelytė V. 2004. Mineralinės žaliavos bei jų paplitimas

Virvytės, Minijos ir Varduvos aukštupiuose. Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis-Vilniaus dailės akademijos darbai, 34. 33–44

Jablonskytė-Rimantienė R. 1966. Paleolitinės titnago dirbtuvės Ežerynų kaime (Alytaus raj. Raitininkų apyl.). Mokslų akademijos darbai, serija A, 2 (21). 187–199

Ostrauskas T. 2000. Tyrinėjimai Margionių titnago kasyklų ir dirbtuvių komplekse 1999 m. Archeologiniai tyrinėjimai Lietuvoje 1998 ir 1999 metais. Vilnius. 50–51

Rimantienė R. 1984. Akmens amžius Lietuvoje. Vilnius Quaternary deposits and neotectonics in the area of Pleistocene glaciations. May 12–16, 1997,

Belarus. Excursions Guide book (ed. A. Matveev). Minsk. 1997 Šatavičius E. 2002. Titnago kasyklos ir apdirbimo dirbtuvės prie Titno ežero. Archeologiniai

tyrinėjimai Lietuvoje 2000 metais. Vilnius. 22–24

Locality Note Ag B Ca Cr Cu Fe Li Mg Mn Ni P Ti VWhite patina 0.036 98 0.06 8 4.0 0.07 8 0.014 40 8 850 56 1.6

Grey flint 0.043 94 0.05 20 4.8 0.07 12 0.013 130 11 600 40 2.3Black flint 0.470 100 0.07 36 7.6 0.30 10 0.016 190 25 1200 56 2.4

Flint with patina 0.066 84 0.04 10 5.2 0.07 9 0.011 70 11 850 33 1.8Average 0.154 94 0.06 19 5.4 0.13 10 0.014 108 14 875 46 2.0

Margionys


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THE ‘ESSEN’ OF DRENTHE THREATS TO GEOHERITAGE SITES IN SUSTAINABLE USE AS PLAGGEN SOILS IN THE NETHERLANDS

E. P. H. BREGMAN1 & P. D. JUNGERIUS2

1 Province Drenthe, Postbus 122, 9400 AC Assen, The NETHERLANDS 2 (for correspondence) Geomorfologie & Landschap, Oude Bennekomseweg 31, 6717 LM Ede, The NETHERLANDS The setting Drenthe is a province with mainly Pleistocene deposits at the surface. Most widespread is the groundmoraine of Saalian age when large ice sheets covered the region. The ground moraine consists of sandy loam with coarse material ranging from gravel to boulders. The average thickness is 2 to 5 m. During the late Weichselian much of the ground moraine was covered with drift sand in varying depth. This process stopped when the climate improved at the onset of the Holocene. Birch and oak forests colonized the ground moraine and cover sands during the Holocene with the formation of brown forest soils (moder podzol soils). Deforestation by farmers settling here during the Neolithic resulted in the gradual increase of heath land with concomitant transformation of moder podzols to heath podzols.

Origin and development of the essen The farmers lived in concentrated settlements near stream incisions. They used the higher grounds as farming land, the essen, exploiting the humid zones along the stream for the production of grass. The essen are always situated on well drained moder podzols, the former forest sites. The names of the villages are mostly connected with the old words lo(o) or laar, meaning open places in the forest, e.g. Anloo, Tynaarlo and Zuidlaren. The heath lands stretching away from the valley were grazed by herded sheep. The choice of the sites of the essen was geologically and geomorphologically controlled: loamy sands with moder podzols, near the edges of the stream incisions or on sloping land to prevent ponding but with ground moraine in the subsoil to prevent excessive drainage (Spek, 2004).

As a response to the low fertility of the sandy soils, the farmers of the 12th century developed an ingenious farming system, the plaggen culture which allowed them to continuously cultivate rye, the main staple food in those days. The method is based on the production of large quantities of manure by sheep grazing the vast heath lands. The sheep were driven to the stable every night in order to preserve as much of the manure as possible. Sods of the heath were cut and spread out in the stables to collect the sheep manure. When the floor of the stable became too high, the mixture of sods and manure was dug out of the stable and spread out on the fields of the essen. Plaggen manure was also obtained in so-called ‘potstals’ in which cattle was kept. The transport of the sods from heath to stable and from stable to the fields on the essen was an extremely labour-intensive process, to be carried out with primitive means of transport. It took the average farmer one-third of his productive hours. In the 17th century the plaggen culture expanded hugely as a result of a changing economy with lower prices and higher taxes. Due to the manuring with plaggen, soil fertility raised and so did the benefits, followed in their wake by the taxes. Taxes in the 17th centuary where always higher for essen, irrespective of the thickness of the humic surface layer which was less on moder podzols.

The increase of the ground surface of the essen by the plaggen method has been estimated at 1 mm/year (Spek, 2004). The humic surface layer – in soil studies called plaggen epipedon – could reach a depth of up to one metre in the course of centuries. The introduction of artificial fertilizers in the middle of the 19th century put an end to the plaggen culture, but


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the plaggen soils with their deep organic surface layer are still found on the essen. In Drenthe. The plaggen epipedon ranges from 30 cm to 50 cm, depending on a number of variables such as the presence of a moder podzol at the base, age of the system, need for and availability of the manure, and ratio of sand to organic matter in the manure. There is a close relation between the thickness of the plaggen epipedon and soil fertility.

The plaggen culture enabled farmers to survive on the infertile, dry sandy soils of the southern and eastern provinces of the Netherlands and the adjacent parts of Schleswig-Holstein. Internationally the exceptional genesis and properties of the plaggen soils are acknowledged by including them as Fimic Anthrosol in the FAO-Unesco classification (1994). It took about 400 years of plaggen culture to produce the 40 cm of plaggen epipedon which is needed to meet the requirement of the Fimic Anthrosols (Fig. 1). The authorities of the province of Drenthe proclaimed the essen geoheritage sites because of their unique earth and cultural history. With a total number of more than 300 occurrences they represent the largest concentration in Europe. They determine the visible structure of the landscape and as such they are a regulating factor in spatial planning.

Fig. 1. Fimic Antrosol on Podzol (de Bakker & Edelman-Vlam, 1976)

Geoheritage Nederland is presently involved in the realisation of a soil directive under

the EU Soil Strategy. Examples have to be given of sustainable soils, which include soils that keep their value under continuous agricultural use. Within the framework of Scope, the EC platform for soil conservation, it has been proposed to designate the landscape with essen as one of these examples (Jungerius & Imeson, 2005, vd Ancker & Jungerius, 2005). This entails no protection in a legal sense, but indicates that the Netherlands have an international obligation for the conservation of this geoheritage.

A second geological control

Farmers in the province Drenthe apparently applied a second geological criterion when choosing the location for establishing their essen. In the eastern part of the province there is a close relationship with the geomorphological structure of the Hondsrug, a sandy rectangular ridge surrounded by lower parts with peaty soils (Fig. 2). All villages on the Hondsrug have

Profile description Aanp 0–25 cm Black (7,5YR2/1) very humic, medium

fine sand (150–300 µm) Aan2 25–75 cm Black (7,5YR2/1,5) very humic,

medium fine sand (A1+A2) 75–90 cm Gray (5YR5/1), dark gray

(7.5YR4/1) and very dark gray (7,5YR3/1) (slightly) humic, sandy loam, medium fine sand; reworked

B2b 90–100 cm to 115 cm Mostly dark brown (7.5YR3.5/4 medium to slightly humic, sandy loam, medium fine sand; some black fibers.

B3b 100 to 115–120 cm Dark yellowish brown (10YR4,5/4) medium fine sand.


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their essen both north and south of the settlement. In historic times the settlements never shifted which means that until now the villages are found at the same locations.

Fig, 2. The distribution of plaggen soils (essen) in the province Drenthe

The rectilinear pattern of the essen suggests a tectonic control of the higher sites that were suitable for establishing essen in the eastern province. The origin of this pattern is not yet clear. Some geologists attribute the linear distribution of highlands and lowlands to tectonic movements, others to pushing by the glaciers of the penultimate glaciation.

The erosion of the essen The authorities in charge try to preserve the essen as sites of special cultural and geoheritage significance, but that is not an easy task. Their proximity to the centre of rapidly expanding villages, abundance of access roads, thick and well-drained humic soil and attractive undulating relief make the essen favourite sites for building development. The province of Drenthe puts in a concerted effort to protect the remaining 40% of unspoilt essen by prohibiting the building of houses and thereby expanding the built-up area at the cost of the essen, but in other provinces many of these witnesses of a fascinating past are now covered by asphalt and houses.

The essen system is also vulnerable because addition of plaggen to the surface soil stopped over a century ago, but loss of soil by erosion and agricultural practices continues up to the present day. A new threat to the preservation of the essen as geoheritage sites is the growth of lilies. When lilies are harvested, the complete root system is dug up and carried away with the adherent soil. This is necessary to prevent mechanical damage to the roots during transport and minimize the risk of contamination. The amount of removed soil depends on type of lily, method of growth, density of planting pattern and soil conditions during harvesting. The average volume of soil removed from 10 farms amounted to 100 m3 /ha.year. This is the equivalent to a soil layer of 10 mm. About 2/3 of this amount is recovered by


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sieving and washing the lilies and returned to the plots where the lilies where grown. This means that 1/3 of the stripped soil is lost, which is the equivalent of 3.3 mm/year. In extreme cases with no return of soil the lowering amounts to 2 cm!

To realize what this means, these figures must be compared with the amount of soil lost by other crops and by erosion. An average soil loss of 0.7 mm/year due to the harvesting of other root and tuber crop including sugar beet has been measured by Poesen et al. (2001). This is no more than roughly 20% of the loss suffered by the growth of lilies. Soil erosion on the agricultural fields has been studied extensively. Usually it concerns so-called accelerated soil erosion, because the fields are unprotected by vegetation during a large part of the year. Erosion processes are of three kinds: splash by raindrop impact, erosion by overland flow and wind erosion.

Impact by splash destroys the soil aggregates. The detached particles return to the ground some distance away from the point of impact. On sloping terrain the down slope distance is larger than the upslope distance, resulting in a net lowering of the surface. Important factors are soil aggregate stability and slope of the terrain. The humic crumbs of the plaggen soil have a high stability and the slopes of the essen are less than 2%. Splash erosion is therefore negligible.

Soil erosion by overland flow is manifest from rills which transfer water and soil material down slope, but the surface between the rills, the ‘inter-rill areas’ also produces soil material , often in combination with splash. The detached material is deposited at the base of the slope as colluvium, or leaves the area as alluvium in the streams. Due to the well developed stable soil structure, the infiltration capacity of the essen soils is high, and overland flow seldom occurs. For the same reason wind erosion is negligible (Eppink, 1982).

The low erodibility of the essen soils is corroborated by the surveys of the Pan-european Soil Erosion Risk Assessment. A number of erosion models were used to determine the actual and potential erosion risks in Europe. For the region of the plaggen soils, Montarella et al. (2003) give a value of lowering by soil erosion of less than 0.05 mm/year (Fig. 3). This means that the surface lowering of 3.3 mm by the growth of lilies far exceeds the soil erosion even in the most affected Mediterranean areas which suffer a loss of 1.5 mm per year.

Fig. 3. Erosion by overland flow in Europe according to Montarella et al., (2003)


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In soil erosion studies, the term tolerable soil erosion is used when the rate of erosion

does not impair the long run productivity of the soil (Stamey & Smith, 1964). It is clear that the rate of tolerable soil erosion of the essen is zero, because loss of soil is not counteracted by any form of addition. The efforts of the provincial authorities to protect the essen is well justified: lily farmers undo in one year what their ancestors took more than three years of tedious efforts to achieve. References Ancker, J.A.M. van den & Jungerius P.D., 2005. Position paper on geodiversity and geoheritage

within the framework of the EU Soil Strategy. Submitted to Scape. Bakker, H. de & A.W. Edelman-Vlam, 1976. De Nederlandse bodem in kleur. Stichting voor

Bodemkartering. Pudoc, Wageningen. Eppink, L.A.A.J., 1982. A survey of wind and water erosion in the Netherlands. Mededeling nr. 59.

Vakgroep Cultuurtechniek, L-H-Wageningen. FAO-Unesco, 1994. Soil map of the World. Techn. Papers 20. ISRIC, Wageningen. Jungerius, P.D. 2005. Bodemverlies door lelieteelt en bodemerosie op esgronden. Report for the

Province of Drenthe. Jungerius, P.D. & A.C. Imeson, 2005. Globalisation, sustainability and resilience from the soil's point

of view. Briefing Paper of the 5th Scape Workshop on Iceland. KAVB, 2005. Spoelgrond van lelies. Montarella, L., A. van Rompaey & R. Jones, 2003. Soil erosion risk in Europe. European

Commission, Joint Research Centre. Ook verkrijgbaar als The Pesera Map, Special Publ. Ispra 2004 nr 73. S.P.I.04.73.

Poesen, J.W.A., Verstraeten, G., Soenens, R. & Seynaeve, L. (2001). Soil losses due to harvesting of chicory roots and sugar beet : an underrated geomorphic process? Catena, 43 : 35-47.

Spek, Th., 2004. Het Drentse esdorpenlandschap. Een historisch-geografische studie. Uitgeverij Matrijs., Utrecht.

Stamey, W.L., and R.M. Smith. 1964. A conservation definition of erosion tolerance. Soil Sci. 97:183–186.


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GEOTOURISM IN FINLAND'S NATIONAL PARKS – CO-OPERATION BETWEEN METSÄHALLITUS AND THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF

FINLAND

Olli BREILIN1, Pertti ITKONEN2, Peter JOHANSSON3 & Susanna OLLQVIST4 1Geological Survey of Finland, P.O. Box 97, FI-87101 Kokkola, Finland ([email protected]) 2Metsähallitus, Pyhä-Luosto National Park, Kerontie 22, FI-98530 Pyhätunturi, FINLAND

([email protected]) 3Geological Survey of Finland, P.O. Box 77, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, FINLAND ([email protected]) 4Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services, P.O. Box 475, FI-65101 Vaasa, FINLAND

([email protected]) The National Parks, altogether 35, are the jewels of Finnish protected areas; large areas with scenic landscape and diverse natural features. The National Parks are managed by Metsähallitus, except Koli National Park, which is managed by The Finnish Forest Research Institute. Geology plays an important role in Finnish National Parks. Part of them has been established partly due to their spectacular geological formations. In recent years tourists have been more and more interested in geology and geomorphology. Therefore Metsähallitus and the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) have done closer cooperation to present geology and geomorphology for tourists in exhibitions and nature trails and by geological outdoor maps. These maps showed to be successfully way to present how the scenery has been formed. In National Parks hikers can find marked trails, some of which are easy, others more demanding. Many parks have visitor centres, which are excellent places to start excursions. There are many impressive natural sights, and many of them are geological. The landscape is a result of many glaciation cycles. The last glaciation, Weichselian, ended about 10 000 years ago. Under the young overburden is old crystalline bedrock. Geological outdoor maps

During the last twelve years GTK has published six geological outdoor maps. Each of them was a mapping project, which has 2–3 years. They give information about the geological heritage and how geological processes have formed the present landscape. Geological places of interest with easy accessibility for the travellers and hikers are also presented in these maps.

Map Scale Area

Koilliskaira 1:100 000 Urho Kekkonen National Park Pallas–Ounastunturi 1:50 000 Pallas–Ounastunturi fell range, northern part of Pallas–

Ylläs National Park Kultakaira 1:50 000 Ivalojoki river valley and western part of the Saariselkä

outdoor resort and Urho Kekkonen National Park Lemmenjoki 1:50 000 Lemmenjoki river valley and the fell area in the

Lemmenjoki National Park Nuuksion järviylänkö 1:25 000 Nuuksio National Park Koli 1:20 000 Koli National Park

The outdoor maps describe the Quaternary deposits and Precambrian bedrock as well as the formation of the landforms and landscape. The mapping of superficial deposits is based on aerial photographs, sampling and field checks. The information is stored in numerical form. Additional data has been selected from the database to describe the properties of the


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Quaternary deposits and the geological history of the area. The various glacial, glaciofluvial and postglacial landforms have been distinguished by colors and symbols. The maps also show many geologically representative sites of interest to hikers, from deep glaciofluvial gorges to gold-bearing quartz veins in Precambrian bedrock and from sharp-crested subglacial eskers to upwelling springs. Hiking and nature tourism are often combined with some outdoor activities like canoeing or mountain biking. For this purpose the maps contain complete information about services for travelers, e.g. hiking routes, camp sites, fell huts and other accommodations.

Geological outdoor maps have aroused great attention among tourists interested in nature, geology and goldpanning. In the future new geological outdoor maps and guides will be published and reprints will be made of earlier published maps. The form and contents of these products will also be developed. Guided by these maps and companion guidebooks it is easy to find new experiences in the great outdoors.

Example of the content of the Geological outdoor map

In the summers of 2000 and 2002 GTK published geological outdoor maps of the Ivalojoki River valley and Lemmenjoki river valley on a scale of 1:50 000. They are among the last wilderness areas in Western Europe, unspoiled expanses of forests, peatlands and fells. Besides the geological sites, the colorful gold prospecting history of the area is also presented, because they are well known for occurrences of placer alluvial gold. Prospecting for placer gold has been going on for over 130 years, from the first gold rush in the 1870‘s to the present day. There are now 30 patented claims and 400 claims in the Ivalojoki and Lemmenjoki areas. Each year more than one thousand gold diggers work there. The geological history, natural and cultural sights, gold-related stories and gold prospecting are explained in the accompanied guidebooks of the maps. Immediately after publication these maps aroused great attention among hikers and tourists interested in gold panning. Geotourism – a possibility to utilize geological heritage GTK and Metsähallitus have done a close co-operation in the Pyhä–Luosto National Park in the central part of Finnish Lapland. The mission of the project is to promote nature tourism in the Nature Park, which was established in 1938 and expanded into 143 km2 in 2005. The objectives of the project are to survey and protect the geodiversity of the park and surrounding areas and to utilize the geology and geological knowledge in recreation, education and nature tourism in an ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable way. The project includes a Geological outdoor map with a guidebook, a new geological exhibition in the Pyhätunturi Visitor Centre, geological multivision, geological internet site of the area and Geological information panels for nature trails and places of special interest (e.g. gorges, mires and ripple marks). The project will work in close co-operation with local entrepreneurs. The National Park is interested in joining the European Geoparks Network.


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THE KVARKEN ARCHIPELAGO IN WESTERN FINLAND – WORTHY OF WORLD HERITAGE STATUS

Olli BREILIN1, Jukka OJALAINEN2, Susanna OLLQVIST3

1Geological Survey of Finland, P.O. Box 97, FI-67101, Kokkola, FINLAND ([email protected]) 2Geological Survey of Finland, P.O. Box 96, FI-02151, Espoo, FINLAND ([email protected]) 3Metsähallitus, Nature heritage services, P.O. Box 475, FI-65101, Vaasa, FINLAND

([email protected])

The Kvarken Archipelago is situated in the Bothnian Bay in the Baltic Sea in the Western Finland. The Archipelago is part of the Northern Kvarken area, which is the narrowest part of the Bothnian Bay forming a submarine sill between Finland and Sweden. The sea area is very shallow and stony. The deepest strait is situated near the Holmö Island in Sweden where the maximum water depth is 24 m. The Kvarken Archipelago is characterized by moraine ridge topography and a shallow brackish sea (= low salinity 4 – -5 per mil).

Finland has made an application to UNESCO`s World Heritage Committee on January 2005 to nominate the Kvarken Archipelago as a World Heritage object based on Natural criterion (i): “be outstanding examples representing major stages of the earth’s history, including the record of life, significant ongoing geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features”. In Vilnius Lithuania in July this year UNESCO will decide weather the Kvarken Archipelago will be World Natural Heritage site as a serial nomination with the High Coast in Sweden.

The geology and geodiversity of the bedrock, Quaternary deposits and marine geology was studied by detailed geological mapping in the Geonat – project. As a result the mapping confirmed that the Quaternary geology with spectacular moraine formations combined with the glacioisostatic phenomena is a unique geo-environment in the world. The Geonat-project was partly funded by the European Union through the Interreg IIIA Kvarken Mittskandia program.

The Kvarken Archipelago is in the centre of the Fennoscandian glacioisostatic land uplift area, with an overall net uplift rate of 8 to 8.5 mm per year. This rapid land uplift, caused by the continental ice sheet, gains approximately 100 hectares of new land emerging from the Baltic Sea annually in the Kvarken Archipelago. 10 000 years ago after deglaciation the water depth was nearly 300 meters, but today the area includes approx. 7000 islands and islets and a total shoreline of approx. 3000 kilometers. At a maintained uplift rate Finland and Sweden will become connected with a land bridge across the Kvarken strait in about 2,500 years. The Bothnian Bay will then become the largest freshwater lake in Europe. This is a unique platform for the study of rapid isostatic land uplift and its effects on geological and coastal processes as well as the biological successions of plant communities.

The crystalline bedrock was eroded to a peneplain already during the late Proterozoic. The Quaternary deposits on top of the old crystalline bedrock are composed of a variety of moraine formations of glacigenic origin. The major geomorphologic features, which make the Kvarken Archipelago area unique, are the spectacular De Geer moraine fields, larger transversal moraines (Rogen like), hummocky moraines, drumlins and flutings.

The most prominent glacial landforms in the Kvarken Archipelago, the De Geer moraines, form large fields with hundreds of ridges and with a great variety of morphological features. The De Geer moraine ridges deposited during the gradual deglaciation of the continental ice sheet. The De Geer moraines on today’s sea bottom in the Kvarken Strait where they are partly covered by glacial and postglacial silts and clays have still their original form.


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Other main types of the formation are larger transversal moraine ridges (Rogen-like) and hummocks and minor areas of typically boulder-rich hummocky moraines. All these features can often be found in the same localities. Small areas of drumlins and flutings were also found. At some areas De Geer and larger transversal moraines occurs in the same localities with crossing directions. In some cases also drumlins and large transversal Rogen-like moraines could be found in same areas.

Measured ice flow directions showed great variations. From outcrops at least three and up to five different ice flow directions could be measured from striations. The same directions could be measured also from glacigenic formations.

As a conclusion, the Quaternary geology and the deglaciation history of this area is more complex than known earlier and combined with the glacial land uplift they make the Kvarken Archipelago a unique geoenvironment.


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THE PHENOMENON OF THE UKRAINIAN GEOLOGIC HERITAGE AND THE PROBLEMS WITH ITS RESERVATION AND USE WITHIN

THE STABLE DEVELOPMENT

Natalya DUK1, Irina SUMATOKHINA1, Konstantin GORB3

1Dnipropetrovs’k National University, 320625 Dnipropetrovs’k, GSP-10, str. Naukovy, 13, UKRAINE E-mail: [email protected]

2Customs service Academy of Ukraine, 49044 Dnipropetrovs’k, str. Rogalyova, 8; UKRAINE E-mail: [email protected]

The geology-geomorphic environment of Ukraine has a complex multi-staged history of formation during the course of which, permanent interrelation of endogenous (tectonic movements) and exogenous; (weathering, denudation, erosion and abrasion etc) factors have resulted in the opening and exposure o exotic and unique geological formations and complexes on the earth's surface. This unique determination of a geologic-geomorphic environment is reflected in its geological monuments and the scientific value o them (Oliynuk, Stetsuk, 2003)

We have created a set of maps relating to the Ukrainian geological heritage showing the structure of < nature-reserved pool in different aspects, namely homogeneous and discrete space, geological representation (i.e. diversity of age and genetic features) and geomorphologic representation (i.e. originality and diversity of genesis of relief forms).

In Ukraine there are 715 geological objects of which 342 stratigraphic and mineralogy-petrographic have been given nature-preserved status (Geological monuments of Ukraine, 1985; Leonenko, 2003). Th< degree of representation is characterized by the ratio of the total quantity of stratigraphic and mineralogy' petrography objects which are stratotypes of definite geologic periods or their subdivisions, namely: AR-14, PZ-69, S-15, D-ll, C-10, P-6, T-13, J-29, K-34, P-35, N-71, An-45.

We can see that PZ and N have the highest degree of representation, possibly explained by their widespread, peculiar occurrence. As an example, one of the maps of natural geological monument location is shown in the Fig. 1.

The unique basis of the geological structure of the Ukrainian territory (composed of granite, gneiss labradorite, quartzite, gabbro of Archean (Archeozoic) and Proterozoic age) is reflected on this map These rocks which are contained within the borders of the Ukrainian shield are covered by thin layers o sedimentary deposits and we can see these ancient geological formations appearing in many places especially in the valleys of the rivers Dnepr, Ingulez, Sacsagan and many others.

Fig. 2 represents the unique diversity of the genesis of geomorphologic objects. These are well-known throughout the world, amongst them are authentic creations and relief forms such as the ancient volcano Karadag), laccolite (Au-Dag), dislocations (Kanevsky), caves in Tortonian gypsum (Optimistic), the remains of the barrier reef of Miocene sea (Tovtres), flysch folds, fracture zones and others.

It should be noted that geologic heritage as with any other component of cultural and natural heritage of the state, despite its natural origin, is considered to be a social phenomenon and whilst, being the product of human understanding and evaluation of life, it consequently, is subject to the forces of law o development, not onlv of nature, but also of society and therefore becomes an important object to be examined both by natural and social sciences. In this context let's define geologic heritage as the system of values embodied in the geologic monuments and objects created by nature and reserved by former human generations thus


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representing the exceptional importance of reserving the cultural and natural genetic fund of human society and its further development.

Thus, the whole multilayer complex of the Ukraine's geologic heritage, whose general outline has been defined above, undoubtedly requires considerable attention from the State, taking into account all aspects of its activity and functionality, namely determination, recovery, reservation, use and increase. All of this has been stipulated by the following circumstances listed below.

Geologic heritage has symbolic, aesthetic, life-sustainable and utilitarian-economic significance, the value of which should not be overestimated in current conditions. A vast amount of geological objects and formations (mostly outcrops and caves) serve as a symbol of the State and its people as well as being attribute to the identification of state forming ethos whose symbolic images can be related to various heraldic signs. The Kanev Mountains, the rocks of the northern part of the island of Khortiza and numerous parks of the Ukrainian Carpathians and the Crimean Mountains are all good examples of such geologic symbols of Ukraine. Their aesthetic importance has a great significance especially their ability to create a psychologically pleasing atmosphere for the emotions of a great number of people admiring these creations from various angles. The life-sustainable significance of geologic heritage comprises definite "inspiration" to form and develop people's territorial communities. This stipulates its important utilitarian-economic significance, i.e. the possibility of optimal use for scientific, recreational, educational and other purposes on condition of being undamaged and carefully reserved.

With regard to the aforementioned one can say that the geologic heritage of Ukraine is one of the most important factors needed to provide the stable development of the Ukrainian society. Therefore, its reliable reservation and optimal use without doing any harm demand developed institutional and infrastructural provision.

In the system of the executive state power one integral specialized state body to deal with regulation of all kinds of activities in order to provide reservation and optimal use as well as reveal, restoration and increase of cultural, natural and geologic heritage should be allotted. This body is determined to conduct differential policy relatively to the geologic heritage by taking into consideration, firstly, the location of geologic objects in landscape and museum systems which are to be protected; secondly, the level of protected status of those valuable geologic objects; thirdly, the functional environment of geologic heritage location subdivided into industrial-urbanized, less urbanized, agricultural, forestry and health-resort recreational zones. The realization of a suitable state policy in the field of preservation and use of geologic heritage is an important factor in preventing negative tendencies which may result in social depreciation, destruction and extermination, whilst promotion the strengthening of such processes as recreation, preservation and expansion which are considered to be the integral elements of a stable social development.

References: Vedenin Y. A. 1995. The necessity of a new approach to cultural and natural heritage of Russia.

Actual problems of preserving cultural and natural heritage. Collected articles. G.: The Institute o Heritage. 5–20.

Gorb K. M. The factor of heritage in regional development in the terms of globalization. Social geographic problems of developing productive forces of Ukraine. Materials of III All-Ukrainian scientific-practical conference (20–21 April 2003)


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GEOCONSERVATION IN A MULTIDISCIPLINARY SETTING

Lars ERIKSTAD

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research NINA, P.O. Box 736 Sentrum NO-0105 Oslo, NORWAY E-mail: [email protected] Geoconservation in Norway has a good legal base. It has, however, a lack of priority that has led to stagnation. Traditional geoconservation schemes with designation and protection of geotopes seems to be difficult to achieve in many European countries. Biodiversity as a concept within nature conservation, physical planning and EU policies (such as the water directive and habitat directive) seems to overrun geoconservation on all levels.

To gain new momentum geoconservation must integrate better with the rest of the nature management and define itself in a multidisciplinary setting. Possibilities exist within landscape management (the European landscape convention) and it seems also to be an opening within a new soil policy.

It exist major possibilities for geoconservation in linking geodiversity with biodiversity, geoconservation with cultural heritage and in integration of geoheritage concepts within landscape planning and tourism. Practical elements of these possibilities are well developed within the UNESCO Geopark system. It is also well illustrated in for example the European directive 97/11/EC about Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), where Article 3 states the aim to”...identify, describe and assess the direct and indirect effects of a project on the following factors:

• Soil, water, air, climate and the landscape • Material assets and the cultural heritage • The interaction between these factors”

One question here (as certainly has been the case with the soil strategy) is the understanding of the term “soil”. Combined with landscape, it is near to postulate that geodiversity may play a role here, although it is not normal to see geoconservation issues discussed in EIA reports. Geology and geomorphology can, however, function as a basis of habitat modelling and understanding of multidisciplinary overviews of natural values and vulnerability and thereby promote geodiversity and geoconservation in these multidisciplinary management systems.

Another example from Norway is a suggested new legislation for biodiversity (suggested to renew the nature conservation legislation). The aim of this legislation is “by protection and sustainable use to secure that nature with its biological, landscape and geological diversity and ecological processes will be taken care of for the future”. Here it is very clear that geoconservation has its chance to be better integrated in a multidisciplinary management system.

It is a need for a new and more complete strategy for geoconservation in Europe to utilise these possibilities. The development of such a new strategy involves broad cooperation where ProGEO can act as an important partner. Project development within European and national research and management funding schemes is the first major challenge towards a successful strategy.


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Photo: Roddines Nature Reserve, Finnmark, Norway. Protection of raised beech ridges


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GEODIVERSITY OF THE POLISH–LITHUANIAN CROSS-BORDER AREA, ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF GEOPARKS –

PROJECT GAJA

Marek GRANICZNY1, Magdalena CZARNOGÓRSKA1, Jonas SATKŪNAS2

1Polish Geological Institute, 00-975 Warsaw, 4 Rakowiecka str., POLAND E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

2Lithuanian Geological Survey, LT-03123 Vilnius, S. Konarskio str. 35, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected]

According to “Operational Guidelines for National Geoparks seeking UNESCO’s assistance” Global UNESCO Network of Geoparks established on January 2004, Polish Geological Institute and Lithuanian Geological Survey started to organize project titled “Elaboration of geoenvironmental assumptions for Geopark Yotvings in the cross-border Polish–Lithuanian area”. The project of Geopark Yotvings, GAJA in short, is realized under the auspices of INTERREGIII/A initiative.

The main goals of the project is determination of geopark’s territory, elaboration of geographical and geological characteristics, defining the level of protection by law and qualification of geological and environmental state- of- the-art.

Fig. 1. Location of the geopark GAJA

Generaly, the territory of the prospective works is located within the limits of Suwałki, Druskininkai, Balbieriškis and Marijampolė districts (Fig. 1).

The Polish–Lithuanian border area covering Suwałki Lakeland is widely known, because of its exceptional beauty, wilderness, biodiversity and differentiated landscape (between 130–298 m a.s.l.). The present landscape of Suwałki – Augustow Lakeland, particularly its northen part (Suwałki and Sejny Lakelands) has been mostly influenced by depositional and deformational action of the ice sheets, geologic structure, tectonics and paleorelief of the basement, depositional and erosive action of melt waters.


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This region according to its exceptional beauty, natural and environmental advantages and almost no injury by human activity should be used as a touristic and agriculture region with priority for sustainable development and ecological agriculture.

The first stage of the organizing works on the Geopark Yotvings includes: making an inventory and evaluation of geotopes. Some kinds of geotopes, such as geological outcrops, attractive morphological forms and land surface, erratic boulders will be evidenced. Estimation of geotopes for further scientific research will be done.

Organization and concept of presentation of geological heritage as well as proposal of geotourism infrastructure and further works on Geopark Yotvings will be prepared.

The powerful tool for evaluation and inventory of environment is remote sensing data, especially satellite images and other modern cartographic techniques (GIS, DTM, GPS measurement), updating of the geotopes database and its implementation via Internet.

Broader significance of the project are the following: increasing of ecological consciousness of local society, progressing of environmental education as well as developing the conservation and the valorization of geological heritage for a sustainable and integrated environment. This project also prepares conditions for consolidation of cross-border cooperation, exchange of knowledge and experiences between scientists from Poland and Lithuania.


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GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE POLISH AND LITHUANIAN LANDS, SINCE XVIII CENTURY TO THE PRESENT –

COMMON HERITAGE

Marek GRANICZNY1 Halina URBAN1, Jonas SATKŪNAS2


2Lithuanian Geological Survey, LT-03123 Vilnius, S. Konarskio 35, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected]

Onto breakthrough XVIII and XIX centuries, falls active development of geological sciences which is reflecting in progress and transformation of geological maps. First from them showed distribution of rocks and minerals only, next included stratigraphy on which colours marked order of sediments according to age.

The oldest geological map of the Polish and Lithuanian territories (Commonwealth) was elaborated by J. E. Guettard in 1762. Jean-Etienne Guettard (1715–1786) relentless worker, extensive traveler, untiring meticulous observer, he was in century one of the most afficient architects of the foundations of emerging concrete geology.

On 11 April 1782 King of Poland and Duke of Lithuania Stanislaw August Poniatowski Established the Ore’s Commission. The Plock Bishop Krzysztof Hilary Szembek was nominated as chairman of this Commission. It should be considered as archetype of the first Geological Survey. The activity of the Ore’s Commission is documented up to 1794 to partition of Commonwealth.Next maps compiled by S. Staszic, G. G Push and I. Domeyko into being after partition of the country.

Ignacy Domeyko arrived to Paris in summer 1832. Here, he finished in 1837 Higher Mining School (Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines) with diploma of mining engineer. He has made four maps of Poland,named: water, earth, forest and political.

Hydrographic map was engraved on copper, however geological (“Earth”) and landscape – economic (“forest”) had to appear as a hand-made dyed lithographs. Departure of author to Chile in February 1838 did not permit onto personal supervision of printing. Domeyko has delivered these maps to Mickiewicz. After that, maps were considered as lost for a long time.

Geological map (“Earth”) was executed in the scale 1:3 500 000. Hydrographic map was used as a base map for it. Map reaches on North to the shores of southern Finland, on South beyond the lower Danube. On West covers the whole drainage-basin of the Odra River, and in the East whole drainage-basin of Dnieper River. Legend of map is linking to 19th grade of the colour scale. The individual coloured map copies differ from each other. However, they are in agreement with the conventional scale, used in France.

The map made by Domeyko is a pioneer work not only in Polish scale, but also in European scale. Without any doubts it belongs to one of the most important studies of this type. Serious financial difficulties of the Polish exiles as well as Domeyko departure to Chile, delayed its final production. It is worth to mention, that Geological Map of Former Polish Territories would appear in the same year – 1838, as well-known geological map of Germany, France and England produced by H. Dechen.


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The first geological map of Poland and adjacent territories elaborated by Jean Etienne Guettard

Another big scientist who could be named as a geologist of two nations is Česlovas Pakuckas (Czesław Pachucki). He was born 20th December 1898 in the Tauoryszki village, near Sejny. He finished secondary school in Kaunas, in 1922. He has completed his higher education at the Universities in Münster and Vienna. He obtained doctor’s degree in 1927, presenting thesis titled Die Nachtraege zur mittleren und oberen Trias – Fauna von der Insel Timor – concerning the new ammonites species in Timor Island (Indonesia).

He returned back to Lithuania and had started to work as a teacher in Klaipėda and since 1930 as an assistant in the Kaunas University. He was responsible for geological exercises as well as lectures of historical geology and palaeozoology. He was getting title of the Associated Professor in 1934 in Kaunas University.

Pachucki get interested also in the studies of the Quaternary deposits of Lithuania. Between 1934–1940 he made several elaboration and articles on this subject. Among them: Glacial – morphological elements of Southern Lithuania, Courses of the end moraines in the Eastern Lithuania, Glacial morphology sketch of the Southern Lithuania and Beds of glacial tills in Southern Lithuania.

Most of the above mentioned elaborations were based on his own field reconnaissance.

During the Second World War he was responsible for organization of the Lithuanian Geological Survey. Until 1944, he occupied position of the director of Geological Survey. At that time he has maintained relation and close scientific contacts with Polish geologists and geographers Antonina and Bronisław Halicki and Edward Passendorfer. These contacts and friendships were decisive for his post-war career.


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At that time, he started to work in the Wrocław University in the Cathedral of Stratigraphical Geology as an adjunct. He was author of several publications, including Manual for stratigraphical geology exercises, together with M. Różycki and J. Piątkowski. His lectures and exercises were very popular among students.

All his life he was coming back to studies of the geological problems related to his family land – Polish–Lithuania cross-border area.

For example he is author of the Geological Map of Suwałki (1948) at the scale 1:300 000, constituting part of the General Geological Map of Poland and Courses of the end moraines of the last glaciation in the North Eastern Poland and neighbouring countries published in PGI Bulletin, in 1952.

On the beginning of 1954 he was transferred to Lublin to the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. He occupied position of the Head of Cathedral of Geology as an Associated Professor, and Professor, since 1960. In Lublin he was publishing works based on materials collected in the Sudetes and vicinity of Wrocław, as well as in North Eastern Poland and South Western Lithuania. There are: Remarks on geomorphology of Czarna Hańcza (published in Geological Quarterly) and End moraines of last glaciation in the Peribalticum (1961), showing extent of last glaciation in Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

The present common Polish–Lithuanian geological investigations started in 1992. Most of the results have been included in the „Atlas – Geology for Environmental Protection and Territorial Planning in the Polish–Lithuanian Cross-border Area”.

Two copies of this Atlas were presented to Presidents of Lithuania and Poland: Valdas Adamkus and Aleksander Kwaśniewski.


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NATURE TOURISM AND GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL FINNISH LAPLAND

Peter JOHANSSON

Geological Survey of Finland P.O. Box 77, FIN-96101 Rovaniemi, FINLAND E-mail: [email protected]

Ounasselkä and Pyhätunturi are long fell ranges in Central Finnish Lapland. In places they rise to over 700 metres above sea level. The silhouette of the fells, with their steep slopes and deep gorges are visible in all directions tens of kilometres away. Because of sparse population these areas have remained almost unchanged until present day and large protected areas could have been established there. They have been included into national parks, Ounasselkä as a part of the Pallas–Ylläs National Park (1020 km2) and Pyhätunturi as a part of Pyhä–Luosto National Park (142 km2). The typical Lappish landscape is there at its best, and especially due to the geological features these areas are among the finest tourist attractions in Finnish Lapland.

Ounasselkä and Pyhätunturi contain geological monuments and sites with special scientific importance in sedimentology, glacial geology, geomorphology and aesthetic value. The fell ridges, consisting of about two billion year old quartzite, form backbones of the areas. Quartzite is a hard rock that has resisted erosion better than other rock types for millions of years. This is why the quartzite areas are preserved and now form topographic highs despite being originally deposited as sediments in low lying areas (Mielikäinen 1979, Rastas 1984).

Quartzites typically have very well preserved sedimentary textures including ripple marks and mud cracks. The ripple marks are often just as distinct and astonishingly well preserved as the ripple marks on present-day lakeside beaches. They are a structural souvenir from an ancient beach, swept by the waves of a sea or a lake. They also show clearly that the original sediment deposited in shallow shore water. Dendrites and violet amethyst crystals can also be found. Dendrites are branched precipitations of iron and manganese, earlier mistakenly believed to be fossils of ancient plants (Räsänen and Mäkelä 1988).

The most impressive nature sights are connected with the traces of the continental ice sheet and the meltwater action derived from it. The retreating ice sheet melted in a supra-aquatic environment leaving behind it various kinds of erosional and depositional landforms. Rugged canyons and gorges divide the mountain range like huge cuts into several peaks. Isokuru, the most remarkable canyon of Pyhätunturi, with a depth of 220 metres is Finland's deepest. About two kilometres further west lies a similar canyon, named Pikkukuru, with a depth of 130 metres. The canyon floors are covered by rocks and blocks weathered from the steep walls (Söderman 1980). The formation of canyons was influenced by weakness zones in the bedrock, where deep fracturing had occurred due to movements in the Earth's crust millions of years before the Ice Age. During the Quaternary period ice lobes caused effective erosion and plucked blocks off the fractured bedrock. Finally subglacial and proglacial meltwater streams have cleaned the canyon floors, carrying away loose rock material and spreading it at the canyon mouths, accumulating gravelly outwash fans (Johansson and Kujansuu 2005).

The meltwater action at the boundary of the ice sheet and an exposed fell terrain next to it produced series lateral drainage channels. These channels can be used as indicators in determining the surface gradient of an ice sheet and the rate of melting at the end of the deglaciation phase, when the highest mountains emerged from beneath the ice sheet as nunataks. Excellent examples of lateral drainage channels are seen in the Ounasselkä area, on the slopes of the fells Ylläs and Lainiotunturi. They reflect the gradient of the ice surface and


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indirectly describe the annual retreat of the ice margin, which was 140–170 metres per year (Kujansuu 1967 and Johansson 1995). At the foot of the fells and in the valleys gently curved extramarginal channels are found, along which meltwater from the ice sheet flowed into ice-free areas. The channels are cut several metres deep into the surficial deposits. The steep sides and even bottoms of the channels resemble the channels of dried rivers. Considerable water volumes must have flowed in them, which is difficult to imagine, since the channels are at present either dry or have a minor brook flowing on the bottom. The most remarkable depositional landforms are subglacial eskers, which consist of rounded pebbles and gravel washed by a powerful meltwater stream. Typically for an esker formed in a meltwater tunnel, it has steep sides and a sharp crest.

The aapa mires are the geologically youngest attractions of the area and present the wetland environment north of the Arctic Circle at its best. The central parts of the aapa mires are often treeless open mires with alternating undulating wet flarks and dry ridges. Tunturiaapa south of Pyhätunturi is a typical aapa mire. The nature trail leading there presents the flora and fauna of the National Park. The Tunturiaapa bird watching tower is ideal for observing birdlife on the aapa mire.

Ounasselkä and Pyhätunturi are very popular with nature tourists and summer hikers. As northern Finland has many socio-economic problems, the growth of nature tourism has had a welcome effect on the development of the region. In 2004 the Pyhä – Luosto National Park was visited by 25 000 persons and in the Ounasselkä area more than 120 000 persons. In the national parks various structures have been made to facilitate hiking, such as information boards, cabins, shelters, wooden walkways and steps. They are necessary for many visitors, because elevation differences are big, the boulder fields and wet mires are not easy terrains. They increase the security of the visitors, too (Metsähallitus 2002, 2005a and b).

Hikers are tried to guide to go to the marked trails. This way large areas have been able to protect from the effects of disadvantage. The amount of hikers grow every year, however, and they effect increasing soil erosion and littering along the trails and around the fell huts and campfire sites. The springs and fell brooks will become contaminated, too. In the neighbourhood of the national parks new tourist centres have grown up and the nature around them is in the effective utilization. There is a disagreement between tourism industry and geological heritage protection.

The Ylläs fell area is investigated in the LANDSCAPE LAB project “Tourist Destinations as Landscape Laboratories – Tools for Sustainable Tourism, which is an EU LIFE Environment supported project. It consists of five tasks, and in one of them, the LABLAND task, geology is one aspect to create landscape analysis. The main target of the project is to determine solutions to sustainable land use, and to plan ecologically, culturally and visually sustainable built-up areas, where disadvantages caused by tourism, would be minimized. The project is partly financed by the EU LIFE Environment. The beneficiary is the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland. The Geological Survey of Finland is involved as a partner.

Pyhä–Luosto National Park is planned to develope more and more into a geological national park. Metsähallitus, the national forest administration, which also administrates the National Parks, and Geological Survey of Finland have done co-operation in the study of geodiversity and in the inventory of the geological sights. The final target is the membership of the European Geopark Network (Johansson 2005). By profiting the results of the LANDSCAPE LAB project in the regional planning of Ounasselkä and including Pyhä-Luosto in the European Geoparks network would promote the consciouness and awareness of the public towards the management of geological heritage and to improve the quality of services offered to nature tourists.


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Fig. Fells and gorges in the Pyhä–Luosto National Park

References: Johansson, P. 1995. The deglaciation in the eastern part of the Weichselian ice divide in Finnish

Lapland. Geological Survey of Finland, Bulletin 383. 72 p. Johansson, P. 2005. Mapping of geodiversity on glaciated terrain – tools for geotourism in Pyhä–

Luosto national park, Finnish Lapland. In: Zouros, N. (ed.) 6th European Geoparks Meeting: international symposium on geoconservation, geotourism development, communication and local development, Lesvos Island, Greece 5–8 October 2005: program – abstract volume. Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest. Proceedings of Scientific Meetings 7, 49–50.

Johansson, P. & Kujansuu, R. (eds.) Eriksson, B., Grönlund, T., Johansson, P., Kejonen, A., Kujansuu, R., Maunu, M., Mäkinen, K., Saarnisto, M., Virtanen, K. & Väisänen, U. 2005. Pohjois-Suomen maaperä: maaperäkarttojen 1:400 000 selitys. Summary: Quaternary deposits of Northern Finland – Explanation to the maps of Quaternary deposits 1:400 000. Espoo: Geologian tutkimuskeskus – Geological Survey of Finland. 236 p.

Kujansuu, R. 1967. On the deglaciation of the western Finnish Lapland. Bulletin de la Commission Géologique Finlande 232. 98 p.

Metsähallitus. 2002. Ylläksen Kiirunankieppi – Ptarmigan´s round Nature trail in Ylläs – Der Alpenschneehuhn Naturlehrpfad. Opasvihko – Information brochure – Information Heft.


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Metsähallitus. 2005a. Pyhä – Luosto National Park. Information brochure. Metsähallitus. 2005b. Pallas – Ylläs National Park. Information brochure. Mielikäinen, P. 1979. Pelkosenniemi. Geological map of Finland 1:100 000. Pre-Quaternary rocks,

sheet 3642. Espoo: Geological Survey of Finland. Rastas, P. 1984. Kittilä. Geological map of Finland 1:100 000. Pre-Quaternary rocks, sheet 2732.

Espoo: Geological Survey of Finland. Räsänen, J. & Mäkelä, M. 1988. Early Proterozoic fluvial deposits in the Pyhätunturi area,

northern Finland. Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 5, 239–254. Söderman, G. 1980. Slope processes in cold environments of northern Finland. Fennia 158

(2), 83–152.


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GEOHERITAGE OF THE GREAT NEMUNAS LOOPS, SOUTH LITHUANIA

Bronislavas KARMAZA, Valentinas BALTRŪNAS

Institute of Geology and Geography, T. Ševčenkos str. 13, LT-03223 Vilnius, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

The Nemunas River, one of the largest rivers of the Baltic region, is characterised by generally straight valley. In the middle part of the flow the Great Nemunas Loops as large as 6–10 km are the most distinct features that occupy the Birštonas Resort area of 320 km2. The loops cut into a glaciolacustrine plain confined between glacial and deltaic relief complexes formed during the two last phases of glaciation. The Nemunas valley is 1.5–4 km wide and 45–80 m deep (Fig. 1).

The origin of the Great Nemunas Loops is accounted to a complex interaction of the tectonic and palaeogeogaphic processes. The channel incision was quite fast, essentially during the initial stages of the valley development, whereas the lateral erosion was rather limited. The prominent sinuosity in the Birštonas area was established during this initial stage. The main factor that forced the river to change the flow direction is activity of the tectonic structures. The amplitudes of the vertical movements of the earth’s crust are rather miserable, however they were enough to significantly influence the glacial and post-glacial sedimentation processes that formed topography undulations controlling the river flow. Persistence of these factors is well defined in valley inheritance from the preceding Holsteinian and Eemian interglacial stages. The Nemunas River marks the first-order tectonic zone separating two major basement domains. This transition is complicated by smaller-scale blocks that show activity during the Palaeozoic–Cenozoic times. As far the Great Nemunas Loops are located in the Birštonas depression, this influence of lower-order tectonic structures was essentially effective due to general decrease in tilting of the river channel. The palaeoglaciolacustrine basin formed in this depression just before the Nemunas River establishment. The basin topography was slightly deformed by neotectonic structures. After the basin was drained the Nemunas River followed these pre-existing topographic lows. The fault tectonics, though minor in terms of vertical displacements, was also an important factor that controlled the drastic changes of the river direction. The presented case study indicates that bed-rock rivers of the cratonic areas previously covered by the ice sheet can be significantly influenced by neotectonic activity of ancient structures, despite the magnitudes are very low. This influence might be of indirect nature, via the impact of the tectonic structures on the glacial and post-glacial processes and related relief forms that later accommodated the river channels.

The official list of legally protected geological, hydrogeological and geomorphological monuments of the Great Nemunas Loops contains now 5 objects: 3 of them are geological, 1 hydrogeological and 1 geomorphological (Baškytė, Kulbis, 2000).

Škėvonys outcop is located 4.8 km NE of Prienai city center and 1.0 km WNW of Birštonas Town church, in the environs of Škėvonys village, on the right bank of the Nemunas River (75 m a. s. l.; 54º36’18”N, 25º00’20”E).

Škėvonys outcrop is distinguished for the layers of the next to the last (Saalian) and last (Weichselian) glaciations and a rare weathering crust (the upper part of the outcrop section interval 24.25-26.5 m) developed in an interglacial period (Baltrūnas, 2002). The upper part of moraine of the next to the last glaciation has been affected by physical weathering processes of the last (Merkinė, Eemian) interglacial period (117-130 thousand years BP). This 1-2.5 m thick weathering crust represents a gradual alternation of many features of till.


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Balbieriškis outcrop is located in the environs of Žydaviškis village of Balbieriškis countryside district, Prienai district, 650 m north of Balbieriškis town.


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The height of Balbieriškis reaches 40 m (87 m a. s. l.; 54º32’8”N, 23º53’4”E). The till bed of 5 m thick in Balbieriškis outcrop is macroscopically homogeneous, however the orientation and dip of the longer axes of gravel and pebbles vary throughout the till section vertically. The preferred orientation of longer axes of gravel and pebbles in the lower part of the till bed (ca. 1 m thick) of W-E direction is quite well developed, however the dip has two main opposite directions. The middle part of the till bed (1–2 m thick) is characterized by very weakly developed preferred or random orientation of longer axes. The well developed preferred orientation and dip to the S and SE is measured in the upper part of the section, however at the top of the till bed it again obtains a more random character. The petrographic composition of gravel and pebbles is quite uniform throughout the till bed, however strongly differs from the underlying more weathered older till of the Grūda (Brandenburg) Stage, the maximal stage of Nemunas (Weichselian) Glaciation.

Balbieriškis spring is located in Prienai district, south-western part of Great Nemunas Loops area (49–50 m a. s. l.; 54°31′29″ N, 23°53′17″E). The Balbieriškis spa, as one of the most interesting natural monuments of Great Nemunas Loops area, was declared a hydrogeological monument in 1980.

The temperature is 10–11 °C. The total mineralization is 1243.0 mg/l. The main components (mg/l) are CL – 560.0; HCO3 – 5002.0; SO4 – 7.0; Na+ – 105.0; K+ – 8.0; Ca2

+ – 240.0; Mg2

+ – 62.0. The hardness (mg-ekv/l) is 8.5. The yield of the spring is 0.13–0.3 l/s. It was determined that a very high hydrostatic pressure characterizes the magnesium

calcium chloride brine (30–50 gr/l) in the Triassic and Permian deposits of South Lithuania. The water reaches the overlying aquifer through the tectonic faults and crumbled rock zones. The brine mixes with the fresh water forming highly mineralized hard chloride hydrocarbonate calcium magnesium sodium water. The tectonic faults also act as discharge centres. The mineralized water issues from the ground in river valleys.

The “Ožkų pečius” outcrop is located in Prienai district, northern part of Great Nemunas Loops area, right slope of Verknė River at the Verknė and Nemunas confluence (49–50 m a. s. l.; 54°36′43″N, 24°04′13″E). The outcrop was declared a geological monument in 1984. It is represented by a conglomerate rock lying in the slope. It is composed of strongly cemented sand, with pebble, gravel and boulders. The conglomerate rock is very spongy. Its surface is uneven and contains many nicks, fissures and niches. The rock is 6.12 m high and 4.9 m wide. It is protruding from the slope up to 5.6 m. The bottom of the rock is approximately 8 m above the water level (44 m a. s. l.). The conglomerate is cemented by carbonate cement, which, presumably, accumulated when carbonate-rich groundwater filtered through a thick sand layer inserted between the Nemunas (Weichselian) glaciation tills.

The Panemuninkai skarp is located in the Alytus district, south-eastern part of the Great Nemunas Loops area, left slope of the Nemunas valley (105 m a. s. l.; 54°30′51″N, 24°03′36″E). The scarp was declared a geomorphological monument in 1997. The scarp is in the southern slope of erosional offspur (protruding into the Punia loop) of Simnas–Balbieriškis glaciolacustrine plain. The scarp is 62 m above the Nemunas River. Trees and shrubs overgrow it. It extends for about one and a half kilometres.

Reference: Baltrūnas V. 2002. Stratigraphical subdivision and correlation of Pleistocene deposits in Lithuania

(metodical problems). Vilnius. 74 p. Baškytė R., Kulbis A. 2000. Great Nemunas Loops. Treasures of nature, historical and cultural

heritage. 100 p. (in Lithuania)


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VULNERABILITY OF GEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS IN THE NEMUNAS RIVER VALLEY

Bronislavas KARMAZA, Algirdas ZUZEVIČIUS

Institute of Geology and Geography, T. Ševčenkos 13, LT-03223 Vilnius, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Comparatively rich hydroenergetical resources as well as attractive landscapes and a plenty of historical-architectural and natural monuments characterize the middle part of Nemunas River valley in an over 50 km long sector between Alytus and Merkinė. There are also a few national geological (Alovė and Nemunaitis outcrops, Druskelė and Nemunaitis springs, Raudonasis and Didysis Dzūkija boulders) and geomorphological (Sarkajedai hollow, Galvinis ridge, Jonioniai ravine, Ucieka, Krušoniai and Panemuninkai scarps) monuments. Some of the geological monuments are under the threat of natural or artificial factors (Table). Table. Characteristics of geological monuments

Geological monument

Type Name Location Unique features

Alo

vė

Kaniūkai village of Alytus district. An 18 m high and about 10 m long outcrop on the right slope of Alovė River valley (the left tributary of Nemunas at a 0.6 km distance from the confluence). The protected area occupies 0.3 ha

A weathering crust of Medininkai age (Saale) till formed during the later Merkinė Interstadial (117–130 thous. years BP); the thickness is 3.9 m. The crust interval altitude is about 70–74 m (4.3–8.2 m above the actual average river water level)

Out

crop

Nem

unai

tis

Nemunaitis village of Alytus district. A 12.5 m high outcrop on the right slope of Nemunas River valley at a 5–10 m distance from the stream at an average water level altitude of 63 m. The protected area occupies 0.3 ha.

The only in Lithuania outcrop of grey, yellowish or brown calcareous tufa layer formed by discharging groundwater. The thickness of tufa layer is 8.8 m and the interval is 0.4–9.2 m (from the top). The density of tufa is 0.71–1.01 g/cm3. Chemical composition (in %): SiO2 – 1.98–35.67, Al2O3 – 0.38–2.46, Fe2O3 – 0.36–8.29, CaO – 24.99–52.99, MgO – 0.32–0.60, SO3 – 0–0.32

Dru

skelė

(“Sa

line”

) Balkasodis village of Alytus district. The II–III river terrace of the left bank of Nemunas River at a 35 m distance from the stream. The protected area occupies 10 m2.

A group of mineral springs in a fissure tectonics zone. The main spring occupies an area of 10 m2 and a pond is situated in an 8–9 m deep circus-shaped depression. A rivulet connects the pond with the river. The altitude of the spring water level is 71–72 m (4.5–5.0 m above the average river level). The rate of groundwater discharge is 0.92 l/s. Type of chemical composition is hydrocarbon-chlorine magnesium-calcium, mineralization is 2.1–2.6 g/l and the temperature is 7.5–8.0 °C

Sprin

g

Nem

unai

tis

Lankų village of Alytus district. The upper plain terrace (the altitude is 65 m) on the right bank of Nemunas River at a 25 m distance from the stream. The protected area occupies 20 m2.

Constant ascension spring with two mounds. The spring pond is 20 m in length and 7 m in width; the water depth is 0.5–0.8 m. A rivulet connects the pond with the river. The altitude of spring water level is 64 m (3.5–4.0 m above the average river level). The rate of groundwater discharge is 0.59 l/s. The type of chemical composition is hydrocarbon-chlorine magnesium-calcium, mineralization is 0.63 g/l and the temperature is 7 °C

Notwithstanding the national status of these geological monuments, their present-day

formal condition is not satisfactory: their limits are not marked in situ; there are no situational


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schemes, guideposts or information about the kind of the monuments, their main features and rules for visitors.

Fortunately, the main protected features of the monuments have been preserved: the weathering crust and the layer of calcareous tufa at Alovė and Nemunaitis outcrops are well exposed and accessible for studying and survey. The Nemunaitis spring is in a natural state but the artificial captation of Druskelė spring is partly destroyed.

The fate of geological monuments depends on the causes of natural (seasonal dynamics of river level, ice events, vegetation) and artificial (construction of and ponds with high head and waves mechanics) origin.

All the mentioned monuments are located in the seasonal flood impact zone of Nemunas River and its tributary Alovė. The water of spring floods of usual amplitudes 4–6 m or even 8–9 m (probability 1–5%), affects the outcrops and the springs become submerged for a short time. Extreme floods sometimes may be useful because they regenerate outcrops covered by diluvium and remains of vegetation. The geological monuments are quite resistant to natural river floods.

The Nemunas River valley above Alytus is most advantageous for hydropower usage. The ponds with a high head (reaching about 15 m) are economically preferable. Construction of a dam on the Nemunas River with such a head (the altitude is about 75 m) may cause a destruction of the mentioned geological monuments (outwash of protected layers in outcrops and submerging of springs). A 5–6 m high head is safe for all the monuments, but a long-lasting influence of wave on shore processes and outcrops stability is not predictable.

Field investigations during springtime floods could give more information about the dynamic processes in the vicinities of the monuments and enable receiving better-founded conclusions about the vulnerability of geological monuments for selecting passive or active (engineering) means of their protection.


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GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF DRUSKININKAI – FROM DEEPLY SEATED CRYSTALLINE BASEMENT TO PRESENT LANDSCAPES

Jurga LAZAUSKIENĖ & Jonas SATKŪNAS

Lithuanian Geological Survey / Vilnius University, S. Konarskio 35, LT-03123 Vilnius, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Druskininkai area is perhaps the mostly geologically attractive and investigated territory in Lithuania: starting form studies of the formation mineral water (~19 springs of mineral water with different chemical composition and discharge rates have been recorded since 19 century), structure and composition of sedimentary and crystalline rocks, morphology and peculiarities of glaciers’ formed landscape and relief, exploration for iron ore, copper, molybdenum etc. deposits, investigations of weird Mizarai meteoritic crater and ending with studies of unique monument of Raigardas valley with circuses of its slopes formed by suffusion processes. Due to the especially interesting geological structure ~280 km2 territory of Druskininkai area is covered by detail complex geological and hydrogeological mapping at a scale 1:50 000 and by deep geological mapping at the scale of 1:200 000, covering the territory of 5200 km2. About 200 wells along with detailed (1:50 000) mapping of the gravity and magnetic fields provide rather unique knowledge of the basement rocks that can be hardly compared to any other known sedimentary basin worldwide. The exceptional attention has been paid to the complex studies of Raigardas valley – the unique natural, geological, cultural and spiritual monument.

Geological cross-section of the Druskininkai environs comprises three different portions – rocks of the crystalline basement, sedimentary Phanerozoic rocks and Quaternary succession. Rocks of the crystalline basement are similar to those that crops out in the Fennoscandian and Canadian shields. By contrast to these territories, the crystalline rocks (often collectively named “granites”) are overlain by sedimentary pile in Lithuania. In the Druskininkai area thge crystalline basement is buried by Palaeozoic–Cainozoic shaley, sandy and carbonaceous sediments ~ 180–320 m metres thick. Quaternary succession of 35 m to 200 m of thickness, composed of till, loam, with gravel and pebbles, varvic claystone, sandstone, silt and siltstone, crowns the geological section in the area.

Crystalline rocks has been formed more than 1.5 bill. years ago – the oldest (more than 550 My years old) sandstones and claystones being distinguished in Mizarai meteoritic crater. The crystalline basement of the SE Lithuania is dominated by alternation of metasedimentary and mafic metavolcanic rocks reworked by lenticular tectonic fabric. The area comprises different rock types of the crystalline basement: such as migmatites containing scarce remnants of supracrustals (gneisses, amphibolites), mafic and felsic intrusions, cratonic (anorogenic) granitoids, that in some places compose rather large massifs (Kapčiamiestis, Kabaliai), gabro-diorite-granodiorites and other minor lithologies. The tectonic studies of South Lithuania reveal a rather dense network of the faults, large blocks are defined that show no or little tectonic damage. The hydrogeological well tests indicate that tectonized zones are water saturated, whereas homogeneous blocks are water-prove. Salinity of the formation water does not exceed 30 g/l (except some rare anomalies). The water flow field of the basement is not well understood as yet.


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GEOLOGICAL MAP OF SOUTHERN LITHUANIA

The crystalline basement rocks are overlain by nearly 300-400 m thick younger Phanerozoic succession with Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Paleogene sediments comprising the preserved portion of Phanerozoic rocks. The subcropping stratigraphies of the pre-Quaternary surface vary at a local scale that is related to highly dissect sub-Quaternary surface with Cretaceous and Palaeogene sediments outcropping at the pre-Quaternary surface. The Cretaceous sediments (~80 m thick), deposited in the worm ancient seas are subdivided to the more detailed statigraphic units, the lithological composition of sediments (white chalk with rare flint concretions) remaining rather similar. The overlaying several tens meters thick Palaeogene succession, composed by greenish glauconitic sandstone and sand, was deposited in more shallow seas. It is worth to be mentioned, that no any salt or evaporatic rocks occur in the area.

The relief of the sub-Quaternary sur-face of Druski-ninkai area is of highly dissected morpho-logy, caused by erosion of glaciers and activity of melt water during the Quaternary period. Recently the sub-Quaternary surface occurs at the depth of 80–100 meters. Deep paleoincisions (up to 250 m deep) were detected in the area, the oldest stratigraphic levels sub-cropping at the bottom. The system of N–S orientated paleoincisions is particular for the


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region – Druskininkai town being located between two of such deep paleoincisions that join in the territory of the town. The recent valley of Nemunas River also partly coincides with that system. The origin of the paleoincisions is still a matter of debates, with the hypothesis of the melt water as the major driving mechanism prevailing. The altitudes of the sub-Quaternary surface range from 50 m below sea level to ~20 m above sea level, while in paleoincisions this value drops down to 250 m below sea level.

In the southern part of the territory rather steep Sapockai tectonic step, where sub-Quaternary surface descends up to – 40 m and -50 m depth, is detected by drilling as one of the tectonic units related to the major Druskininkai fault.

Famous Raigardas valley is situated close to Druskininkai. The valley with its central and southern part is confined to the deep erosion-exaration depression of the paleosurface. In the valley the Quaternary sediments comprise 140 m of thickness of glacial aquaglacial, lacustrine and fluvial deposits.


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GEOTOPES DATA BASE AND ITS APPLICATION FOR GEOTOURISM IN POLISH LITHUANIAN CROSS-BORDER AREA

Donatas PUPIENIS1, 2, Jaroslaw KMITA3, Zbigniew KOWALSKI3 AND Vidas MIKULĖNAS1

1Lithuanian Geological Survey, S. Konarskio 35, LT-03123 Vilnius, LITHUANIA 2Institute of Geology and Geography, T. Ševčenkos 13, LT-03223 Vilnius, LITHUANIA

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] 3Polish Geological Institute, Rakowiecka 4, Warszawa, POLAND

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Geotope – protected, typical or unique geological, geomorphological or geoecological, important object in geosphere, existing as a single object or collection, significance in science and knowledge.

Geotopes give information about the Earth evolution or life on the Earth, there are unique and non - renewable

It is the most often definition using by geologists, who deal with geological heritage survival. This definition is not steady and strict but the meaning is definite. It helps to add, to the Geotopes database, other objects which are still not protected or to notice their geological value.

On Polish–Lithuanian cross-border area there are many typical and unique geological objects. There are spread on large area, more or less knowing, more or less valuable for

science, culture or country recognition. The research area, which contains

Geotopes, covered the Polish–Lithuanian border area (Fig. 1). This area – the Suwałki – Suvalkija and Dzūkija region is widely known, its exceptional beauty, wilderness, and differentiated landscape. The present landscape has been mostly influenced by depositional and deformational action of the ice sheets, geologic structure, tectonics and paleorelief of the basement, depositional and erosive action of melt-waters.

Fig. 1. The research area of Suwałki – Suvalkija and Dzūkija region

The registration of an inanimate nature monument was completed after analyzing and

generalizing the literature, decoding aerophotos and in cooperation with national park workers.

Geotopes database was initiated in Lithuanian Geological Survey. The idea was developed and implemented within the common Lithuanian–Polish Belt of Yotvings project.

There are about 200 objects in database. The database comprises following information: outcrops, eskers, erratic boulders, boulder fields, hills, springs, dunes, ravines, mineral resources, mineral water resources and etc (Fig. 2). Description of each Geotope in database contains detailed geological information, pictures, location.


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Fig. 2. Geotope – “Viedzmos akmuo” (Witche’s stone) (photo – M. Lapelė)

The Geotopes GIS database is devoted to tourists, interested to enjoy particularly picturesque landscape and is also willing to enrich their geoscientific knowledge. Also the Geotopes GIS database will be useful for schools, local communities, nature conservation and landuse-planners.

On the basis on Geotopes GIS database there will be made tourism map. Tourism map is translated in three languages – Lithuanian, Polish and English. The final result of tourism map will be available in Internet to all people who like an inanimate nature monument and wish to know more about its value.


43

GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE – PROTECTION BY UNDERSTANDING OF VALUE

Jonas SATKŪNAS

Lithuanian Geological Survey S. Konarskio 35, LT-03123, Vilnius, LITHUANIA

E-mail: [email protected] The protected areas occupy approximately 12% of territory of Lithuania. The list of protected objects of nature heritage of the Republic of Lithuania currently contains 137 geological, 33 hydrogeological, 30 geomorphological and 16 hydrographical sites, totaly 216 objects of inanimate nature.

The Data Base of GEOTOPES, maintained at Lithuanian Geological Survey currently contains data about 383 geotopes. The geotopes include the above mentioned sites protected by law and other sites, with particular or very characteristic geological-geomprphological features, that generaly are called geotopes. The information about geotopes includes much of all available geological, historical, archaelogical data, that are accessible via internet.

During recent years an increased interest about geotopes could be admitted from the side of managers of protected areas, spatial planners, tourism organisations and other groups. The number of information stands, geological trails, special publications is constantly increasing, witnessing growing understanding of value of geological heritage. The inclusion of geotopes in economic development plans could be pointed out as one of most effective ways of protection of them.

The activities ProGEO (The European Association for the Conservation of Geological Heritage) Working Group of Northern Europe (No 3) aiming to identification of of most representative national geosites and compilation of integrated list of geosites representing the geodiversity of northern Europe, also significantly contribute to better understanding of specific value of geological heritage.

The first list of most representative geosites of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Karelia and North Western Russia have been presented at 32nd IGC in Florence in 2004 (Table). The compilation of national listings of geosites of other nations of Northern Europe is in progress as well.

Reference: Satkūnas J., Ransed G., Suominen Y., Taht K., Raudsep R., Mikulėnas V., Vdovets M.,

Makarikhin V., Cleal C., Erikstad L. et al. Geosites listings for Northern Europe – a status report // 32nd International Geological Congress, Florence, Italy, August 20–28, 2004 : Volume of Abstracts. Part 1. – [Florence], 2004. – P. 581


44

Table. The most representative geosites of Nations of Northern Europe, (according to Satkūnas J., Ransed G., Suominen Y., Taht K., Raudsep R., Mikulėnas V., Vdovets M., Makarikhin V., Cleal C., Erikstad L., 2004)

LEADING FEATURES RELATED

Cou

ntry

GEOSITE NAME Geomorp-hology

Hydro- geology

Quaternary Pre- Quaternary

Pre- Cambrian

Other

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. Kuršių nerija (Curonian Spit) Active dunes, lacustrine marls. Included into UNESCO WHL

X X Historic

2. Biržai karst area Sinkholes, notches, cavities, outcrops, springs, active karst

X X X X Recent geo-processes

3. Šeškinė esker. Typical esker of the Last Glaciation X X 4. Velnio duobe (Devils Hole) Thermokarstic hole, hypothetical site of impact crater

X X Astrobleme, mythology

5. Puntukas boulder The most known erratic boulder

X X X Archaeol., mythology

6. Puokės akmuo (Puokė Stone) The biggest known erratic boulder

X X X

7. Žalsvasis šaltinis (Greenish spring) Mineral water spurted out in the karstic sinkhole of 12 m depth, niches

X X X

8. Kavarsko šaltinis (Kavarskas spring). Water spring of biggest yield (up to 18 l/s)

X X Historic

9. Svilės šaltiniai (Svilė springs). Water spring with up to 300 spouts of pure water

X X

10. Rokai outcrop. Stratotype, lacustrine deposits X X X 11. Jonionys outcrop. Secuences of the Eemian Interglacial, etc. X 12. Buivydžiai outcrop. Upper Pleistocene sequence, interglacial

gyttja. X X

LIT

HU

AN

IA

13. Škėvonys outcrop. Section of Pleistocene deposits (weathering crust)

X X


45

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 14. Plikakalnis outcrop. Section of Pleistocene deposits(postglacial

relief) X X

15. Snaigupėlė outcrop. Section of Pleistocene deposits X 16. Viriai outcrop. Glacitectonic structure X X 17. Butėnai outcrop. Stratotype of analogous of Holsteinian

Interglacial X

18. Daumantai outcrop. Neogene / Quaternary boundary X X X 19. Varius outcrop. Lower and Upper Neogene deposits X X X

20. Papilė outcrop. Late Jurasic deposits rich in fossils X X Fossils 21. Šaltiškiai quarry. Lower Triassic clay X X Economic 22. Karpėnai quarry. Upper Permian limestone, palaeokarstic forms X X Economic 23. Armona outcrops. Upper Devonian deposits rich in ichthyo-fossils X Ichthyofossils 24. Velniapilis outcrop (niche). Upper Devonian gypsum and dolomite X X 25. Muoriškiai outcrop. Upper Devonian dolomite, intensive

palaeokarst X X Geo-processes

LIT

HU

AN

IA

26. Skalių kalnas (outcrop). Upper Devonian dolomite rich in fossils X X Stratotype, Ichthyofoss.

1. Dauģēni cliffs and caves. Cliff, cave, spring. One of the most greatest Middle Devonian outcrops in the Salaca River valley

X X

2. Bērši drumlins. Landscape. An impressive and typical landscape of drumlins in one the mosts extensive European drumlin fields

X X

3. Vējiņi caves and Elles bedres (Hell Pits). Cave. 6 deep and large suffosion funnels with Ezerala – a 46 metre long cave, where the only underground lakes in the Latvia are located

X X Geo-processes

4. Kaltene kalvas (forges). Landscape. A particulary great contrentation zone of boulders, "pavement" and bars above the old abrasion terrace of the Litorina Sea

X X LA

TV

IA

5. Strante–Ulmale steep coast. Landscape. A steep part of the Baltic Sea coast with glaciotectonically deformed deposits

X X Stratotype


46

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6. Venta Rapid. Waterfall, landscape. The widest waterfall in Latvia,

with up to 150 m, height 1.6–2.2 m, formed from Upper Devonian dolomites (Pļaviņas Fm)

X X

7. Kazas valley (with Lībāni–Jaunzemji freshwater limestone deposits and Sikspārņi caves. Landscape, cave. There are outflowing springs at the slope, a freshwater limestone deposit in the NW part, where mining took place in the the past, in the N part of the valley (at the upper edge) karst and suffosian features (Sikspārņi caves).

X X X X Geo-processes

8. Dāvida dzirnavas springs. Sprig. 34 springs flow from the Pļaviņas Fm rock

X X

9. Raunis layers. Outcrop. The existing information does not allow to state unambiguously if these are intermoraine deposits. It seems that they belong to the end of glaciation and postglacial period

X

10. Nīcgale Bigrock (boulder). Boulder. Boulder length 10.5 m, width – 10.4 m, height 3.5 m, perimeter 31.1 m, volume above ground ~170 m3 (the biggest in Latvia)

X

11. Kraukļi dry bed and underground river. Landscape. 4 m wide river has formed a ca 10 m deep ravine, where water, at a 200 m long area, is lost underground, after ca 300 m, at ca 20 m deep ravine reappearing as a major source

X

12. Lower Zaņa River outcrops. Outcrop. Middle Jurassic, Callovian stage; limestone, grey and black clay, sandstone outcrop

X Fossils

13. Jumprava dolomite outcrop. Outcrop. U. Devonian (Stipinai Fm, Bauska Mb) hypostratotype with strong, cavernous, metasomatic dolomite, thin laminar dolomite and domerite, and variegated clay layers, with characteristic fossils

X Hypostratotype, fossils

14. Dolomite precipice. Cliff. 25 m high outcrop with dolomite and dolomite marl of the Pļaviņas Fm, overlying siltstone, clay and sandstone of the Amata Fm

X

15. Gūtmanis cave. Cave. The volume of the cave is 500 m3 (the biggest cave in Latvia)

X X Mythology

LA

TV

IA

16. . Sietiņiezis rock. Cliff. The greatest outcrop of Upper Devonian white sandstone in Latvia. Gauja Fm, Sietiòi Mb stratotype

X X Stratotype


47

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 17. Zvārte rock. Cliff. U. Devonian (Gauja and Amata Fm) sandstone

outcrop. There are many fish fossils in the top part of the sandstone section

X Fossils

18. Lode placoderm deposit. Mining. The site with a high concentration of placoderm, crossopterygian, acanthod, crayfish and plant remains; well studied

X Fossils, quarry

19. Brasla rock. Cliff. Gauja Fm sandstone outcrops, caves, niches, seasonal waterfalls and icefalls (during winter)

X X

20. Līči–Laņģi cliff. Cliff. Gauja Fm sandstone outcrop (height up to 30 m) with suffosion features

X X

21. Ērģeles (Ērgļi) cliffs. Cliff. Gauja Fm stratotype, the most monolithic sandstone cliff wall in Latvia, with the total length 700 m, height up to 22 m, with fractures and niches

X Stratotype, fossils

22. Veczemji cliff. Cliff. A rocky coastal beach with denudation processes and various petrographic features

X Geo-processes

23. Skaņaiskalns rock. Cliff. An expressive sandstone outcrop (tectonic slide) at the left bank of the Salaca River

X Stratotype

1. North Estonian Klint. Cliff. Cambrian–Ordovician X X X Stratotypes

2. Aegviidu glacier marginal formations. Eskers and kames. Quaternary X X X Glacier processes

3. Kostivere Karst Field. Karst. Middle Ordovician X X X X Recent geo-processes, archeology, mythology

4. Muuga Kabelikivi, an erratic boulder in Muuga. Giant erratic. Quaternary

X X X Mythology

5. Tuhala Karst Field. Karst. Middle Ordovician X X X X Recent geo-processes, mythology

6. Helmersen erratic boulders. Giant erratic. Quaternary X X X Historic 7. Kõpu ancient costal formations. Ancient costal formations.

Quaternary X X Geo-processes

8. Kärdla Meteoritic Crater. Crater. Middle-Ordovician X X X X Astrobleme, scientific 9. Oil shale outcrop in Kohtla mine. Mine. Middle Ordovician X Scientific, economic

ES

TO

NIA

10. Kurtna Kame Field. Kames. Quaternary X X X Mythology


48

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

11. Vaivara Sinimäed (Blue Mountains). Uplift. Ordovician X X X The battle field, tecton.

12. Vooremaa drumlin field. Drumlins. Quaternary X X X Mythology

13. Salevere Salumägi cliff. Cliff. Lower Silurian X X Archeol.

14. Ehalkivi Erratic Boulder in Letipea (Sunset Gluw Boulder). Giant erratic. Q-ary

X X Ancient-marine beacon

15. Ilumetsa Meteoritic Craters. Crater. Quaternary X X Astrobleme, mythology

16. Piusa Caves. Caves. Middle Devonian X X Historic

16.1. Outcrop in Piusa sandstone quarry. Synclinal fold in mine. Middle Devonian

X X Economic

17. Taevaskoda outcrops. Valley. Middle Devonian X X X Mythology

18. Kaali Meteoritic Crater. Crater. Quaternary X X X X Astrobleme, archeology, mythology

The karren (corries) on Vaika islets and Vilsandi Island. Alvars and karst. Lower Silurian

X X X Recent geochemical processe

19. Silurian Klint on Saaremaa Island. Cliff. Lower Silurian X X Stratotypes

20. Kallaste cliff. Cliff. Middle Devonian X X Fossils

21. Karula Upland. Dome-shaped kames. Quaternary X X X Glacier processes, mythology

22. Härma outcrops. Valley. Middle Devonian X X X X Mythology 23. Rõuge ancient valley, springs. Ancient valley. Quaternary X X X Scientific, mythology

24.1. Hinni Canyon. Canyon. Middle Devonian X X 25. Suur Munamägi (Great Egg Hill). Dome-shaped kames. Quaternary X X The highest point of the

Baltic States

ES

TO

NIA

25.1. Vällamägi. dome-shaped kames. Quaternary X X

1. Suna – terrigenous and volcanic rocks of Jatulian (Lower Proterozoic)

X X X Historic

KA

RE

LI

A

2. Shunga – gallery and outcrops of the unique shungite-bearing rocks

X Historic, mineralogy, fossils


49

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3. Yuzhny Oleny island – stratotipe of the beds with Butinella X Archaeol. 4. Rajguba – stratotipe of Upper Jatulian (Louer Proterozoic) X Fossils 5. Uksinski oz – fluvioglacial deposits X X 6. Dulmek – Upper Jatulian dolomite rich in stromatolites X Fossils 7. Janisjarvi – hypothetical site of impact crater X X Astroblem. 8. Cholmuzhi – fluvioglacial deposits X X 9. Tri Ivana – water spring from shungite-bearing rocks Historic 10. Shoksha – quarry of the unique crimson quartzite X Historic 11. Kostomus – section of Upper Archean volcano-sedimentary rocks X Economic 12. Khizovara – section of Upper Archean volcano-sedimentary rocks X X Geochemistry 13. Khetolambina – pegmatitic bodies in Archean gneisses X Mineralogy 14. Sofporog – boulder moraine in the small quarry X X

KA

RE

LIA

15. Mannelahti – boulder beach X X X Recreation 1. *Paleozoic section of the River Kozhim almost continuous

sedimentary sequence from O3 through P2, it is located on the territory “Komi Virgin Forests”, which is included into UNESCO WHL

X Fossils

2. Zimny Bereg Vendian soft-bodied Metazoa locality more than 36 species of 30 families

X Fossils

3. Soyano Lower Permian insect locality the richest in Europe, a number of new taxa was identified; remains of bivalves and abundant well-preserved imprints of plants also occur

X Fossils

4. *Malaya Severnaya Dvina site of Late Permian tetrapod new tetrapod taxa have been described

X Fossils

5. Mezen sites of Late Permian tetrapods the most primitive Late Permian faunal assemblage of East Europe

X Fossils

RU

SS

IA

6. Shunga deposit of shungite the largest accumulation of carbonaceous matter in the Low Proterozoic

X


50

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

7. Palmniken (Primorskoe) amber deposit the largest in the world, amber accumulations occur in the glaukonite-quartz clay sands and silt (P2

3) delta deposits

Mineralogic

8. Khibiny alkaline massif petrotypes of different alkaline rocks, great diversity of minerals (about 500 minerals)

Petrographic, mineralogic

9. Lovozero alkaline massif petrotypes of different alkaline rocks, great diversity of minerals


10. Kovdor alkaline massifs petrotypes of different alkaline rocks, great diversity of minerals


11. Vodlozero glacial landforms Vodlozero National Park, outcrops of Archean rocks

X X

12. Baltic Klint X 13. Yanisyarvi astrobleme the most ancient in Russia, it is dated as

700 Ma, its diameter is about 14 km. now it is a lake, and impact rocks are exposed in three island

X Cosmogenic

14. Paanayarvi NP AR–PR1 contact which extends across the park without any trace of thrusting, key section of PR1

X

RU

SS

IA

15. ε–O sections of Tosno and Sablinka rivers stratotypes of ε and O for NW Russian Platform, waterfalls, artificial caves, the longest one is more than 5 km long

X

X

Strato-types, fossils


51

SELECTED EXAMPLES OF CROSS-BORDER GEOLOGICAL AND GEOENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES – BELT OF YOTVINGS

Jonas SATKŪNAS1, Marek GRANICZNY2, Magdalena CZARNOGÓRSKA2

1Lithuanian Geological Survey, LT-03123 Vilnius, S. Konarskio str. 35, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected]


Keywords: GIS, Geology, Geoenvironment, Geohazards, Geotourism

In 1992, the concept was born to create the Green Lungs of Europe covering the most valuable natural areas of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus and Ukraine. After several meetings of representatives of these countries a preliminary programme for creating the Green Lungs of Europe was set up at the Institute of Sustainable Development in Warszawa, following the recommendations of the 1992 Rio de Janeiro „Environment and Development” Conference to protect European areas of the highest natural values.

The Green lungs of Europe are to be a model area of international Cupertino with uniform research techniques and an integrated approach to the evaluation and management of natural resources.

Based on international agreements, the Main Geologists of Poland and Lithuania took up the initiative of establishing a joint project in the Polish–Lithuanian border zone aimed at collecting and reviewing existing geological information for the future development of the area, rational utilisation of natural resources and environmental protection.

Successive working meetings in Vilnius (August 1992), Warszawa (April, 1993) and Lazdijai (April, 1993) resulted in a programme for geological-environmental studies in the „Belt of Yotvings the fragment of Green Lungs of Europe”. The working area agreed is covered by four sheets of the 1:200 000 map: Sejny (whole sheet), Suwałki (eastern part), Grodno (northern part) and Ełk (northeastern part).

Institutions for the implementation of the project were the Polish Geological Institute and the Lithuanian Geological Survey of and the project was divided into the following thematic groups:

− Quaternary geology; − Hydrogeology; − Geochemistry − Radioecology; − Ecology. M. Graniczny and J. Satkūnas were responsible for the overall supervision. Approximately one year after the beginning of the geological work conducted by

Lithuanian and Polish geologists a seminar was organised in Szełment (September, 1994) to review the work completed and to present the geological results to a large group of potential users. Taking part in the seminar were representatives of the Lithuanian Geological Survey, the Lithuania Institute of Geology, the Ministry of Building and Urbanisation of Lithuania, authorities from the Lithuanian border communities (Lazdijai, Alytus, Marijampolė, Vilkaviškis) as well as from the Polish Geological Institute, Ministry of Environmental Protection of Poland, National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, District Inspectorate for Environmental Protection of Suwałki and local administration of Olecko.

The final outcome of the first project phase was presented in the form of the „Atlas – Geology for Environmental Protection and Territorial Planning in the Polish–Lithuanian


52

Cross-border Area”. This atlas, printed in the 1:500 000 scale illustrates a synthetic approach to the geological, geochemical, radioecological and hydrogeological questions as well as to mineral resources and environmental protection.

The co-operation in cross-border area led to strenghtening of LGT–PGI cooperation in general and resulted in methodological exchange, numerous joint publications and presentations in international conferences, scientific studies, new project ideas, etc.

The joint research led to promotion of geological resources in the cross-border context.

For example, the geological touristic values, elucidated in this picturesque area, now serve a information background for attracting tourists and organising thematic excursions.

The present Polish–Lithuanian cross-border studies are contained in project titled „Geoenvironmental investigations for sustainable development and identification of natural hazards on Polish–Lithuanian cross-border area and Baltic coastal zone” (Phase 4).

Map of Geopotential included in “Atlas – Geology for Environmental Protection and Territorial Planning in the Polish–Lithuanian Cross-border Area”

The following works will be done: Geopotantial Map in scale 1:100 000, Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards Map in scale 1:250 000, Land use Map based on the satellite image interpretation in scale 1:100 000 as well as Geotop Database. Geodinamic case studies will be performed on the Couronian and Vistula Spits using field reconnaissance, remote sensing data, GIS and GPS techniques.

It is planned that most of the data will be available via Internet.

Szurpily Lake and Cisowa Hill – view from Castle Hill


53

GEOHERITAGE AND INTERNATIONAL BORDERS

Jonas SATKŪNAS1, Jurga LAZAUSKIENĖ1 & Marek GRANICZNY2

1Lithuanian Geological Survey / Vilnius University, S. Konarskio 35, LT-03123 Vilnius, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

2Polish Geological Institute, Rakowiecka 4, 00-975 Warsaw, POLAND E-mail: [email protected]

Industrialization of the territories, rapid development of agriculture, tourism or recreation infrastructures, exploitation of subsurface resources, pollution of groundwater, changes of landscapes etc. in border area of one state often has considerable influence on both the surfacial and subsurface environment of the neighboring country. The geological heritage along with such a wide known phenomena as groundwater system, natural hazards, coastal zones management issues are a very sensitive elements of the geoenvironment.

An increase of ecological consciousness of local societies in different countries, progress of environmental education, development of the protection of geological heritage, preparation of the conditions for consolidation of cross-border cooperation, exchange of knowledge and experiences between geoscientists from neighboring countries, promotion of touristic and agrotouristic infrastructures across the state borders – those are the major objectives to be actively promoted for the cross-border co-operation for the protection and nurturance of the geoheritage.

One of the especially vulnerable environmental elements is groundwater, which resources are forming in extensive areas by recharge and could flow crossing the administrative borders. Pollution or changes of hydrodynamics of the groundwater due to its extraction or mining of mineral resources could impact the quality and resources of groundwater over cross-border territories and could make an impetus for hazardous geological processes such as karst or erosion. Accordingly, it is critical to encourage and promote interdisciplinary cooperation across international borders (onshore and offshore) for efficient application of geoscientific information in environmental planning, ecosystem monitoring and environment impact assessment. Such cooperation would thus ensure or at least strongly promote sustainable use of subsurface resources, environmental quality, preservation of geoheritage and prevention or substantial mitigation of geological hazards.

Geological and environmental information is necessary for local authorities, politicians and companies to make proper decisions; and planners, environmental specialists, and geoscience consultants need quick insight in the specific properties of the surfacial and subsurface data for cost estimation, risk assessment and many other purposes.

In spite that number of international conventions and networks – e.g. ESPOO, International waters, Long range transboundary pollution, Combat with desertification, World Geoparks Network (recently launched by UNESCO) etc. – recommend and stipulate international environmental cooperation, any positive mean could not be undertaken without co-ordinated data bases, maps and the other information significant for assessment of present situation of environment, resources, geoheritage and geopotential, that extend over international borders. Such a bi(multi)-lateral data exchange could well benefit also the recreational and tourism market (e.g. important geological sites, geoparks, fossil locations, volcanoes, the other geological heritage etc.) in cross border areas. The World Geoparks Network initiatives provides a good example of open possibilities for creation of the Geoparks in the cross-border areas.

Geoscientists around the world are focusing most of their attention, in one way or another, on three major problems. Protecting and efficiently nurturance of the environment and geoheritage, accelerating and intensifying the exploration and assessment of resources,


54

identifying and minimizing the effects of natural disasters. Understanding that geological boundaries usually do not coincide with international borders, geologist must understand the issues of geopotential in broader scale. Nevertheless, geoenvironmental data and measurement procedures frequently differ in adjacent countries owing to lack of common measurement techniques and the too-often national restriction of near- and cross-border geoscientific data.

Geoscientific investigations in transboundary regions should focus on carefully documenting and managing resource development coupled with minimizing negative environmental impacts on natural and geological heritage. This is particularly apparent where geological resources in border regions are exploited by one country, often resulting in deleterious environmental impacts to adjacent, less-developed countries. We therefore emphasize that joint management and development programs in the cross-border areas are important steps to balance local and regional needs for resource development as well as develop appropriate environmental legislation and policy would make a step towards a balanced environmental legislation and policy much easier.

Understanding this the Working Group on International Borders – Geoenvironmental Concerns (IBC) under the umbrella of the IUGS Commission on Geosciences for Environmental Management (GEM) has been established to promote interdisciplinary cooperation across international borders (onshore and offshore) for the efficient application of geoscientific information in environmental planning, ecosystem monitoring and environment impact assessment, development of the conservation and the valorization of geological heritage for a sustainable and integrated environment in cross-border areas.

The presentation deals with the available experience and examples of the cross-border mapping, monitoring projects as well as other issues demonstrating crucial value of geoscientific data for sustainable development of our geo-environment of the cross-border regions.


55

GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PROTECTED AREA: SARTAI LAKE CASE, NORTHEASTERN

LITHUANIA

Gražina SKRIDLAITĖ1, Rimantė GUOBYTĖ2, Miglė STANČIKAITĖ1, Daiva NORKŪNIENĖ3 AND Alfonsas GEGŽNAS3

1Institute of Geology and Geography, T. Ševčenkos 13, LT-03223 Vilnius, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

2Lithuanian Geological Survey, S. Konarskio 35, LT-03223 Vilnius, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected]

3Sartai Regional Park, Melioratorių 15, Užtiltė, Zarasai, LITHUANIA E-mail: [email protected]

Introduction. Several regional and national parks, nature reserves were established in Lithuania to protect some vulnerable nature sites in order to preserve them for future generations. Many of the protected areas are either geological monument or site itself or contain some geological objects. As it was revealed during several last years, almost all protected areas are in urgent need for geological information.

For majority of us “protected nature site” is understandable and accepted without questioning, but nor does it for the general public. Even local authorities in charge or governmental bodies do not completely understand the reason why should they restrict activities in most beautiful nature places, to stay away from some “recreationally-attractive” sites. Therefore, the information is needed for the motivation of the protection, for presentation of site’s and area’s vulnerability, temporality, and for prediction of its future development.

One of the ways to protect the site is to make it a monument or an exhibit putting a label to it. Than, it becomes not just something “anonymous”, but will acquire a value among the people. It seems that including geological sites and monuments into geological and nature trails and parks we can help to protect the geological heritage. This helps despite some drawbacks such as vandalism, increased number of visitors, pollution etc. However, we cannot put the labels to all nature localities we are going to protect.

Therefore, most important is to raise public awareness about the protected site or area, about reasons for the protection, and advantages of the sustainable development in general. To make the protected area a part of people life, to present positive sides of being a neighbour or living in vicinity of such area, to educate people would be the important task. For that we need a lot of good quality geological information.

Methods of investigation and results. Authorities of the Sartai Regional Park initiated a study on geological development of the area surrounding and underlying the Sartai Lake. The purpose of this study was to obtain as much as possible of different geological data and to create a model for the Lake evolution. Some special investigations such as core material, aerial photos and satellite images, palaeo-environmental studies were carried out.

On the basis of interpretation of satellite images, a map of lineaments was compiled (Fig. 1). The most prominent, N-S and E-W trending lineaments are showing the orientation of fractures in melting glacier. The main Lake body stretches from north to south, while smaller branches are oriented from east to west and from NNW to SSE. Thus, it is likely that lake is a relict of retreating glacier and is related to its major fractures.

Somewhat interesting that the same orientations dominate in the crystalline basement as it was implied from aerial magnetic and gravity as well as terracing maps (by L. Korabliova) of the area. Since the terracing map (Fig. 2) shows boundaries between lithologies and especially that of tectonic origin, it has the closest similarity to geological


56

map. Major faults revealed on the map have not only the same direction but coincide in many places with those on the surface (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Aerial photo showing surface lineaments of the Sartai Lake

Fig. 2. Terracing map (after L. Korabliova) showing faults and lineaments in the pre-Quaternary complexes

Drill cores and descriptions and profiles down to Precambrian rocks of surrounding

boreholes were used for the model of evolution before the glaciations. The model reveals active orogenic history in the Precambrian and development of long-lived intra-cratonic basin during the Paleozoic and probably Mesozoic times.

Palaeoenvironmental studies combining lithological, palaeobotanical (pollen and diatom) and isotope (14C, δ13C and δ18O) data have provided the information about Late Glacial Holocene environmental changes in the surroundings of the Sartai Lake. The Late Glacial environmental changes included remarkable variations of vegetation pattern and lake level fluctuations. The rapid rise of mean temperature and wetness started since about 9300−8600 cal BP as it was implied from the immigration of deciduous species (alder, lime, elm and oak tries). The appearance of the earliest attempts of agriculture activity started the deterioration of vegetation cover. The culmination of human activity was synchronous with the medieval warming (AD 1170−1410) and had been changed by the decreasing exploitation of area throughout the Little Ice Age cooling (after AD 1270−1430).

A detail map at a scale of 1:10 000 was compiled for the area. A 3-D model presents a better view of the surface (Fig. 3). In the east and southwest, the Lake depression is surrounded with hummocky moraine ridges (a), while terraced glaciofluvial plains lay along its outstretched arms (b). In the depression three lake terraces surround the water. A block-wise structure of the surface is obvious.


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Fig. 3. A 3-D view of the Sartai Lake and surrounding area (after R. Guobytė)

Conclusions. As it was predicted, the deep structures of the crystalline Precambrian basement had major affect on the surface topography. The major faults have been active during geological time and influenced fracturing of the underlying glacier. Actually, the Sartai Lake can be called “tectonic” lake, and its evolution is closely related to geological evolution of the area through the time.

The blocks are still moving even though very slowly with different speed. The three-dimensional view of the area shows how the deep structures influence surface topography, and helps to predict the future development of the Lake.

The Sartai regional park together with Gražutė regional park to the southeast and other surrounding areas, are good candidates for geopark because of their unique, geology-related surface topography, biodiversity and history.

The obtained results provide the general public with geological information and may help to understand the nature of geological processes, their influence on people lives, and to make scientifically based future predictions. It also helps for information stands and arrangement of geological trails, viewpoints, i.e. to develop the tourism infrastructure, etc.


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MODELLING OF WATER SYSTEMS FOR PLANNING OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Aivars SPALVINS, Janis SLANGENS, Romans JANBICKIS, Inta LACE

Environment Modelling Centre Riga Techncal University, 1/4 Meza street, Riga, LV-1048 LATVIA

E-mail: [email protected] Water is the most important strategic resource in world wide. Water is a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such. For the European Community (EC), the Water Framework Directive had established the EC action of water policy. Protection and sustainable use of water must be planned and executed in the framework of the river basin. The river basin consists of surface water and groundwater bodies which are interdependent. The territory of Latvia is covered by transboundary drainage basins of the rivers Venta, Lielupe, Daugava and Gauja. Management of these basin water resources is complex, especially, where no EC states Belarussia and Russia are involved.

Fig. 1. Sheme of hydrologic cycle and its pollution sources for Baltic region;

E – evaporation; P, Pn – anthropological and natural pollution

Management means making various decisions aimed at modifying the state of the river basin. To solve the management problem, one must be able to predict the basin response to various operation policies and, by comparing results, to select the best policy. A river basin is involved into the hydrologic cycle shown in Fig. 1. Water is being polluted by natural and anthropological sources. The cycle is under the stress of water users. The task of managing for the river basin is very complex if numerous parameters and constraints regarding water quality and quantity are accounted for. To solve the task, one should possess the following main items: sets of data describing parameters of all cycle components, understanding of processes for the components and knowledge about their interdependence, skill of forecasting behavior of various pollutants in water and the soil.


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Presently, numerous software tools have been developed for modeling elements of the hydrologic cycle and also of the cycle, as a whole. However, availability of these tools is not enough to solve the problem of management, because reliability of modeling depends on initial data and also on the skill of using the software.

The main advantage of good modeling is inevitability of initial data validation, because any software should apply them as a concordant system for creating a model. As a rule, this validation takes the most of time. It is quite possible that initial data may be so scarce that modeling has no practical sense for a component considered. Therefore, due to modeling, the weak points of the available data bases can be found and the necessary steps can be taken to fill the data gaps.

For the groundwater and surface water bodies, the main disturbances of their natural regimes are caused by a water withdrawal for large towns and by dams of hidroelectrical plants, accordingly. For the both cases, the main difficulties for a modeller cause vague knowledge regarding the infiltration flow and of the flows joining the groundwater and surface water bodies. None of these flows can be measured practically for the areas considered. Their distributions can be obtained only numerically.

Serious constraints on the water management policy may be set by strongly polluted places endangering both groundwater and surface water bodies. Possible pollutant spill accidents should be accounted for if the risk assessment problem is considered. To forecast behavior of a pollutant and to plan its remediation measures, the special software tools are to be applied. Models predicting pollutant migration are much more complex than the ones applied for simulating the response of a groundwater withdrawal.

Fig. 2. Sheme of Riga water system. P – anthropological pollution

In Fig. 2, as an example of the large town water system and its problems, the scheme for the Riga city is shown. Drinking water for Riga is taken from the Daugava river and from the groundwater sources. Water from the river needs rigorous treatment by the plant “Daugava”. Maximal capacity for each water source is ~220 thous m3/day. Presently, only one half of this capacity is used, because the water consumption of Riga has dropped twice, since 1995, when the wrong decision was taken to renowate both sources, especially the plant “Daugava“ . Both water distribution and sewage networks have losses due to leakage. The leakage impact results in rising of groundwater levels and waste water causes serious local pollution. Nowadays, tools for modeling elements of the water system for the large town have


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been developed and these tools are applied by organizations involved in development of water systems.

Serious problems arise when cross-boundary water systems must be modeled. Even recent geological maps of Latvia provide no data for the cross-boundary zone. If one tries to apply the maps of the bordering countries, there is no guarantee that equal systems of geological layers are used by the countries. Similar situation arises where a sea area is included. The geological data about the sea area practically never are continued inland and otherwise.

For deeper confined aquifers, their borders do not fit, the river basin borders. Then models should be created where parts of different river regions are included.

The above considerations on modeling, as a tool for planning sustainable management of water systems, have been tested by the Environment Modelling Centre (EMC) in the course of modeling various practical problems regarding water supply and pollutant migration. Some comments on the main projects conducted by EMC are given below.

The regional hydrogeological model (HM) “Large Riga” (1993-1996) [1] was a success mainly due to introduction of the original method of computing the infiltration flow. Dynamics of free and dissolved light oil products was modeled for the former Rumbula airport place (1996-2000) [2]. Methods of preventing sea water intrusion were investigated for the Liepaja well field Otanki (2002) [3]. Migration of dense pollutants was modeled for the Bernau place, Germany (2001-2005) [4]. Models were created for polluted area of Incukalns (1998-2005) [5].

References:

1. Spalvins A., Janbickis R., Slangens J., Gosk E. Hydrogeological Model for Evaluting Groundwater Resources of the Central Region of Latvia // Proc. of the 10. Symposium on "Simulationstechnik". – Dresden, 1996. – P.349–354

2. Spalvins A., Slangens J., Janbickis R., Lace I. and Selivanovs I. Groundwater Flow Dynamics and Light Oil Contaminant Transport for Rumbula Airbase Place, Latvia / Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on "Water Resources and Environment Research, ICWRER'2002". – 22–25 July 2002, Dresden, Germany, vol. 2, 2002. – P. 193–197

3. Spalvins A., Slangens J., Janbickis R., Lace I. Preventing seawater intrusion into a well field of Liepaja / Proc. of the 6th International Conference on “Environment Modelling”. – 26–27 May 2005, Vilnius, Lithuania

4. Spalvins A., J.Slangens, R.Janbickis, I.Lace, P.Hein and C.Burger. Modelling as a tool for optimization of cleaning plant structures built to remediate the TCE-contaminated Bernau place, Germany / Proceedings of the International Conference on "Groundwater in Geological Engineering, ICGGE, 2003". – 22–26 September 2003, Bled, Slovenia. RMZ – Materials and Geoenvironment, Vol. 50, No. 1 – Ljubljana, 2003. – P. 353–356

5. Spalvins A., J.Slangens, R.Janbickis, I.Lace. Planing sanitation of the polluted Incukalns area by applying hydrogeological modelling, Proceedings of the International Conference “20th European Conference on Modelling and Simulation ECMS 2006” May, 2006, Bonn–Rhein–Sieg University, Germany


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ECOLOGICAL SAFETY OF GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OBJECTS

Irina SUMATOKHINA1, Georgiy RUDKO2

1 Dnipropetrovs’k National University, 320625 Dnipropetrovs’k, GSP - 10, str. Naukovy, 13, UKRAINE 2 Institute of Geology of National Academy Science of Ukraine, Kiev, UKRAINE The conception of the geologic heritage got it form and became widespread after the Convention on International Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by General Assembly of UNESCO in 1972 and came into effect in 1975. Its main purpose is to attract attention of world community to the problem of preserving unique cultural and natural objects .Being included into the List of Natural heritage of UNESCO some geological objects are considered to be unique and valuable and get the special attraction.

Intensive studies devoted to the problem of giving some geology objects the status of the objects subject to special state protection took their place at the end of last century in accordance with the Programme of Development of UNO. Due to the hard work of Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources within the project “Ekomercghi” the work dealing with the study of geology object unique (e.g. Kanev dislocations, the island Khortiza, the volcanic massif Karadag etc) and aimed to include them into the List of worldwide cultural and natural heritage of UNESCO (Ukraine, 2001) has been carried out by 2001. Being granted this status of natural heritage the geologic object becomes the subject of special attraction due to the worldwide recognition and its protection is increasing.

The term "geology heritage" can be considered at such levels as worldwide, continental (the Carpathians), international Roztochye. Polessye etc.), national, regional and local (municipal). However, the results of vital activities of man almost on the whole territory of Ukraine indicate about the unpunished and irrational use of natural heritage as well as permanent violation of protection terms of other geological objects not having international recognition to be considered unique but nevertheless requiring attentive and careful treatment. The most dynamical changes and transformations of geologic objects and complexes could be seen within the borders of large cities. It could be explained by the following reasons: firstly, the result of gradual compressing these objects with technogenes; secondly, the lack of information about the scientific and historical value of these objects referred to as the geology heritage .The aggregate result of these factors can promote arising conflict situations and appearing threats to safe functioning of these heritage objects, geologic environment in whole and to ecological safety of human life

Actuality and necessity of creating ecological safety of geological environment in large cities proceeds from its town-planning functions which are considered to be as: lithogeny basis of city's landscape; the environment of the location of underground parts of buildings and structures; the maintenance object, e.g. while using mineral resources, underground and surface waters, the environment of hard and liquid wastes, e.g. in ravines and mining workings etc.; dynamic system as the subject of scientific comprehension, recreational and tourist resources, the object of geologic heritage, national pride: the object to be protected, reserved and restored.

But in the course of intensifying anthropogenic influence and advancing city's building geological environment looses its ecological, economic, social, aesthetic features. Implementation of different purposeful and mediated technogen influence results in transforming and destroying valuable geological objects, e.g. in the result of catastrophic development of geological processes (landslide, karst, submergence). Sometimes atotaloss of geological objects and complexes takes place as the result of extracting mineral resources, performing mass construction within the zones of water-protected large rivers. construction of large water reservoirs and different engineering structures. Therefore, conservation and


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protection of geological formations within the city's area and in the zones of its influence have exceptional significance.

Conservation of outstanding geological objects as the national heritage is based on laws (Act, 1992). In accordance to them the object of geological heritage is unique, rare and typical geological formation that is despite the terms of protection has its value from archeological, historical, scientific and aesthetic points of view and preserved its authenticity

Objects of geological heritage frequently belong to such category of natural protected pool as monuments of nature. There are about 715 geological monuments of nature in Ukraine and the most part of them is located within the borders of zones of anthropogenic influence. Despite their small total area (about 0.5% of all territories protected) ,preservation of geological objects as the monuments of nature has important significance considering their diversity and recurrence as well as they provide landscape stability, vitality of plant and animal population, landscape and geology representation.

Besides, different valuable geological objects, included into the list of known nature protected areas having higher rate such as biosphere reserve, national park, natural reserve are preserved and protected.

The value of these objects is determined according to such criteria and indices: − The degree of condition preserved - that is current condition of the object; − Historical significance - that is the value of the object relatively to its historical

events taken place within its borders or associated with it; − Scientific(geological) significance, that is its value relatively to its use for

scientific purposes whilst carrying out it geological studies at state or local levels and conducting scientific excursions

− Aesthetic significance – that is beauty and artistry in the structure of geological object and its comprehension by people.

Determining the geological value of the object is of exceptional importance and it based on determining ecological capacity of the object of historic heritage. Ecological capacity is described by such indices and characteristics as volume, lithology-stratigraphy complexes, tectonic structure, natural and technogen conditions and factors of condition, geodynamical, hydro-geological, geochemical and radio-ecological processes (Rudko, 2005).

As an example let's consider the objects of geological heritage of Krivoy Rog ferrous ore basin considering their scientific value and also the fact of their location in the zone having increased ecological I danger and possibility of suffering from lack of attention of human beings.

Fig. l demonstrates natural and technogen conditions and factors of the condition of the land-marks within the area of Krivoy Rog. Let's pay attention to the most distinguished and unique features of geological environment of the natural land marks of Krivoy Rog area. They represent the geological structure of the Ukrainian shield whose unique is confirmed by complexity and durability of geological development, the specifity of geological structure and peculiarities of genesis of some separate elements. Moprovskaya rock is the most expressive one representing rare and typical tectonic (the contact of the rocks of different suites, tectonic fracture), geological (ferrous and shale stratigraphic horizons of Krivoy Rog geological series of Proterozoic) features of the Ukrainian shield. Besides, its historical value is in the fact that on its territory there were the oldest minings of Likhman ore seams of rich iron ore. In addition, after examining probes taken from these outcrops in the 30s of 20 century the possibility to enrich poor ores and get high quality iron ore concentrate was firstly proved.

Conclusions. Originality and diversity of Ukraine's geological environment are reflected in rare, unique or, on the contrary, in typical, representative geological objects which belong to the objects of geological heritage. These objects are national property and


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considered as elements of ecological net of different levels – from interregional and national up to local and municipal levels.

Within the city's area and in the zones of its influence conservation and protection of the objects of geological heritage is an important functional mechanism to provide ecological safety and maintain ecological balance and an integral condition of stable development of the region.

References: Law of Ukraine on Natural Protection Stock of Ukraine // Verchovna Rada of Ukraine Leonenko V. B., Stetsenko M. B., Vozniy Y. M. 2003. The Atlas of the objects of nature protected

stock of Ukraine. Kiev: VH. Kiev University. 119 c. Rudko G. I. Ecological safety of techno-natural geosystems Ukraine: Natural heritage / Ministry of ecology and natural resources of Ukraine. Kiev. (Programme

of development UNO within the project “Ekomerezi”)


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ISLAND SAAREMAA (ESTONIA) – WORTHY CANDIDATE OF THE UNESCO LIST OF GEOPARKS

Krista TÄHT

Geological Survey of Estonia Kadaka tee, 82 EE-12618 Tallinn, ESTONIA

Key words: geological heritage, nature protection, geosite, geotope, sustainable development, tourism.

1. Introduction Saaremaa, the biggest island in Estonia, with an area of 2673 km² is located west of the Estonian mainland. Together with nearby islets, it hosts prominent geological heritage. Due to its geographical position between the east and west, Saaremaa has quite intriguing history. Tourists have actively visited Saaremaa during several decades already. Founding of UNESCO geopark would introduce this attractive place worldwide. 2. Geological setting Saaremaa is rich in remarkable and well-exposed geosites. Kaali meteorite crater field is the most impressive crater field not only in Estonia but in the whole Eurasia. The meteorite craters are clearly recognisable in the relief, the biggest of them has a diameter of 110 m. Its meteoritic origin was elucidated in the 1930s when the meteoritic iron was found (Reinwald, 1938). Up to now, total 3.5 kg of meteoritic material has been collected. It is still disputed when the event took place (Aaloe, 1965). The findings assure that the island was already inhabited when the impact event took place. It is supposed to have inspired many Fennougrian and Scandinavian legends.

Photo 1. The main crater of Kaali crater field (photo by K. Täht)


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The Silurian Klint, another remarkable geosite, starts on Gotland Island (Sweden) and runs eastward where it rises from the sea on western islets and peninsulas of Saaremaa Island (Manten, 1971). Panga Cliff, the highest in Saaremaa, reaches 21 m above sea level, while its lower 10-m portion is underwater. The Silurian cliff displays the strata of Wenlock series (Nestor, 1997). The rocks along the Silurian Klint differ considerably in its eastern and western part. In the west the escarpments are represented by skeletal wackestones, while in the east the argillaceous limestone is spread and the bioherms are well observable.

Photo 2. Ninase Cliff – limestone escarpment (photo by K. Täht)

On the southern coast of Saaremaa the cliffs are only few meters high but some of them are very rich in fauna (Leito et al., 2003). In the island’s inland part there are numerous limestone quarries, which display different development phases of the tropical sea during the Silurian.

On Saaremaa karst is widely distributed, on the islets Vaika and Vilsandi, unique karst phenomena in Estonia, karren is distributed.

Vegetation on the island is rather modest but rich of species. Extensive juniper meadows often mark alvar landscapes where the rare and protected species are spread. Due to mild maritime climate many exceptional and endemic plants can be found.

During the Quaternary period the retreating glacier remodelled the landscape. The marginal moraine formations are the highlights of Saaremaa’s landscape (Eltermann, 1993).

The inhabitants of Saaremaa have always shown respect to nature protection. The first nature reserve in Estonia was established in north-western Saaremaa in 1910, on the islets of Vaika and Vilsandi to protect the nesting territories of sea birds.

3. History According to archaeological findings, the territory of Saaremaa has been inhabited for at least five thousand years.


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Because of favourable climate and geographic isolation, Saaremaa was one of the most densely populated areas in Estonia before the beginning of occupation of Estonia by German crusaders in the XIII century.

Saaremaa has been repeatedly mentioned in mediaeval Scandinavian sagas as well as ancient German and Russian chronicles. The VIII up to XII centuries were prosperous time for ancient Saaremaa (Luha, 1934). Numerous stronghold hills symbolise the old settlements in today’s landscape. Kuressaare Castle built in XIV century is an outstanding historical monument, not only for Saaremaa but for the whole Estonia as well (Kään, 2002). The historical monuments are widely exposed to the visitors.

Photo 3. Kuressaare Castle (photo by K. Täht)

4. Economy and sustainable development In Saaremaa, fishing, agriculture, food production, forest management, mining and processing of limestone are the main activities. In recent years the importance of tourism has considerably grown and its role is much bigger than in any other region in Estonia. From 1997 up to 2004 the number of tourists visiting Saaremaa every year has grown from 155 000 up to 250 000. The number of tourists exceeds the population more than 6 times, but unfortunately most tourists visit Saaremaa during summer period. Nevertheless, the balneological sanatorium works all the year round (Stamberg, 2004).

5. Conclusions

Founding of UNESCO geoparks would foster propagation of Saaremaa’s magnificent and unique geological heritage and improve the awareness about geology and Earth’s history in wider sense. Saaremaa is like an open book of geology, providing knowledge about the formation of rocks and the ground under our feet during millions of years. The island bears evidence of an extraordinary event – meteorite impact, which demonstrates threats from the outer space. The geosites offer an extraordinary possibility to teach and learn about several natural phenomena and thus provide remarkable tools of environmental education.


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Founding of a geopark would stress the value of Saaremaa’s geological heritage. Its Silurian outcrops are already widely known and highly respected among the scientists studying the Silurian but would offer much interest to all people interested in geology.

Saaremaa already is a remarkable tourist attraction and hosts large number of visitors every year. Recently the museum of meteoritics and limestone together with a guesthouse were opened in Kaali, introducing the Kaali meteorite craters. Geopark status would help to acknowledge and promote this work and bring it to higher level.

There is well-developed infrastructure for receiving tourists – hotels, camping sites, restaurants etc. Besides, many cultural events take place, especially in summertime.

The appearance of most geological objects varies seasonally, but they are worth visiting throughout the year. The tourism focused on geological attractions is year-round activity and supplies the local people with work.

Founding of UNESCO geopark on Saaremaa would certainly bring benefits for its residents, but it would also introduce unique and beautiful geological heritage for wider public all over the world. These islands offer some remarkable illustrations for different chapters in the history of the Earth and awaken interest and respect towards nature.

References: Aaloe A. 1968. – Kaali meteorite craters. Eesti Raamat Publishers, Tallinn, 48 p. (in Estonian) Eltermann G. 1993. – Disappearance of continental glacier in the West-Estonian Archipelago. – Eesti

Loodus. 5/6, 218–219 (in Estonian) Kään H. (Ed.). 2002. Saaremaa. Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus, Tallinn 623 p.(in Estonian) Leito T., Märss T. 2003. Saaremaa pangad = Cliffs of Saaremaa. Eesti Loodusfoto, Tartu : Greif,

Tartumaa, 31 p. Luha A. (Ed.), Blumfeldt E. Tammekann A. 1934. – Muinasaeg. Saaremaa. Maateaduslik,

majanduslik ja ajalooline kirjeldus. Eesti Kirjanduse Selts Publishers, Tartu, 244–262. Manten A. A. 1971. – Silurian reefs of Gotland. – Developments in Sedimentology 13, 537 p. Reinwald I. 1938. The finding of Meteoritic Iron in Estonian Craters. A long search richly

rewarded. – The Sky Magazine of Cosmic News, vol. 2, no. 6, 6–7. Stamberg T. 2004. - Eesti linnad külastaja pilguga (Estonian cities in the eyes of visitor), Tallinna

Ülikooli raamatukogu, Tallinn 19–25. (in Estonian)


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BRITISH INSTITUTE FOR GEOLOGICAL CONSERVATION: GEOSITES, SITE ACQUSISTION AND A COALFIELD GEOPARK

Barry A. THOMAS

Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY208SX, UK The Institute’s aim is to promote geological conservation both through science and education. To this end we have:

1. Acted as the UK body in collating a list of geosites for ProGeo’s work in the UIGS initiated project for developing an inventory of globally important geosites. Our primary list was drawn up through soliciting suggestions from key British geologists, palaeontologists and mineralogists. The list was then circulated to research workers and was presented at a meeting of the Geological Society in London last year. The intention is to incorporate our completed list with that from Ireland to habe one list from the British Isles. At this stage we will incorporate, if necessary, any geosites from the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, which are not part of the UK.

2. Simultaneously we have initiated a worldwide inventory of Palaeozoic palaeobotany geosites centred on to themes: a succession of sites showing the broad trends of geographical and temporal diversification of land plants and sites with anatomically preserved plants.

3. Explored the possibility of a South Wales coalfield geopark. Funding from the national conservational agency, the Countryside Council for Wales, over the last 15 months has enabled us to employ Ben Evans at the National Museum of Wales. The concept has been developed in conjunction with local authorities and other interested parties and we are now seeking further funds to initiate the project through trails, site interpretation, site acquisition together with regional and local participation.


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COASTAL GEOTOPES OF THE GULF OF GDAŃSK

Szymon UŚCINOWICZ, Grażyna MIOTK-SZPIGANOWICZ, Wojciech JEGLIŃSKI

Polish Geological Institute, Branch of Marine Geology 80-328 Gdańsk, st. Kościerska 5, POLAND

E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

The total length of Polish part of the Gulf of Gdańsk coast is ca. 170 km. Four main types of the coasts are distinguished:

• cliffs with a c. 27 km lengths of which a large part is strongly eroded, • dune coast with a ca. 114 km lengths, • lowland coast like wetland type with a ca. 17 km lengths, • artificial coast (harbours, breakwaters, etc.) ca. 12 km length. Large part of the Gulf of Gdańsk coast, beside the anthropologically transformed

stretches (artificial coasts) could be classified according to geosite concept (Wimbledon 1997) and evaluation and selection methodology (Alexandrowicz 1999) as a geotopes (geosites) of regional and local importance. Most important, classified as a regional importance geotopes are:

Orłowo Cliff – in the western part of the Gulf of Gdańsk between Orłowo and Gdynia.

Main features: outcrops of Miocene sediments profile, tills and fluvioglacial sands of Middle and North Polish Glaciations (Saale and Weichselian), glacitectonic deformations, landslides.

The stretch of coastal cliff, north of Orłowo, is ca.4.5 km long and up to 50 m high. In the geological structure there are Miocene deposits (fine sand with clay and brown cool intercalation) and tills and sands of Pleistocene glaciations (Saale and Weichselian). The geological structure together with the marine erosion of the cliff footslope is the main factor responsible for landslide and other mass movements formation. The average rate of erosion of the cliff’s footslope is c. 1 m/year.

Hel Peninsula – in north western part of the Gulf of Gdańsk. Main features: the peninsula, sequence of Holocene marine and barrier sediments. The length of Hel Peninsula is 36 km, and its width is between 200 m and 3 km. The

north-western (root) part of peninsula is narrow and relatively flat. Terrain height in this part is 1–2 m above sea level. Only tops of coastal dunes are higher, and at some places attain the height of 7–13 m a.s.l. The seaward coast of the Peninsula is badly eroded. The average rate of dune erosion was up to 1 m/year. During 1989–1994 the ca. 20 km of beaches were nourished with ca. 6 mln m3 of sand. On the south-eastern part of the peninsula the accumulation processes dominate. The wide of the peninsula reach up to 3 km and dune high is up to 20 m. In the southern part of the Hel Peninsula sequence of Holocene sediments reach up to c. 100 m. Specially interested is a tip of the peninsula accreted during the Holocene historical times but recently affected by erosion.

Vistula River outlet – in southern part of the Gulf, ca. 20 km east from Gdańsk. Main features: river outlet cone, sequence of recent delta-front and pro-delta

sediments. The Vistula River is the largest river in Poland and the second largest river in the Baltic Sea.

In 1895, a new artificially dug mouth of the Vistula was opened near Świbno, 20 km away from Gdańsk. Since then, most of the Vistula’s water and sediment has been transported to


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the Gulf of Gdańsk by this artificial canal. The Vistula River mouth is an unique example of river’s outlet observed since the birth in 1895 to present day. During the last 100 years the shoreline has been shifted seaward ca. 1.5 km on the eastern side, to ca 2.5 km on the western side of the Vistula mouth. Isobath of 5 m moved seaward ca. 3 km and isobaths of 10 m and 15 m shifted 2.5 km each. During the years 1895–1997 land area accreted to 3,019,000 m2. The volume of the river-outlet cone in the year 2000 was 133.39 mln. m3 and the average rate of sediment growth over the 105 years was ca.1.27 mln. m3 per year.

References: Wimbledon W. A. P., 1997. Geosites – a new conservation initiative. Episodes, 19. 87–88 Alexandrowicz Z., 1999. Draft candidate list of geosites representative of Central Europe. Polish

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