Abstract
Development of industrial underground salt mining in western Ukraine has started in the mid-19th century with the discovery of large potash-magnesium salt deposits in Kalush (1854) and Stebnyk (1901). Potash salts concentrations occur within the Miocene sedimentary complexes of Ukrainian Carpathian Foredeep (correlated with the successions observed in the Polish part of Carpathian Foredeep) as isolated lenses or compressed folded layers of varied extent. Thickness of exploited potash seams varies from 4 m up to 150 m and the main mineral is sylvine, accompanied also by carnallite, kainite and langbeinite. Both Kalush and Stebnyk mines, now closed, belong to the first places in the world, where exploitation of potash salts were realized. Their unique historical character, documenting the salt exploitation traditions in this region and evolution of mining techniques, ought to be widely advertised as the valid points of Ukrainian-Polish cross-border geotouristic route, named “Traces of large extinct mammals, earth wax, oil and salt”.
Highlights
From the pre-historical up to the medieval time the salt production in the area of western Ukraine was based on evaporation of salt brines
In 1773 in the area of western Ukraine were registered 92 active salt-works, which produced over 40 thousands tonnes of salt per year
Some of these sites were located in the Carpathians and the source salt brines came from the flysch complexes but the most of them are the sub-Carpathian brines, grouped in the Fore-Carpathian region and coming from the Miocene saltbearing series
Summary
From the pre-historical up to the medieval time the salt production in the area of western Ukraine was based on evaporation of salt brines (waters with mineralization over 4-5 g/l, containing mainly sodium and chlorides; Kleczkowski, 1981). In 1773 in the area of western Ukraine were registered 92 active salt-works (called Ruthenian salt-works), which produced over 40 thousands tonnes of salt per year Some of these sites were located in the Carpathians and the source salt brines came from the flysch complexes (intra-Carpathian brines) but the most of them are the sub-Carpathian brines, grouped in the Fore-Carpathian region and coming from the Miocene saltbearing series. Development of underground salt mining in the western Ukraine has started in the mid-19th century with the discovery of large potash-magnesium salt deposits in Kalush (1854), and Stebnyk (1901) Both these mines are the one of the first places in the world, where exploitation of potash salts were realized and due to their unique historical character ought to be widely advertised as the valid points of Ukrainian-Polish trans-border geotourist trail, named “Traces of large extinct mammals, earth wax, oil and salt” (Kotarba, 2009)
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