Eastern Austria Research Articles

The propagation of inventory-based positional errors into statistical landslide susceptibility models

Abstract. There is unanimous agreement that a precise spatial representation of past landslide occurrences is a prerequisite to produce high quality statistical landslide susceptibility models. Even though perfectly accurate landslide inventories rarely exist, investigations of how landslide inventory-based errors propagate into subsequent statistical landslide susceptibility models are scarce. The main objective of this research was to systematically examine whether and how inventory-based positional inaccuracies of different magnitudes influence modelled relationships, validation results, variable importance and the visual appearance of landslide susceptibility maps. The study was conducted for a landslide-prone site located in the districts of Amstetten and Waidhofen an der Ybbs, eastern Austria, where an earth-slide point inventory was available. The methodological approach comprised an artificial introduction of inventory-based positional errors into the present landslide data set and an in-depth evaluation of subsequent modelling results. Positional errors were introduced by artificially changing the original landslide position by a mean distance of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 120 m. The resulting differently precise response variables were separately used to train logistic regression models. Odds ratios of predictor variables provided insights into modelled relationships. Cross-validation and spatial cross-validation enabled an assessment of predictive performances and permutation-based variable importance. All analyses were additionally carried out with synthetically generated data sets to further verify the findings under rather controlled conditions. The results revealed that an increasing positional inventory-based error was generally related to increasing distortions of modelling and validation results. However, the findings also highlighted that interdependencies between inventory-based spatial inaccuracies and statistical landslide susceptibility models are complex. The systematic comparisons of 12 models provided valuable evidence that the respective error-propagation was not only determined by the degree of positional inaccuracy inherent in the landslide data, but also by the spatial representation of landslides and the environment, landslide magnitude, the characteristics of the study area, the selected classification method and an interplay of predictors within multiple variable models. Based on the results, we deduced that a direct propagation of minor to moderate inventory-based positional errors into modelling results can be partly counteracted by adapting the modelling design (e.g. generalization of input data, opting for strongly generalizing classifiers). Since positional errors within landslide inventories are common and subsequent modelling and validation results are likely to be distorted, the potential existence of inventory-based positional inaccuracies should always be considered when assessing landslide susceptibility by means of empirical models.

Heavy metals in the mallard Anas platyrhynchos from eastern Austria.

A total of 77 specimens of the mallard Anas platyrhynchos were sampled from the eastern part of Austria before the ban on lead gun shot for hunting water fowl. Samples of muscle and liver were analyzed for their content of Cr, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, Hg and Pb using atomic absorption spectrometry. In addition the Hg content of feather samples from this aquatic bird species was evaluated. Results generally show higher concentrations of the metals in the liver compared to muscle; for mercury the concentrations were feathers>liver>muscle. Elevated, in some cases critical concentrations of Cr, Cu, Cd, Hg and Pb were measured. Levels of Ag were recorded for the first time for this species from Europe, providing basic information for future evaluation of this upcoming pollutant in aquatic environments.

AlpArray in Austria and Slovakia: technical realization, site description and noise characterization

Abstract. We report the technical realization and performance of thirty temporary seismic broadband deployments for the AlpArray project in eastern Austria and western Slovakia. Reftek 151 60s sensors and Reftek 130/130S digitizers form the core instrumentation of our seismic stations; these are mostly installed inside abandoned or occasionally used basements or cellars in small buildings or huts. We describe our type of installation and briefly introduce the site conditions for each of the thirty installations. We present a probabilistic power spectral density analysis to assess the noise conditions at all sites and potential relations to the installation design.

Could Phlebotomus mascittii play a role as a natural vector for Leishmania infantum? New data

BackgroundThe occurrence of phlebotomine sand flies in Central Europe was questioned until they were recorded for the first time in Germany in 1999, and ten years later also in Austria. The aim of this study was to investigate sand flies collected in Austria for their carrier status of Leishmania spp.FindingsFrom 2012 to 2013 field studies were conducted in eastern Austria. Altogether, 22 individuals of sand flies were found, all morphologically identified as Phlebotomus (Transphlebotomus) mascittii Grassi, 1908. Twelve non-engorged female specimens with no visible remnants of a blood meal in their bodies were individually investigated for Leishmania spp. by ITS-1 real-time PCR. One out of these was positive for Leishmania, identified as Leishmania infantum by DNA sequencing. This finding suggests that L. infantum is not excreted by P. mascittii and possibly can establish an infection within P. mascittii. Interestingly, an asymptomatic dog living on the farm where this sand fly had been caught was also Leishmania-positive.ConclusionsThis study provides new data on the suspected vector capacity of P. mascittii, being the northernmost sand fly species in Europe and in most central European regions the only sand fly species found. Proven vector capacity of P. mascittii for Leishmania spp. would be of significant medico-veterinary importance, not only with respect to expanding sand fly populations in Central Europe related to global warming, but also in the light of globalization and increasing movements of humans.

Сортові особливості формування врожайності та якості зерна пшениці м’якої озимої залежно від ґрунтово-кліматичних умов вирощування

Сортові особливості формування врожайності та якості зерна пшениці м’якої озимої залежно від ґрунтово-кліматичних умов вирощування

FOREST AREA DERIVATION FROM SENTINEL-1 DATA

The recently launched Sentinel-1A provides the high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data with very high temporal coverage over large parts of European continent. Short revisit time and dual polarization availability supports its usability for forestry applications. The following study presents an analysis of the potential of the multi-temporal dual-polarization Sentinel-1A data for the forest area derivation using the standard methods based on Otsu thresholding and K-means clustering. Sentinel-1 data collected in winter season 2014-2015 over a test area in eastern Austria were used to derive forest area mask with spatial resolution of 10m and minimum mapping unit of 500 m<sup>2</sup>. The validation with reference forest mask derived from airborne full-waveform laser scanning data revealed overall accuracy of 92 % and kappa statistics of 0.81. Even better results can be achieved when using external mask for urban areas, which might be misclassified as forests when using the introduced approach based on SAR data only. The Sentinel-1 data and the described methods are well suited for forest change detection between consecutive years.

FOREST AREA DERIVATION FROM SENTINEL-1 DATA

Abstract. The recently launched Sentinel-1A provides the high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data with very high temporal coverage over large parts of European continent. Short revisit time and dual polarization availability supports its usability for forestry applications. The following study presents an analysis of the potential of the multi-temporal dual-polarization Sentinel-1A data for the forest area derivation using the standard methods based on Otsu thresholding and K-means clustering. Sentinel-1 data collected in winter season 2014-2015 over a test area in eastern Austria were used to derive forest area mask with spatial resolution of 10m and minimum mapping unit of 500 m2. The validation with reference forest mask derived from airborne full-waveform laser scanning data revealed overall accuracy of 92 % and kappa statistics of 0.81. Even better results can be achieved when using external mask for urban areas, which might be misclassified as forests when using the introduced approach based on SAR data only. The Sentinel-1 data and the described methods are well suited for forest change detection between consecutive years.

Uncertainty contributions to low-flow projections in Austria

Abstract. The main objective of the paper is to understand the contributions to the uncertainty in low-flow projections resulting from hydrological model uncertainty and climate projection uncertainty. Model uncertainty is quantified by different parameterisations of a conceptual semi-distributed hydrologic model (TUWmodel) using 11 objective functions in three different decades (1976–1986, 1987–1997, 1998–2008), which allows for disentangling the effect of the objective function-related uncertainty and temporal stability of model parameters. Climate projection uncertainty is quantified by four future climate scenarios (ECHAM5-A1B, A2, B1 and HADCM3-A1B) using a delta change approach. The approach is tested for 262 basins in Austria. The results indicate that the seasonality of the low-flow regime is an important factor affecting the performance of model calibration in the reference period and the uncertainty of Q95 low-flow projections in the future period. In Austria, the range of simulated Q95 in the reference period is larger in basins with a summer low-flow regime than in basins with a winter low-flow regime. The accuracy of simulated Q95 may result in a range of up to 60 % depending on the decade used for calibration. The low-flow projections of Q95 show an increase of low flows in the Alps, typically in the range of 10–30 % and a decrease in the south-eastern part of Austria mostly in the range −5 to −20 % for the climate change projected for the future period 2021–2050, relative the reference period 1978–2007. The change in seasonality varies between scenarios, but there is a tendency for earlier low flows in the northern Alps and later low flows in eastern Austria. The total uncertainty of Q95 projections is the largest in basins with a winter low-flow regime and, in some basins the range of Q95 projections exceeds 60 %. In basins with summer low flows, the total uncertainty is mostly less than 20 %. The ANOVA assessment of the relative contribution of the three main variance components (i.e. climate scenario, decade used for model calibration and calibration variant representing different objective function) to the low-flow projection uncertainty shows that in basins with summer low flows climate scenarios contribute more than 75 % to the total projection uncertainty. In basins with a winter low-flow regime, the median contribution of climate scenario, decade and objective function is 29, 13 and 13 %, respectively. The implications of the uncertainties identified in this paper for water resource management are discussed.

Summer floods shape meadow butterfly communities in a floodplain nature reserve in Central Europe

How flooding regimes shape temperate-zone butterfly communities has received little attention. At the river Danube in eastern Austria, a levee has largely interrupted natural river dynamics since the late nineteenth century. Only a fraction of the floodplain area still experiences annual summer inundations after snow-melt in the Alps. We surveyed meadow butterfly communities on either side of the levee in a year with an unusually strong flood (2013), and in a season with a weak flood typical for the region (2012). Altogether we observed 67 butterfly species. Butterfly abundance and species richness were lower on meadows with stronger flood impact, but differences were modest. In contrast, species composition differed prominently relative to flooding regime and nectar availability. Grass-feeding species tended to be rarer on flooded meadows, while Brassicaceae-feeding species were more prevalent on nutrient-rich flood-prone meadows. Highly dispersive butterflies made up a larger share on flooded meadows, whereas highly philopatric species were relatively more common at sites with little or no inundation. These results indicate that summer inundations at the river Danube act as filters for the local species composition of butterflies on floodplain meadows. Local resource availability and the differential potential of species to re-colonize meadows after catastrophic floods are likely drivers of these differences. Effects of inundations were not consistently stronger in a year of a catastrophic flood than in a normal season. Butterfly communities on non-flooded meadows had a higher regional conservation value.

Dirofilaria in Humans, Dogs, and Vectors in Austria (1978–2014)—From Imported Pathogens to the Endemicity of Dirofilaria repens

BackgroundDirofilaria repens and D. immitis are filarioid helminths with domestic and wild canids as main hosts and mosquitoes as vectors. Both species are known to cause zoonotic diseases, primarily pulmonary (D. immitis), ocular (D. repens), and subcutaneous (D. repens) dirofilariosis. Both D. immitis and D. repens are known as invasive species, and their distribution seems associated with climate change. Until very recently, both species were known to be nonendemic in Austria.Methodology and Principal FindingsMetadata on introduced and possibly autochthonous cases of infection with Dirofilaria sp. in dogs and humans in Austria are analysed, together with analyses of mosquito populations from Austria in ongoing studies.In Austria, most cases of Dirofilaria sp. in humans (30 cases of D. repens—six ocular and 24 subcutaneous) and dogs (approximately 50 cases—both D. immitis and D. repens) were most likely imported. However, occasionally infections with D. repens were discussed to be autochthonous (one human case and seven in dogs). The introduction of D. repens to Austria was confirmed very recently, as the parasite was detected in Burgenland (eastern Austria) for the first time in mosquito vectors during a surveillance program. For D. immitis, this could not be confirmed yet, but data from Germany suggest that the successful establishment of this nematode species in Austria is a credible scenario for the near future.ConclusionsThe first findings of D. repens in mosquito vectors indicate that D. repens presumably invaded in eastern Austria. Climate analyses from central Europe indicate that D. immitis also has the capacity to establish itself in the lowland regions of Austria, given that both canid and culicid hosts are present.

Ecological characterization and molecular differentiation of Culex pipiens complex taxa and Culex torrentium in eastern Austria.

BackgroundCulex pipiens complex taxa differ in behaviour, ecophysiology and epidemiologic importance. Despite their epidemiologic significance, information on genetic diversity, occurrence and seasonal and spatial distribution patterns of the Cx. pipiens complex is still insufficient. Assessment of seasonal and spatial distribution patterns of Culex pipiens forms and their congener Cx. torrentium is crucial for the understanding of their vector–pathogen dynamics.MethodsFemale mosquitoes were trapped from April–October 2014 twice a month for a 24-h time period with BG-sentinel traps at 24 sampling sites in eastern Austria, using carbon dioxide as attractant. Ecological forms of Cx. pipiens s.l. and their hybrids were differentiated using the CQ11 locus, and Cx. pipiens forms and their congener Cx. torrentium using the ACE-2 gene. Differential exploitation of ecological niches by Cx. pipiens forms and Cx. torrentium was analysed using likelihood ratio tests. Possible effects of environmental parameters on these taxa were tested using PERMANOVA based on distance matrices and, if significant, were modelled in nMDS ordination space to estimate non-linear relationships.ResultsFor this study, 1476 Culex spp. were sampled. Culex pipiens f. pipiens representing 87.33 % of the total catch was most abundant, followed by hybrids of both forms (5.62 %), Cx. torrentium (3.79 %) and Cx. pipiens f. molestus (3.25 %). Differences in proportional abundances were found between land cover classes. Ecological parameters affecting seasonal and spatial distribution of these taxa in eastern Austria are precipitation duration, air temperature, sunlight and the interaction term of precipitation amount and the Danube water level, which can be interpreted as a proxy for breeding habitat availability.ConclusionsThe Cx. pipiens complex of eastern Austria comprises both ecologically different forms, the mainly ornithophilic form pipiens and the mainly mammalophilic and anthropophilic form molestus. Heterogeneous agricultural areas as areas of coexistence may serve as hybridization zones, resulting in potential bridge vectors between birds and humans. Occurrence, seasonal and spatial distribution patterns of the Cx. pipiens complex and Cx. torrentium and the presence of hybrids between both forms were quantified for the first time in Austria. These findings will improve the knowledge of their vector–pathogen dynamics in this country.

Detection of Bartonella spp. in Ixodes ricinus ticks and Bartonella seroprevalence in human populations

Ticks are vectors for many bacterial, protozoan and viral pathogens and are potential vectors for Bartonella species. Hunters and foresters, therefore, may be regarded as high-risk groups for Bartonella infections. The aims of this study were (i) to identify Bartonella species in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in all provinces of Austria, and (ii) to determine the prevalence of antibodies to Bartonella species in hunters and blood donors in eastern Austria. A total of 515 larval, nymphal and adult I. ricinus, collected throughout Austria in 2005, were selected from the tick library at the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology of the Medical University of Vienna and screened in a specific real-time PCR that targeted a region of the ssrA gene of Bartonella species. The overall Bartonella infection rate was 2.1% (11/515) and the highest rate, 7.5% (4/53), was found in ticks from Vienna. This finding was confirmed by screening a further 60 I. ricinus collected from Vienna in 2013: of these, 6.7% (4/60) were positive for Bartonella spp. The rate of infection was always higher in adult ticks. Sequence analysis in the Bartonella-positive ticks identified several species, including B. henselae, B. doshiae and B. grahamii. To our knowledge this is the first time that these species have been identified in I. ricinus in Austria. Prevalence of IgG antibodies against B. henselae and B. quintana was determined in serum samples from hunters (100) and blood donors (100): in hunters 23% were positive for B. quintana and in 2 samples (2%), antibodies to both B. quintana and B. henselae were detected; in blood donors 22% were positive for B. quintana, 1% for B. henselae and 5% for both. These results indicate that exposure to ticks does not constitutes a relevant risk for Bartonella infection.

Assessing the impact of climate change on crop management in winter wheat – a case study for Eastern Austria

SUMMARYClimate change is expected to affect optimum agricultural management practices for autumn-sown wheat, especially those related to sowing date and nitrogen (N) fertilization. To assess the direction and quantity of these changes for an important production region in eastern Austria, the agricultural production systems simulator was parameterized, evaluated and subsequently used to predict yield production and grain protein content under current and future conditions. Besides a baseline climate (BL, 1981–2010), climate change scenarios for the period 2035–65 were derived from three Global Circulation Models (GCMs), namely CGMR, IPCM4 and MPEH5, with two emission scenarios, A1B and B1. Crop management scenarios included a combination of three sowing dates (20 September, 20 October, 20 November) with four N fertilizer application rates (60, 120, 160, 200 kg/ha). Each management scenario was run for 100 years of stochastically generated daily weather data. The model satisfactorily simulated productivity as well as water and N use of autumn- and spring-sown wheat crops grown under different N supply levels in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 experimental seasons. Simulated wheat yields under climate change scenarios varied substantially among the three GCMs. While wheat yields for the CGMR model increased slightly above the BL scenario, under IPCM4 projections they were reduced by 29 and 32% with low or high emissions, respectively. Wheat protein appears to increase with highest increments in the climate scenarios causing the largest reductions in grain yield (IPCM4 and MPEH-A1B). Under future climatic conditions, maximum wheat yields were predicted for early sowing (September 20) with 160 kg N/ha applied at earlier dates than the current practice.

Concentrations and uptake of micronutrients by oat and pea in intercrops in response to N fertilization and sowing ratio

SummaryIntercropping is of increasing interest in temperate regions. This study assessed the influence of nitrogen (N) fertilization and sowing ratio on concentrations and uptake of micronutrients copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) in grain and residue of oat and pea in three substitutive intercrops on a fertile soil in eastern Austria. N increased grain concentrations of Cu and Zn in oat and pea but decreased the nutrient harvest indices especially for pea. Intercropping did not affect grain concentrations of oat but those of pea were increased in one year in intercrops with a lower pea share. Residue concentrations of Cu and Zn in oat were increased in intercrops with lower oat share. Pea residue concentrations of all four micronutrients were affected by intercropping. Slightly higher grain nutrient yields could be obtained for Mn and Zn in oat-dominated unfertilized intercrops, whereas the residue micronutrient yields were higher in all intercrops compared to pure stands because of generally higher nutrient concentrations in intercrops. Consequently, advantages of oat–pea intercrops for increasing micronutrient yield in grain were limited, but intercropping can be a strategy for increasing the micronutrient yield in residue that can be used for ruminant feeding.

Concentrations and uptake of macronutrients by oat and pea in intercrops in response to N fertilization and sowing ratio

ABSTRACTIntercropping is of increasing interest in temperate-arable farming systems. The influence of nitrogen (N) fertilization and sowing ratio on concentrations and uptake of calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) by oat and pea was assessed in three substitutive intercrops on a fertile soil in eastern Austria. N decreased Ca in oat grain and increased P in pea grain as well as Ca and Mg in oat residue and Mg and P in pea residue. Intercropping did not affect nutrient concentrations of oat grain, whereas a lower pea share in intercrops increased P in pea grain. In residue, Ca, K and Mg concentrations were higher in oat and Ca and K partly lower in pea with a lower share of each crop. The oat-dominated intercrops could partly achieve a slightly higher total grain nutrient yield than pure stands at no or low N; however, these benefits diminished with a higher pea share and N input. In comparison to pure stands, higher residue nutrient yields were obtained by intercropping in all sowing ratios and fertilization levels. Consequently, oat–pea intercropping can be a strategy for increasing the macronutrient yield of grain and especially of residue for ruminant feeding.

The Plankogel detachment of the Eastern Alps: petrological evidence for an orogen‐scale extraction fault

AbstractThe so‐called Plankogel detachment is an east‐west trending, south‐dipping low‐angle structure that juxtaposes the high‐P rocks of the eclogite type locality of the eastern European Alps against amphibolite facies rocks to the south. It occurs in both the Saualpe and Koralpe Complex in eastern Austria. During Cretaceous intracontinental subduction, the footwall and the hangingwall units of the Plankogel detachment were buried to different crustal levels as inferred by pseudosection modelling and conventional thermobarometry: ~23–24 kbar and 640–690 °C for the eclogite facies units in the footwall of the detachment and ~12–14 kbar and 550–580 °C for the amphibolite facies metapelites in the hangingwall. Despite the different peak metamorphic conditions, both sides of the detachment display a common overprint at conditions of ~10 kbar and 580–650 °C. From this, we infer a two‐stage exhumation process and suggest that this two‐stage process is best interpreted tectonically in terms of slab extraction during Eoalpine subduction. The first stage of exhumation occurred due to the downward (southward) extraction of a lithospheric slab that was localized in the trace of the Plankogel detachment. The later stage, however, is attributed to more regional erosion‐ or extension‐driven processes. Since the Plankogel detachment is geometrically related to a crustal‐scale shear zone further north (the Plattengneiss shear zone), we suggest that both structures are part of the same extraction fault system along which the syn‐collisional exhumation of the Eoalpine high‐P units of the Eastern Alps occurred. The suggested model is consistent with both the mylonitic texture of the Plattengneiss shear zone and the overall ambiguous shear sense indicators present in the entire region.

The burden of malignant melanoma – Lessons to be learned from Austria

Aim of studyIncidence rates of melanoma, generated by cancer registries (CRs), are susceptible to reporting inconsistencies due to increasing decentralisation of diagnosis. We therefore independently assessed the burden of melanoma in Austria. MethodsWe collected histopathological reports on melanoma of all patients diagnosed in Austria in 2011. Demographic and clinical characteristics, histopathological tumour stages were assessed. Their regional distributions and incidence rates were analysed and compared with data of national and international CRs. ResultsA total of 5246 patients were diagnosed with 1951 in-situ and 3295 invasive melanomas in Austria in 2011 (population 8.4 million). Age, sex and anatomic distribution corresponded to findings in other European countries, however, the incidence of 25/100,000 (world age-standardised rate) for invasive melanomas was two-fold higher than published by the Austrian CR (12/100,000). Varying frequencies in diagnosing thin melanomas (≤1 mm; n = 4415) accounted exclusively for significant regional disparities, while advanced tumours (>1 mm; n = 761) were evenly distributed. Western Austria showed the highest rates (36/100,000). Patients from eastern Austria whose melanomas were diagnosed in laboratories in western Austria (n = 76) showed significantly higher proportions of in-situ lesions (n = 43; 57%) compared to those whose tumours were diagnosed in eastern Austria (n = 4014; in-situ = 1369; 34%) (p < 0.0001). ConclusionsIn Austria, the melanoma burden and its potential socio-economic implications are significantly underestimated. Similarities of incidences indicate this could affect other European countries with well-established CRs and compromise international comparability of data. Austrian regional disparities suggest overdiagnosis of thin melanomas due to the variability of pathologists' thresholds for the diagnosis of early stage tumours.

The influence of mowing regime on the soil seed bank of the invasive plant Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.

Ambrosia artemisiifolia is an invasive annual herb infamous for the high allergenicity of its pollen, which is related to increasing medical costs. Additionally, it can cause serious yield losses as agricultural weed. Common ragweed seeds accumulate in the soil and can remain therein viable for decades, which poses a problem for the sustainable management of these populations. A long term management should thus target a reduction of the soil seed bank. We observed the influence of four different mowing regimes on the ragweed soil seed bank at six roadside populations in eastern Austria. The mowing regimes were based on methods from common roadside management practice and specifically adapted to reduce seed produc tion. After three years of application, the soil seed bank was indeed reduced by 45 to 80 percent through three of the four mowing regimes tested. Therefore, we suggest that the best mowing regime for the most effective reduction of the size of the soil seed bank is the one consisting of one cut just after the beginning of female flowering (around the 3 rd week of August in Eastern Central Europe), followed by a second cut 2–3 weeks later.

Microbially-driven formation of Cenozoic siderite and calcite concretions from eastern Austria

Microbially-driven formation of Cenozoic siderite and calcite concretions from eastern Austria

The Application of the Multi-Layered Chert Sourcing Approach (MLA) for the Characterisation and Differentiation of ‘Chocolate Silicites’ from the Holy Cross Mountains, South-Central Poland

Chocolate silicites from the Świetokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mountains in south-central Poland were widely used for stone tool production from Middle Palaeolithic times to the Early Iron Age. Their presence extends beyond Poland into lithic assemblages from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and eastern Austria. Outcrops of this material are situated within a narrow strip of Mesozoic (Upper Jurassic) sediments at the northeastern footslopes of the Holy Cross Mountains. Attempts of a raw material characterisation were repeatedly undertaken, however, a clear differentiation of the visually defined subvarieties was never achieved. For the present study, we applied the Multi-Layered Chert Sourcing Approach (MLA) by combining macroscopic, microscopic and geochemical analyses using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to samples from five chocolate silicite deposits in order to characterise the materials and to assess the potential of a source differentiation. Secondly, we included chert samples from Sąspow near Krakow for differentiation on a larger scale. Our results illustrate that a source separation of Holy Cross Mountains chocolate silicites is possible to a certain extent – there are limitations due to their geographic proximity and the resulting similar geologic genesis environments. However, our study showed clear possibilities to differentiate chocolate silicites from Jurassic-Krakow silicites based on characteristic microfossil inclusions and trace element contents.