Geological Context Research Articles

Neotropics as a Cradle for Adaptive Radiations.

Neotropical ecosystems are renowned for numerous examples of adaptive radiation in both plants and animals resulting in high levels of biodiversity and endemism. However, we still lack a comprehensive review of the abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to these adaptive radiations. To fill this gap, we delve into the geological history of the region, including the role of tectonic events such as the Andean uplift, the formation of the Isthmus of Panama, and the emergence of the Guiana and Brazilian Shields. We also explore the role of ecological opportunities created by the emergence of new habitats, as well as the role of key innovations, such as novel feeding strategies or reproductive mechanisms. We discuss different examples of adaptive radiation, including classic ones like Darwin's finches and Anolis lizards, and more recent ones like bromeliads and lupines. Finally, we propose new examples of adaptive radiations mediated by ecological interactions in their geological context. By doing so, we provide insights into the complex interplay of factors that contributed to the remarkable diversity of life in the Neotropics and highlight the importance of this region in understanding the origins of biodiversity.

Characterizing Natural Hydrogen Occurrences in the Paris Basin From Historical Drilling Records

AbstractThis study investigates natural hydrogen (H2) occurrences in the Paris Basin, using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to analyze an extensive, yet underexploited, database that contains historic drilling records. The potential of natural hydrogen has been largely unexplored in conventional oil and gas wells. Utilizing the in‐house CVAGeoDB database based on public well data, which includes well logs, mudlogs, and End Drilling Reports (EDRs) in PDF image format, we applied the Tesseract‐OCR Engine to convert these documents into searchable formats for efficient data analysis. Our analysis revealed several H2‐bearing wells across French sedimentary basins. The hydrogen occurrences in the Aquitaine Basin may be explained by the geological context and in particular the presence of a mantle body at shallow depth. On the contrary, the detection of H2 in the Paris Basin cannot be explained in a straightforward manner as the presence of ultramafic or U‐rich rocks is poorly documented so far. In the Paris Basin, H2 has been detected in four main formations: the Lusitanian, the Dogger, and Triassic aquifers as well as in the basement. The highest hydrogen concentration (52 vol%) was measured in the Dogger aquifer. These wells are primarily located along the Bray Fault, indicating at least a structural influence on H2 distribution. Finaly, the presence of serpentinzed dunite from the Lizard complex associated with the bedrock may have played the role as a source for H2. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of OCR in reassessing historical drilling data for natural hydrogen exploration, highlighting the need for comprehensive exploration methodologies in this emerging field.

Ubiquitous but unique: Water depth and oceanographic attributes shape methane seep communities

AbstractIn the past decade, thousands of previously unknown methane seeps have been identified on continental margins around the world. As we have come to appreciate methane seep habitats to be abundant components of marine ecosystems, we have also realized they are highly dynamic in nature. With a focus on discrete depth ranges across the Cascadia Margin, we work to further unravel the drivers of seep‐associated microbial community structure. We found highly heterogenous environments, with depth as a deterministic factor in community structure. This was associated with multiple variables that covaried with depth, including surface production, prevailing oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), and geologic and hydrographic context. Development of megafaunal seep communities appeared limited in shallow depth zones (~ 200 m). However, this effect did not extend to the structure or function of microbial communities. Siboglinid tubeworms were restricted to water depths > 1000 m, and we posit this deep distribution is driven by the prevailing OMZ limiting dispersal. Microbial community composition and distribution covaried most significantly with depth, but variables including oxygen concentration, habitat type, and organic matter, as well as iron and methane concentration, also explained the distribution of the microbial seep taxa. While members of the core seep microbiome were seen across sites, there was a high abundance of microbial taxa not previously considered within the seep microbiome as well. Our work highlights the multifaceted aspects that drive community composition beyond localized methane flux and depth, where environmental diversity adds to margin biodiversity in seep systems.

SPT approach for assessing mechanical properties of materials

The Round Robin Test of the Small Punch Test (SPT) method represents a critical step in establishing its reliability and applicability for assessing the mechanical properties of materials used in power plants. The mechanical properties of materials, such as strength and deformation characteristics, are of paramount importance in ensuring the structural integrity and safety of power generation facilities. The SPT method, a widely adopted in-situ testing technique, holds promise as a cost-effective means of evaluating these properties. However, its precision and consistency in different geological and operational contexts remain subjects of investigation. This study presents the results and findings from a comprehensive Round Robin Test aimed at rigorously assessing the SPT method's performance and suitability for characterizing materials within power plants. Multiple testing campaigns were conducted across diverse sites and material conditions, encompassing varying geological formations, moisture content, and temperature ranges. The objective was to evaluate the SPT method's repeatability, reproducibility, and accuracy in different operational environments.

Increasing the Usability and Accessibility of Voyager 2 Images of Triton

Much of what we know about Neptune’s moon Triton was inferred from the analysis of images returned by the Voyager 2 mission, the only spacecraft to have visited that putative ocean world. Unfortunately, the highest-resolution images (scales < 2 km pixel−1) are difficult to use because they are only available in nonstandard formats, and the locations of the images on Triton’s surface are incorrect by up to 200 km. Although image mosaics of Triton are publicly available, these do not include the highest-resolution data. Here we describe our effort to improve the usability and accessibility of Voyager 2 images of Triton. We used the USGS’s ISIS software to process 41 Triton images, including geometric calibration, radiometric calibration, and reseau removal. We improved the image locations using a photogrammetric control network with 958 points and 3910 image measurements. Least-squares bundle adjustment of the network yielded rms uncertainty of 0.50, 0.52, and 0.51 pixels in latitude, longitude, and radius, respectively, and maximum residuals of −4.21 and +3.20 pixels, respectively. Image-to-image alignment is therefore vastly improved. We have released these processed images as cloud-optimized GeoTIFFs in orthographic projection at the original pixel scale of each image. Associated mosaics have also been created and released to provide geologic context for the individual images. These products provide the science community with analysis-ready data that enable new investigations of Triton, increase accessibility to this unique data set, and continue to enhance the scientific return from the Voyager 2 mission.

The Petrographic Characteristics and U-Pb Zircon Isotope Age of Felsic Extrusive Rocks in the Western Thanh Hoa Area, Song Ma Suture Zone

Felsic extrusive rocks are widely distributed in the western region of Thanh Hoa, primarily comprising rhyolite and rhyolitic tuff formations. They show porphyritic textures, and are composed of 15–25% phenocrysts and 75–85% groundmass. Phenocrysts are mainly euhedral–subhedral plagioclase (5-10 vol.%), K-feldspar (5-10 vol.%) and quartz (5-10 vol.%). The groundmass consists of plagioclase (30-45 vol.%), K-feldspar (25-40 vol.%), quartz (30-40 vol.%), and minor biotite with random distribution. In terms of geological context, these extrusive rocks overlie Silurian-Devonian sequences of sandstone and siltstone interbedded with shale and limestone lenses, and were intruded by the Early Triassic granite of the Song Ma complex. Zircons selected from rhyolite were LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dated, yielding an age of 253 Ma. This age is the timing of the magma crystallization, corresponding to the Late Permian - Early Triassic Indosinian tectonomagmatic event. These findings together with historical study results, prove that the Indosinian magmatic event widely occurred in the Truong Son belt, the Song Ma domain and the Kon Tum area. The eruption of the rhyolite is linked to the amalgamation between the South China and Indochina blocks.

Seismic Anisotropy and Deep Crustal Deformation Across Alaska

AbstractBased on a new seismic surface wave data set, we present a model of Alaskan crustal seismic anisotropy that provides new insight into Alaska's geographically diverse deformation history. We use both Rayleigh and Love wave isotropic phase speed and Rayleigh wave azimuthal anisotropy to estimate crustal anisotropy. Unlike traditional seismic tomography, which focuses on apparent seismic anisotropy in which the symmetry axis of anisotropy is assumed to be known, we resolve the spatial variation of inherent anisotropy by inferring the depth‐dependent tilt of the hexagonally symmetric elastic tensor. The amplitude of inherent anisotropy is typically stronger in the lower than the upper crust. We principally interpret the dip angle (plunge of the symmetry axis) or the tilt of the anisotropy foliation plane, which reflects the influence of vertically and/or horizontally oriented structures or deformation. The depth variation of crustal anisotropy appears in four principal motifs that partition Alaska into six distinct geographical regions, which display characteristic dip angle patterns in the upper and lower crust. By considering geological context, we discuss how each region reflects active or historical crustal deformation.

Geologic context of Chang'e-6 candidate landing regions and potential non-mare materials in the returned samples

Our understanding of the lunar farside from orbital remote sensing is limited by the lack of ground-truth constraints from returned samples. China's Chang'e-6 (CE-6) mission plans to land at the southern rim of the Apollo basin in the South Pole-Aitken basin on the lunar farside and return ∼2 kg samples. In this study, we conduct analyses on the local geological context of the CE-6 candidate landing regions, with a focus on the non-mare ejecta. The CE-6 candidate landing region has been divided into three subunits. According to our analyses, the northeastern subunit is adjacent to the lowest elevation (and one of the highest excavation depth) of this region where the materials from the deepest crust may exist. The northwestern subunit is affected by the magnesian ejecta from young crater. Returning these non-mare ejecta will provide key insights into the magnesian lithologies that occurred in the lunar farside, whose petrogenesis is long debated. As for the southern light plains unit, a topographic positive feature (unofficially termed as Mons White) located at the west of the light plains is identified in this work. Three scenarios were proposed for its origin: (1) A volcanic complex built on special magmatism in the SPA basin; (2) Remnants of the central uplift of an ancient impact basin; (3) Target surface folded and uplifted by the Apollo basin impact event. Gradual lithological variations in the Mons White are discovered. The White crater has likely ejected materials with these gradual lithologies into the CE-6 candidate landing regions. The Orientale basin ejecta also exists on the light plains. These non-mare materials, if could be sampled by the CE-6 mission, will significantly help refine the lunar chronostratigraphic system from the pre-Nectarian/Aitkenian to the late Imbrian. Thus, we suggest that landing on the southern light plains will achieve the maximum scientific outcomes for the CE-6 mission, from a perspective of sample diversity.

Satellite Time-Series Analysis for Thermal Anomaly Detection in the Naples Urban Area, Italy

Naples is the most densely populated Italian city (7744 inhabitants per km2). It is located in a particular geological context: the presence of Mt Vesuvius characterizes the eastern part, and the western part is characterized by the presence of the Phlegrean Fields, making Naples a high-geothermal-gradient region. This endogenous heat, combined with the anthropogenic heat due to intense urbanization, has defined Naples as an ideal location for Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) analysis. SUHI analysis was effectuated by acquiring the Land Surface Temperature (LST) over Naples municipality by processing Landsat 8 (L8) Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) images in the 2013–2023 time series by employing Google Earth Engine (GEE). In GEE, two different approaches have been followed to analyze thermal images, starting from the Statistical Mono Window (SMW) algorithm, which computes the LST based on the brightness temperature (Tb), the emissivity value, and the atmospheric correction coefficients. The first one is used for the LST retrieval from daytime images; here, the emissivity component is derived using, firstly, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and then the Vegetation Cover Method (VCM), defining the Land Surface Emissivity (LSɛ), which considers solar radiation as the main source of energy. The second approach is used for the LST retrieval from nighttime images, where the emissivity is directly estimated from the Advance Spaceborne Thermal Emission Radiometer database (ASTER-GED), as, during nighttime without solar radiation, the main source of energy is the energy emitted by the Earth’s surface. From these two different algorithms, 123 usable daytime and nighttime LST images were downloaded from GEE and analyzed in Quantum GIS (QGIS). The results show that the SUHI is more concentrated in the eastern part, characterized by intense urbanization, as shown by the Corine Land Cover (CLC). At the same time, lower SUHI intensity is detected in the western part, defined by the Land Cover (LC) vegetated class. Also, in the analysis, we highlighted 40 spots (10 hotspots and 10 coldspots, both for daytime and nighttime collection) that present positive or negative temperature peaks for all the time series. Due to the huge amount of data, this work considered only the five representative spots that were most representative for SUHI analysis and determination of thermal anomalies in the urban environment.

Complementarity of Hf isotopes from detrital and igneous zircon: an example from the Central Gneiss Belt, Grenville Province, Ontario

Combined U–Pb and Hf isotopic analysis of detrital and igneous zircon provides information about variations in crustal addition versus reworking through time. However, whereas detrital zircon data from only a few samples can provide information about extended periods of orogenic activity, this approach lacks the geological context that comes with studying igneous zircon and may not record mid- and deep-crustal sources or sources isolated from sites of deposition. Conversely, igneous zircon is likely to miss sources that were removed by later tectonic activity, but which may be preserved in the detrital record. The Central Gneiss Belt of the southwest Grenville Province in Ontario has a relatively well-understood orogenic architecture and records active-margin growth and reworking between ca. 1900 and 1200 Ma. We present U–Pb and Hf isotope data of zircon from 30 orthogneiss samples ranging in age from ca. 1750 to 1250 Ma, covering all tectonostratigraphic levels of the Central Gneiss Belt. As expected, the detrital and igneous datasets display many of the same overall features, such as crustal growth along the southwest Laurentian active margin; however, there are also some distinct differences. In particular, sedimentation appears to have taken place near the active margin, with little or no input from distal inboard sources, thus missing this significant component of reworked crust. This study highlights the need for a combination of detrital and igneous samples to provide the most complete picture of long-lived accretionary orogenic systems.

Fingerprinting Ceramics from the Chalcolithic Santa Vitória Enclosure (SW Iberia)

The Santa Vitória Chalcolithic site (southern Portugal) prompts several questions related to the provenance and production technology of artefacts. Archaeological ceramics from two sections of Ditch 1 of the Santa Vitória site were studied by neutron activation analysis and X-ray diffraction for the first time, with the main goal of contributing to the contextualization of the artefacts and better understanding their production processes/technologies and the provenance of raw materials. The results point to a local production of ceramics, since their mineral phases reflect the geological contexts around the archaeological site. The mineralogical assemblage indicates a firing temperature below 850 °C. Iron is the better discriminator of ceramics from both sections, which could be related to the addition of different proportions of temper grains during the ceramics’ production. Although trace elements do not serve as discriminating geochemical indicators for the analyzed samples, they do imply a slightly higher heterogeneity in the composition of the ceramic paste from section 2. The negative Eu anomaly found in two samples is in accordance with the lower contents of Na2O, related to plagioclase weathering. Detailed studies on ceramics and potential raw materials are foreseen to assist in discussing the role of this Chalcolithic archaeological site at a regional level.

Soil quality assessment in low human activity disturbance zones: a study on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, located at the Third Pole and known as the "Asian water tower," serves as a crucial ecological barrier for China. Grasping the soil quality on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau holds paramount importance for the rational and scientific exploitation of soil resources within the region and is essential for vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction. This study, conducted in Maqin County, Qinghai Province, collected 1647 soil samples (0-20cm) within a study area of 6300km2. Sixteen soil indicators were selected that were split into beneficial (N, P, S, and B), harmful (Cr, Hg, As, Pb, Ni, and Cd), and essential (Cu, Zn, Se, Ga, K, and Ca) elements. The Soil Quality Index (SQI) was computed to assess soil quality across diverse geological contexts, land cover classifications, and soil profiles. The results indicate that the overall SQI in the study area was comparatively high, with most regions having an SQI between 0.4 and 0.6, categorized as moderately to highly satisfactory. Among the different geological backgrounds, the highest SQI was found in the Quaternary alluvium (0.555) and the lowest in the Precambrian Jinshuikou Formation (0.481). Regarding different land-use types, the highest SQI was observed in glacier- and snow-covered areas (0.582) and the lowest in other types of grassland (0.461). The highest SQI was recorded in typical alpine meadow soil (0.521) and the lowest in leached brown soil (0.460). The evaluation results have significant reference value for the sustainable utilization and management of soil in Maqin County, Qinghai Province, China.

Comment on: Fürsich et al., 2023, Miocene instead of Jurassic: the importance of sound fieldwork for paleontological data analysis

Abstract We published a series of papers regarding the oldest turritellids, naticids, their paleoecological interaction, and gastropod biozonation, which are of Oxfordian in age, from the Jhura pond section, Kutch, western India. Recently, an Oxfordian age was challenged by Fürsich et al. (2023) and they argued for a Cenozoic age. The authors reproduced a local geological map based on regional data where the Jhura pond section sediments were overlying the Bhuj Formation. In the original regional data, there was no Bhuj Formation and the introduction of the Bhuj Formation served to show that Jhura pond section sediments were “allochthonous”. Other lines of argument against our conclusions (e.g., identification of associated bivalve fauna, foraminiferal assemblage, and geological context) were brought forward. There were additional inconsistencies, such as the reworking of Oxfordian fossils, in their comment/opinion pieces. The only hard evidence was the report of a microfaunal assemblage, but the taxa were identified at the generic level and most of the genera appear in the Jurassic or even earlier. Here we provide detailed and concrete evidence explaining features at the Jhura pond section, such as the subvertical nature of the beds, the ooid-bearing lithologies, the presence of various Oxfordian fossils, the difference in turritellids, naticid assemblages, and differences in the diversity curves between the present beds and the lower Miocene Chhasra Formation of Kutch. Detailed paleoecological analyses (both gastropods and bivalves) speak for two paleocommunities. We, therefore, reiterate that the present Jhura pond section sediments are Oxfordian in age and validate all the interpretations and conclusions that we have made in our previous papers.

Emplacement of shergottites in the Martian crust inferred from three‐dimensional petrofabric and crystal size distribution analyses

AbstractShergottites are mafic to ultramafic igneous rocks that represent the majority of known Martian meteorites. They are subdivided into gabbroic, poikilitic, basaltic, and olivine–phyric categories based on differences in mineralogy and textures. Their geologic contexts are unknown, so analyses of crystal sizes and preferred orientations have commonly been used to infer where shergottites solidified. Such environments range from subsurface cumulates to shallow intrusives to extrusive lava flows, which all have contrasting implications for interactions with crustal material, cooling histories, and potential in situ exposure at the surface. In this study, we present a novel three‐dimensional (3‐D) approach to better understand the solidification environments of these samples and improve our knowledge of shergottites' geologic contexts. Shape preferred orientations of most phases and crystal size distributions of late‐forming minerals were measured in 3‐D using X‐ray computed tomography (CT) on eight shergottites representing the gabbroic, poikilitic, basaltic, and olivine–phyric categories. Our analyses show that highly anisotropic, rod‐like pyroxene crystals are strongly foliated in the gabbroic samples but have a weaker foliation and a mild lineation in the basaltic sample, indicating a directional flow component in the latter. Star volume distribution analyses revealed that most phases (maskelynite, pyroxene, olivine, and oxides/sulfides) preserve a foliated texture with variable strengths, and that the phases within individual samples are strongly to moderately aligned with respect to one another. In combination with relative cooling rates during the final stages of crystallization determined from interstitial oxide/sulfide crystal size distribution analyses, these results indicate that the olivine–phyric samples were emplaced as shallow intrusives (e.g., dikes/sills) and that the gabbroic, poikilitic, and basaltic samples were emplaced in deeper subsurface environments.

Hydrochemistry and Contamination in Sedimentary and Fractured-Rock Aquifers of The Upper Rio Negro Basin – Amazonas/Brazil

The Amazon region has the largest hydrographic network on the planet. However, cities and communities along rivers obtain water from tube wells without studying the chemical quality and, consequently, the potability of their water. In specific geological contexts, there is a significant probability of natural contamination by arsenic in groundwater in the region, already attested in previous works in the Solimões, Madeira and Amazonas rivers basins, but not yet found in the Negro river basin. As the Negro is the second largest river in the Amazon Basin, it has become necessary to study the chemical quality of its groundwater, relating it to the geology of the region. In this work, water samples were collected from 21 wells and 4 water springs used for human consumption, following the protocols proposed by the US – EPA. In the field, the physicochemical parameters of the in-situ water were measured, and alkalinity tests were carried out on the samples. The cations were analyzed at INPA and the anions at the Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB). From the 25 samples, 16 had analises results within acceptable ionic balance values, and 12 of the 16 had at least one of the following elements in concentration above World Health Organization and Brazilian Guideline Values: Al, As, Fe, Mn and Pb. The presence of values below the GV, but above what is considered natural, of NO3- in 66% of the contaminated points, associated with the shallow depth of most of the wells, installed in areas of recent sedimentary deposits and that do not show any or few signs of care demonstrate that the contamination in these localities is of anthropic origin. Two samples (16% of the contaminated samples) are from deep wells installed in fractured aquifers, which in this case indicate contamination of geogenic origin. Arsenic was found in association with iron and aluminum in a well installed in alluvial sediments, which indicates that more studies are needed for this specific geologic formation to know the quality of this water. For other locations and cities, short, medium and long-term measures are needed to prevent anthropogenic contamination of aquifers.

Modeled versus Experimental Salt Mixture Behavior under Variable Humidity.

This study investigates the kinetics of salt mixture crystallization under relative humidity (RH) conditions, varying between 15 and 95% (at 20 °C), to inform applications in built heritage preservation, geology, and environmental sciences. We focused on commonly found, sulfate-rich and calcium-rich salt mixtures containing five to six ions, Cl-, NO3-, Na+, and K+, including or excluding less common Mg2+, and including either an excess of SO42- or Ca2+, with respect to gypsum. Using time-lapse micrographs and dynamic vapor sorption, we explore how crystallization and dissolution behavior depend on RH and mixture composition under constant temperature. A range of RH change rates were studied to simulate realistic weather events. Microstructural analyses through environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) confirmed the crystal habit corresponding with RH transitions. Phases predicted from thermodynamic modeling (ECOS/RUNSALT) were confirmed using micro-Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and elemental mapping via energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). We identify a strong correlation between phase transition kinetics and RH change rates, with crystallization deviating by -15% and dissolution by +7% from modeled values under rapid (several seconds) and slow (several days) RH changes. These insights are important for preservation strategies in built heritage, salt deposition, and dissolution mechanisms in diverse geological and realistic environmental contexts, laboratory experiments, future modeling efforts, and the understanding of stone decay in general.

Cretaceous beetles of the Jinju Formation (Coleoptera): An overview of the Jinju Formation, its coleopteran diversity, and past and future research

Several Coleoptera fossils, including Coptoclavidae, Elateridae, Ommatidae, and Staphylinidae, were previously described from the Jinju Formation (Albian), South Korea. However, numerous beetle fossils require further research to fully understand the biodiversity of this important Cretaceous deposit. In this study, we present an overview of the diversity of Coleoptera from the Jinju Formation. Future studies on beetles of the Jinju Formation will be divided into several parts corresponding to the major lineages found in this Albian deposit. In this first part, we introduce the geological context, review previous studies related to Coleoptera fossils from the Jinju Formation, and present specimens that will undergo detailed examination in subsequent papers.

The high-resolution map of Oxia Planum, Mars; the landing site of the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission

ABSTRACT This 1:30,000 scale geological map describes Oxia Planum, Mars, the landing site for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission. The map represents our current understanding of bedrock units and their relationships prior to Rosalind Franklin’s exploration of this location. The map details 15 bedrock units organised into 6 groups and 7 textural and surficial units. The bedrock units were identified using visible and near-infrared remote sensing datasets. The objectives of this map are (i) to identify where the most astrobiologically relevant rocks are likely to be found, (ii) to show where hypotheses about their geological context (within Oxia Planum and in the wider geological history of Mars) can be tested, (iii) to inform both the long-term (hundreds of metres to ∼1 km) and the short-term (tens of metres) activity planning for rover exploration, and (iv) to allow the samples analysed by the rover to be interpreted within their regional geological context.

The maximum extent of the Odranian Glaciation (Saalian, MIS 6) in the South Podlasie Lowland (SE Poland) in the light of sites with lacustrine deposits of the Mazovian Interglacial

Based on the analysis of the geological context and palynological studies performed on lake and bog sediments in the Southern Podlasie Lowland, a new concept of the maximum extent of the Odranian Glaciation (Saalian, MIS 6) is presented for the study area. It is depicted by the Siedlce−Łosice−Kornica zone of end moraines, which so far was considered as stadial-rank or as the Wartanian ice sheet limit. To the south of this zone, near Biała Podlaska and in the Łuków Plain, there occur numerous sites with fossil deposits of the Mazovian Interglacial (MIS 11c). Sites with new documentation, i.e., Wólka Domaszewska, Kolonia Bystrzycka, Przytulin, Hermanów, and Skrzynka are located about 30 km to the south and 60 km to the west of the Biała Podlaska area. Palynological analysis unequivocally indicates the presence of a vegetation succession characteristic of the Mazovian Interglacial. In all sites, deposits of the Mazovian Interglacial are covered by lacustrine sediments of the Liviecian Glaciation (Fuhne, MIS 11b-MIS 10) or mineral sediments of the Vistulian Glaciation (Weichselian, MIS 2) and the Holocene. The sediments infill paleolakes carved in glacial tills of the Sanian 2 Glaciation (MIS 12). The lake sediments of the Mazovian Interglacial and the overlying biogenic and mineral deposits occur in the analysed sites directly below the surface. They are never covered by glacial deposits, which suggests that the Odranian ice sheet did not cover the study area. The location of the lake and bog sites with their geological analysis allow for the precise depiction of the eastern limit of the Odranian ice sheet lobe, which in the study area correlates with the limit suggested in the late 19th century. The Odranian ice sheet did not cover Southern Podlasie.

Use and Recovery of Extractive Waste and Tailings for Sustainable Raw Materials Supply

Extractive waste (EW), including tailings, is produced in large quantities during mining activities. In recent years, the linear economic model (“take-use-and-throw” approach) has been replaced by a circular approach, emphasizing the sustainable use and recovery of EW. The development of innovative protocols, such as Best Available Techniques (BATs), which aim at the technological and process improvement of more sustainable mining activities and at the production of renewable, highly performing green materials, has led to technological advancements, expertise in sustainability, and a reduced ecological footprint, potentially causing positive economic and social impacts and reducing environmental ones. Extractive waste and tailings, if suitably characterized, can be used to improve and make sustainable the works connected to the management of mining activities. The qualitative–quantitative characterization of EW is essential for subsequent reuse and for assessing the risk to human health and the extent of environmental impacts in the various matrices. The application areas vary according to the type of waste and mining tailings, the morphological characteristics of the deposits, and the geological, geomorphological, and logistic context of the area. Integrated protocols for sustainable EW exploitation and positive impacts on the economic, environmental, and technological/social level are analyzed. The present paper aims at providing an overview of challenges and potentialities connected to extractive waste (EW) management and potential exploitation to recover raw materials (RM), critical raw materials (CRM), and secondary raw materials (SRM).