Western Periphery Research Articles

Spatial and Temporal Characteristics and Driving Force Analysis of Ecological Environmental Quality in Fengfeng Mining Area with Remote Sensing Ecological Index of PM2.5 Concentration

The Fengfeng mining area is an important coal-producing area in China and crucial environmental problems have been caused by large-scale exploitation of coal mines. The spatio-temporal evolution and driving factors of the ecological environment quality in this area must be explored for promoting the transformation of coal-based cities. Based on Landsat data of the Google earth engine （GEE） platform, this study constructed a new remote sensing-based ecological index （RSEInew） for the Fengfeng mining area from 2000 to 2020. The spatial and temporal evolution of RSEInew and its driving factors were evaluated by using trend analysis and geographic detector methods. The results showed that： ① From 2000 to 2020, the RSEInew of the Fengfeng mining area presented a fluctuating increasing trend （trend = 0.002 2）, and the proportion of good and excellent ecological environmental quality showed an increasing trend, rising from 24.80% in 2000 to 65.54% in 2020. ② The change in the RSEInew grade indicated that the proportion of significant improvement （3 and 4） of ecological environment quality grade in the Fengfeng Mining area from 2000 to 2020 was 10.21%, which was mainly distributed in Hexun town and Yijing town in the northwest of the Fengfeng mining area. The proportion of significant degradation （-3 and -4） was only 1.58%, mainly scattered in Linshui town and Dashe town. ③ RSEInew values increased significantly during 2000-2020 in the area accounting for 18.29%, mainly distributed in the central and northern areas and the western fringe of the Fengfeng mining area. The significantly reduced area accounted for 9.25%, mainly concentrated in the eastern area of the Fengfeng mining area. The coefficient of variation results showed that the areas with high fluctuation of RSEInew were mainly concentrated in Pengcheng town and Linshui town in the middle and eastern Fengfeng mining area. ④ From the perspective of influencing factors, the average q value of land use type （X6） during 2000-2020 was 0.290, which was much higher than other factors. The q value of social and economic factors showed an increasing trend, indicating that the spatial distribution of ecological environment quality in this region was increasingly strongly influenced by human activities. The interaction results showed that land use change was the key factor influencing ecological environment quality in the Fengfeng mining area.

Living by the land, gazing at the sea: Hominin occupation of near-coastal landscapes on the western periphery of the Red Sea

The paper examines recently reported Acheulean and Middle Stone Age archaeological occurrences in near-coastal plains on the western periphery of the Red Sea (Sudanese coast) with the aim of illuminating the role of the region in hominin survival, and possibly as an out-of-Africa dispersal conduit. Using a Viewshed analysis in ArcGIS, the study sought to assess the extent to which the seashore may have been visible from the archaeology-bearing localities during conditions similar to the present or those more humid interglacial phases than today. The purpose of the Viewshed analysis is to gauge the range of habitat-options hominins had on the western periphery of the Red Sea. The result demonstrates that the seashore would have been visible from most of the archaeological sites. Thus, it is reasonable to surmise that the coastal margin may have remained an integral part of the space exploited by the hominins that inhabited the nearby inland plains. However, the observation cannot be regarded as attesting all the areas deemed visible were necessarily exploited by hominins. Overall, the archaeological evidence from the study area broadens our understanding of the range of environments hominins occupied in Africa prior to and during their expansion to Eurasia. A proximate goal of the paper is to drive archaeological research attention to near-coastal landscapes, as such places may provide a potent vantage point to assess hominin engagement with the seashore. I conclude with an appeal to the paleoanthropological community to expand field-centered research to the vast understudied regions of Africa so as to capture hominin experiences across diverse ecosystems of the continent. Only then will we be able to discern hominin biogeographic range at different periods and theorize about the ecological drivers of our species' success.

Antarctic Warm Extremes Across Seasons and Their Response to Advection

AbstractAntarctic warm extremes impact the cryosphere, with very warm extremes driving surface melt on ice shelves. Here, we analyze temperatures exceeding the 90th percentile and the associated circulation patterns and radiation anomalies. ERA5 reanalysis data show positive geopotential height anomalies related to the occurrence of warm extremes. The highest temperature during warm extremes appears on the western periphery of high‐pressure systems, consistent with anticyclonic advection. Temperature anomalies during warm extremes are strongest in winter due to the transport of warm and moist air and a strong meridional temperature gradient. In summer, the weak meridional gradients of top‐of‐atmosphere downward solar radiation flux and surface air temperature contribute to weak temperature anomalies. Warm extremes are associated with positive longwave radiation anomalies in all seasons, but with negative shortwave radiation anomalies at the surface except during polar night. These relationships are verified by station observations. Our results confirm that Antarctic warm extremes are mostly driven by meridional advection of warm air, and suggest that these warm air masses are predominantly moist and cloudy.

Post-Socialist Rurbanity or When Rurality Meets Periphery. National and Transnational Representations in A Romanian Popular Comedy Series

In the last decade, TV series in Romania have witnessed an increase in audience numbers, especially with the development of VoD platforms. In contrast to the research devoted to them, we will focus on a comedy series broadcast by the most popular Romanian TV channel, PRO TV, devoted to a local audience, but with an important socio-political relevance: Las Fierbinți. We will try to show that this series, which started after Romania joined the EU, indicates an essential transformation of the post-socialist socio-cultural reality: the rural/urban opposition is sliding towards another, periphery/core, where the core is the West idealised as order and wealth. Although it is considered a rural comedy – like several other popular Eastern European series – Las Fierbinți presents a world that can be called rurban, typical of the post-socialist Western periphery: although they live at home, the characters in the film have very little to do with an agricultural economy. The characters form a rurban typology in which the series presents us with a world that is neither rural nor urban, but which cannot adapt to an idealised West, the centre of the wealthy and rational world towards which the middle classes are tending.

Western Peripheries of the Russian Empire in the 18th Century: a View From France and the Historiography of the Issue

Western Peripheries of the Russian Empire in the 18th Century: a View From France and the Historiography of the Issue

Large-scale dynamic processes during the minor and major sudden stratospheric warming events in January–February 2023

Using data from reanalyses of meteorological information, this study examines peculiarities of the thermodynamic regime of the Arctic stratosphere in the winter season of 2022–2023. For this purpose, components of the global meridional circulation, wave activity fluxes, volume of polar stratospheric clouds type I (PSC NAT) are analyzed, as well as changes in these indicators during sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events formed in January–February. The main features of the 2022–2023 winter season were the following: (1) a persistent cold stratospheric polar vortex was observed until mid-January, which caused the PSC NAT volume growth to its maximum values since 1980; (2) enhanced wave activity from mid-January led to the formation of a minor SSW at the end of January, an increase in the temperature of the lower stratosphere and a sharp reduction in PSC NAT; (3) a week of intensification of the polar vortex was then observed, followed by a weakening due to the next burst of wave activity propagation during the second SSW event in mid-February. This second SSW event was major, accompanied by a reversal of the mean zonal wind, which lasted until early March; (4) meridional heat flux in January–February 2023 was the highest since 1948, resulting in unprecedented warming of the lower Arctic stratosphere and preventing ozone depletion in March; (5) the minor SSW at the end of January was accompanied by a more intense change in the meridional circulation than the major SSW in mid-February. Formation of ozone mini-hole over Northern and Central Europe in February 2023 was associated with the strengthening of the anticyclone, leading to a stratopause elevation and northward transport of ozone-poor air masses from the subtropics along the western periphery of the anticyclone additionally to related to the major SSW temperature changes affected the ozone concentration in the lower stratosphere.

Phenology of five tick species in the central Great Plains

The states of Kansas and Oklahoma, in the central Great Plains, lie at the western periphery of the geographic distributions of several tick species. As the focus of most research on ticks and tick-borne diseases has been on Lyme disease which commonly occurs in areas to the north and east, the ticks of this region have seen little research attention. Here, we report on the phenology and activity patterns shown by tick species observed at 10 sites across the two states and explore factors associated with abundance of all and life specific individuals of the dominant species. Ticks were collected in 2020–2022 using dragging, flagging and carbon-dioxide trapping techniques, designed to detect questing ticks. The dominant species was A. americanum (24098, 97%) followed by Dermacentor variabilis (370, 2%), D. albipictus (271, 1%), Ixodes scapularis (91, <1%) and A. maculatum (38, <1%). Amblyomma americanum, A. maculatum and D. variabilis were active in Spring and Summer, while D. albipictus and I. scapularis were active in Fall and Winter. Factors associated with numbers of individuals of A. americanum included day of year, habitat, and latitude. Similar associations were observed when abundance was examined by life-stage. Overall, the picture is one of broadly distributed tick species that shows seasonal limitations in the timing of their questing activity.

Assessment of Avian Richness in Nature Park, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

This study is a preliminary inventory of the avifauna diversity in Nature Park, situated in the south western periphery of Kolkata within the state of West Bengal, India. A rigorous study of avifauna was carried out from March 2022 to February 2024. Basic line transects and point count methods were used in this study. A total of 108 bird species taxonomically belonging to 79 genera, 41 families and 12 orders were recorded from the study site. Passeriformes was the most predominant order with 48 species belonging to 21 families. Ardeidae with 11 species was the most dominant family. Maximum numbers of species were noted in genus Ardea. One vulnerable and one near threatened bird species was recorded from the study site regarding IUCN status.

Urbanization and Future Development of Satellite Towns through Gis: A Case Study of Bagru Block, Rajasthan, India

Urban agglomerations in India support more than 30% of its population today and are expanding rapidly. The metropolitan city of Jaipur supports nearly 30 lakh population and attracts millions every day towards the wide range of economic and employment opportunity it provides. Such big urban centre drains and absorbs all the available resources of the nearby area which supplements its expansion as major economic hub, “as a mother city”. Growth triggered expansion in developing countries like India is mostly so haphazard, unplanned and unchecked that it consumes surrounding small cities/towns. Therefore, the planning of these smaller municipalities adjacent to a major city (Satellite towns) becomes inevitable for the sustainable growth of urban centers and equitable resource allocation in future. “Bagru” is one such satellite town located along the south western fringes of Jaipur city, 30kms away on NH-8 .The study tries to contemplate “Bagru” as a satellite town along with other 15 towns for the master plan of Jaipur 2025 including parameters like economic potential, socio-economic and physical structure, connectivity, population.

Chronology of the Bronze Age in southeast Transylvania

The southeastern part of Transylvania has a specific location in the Carpathian Basin. Being situated on the western fringe of the Eastern Carpathians, influences from west (inner Transylvania and the Great Hungarian Plain) and east (Moldavia and the northern Pontic area) can be traced through human history. The mountains were never an impenetrable border, and their porosity has made it possible for external cultural influences to expand. As a result southeastern Transylvania can be seen as a “contact zone” between East and West, where the above-mentioned influences have sometimes been weaker, but have never ceased: the continuous contacts and links were always present between the two sides of the Carpathians, something that has been confirmed by the numerous archaeological discoveries. While in recent years more and more 14C data have been reported from central and western Transylvania, this number has been negligible from the study area. In the last three years we have managed to measure 33 samples from 23 key-sites belonging to the Bronze Age, covering the whole period. The results have brought us closer to answering the questions that have preoccupied specialists dealing with the Bronze Age for decades. Many of the dates are the first ones for some of the cultures present in the study area (for example, for the Jigodin and Gáva Cultures), offering new, independent dating. The new results confirm many of the earlier suppositions regarding the Bronze Age chronology of the area, but have also raised some problems, which will need to be clarified in the future.

Suburbanization Processes in Sofia: Demographic, Socio-Economic and Spatial Transformation of the Agglomeration Area

The paper studies the agglomeration area of Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia. The territorial scope of the metropolitan agglomeration encompasses 7 (LAU 1) municipalities including Sofia, Bozhurishte, Elin Pelin, Gorna Malina, Kostinbrod, Slivnitsa and Svoge, and comprises 146 (LAU 2) individual settlements. The total area of Sofia agglomeration covers almost 3,550 km² (3.2% of national territory), while it had 1,359,270 inhabitants (almost 21% of national population) according to the last population census (7 September 2021). During the whole period between 2001 and 2021, Sofia agglomeration has grown in population by more than 95,000 people (7.6%). Bozhurishte, Kostinbrod and Elin Pelin, along with Sofia municipality itself, are the municipalities with the best demographic indicators within the agglomeration area. According to the typology of Webb, type 6 agglomeration settlements (migratory and natural decrease, natural > migratory) are predominant during the first subperiod (2001-2011), while type 8 (migratory increase compensates for natural decrease) has become the leading type in the second subperiod (2011-2021). Despite the increasing number of type 8 settlements, however, the population decline of Sofia city alone (19,361 people) exceeds more than twice the combined population growth of all type 8 settlements (8,929 people), and as a result – the total population number of the agglomeration declined during the second subperiod. In 2021, the GDP in Sofia agglomeration represented 43% of the national economy, while the GDP per capita in Sofia (BGN 38,891) was more than double of the national average. A significant number of the industrial sites are located in the neighbouring municipalities that fall within the agglomeration, with leading economic activities in manufacturing, transport and logistics. The distribution of FDI, however, is uneven: some 97% of them concentrated in Sofia municipality alone. Sofia agglomeration is distinguished by a relatively stable and balanced labour market, characterized by high economic activity and low unemployment rate compared to other agglomerations in the country. Together with the demographic processes, the increasing soil sealing is another evidence of the spatial expansion of suburbanization. The largest share of new soil sealing was observed in Sofia municipality itself (approximately 370 ha), followed by Elin Pelin (105 ha), Bozhurishte (46 ha) and Kostinbrod (32 ha). Based on the intensity of new constructions and population change, the so-called zone of active inbuence of the agglomeration core has been outlined. The zone is made up of settlements meeting two conditions: they have a high intensity of new constructions and they are type 8 or type 7 according to the typology of Webb in the period between 2011 and 2021. During the considered period, the northern, eastern, southern and western peripheries of the agglomeration area developed each in its own speciac way, with dieerent new construction intensity, morphological structure and inter-settlement spaces. Suburbanization processes observed in Sofia are generally comparable to those of other post-socialist European capitals in terms of historical legacies, demographic transformation, spatial dynamics, and land use shifts.

Exploring the origin of the distance bimodality of stars in the periphery of the Small Magellanic Cloud with APOGEE and Gaia

ABSTRACT The Magellanic Cloud system represents a unique laboratory for study of both interacting dwarf galaxies and the ongoing process of the formation of the Milky Way and its halo. We focus on one aspect of this complex, three-body interaction – the dynamical perturbation of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) by the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and specifically potential tidal effects on the SMC’s eastern side. Using Gaia astrometry and the precise radial velocities (RVs) and multielement chemical abundances from Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2) Data Release 17, we explore the well-known distance bimodality on the eastern side of the SMC. Through estimated stellar distances, proper motions, and RVs, we characterize the kinematics of the two populations in the bimodality and compare their properties with those of SMC populations elsewhere. Moreover, while all regions explored by APOGEE seem to show a single chemical enrichment history, the metallicity distribution function (MDF), of the ‘far’ stars on the eastern periphery of the SMC is found to resemble that for the more metal-poor fields of the western periphery, whereas the MDF for the ‘near’ stars on the eastern periphery resembles that for stars in the SMC Centre. The closer eastern periphery stars also show RVs (corrected for SMC rotation and bulk motion) that are, on average, approaching us relative to all other SMC populations sampled. We interpret these trends as evidence that the near stars on the eastern side of the SMC represent material pulled out of the central SMC as part of its tidal interaction with the LMC.

‘Solving’ the Paradox of the Odyssean Ethiopians’ Twin Dual Localization

Abstract This paper considers the narrative significance of localization in Homer’s Odyssey, in particular singular places that are associated with multiple spaces (identified here as dual localization). Our reading posits that spatial features hold narrative significance and, once uncovered, this resolves ‘problematic’ issues that may arise from spatial paradoxes. The chosen case study is the Odyssean land of the Ethiopians with its twin dual localization: (1) it is located simultaneously at the eastern and western peripheries of the world while also located singularly ‘with Poseidon’; and (2) this peripheral localization contrasts with a later ‘real world’ setting in Egypt/North Africa. While this people’s localization has been the subject of prior study, this paper presents a novel analysis: these localizations serve a characterizing function which, in turn, relates to the thematic function of Menelaus’ embedded narrative as foreshadowing the primary narrative of Odysseus’ nostos.

Evolutionary history and systematics of European blind mole rats (Rodentia: Spalacidae: Nannospalax): Multilocus phylogeny and species delimitation in a puzzling group

Species delimitation is a powerful approach to assist taxonomic decisions in challenging taxa where species boundaries are hard to establish. European taxa of the blind mole rats (genus Nannospalax) display small morphological differences and complex chromosomal evolution at a shallow evolutionary divergence level. Previous analyses led to the recognition of 25 ‘forms’ in their distribution area. We provide a comprehensive framework to improve knowledge on the evolutionary history and revise the taxonomy of European blind mole rats based on samples from all but three of the 25 forms. We sequenced two nuclear-encoded genetic regions and the whole mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for phylogenetic tree reconstructions using concatenation and coalescence-based species-tree estimations. The phylogenetic analyses confirmed that Aegean N. insularis belongs to N. superspecies xanthodon, and that it represents the second known species of this superspecies in Europe. Mainland taxa reached Europe from Asia Minor in two colonisation events corresponding to two superspecies-level taxa: N. superspecies monticola (taxon established herewith) reached Europe c. 2.1 million years ago (Mya) and was followed by N. superspecies leucodon (re-defined herewith) c. 1.5 Mya. Species delimitation allowed the clarification of the taxonomic contents of the above superspecies. N. superspecies monticola contains three species geographically confined to the western periphery of the distribution of blind mole rats, whereas N. superspecies leucodon is more speciose with six species and several additional subspecies. The observed geographic pattern hints at a robust peripatric speciation process and rapid chromosomal evolution. The present treatment is thus regarded as the minimum taxonomic content of each lineage, which can be further refined based on other sources of information such as karyological traits, crossbreeding experiments, etc. The species delimitation models also allowed the recognition of a hitherto unnamed blind mole rat taxon from Albania, described here as a new subspecies.

Trophic characteristics of zooplankton and zoobenthos in certain water masses in the western Chukchi Sea, by δ<sup>15</sup>N and δ<sup>13</sup>С data

To compare trophic characteristics for pelagic and bottom communities of zooplankton and zoobenthos in the western Chukchi Sea, isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen (δ13С and δ15N) is determined for three different types of water masses. The main area of the southwestern part of the sea (to the south of 71оN) is occupied by the surface and subsurface water masses invaded from the Bering Sea with relatively high δ13C and low δ15N values. The cold Arctic waters prevail in the northwestern area. The western periphery of the sea is influenced by the water masses from the East Siberian Sea transported by the alongshore Siberian Current, distinguished by significantly lowered δ13С values and somewhat (by 1–3 ‰) increased δ15N values. A stable difference in the carbon isotopic composition between zooplankton and benthic invertebrates is revealed in the southwestern Chukchi Sea that means that the benthic organisms are based mainly on the bottom food chain, with a minimal input of organic matter from the water column. In the area influenced by the water masses from the East Siberian Sea, benthic invertebrates have the lowest values of δ13С comparable to those of zooplankton that is a sign of organic sediments from the water column utilization, partly terrigenous in origin. The role of primary producers for plankton and benthos in the northwestern Chukchi Sea has not been fully elucidated and requires additional studies. However, the main trophic base for the benthic community is assumed there to be organic matter removed from the water column, originated mainly from ice algae.

Under the radar: Ireland, maritime security capacity, and the governance of subsea infrastructure

ABSTRACT Subsea infrastructure is typically out of sight, but in recent times, seldom out of mind. The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in October 2022 has magnified the vulnerability and critical importance of subsea infrastructure. It also exposed a lack of understanding on how subsea networks operate, how they are regulated, who controls them and how they are protected. Ireland matters in this context. Despite its official policy of neutrality, Ireland occupies an important strategic position in terms of transatlantic telecommunications cables between the United States, Britain and continental Europe. The conflict in Ukraine has amplified tensions in this context in terms of the increased threat of grey-zone/hybrid warfare activity. This article will consider for the first time how a global connectivity hub on the western periphery of Europe governs critical underwater infrastructure. It will discuss the context and agencies involved in subsea cable governance in Ireland and identify the gaps in this protection before formulating suggestions for the long-term improvement of Ireland’s maritime security capacity. The Irish case is important as it can help inform defence policy and security practice in other island states with large maritime jurisdictions and in particular states with small navies.

Genesis and Geological Significance of Permian Oilfield Water in the Western Periphery of the Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin, China

Oilfield water contains valuable geological information and plays an important role in petroliferous basins, being closely related to diagenesis, reservoir physical properties, and hydrocarbon preservation conditions. Here we present a case study of oilfield water in Permian formations in the western periphery of the Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin, China. The genesis of oilfield water and its application in oil exploration were investigated through the coupling of tectonic activity, paleoclimate, and water–rock interaction. Volcanic activity provided a rich source of ions, and a hot paleoclimate intensifies the evaporation and concentration of sedimentary water. Tectonic fractures offered channels for water exchange among formations. Water–rock reactions, marked by sodic feldspathization and calcium feldspar dissolution, had profound effects on the oilfield water type and reservoir properties. We established a link between oilfield water and favorable targets for oil exploration. In terms of vertical trends, the Jiamuhe and Upper and Lower Urho formations have strong sealing abilities for hydrocarbon preservation. In the horizontal dimension, areas with high total-dissolved-solid and CaCl2 concentrations, low rNa/rCl, rSO4 × 100/rCl, (rHCO3+CO3)/rCa, and rMg/rCa ratios are favorable for oil exploration.

Evaluating the Precipitation Biases over the Western Periphery of the Sichuan Basin with the ECMWF Operational Forecast Model

Abstract Based on the hourly merged precipitation product, the performance of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) in simulating the diurnal variations of precipitation during warm season over the western periphery of the Sichuan basin (SCB) has been evaluated, and the underlying physical causes associated with the wet biases have also been investigated. The results show that the IFS well reproduces the spatial distributions of precipitation amount, frequency, and intensity over the SCB, as well as their diurnal variations, but the simulated precipitation peaks earlier than the observation with notable wet biases over the western periphery of the SCB. In addition, the strong wet biases exhibit notable regional differences over the western periphery of the SCB. The simulated wet biases over the southwestern periphery of the SCB expand westward to higher altitudes along the windward slope, with the maximum wet biases occurring at night. The westward expansion of the simulated stronger upward motions results in a westward shift of precipitation. However, the simulated precipitation over the northwestern periphery of the SCB has small difference in terms of the location; hence, the overestimated precipitation is associated with the stronger atmospheric instability, resulting from the higher potential temperature and the larger specific humidity near the surface. The findings revealed in this study indicate that the ECMWF forecast shows distinct uncertainties over the different complex terrain, and thus offers a promising way forward for improvements of model physical processes.

Between two continents queen of cities’s “Constantinopolis: new discoveries”

In the last 20 years, rescue excavations in modern Istanbul have revealed new discoveries about the past of Constantinople, the new capital of Ancient Rome. In 2004, the Istanbul Archaeological Museums Directorate carried out salvage excavations at the points where Istanbul's underground transportation network metro stations were planned, and the surprising finds that started with the discovery of Theodosius harbor continued with 38 ancient shipwrecks. The Istanbul Archaeological Survey in the west of Istanbul also uncovered the ancient harbors, ancient towns, castles, fortresses, dams and many other structures in 2007. The new finds shed light on the relationship of Constantinople, the Queen of Cities, with its immediate surroundings. In this part of the book, the harbours established on the western periphery of the capital.

Interactions between distal epiclastic and bio‐chemogenic sedimentation at the foothills of a mafic alkaline volcano: The case of the Oligocene Doupovské Hory Volcanic Complex (Czech Republic)

AbstractLate Oligocene (ca 25 Ma) volcano‐sedimentary successions exposed on the western periphery of the Doupovské Hory Volcanic Complex reveal a complex sedimentation history influenced in various ways by decay of the alkali basalt volcanic edifice. Weathering of the volcanic rocks supplied abundant reactants that promoted carbonate precipitation in the peripheral palaeolakes—as evidenced by strongly non‐radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr values (0.7038–0.7041). On the other hand, the sediments of the initial shallow lake became deformed by the bulldozing effect of a debris avalanche. The debris flow and avalanche deposits filled up the original depression, modified the basin morphology and shifted the peripheral lacustrine setting further away from the volcano. At this stage, surface water influx from the surrounding granites conferred a more radiogenic character (87Sr/86Sr values 0.7046–0.7049) to the calcrete deposits. Fossil assemblages as well as limestone textures suggest significant seasonal water‐level fluctuations, possibly reflecting the alternating rainy and dry‐seasons of a prevalently humid Central‐European Late Oligocene climate. The seasonal drying out of the ponds resulted in significant 18O enrichments. Although the ca 0‰ δ13C values might suggest mixing of atmospheric and volcanic CO2 during carbonate precipitation, no active volcanic conduits of relevant age are known in the close vicinity. The lower δ13C values are likely a result of mantle degassing through rift faults, a phenomenon observed in the magmatically extinct Ohře Rift until present. This paper demonstrates that limestones derived from weathered alkaline basalts are characterised by highly non‐radiogenic Sr isotopic ratios (87Sr/86Sr ca 0.704), suggesting a magmatic origin for the Ca within these carbonates. Contrary to the notion of carbonatites being present when highly non‐radiogenic Sr isotopes are found, these results show that Sr isotopes in carbonates formed in alkali basalt‐sourced environments only reveal the source of the Sr (and Ca) ions, not necessarily the presence of carbonatite.