QUATERNARY RESEARCH
Geochemical Environmental
Today, geochemical researches are increasingly linked to the monitoring of status and conservation of the environment. For this purpose, spatial geochemical data are linked into the database inside the GIS, from which than we can create maps and atlas. That kind of data are more and more needed and also the standard for national sustainable development programs.
In the Department of Geology, geochemical researches are focused on I) making of geochemical atlases of drainage basins basins in which geogenic and anthropogenic influences on the soil are allocated and estimates its possible pollution; II) Urban geochemical examination of the soil in settlements and cities of the Republic of Croatia, related to the geochemical characterization of the soil in terms of detection of elevated content of potentially toxic chemical elements, which has an exceptional significance for long-term planning of urbanization of settlements and cities, and is also reflected in the quality of life in them.
In the Department of Mineral Resources geochemical researches includes geochemical mapping and reconstruction of quaternary environment based on lakes and sea sediments and marine geological research. The geochemical mapping of the Republic of Croatia has resulted in the development of the Geochemical Atlas of the Republic of Croatia (Halamić & Miko, 2009) and allows longer-lasting monitoring of the geochemical status of the soil, and monitoring of organic matter. The research of the environmental geochemistry includes geochemistry of urban areas, to determine anthropogenic impact on the environment. The geochemical characterization of lake and shallow marine sediments and their catchment area is used for the reconstruction of Quaternary environments, to determine the source of the material, the degree of pollution and the acidification and eutrophication of the lakes, rivers and seas, and also the forest soils, caused by climate or anthropogenic changes.
The environmental geochemical researches were also part of the project "Change of carbon stock in the soil and calculation of the trends of total nitrogen and organic carbon in the soil and the ratio C:N".During the project 720 soil locations in the Republic of Croatia were sampled and 1880 samples were analyzed. The results of the project are the calculation of the organic carbon (Corg) in the soil, carbon stock recalculation (C) in the soil made in 2012 with new data for C and physical parameters, Corg calculations in the organic layer of forest soil, total nitrogen calculation (N) and C:N ratio, defining and reducing of the most common sources of uncertainty during the estimation of the stock of Corg in the soil (soil density and stoniness or skeletons in the soil) and the production and valorization of regional pedotransfer functions for better estimation of the soil density and skeletons from other available data. The project results are available on the ENVI Environmental Portal:
Map of organic carbon stock in the soil of the Republic of Croatia.
Spatial distribution of lead in soil in the Sisak area.
