ENERGY AND CLIMATE

Fields of research

Since its origin the development of life on our planet has been continuously accompanied by cyclic climatic changes. These caused substantial changes in ecosystems, sometimes resulting in mass extinction of organisms and, in historical times, contributed to the fall of civilizations. Our research on the causes and effects of climatic change, in both the remote and recent past, permits us to forecast the resultant hazards. We intend, in the very near future, to create an integrated monitoring system for anthropogenic and geogenic hazards, which will include the CO2 content in the atmosphere, a crucial factor in climatic studies, and also CO2 storage in geological structures.

 

Our activities are directed towards limiting the green-house gas emission into the atmosphere

  • We study and indicate the possibilities of CO2 sequestration in geological structures

- We assess the options of CO2 geological storage in brine water-bearing horizons, in hydrocarbon deposits (with possible assistance in their exploitation) and in deep unexploited coal beds (with possible methane recovery)
- The location of underground CO2 storage sites is selected on the basis of geological criteria, impact on the environment and safety reasons
- We draw up plans for monitoring underground CO2 storage sites

 

  • We participate in the implementation of the nuclear power program

- We analyse the geological and environmental conditions at the locations of nuclear power plants, taking into consideration: hazards caused by tectonic movements, geological engineering conditions, access to water resources needed to cool down reactors, and environmental conditions – including the rate and directions of the migration of radioactive contamination in case of an accident
- We assess the possibilities of uranium supplies from domestic resources or importing it from abroad

 

  • We evaluate possibilities of using geothermal energy and other sources of renewable energy

- We study geothermal resources in this country, construct maps and thermal models
- We outline the locations of thermal water intakes and draw up guidelines on the implementation of medium-low temperature geothermal systems (including low enthalpy geothermal systems) and hot dry rock geothermal energy
- We carry out analyses of the geological-engineering conditions of water power and wind power plants
- We evaluate the possibilities of recovering methane from landfill sites

We reconstruct the pattern of climatic changes in the Earth's geological past

  • We build models of climate changes which have taken place in the past 200, 2000 and 20,000 years
  • We reconstruct changes in the level of the Baltic Sea within the past 10,000 years and evaluate hazards resulting from sea level rise due to global warming
    - we outline areas at risk from local flooding and useful aquifers threatened by salt water ingress

We evaluate the susceptibility of the natural environment to climate change – analyzing the possible hazards

  • We monitor groundwater and forecast hazards resulting both from long-lasting droughts and excessive recharge by rain water. Among others, we delineate areas threatened by inundation and indicate sites of possible ingression of pollution, including flood waters, into existing aquifers
  • We describe areas liable to be affected by erosion and steppisation of soils
  • We study erosion of the Baltic coast and the relationship between its rate and the geological structure of the coastal zone
  • We monitor the landslide hazards consequent upon long-lasting and intensive rain fall

Selected publications

 

Papers indexed in ISI Journal Citation Reports

 

2014

 

BARBACKA M., PACYNA G., FELDMAN-OLSZEWSKA A., ZIAJA J., BODOR E. - Triassic-Jurassic flora of Poland; flotistical support of climatic changes. Acta Geologica Polonica, 2014, 64(3): 281-308.

BARNIAK J., KRĄPIEC M., JURYS L. - Sub-fossil wood from the Rucianka raised bog (NE Poland) as an indicator of climatic changes in the first millennium BC. Geochronometria, 2014, 41 (1): 104-110.

BRAŃSKI P. - Climatic disaster at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary – a clay minerals and major elements record from the Polish Basin. Geological Quarterly, 2014, 58 (2): 291-310.

BÖRNER A., HRYNOWIECKA A., STACHOWICZ-RYBKA R., KUZNETSOV V., MAKSIMOV F., GRIGORIEV V., NISKA M., MOSKAL-DEL HOYO M. - Palaeoecological investigations and 230Th/U dating of Eemian interglacial peat sequence of Banzin (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, NE-Germany). Quaternary International, 2014, (doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.10.022)

MARKS L., GAŁĄZKA D., KRZYMIŃSKA J., NITA M., STACHOWICZ-RYBKA R., WITKOWSKI A., WORONKO B., DOBOSZ S. - Marine transgressions during Eemian in northern Poland: A high resolution record from the type section at Cierpięta. Quaternary International, 2014, 328-329: 45-59.

RYCHEL J., KARASIEWICZ M.T., KRZEŚLAK I., MARKS L., NORYŚKIEWICZ B., WORONKO B. - Paleogeography of the environment in north-eastern Poland recorded in an Eemian sedimentary basin, based on the example of the Jałówka site. Quaternary International, 2014, 328-329: 60-73.

2013

ALEXANDROWICZ WITOLD PAWEŁ, CISZEK DARIUSZ, GOŁAS-SIARZEWSKA MAGDALENA - Malacological characteristic of the Weichselian Upper Pleniglacial (MIS-2) loess profile in Tłumaczow (SW Poland). Geological Quarterly, 57 (3): 433-441.

BARNIAK JOANNA, KRĄPIEC MAREK, JURYS LESZEK - Sub-fossil wood from the Rucianka raised bog (NE POLAND) as an indicator of climatic changes in the first Millennium BC. Geochronometria, 41 (1): 104-110.

DEVLEESCHOUWER DAVID, RAKOCIŃSKI MICHAŁ, RACKI GRZEGORZ, BOND DAVID P. G., SOBIEŃ KATARZYNA, CLAEYS PHILIPPE - The astronomical rhythm of Late-Devonian climate change (Kowala section, HolyCrossMountains, Poland). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 365: 25-37.

GRABOWSKI JACEK, SCHNYDER J., SOBIEŃ KATARZYNA, KOPTIKOVA L., KRZEMIŃSKI LESZEK, PSZCZOŁKOWSKI A., HEJNAR J., SCHNABL P. - Magnetic susceptibility and spectral gamma logs in the Tithonian-Berriasian pelagic carbonates in the Tatra Mts (Western Carpathians, Poland): palaeoenvironmental changes at the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary. Cretaceous Research, 43: 1-17.

HARA URSZULA, SŁOWAKIEWICZ MIROSŁAW, RACZYŃSKI PAWEŁ - Bryozoans (trepostomes and fenestellids) in the Zechstein Limestone (Wuchiapingian) of the North Sudetic Basin (SW Poland): palaeoecological implications. Geological Quarterly, 57 (3): 417-432.

JIRASEK JAKUB, SEDLAČKOVA LENKA, SIVEK MARTIN, MARTINEK KAREL, JURECZKA JANUSZ - Castle Conglomerate Unit of the Upper Silesian Basin (Czech Republic and Poland): a record of the onset of Late Mississippian C2 glaciation?. Bulletin of Geosciences, 88, (4): 893-914.

KUJAU ARIANE, HEIMHOFER ULRICH, HOCHULI PETER A., PAULY SEBASTIAN, MORALES CHLOE, ADATTE THIERRY, FOLLMI KARL B., PLOCH IZABELA, MUTTERLOSE JORG - Reconstructing Valanginian (Early Cretaceous) mid-latitude vegetation and climate dynamics based on spore – pollen assemblages. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 197: 50-69.

MADEYSKA TERESA, BOGUCKI ANDREJ, SYTNYK OLEKSANDR, KUSIAK JAROSŁAW, FRANKOWSKI ZBIGNIEW, KOMAR MARYNA, NAWROCKI JERZY, ŻOGAŁA BOGDAN - Stratigraphic position and natural environment of the oldest Middle Palaeolithic in central Podolia, Ukraine: new data from the Velykyi Glybochok site. Quaternary International, 326–327: 191–212.

MARKS LESZEK, GAŁĄZKA DARIUSZ, KRZYMIŃSKA JARMILA, NITA MAŁGORZATA, STACHOWICZ-RYBKA RENATA, WITKOWSKI ANDRZEJ, WORONKO BARBARA, DOBOSZ SŁAWOMIR - Sea transgressions during Eemian in northern Poland: a high resolution proxy record from the type section at Cierpięta. Quaternary International, 328–329: 45–59.

MICHALIK JOZEF, LINTNEROVA OTILIA, WOJCIK-TABOL PATRYCJA, GAŹDZICKI ANDRZEJ, GRABOWSKI JACEK, GOLEJ MARIAN, ŠIMO VLADIMIR, ZAHRADNIKOVA BARBARA - Paleoenvironments during the Rhaetian transgression and the colonization history of marine biota in the Fatric Unit (Western Carpathians). Geologica Carpathica, 64, (1): 39-62.

PETERA-ZGANIACZ JOANNA, BOROWKA RYSZARD KRZYSZTOF, FORYSIAK JACEK, MIOTKSZPIGANOWICZ GRAŻYNA, PAWŁOWSKI DOMINIK - Palaeogeographical significance of Eemian biogenic sediments at the Bor site (Warta River valley, central Poland). Geological Quarterly, 57 (4): 665-686.

RYCHEL JOANNA, KARASIEWICZ MIROSŁAW T., KRZEŚLAK IWONA, MARKS LESZEK, NORYŚKIEWICZ BOŻENA, WORONKO BARBARA - Paleogeography of the environment in north-eastern Poland recorded in an Eemian sedimentary basin, based on the example of the Jałowka site. Quaternary International, 328–329: 60-73.

STUDENCKA BARBARA, ZIELIŃSKI GRZEGORZ - Strontium isotope dating of bivalve faunas from the Upper Miocene Cacela Formation, eastern Algarve, Portugal: evidence from Messinian bivalve fauna. Geological Quarterly, 57 (4): 665-686.

WIŚNIEWSKI A., ADAMIEC G., BADURA JANUSZ, BLUSZCZ A., KOWALSKA A., KUFEL-DIAKOWSKA B., MIKOŁAJCZYK A., MURCZKIEWICZ M., MUSIL R., PRZYBYLSKI BOGUSŁAW, SKRZYPEK G., STEFANIAK K., ZYCH J. - Occupation dynamics north of the Carpathians and Sudetes during the Weichselian (MIS5d-3): the Lower Silesia (SW Poland) case study. Quaternary International, 294: 20-40.

 

2012

BADURA J., JARY Z., SMALLEY I. - Sources of loess material for deposits in Poland and parts of Central Europe: the lost Big River. Quaternary International, 296: 15–22.

CITA M.B., GIBBARD P.L., HEAD M.J., ALLOWAY B., BEU A.G., COLTORTI M., HALL V.M., LIU J., KNUDSEN K.L., KOLFSCHOTEN VAN T., LITT T., MARKS L., MCMANUS J., PIOTROWSKI J.A., PILLANS B., RÄSÄNEN M., RASMUSSEN S.O., ROUSSEAU D.-D., SUC P., TESAKOV A.S., TURNER C., WALKER J., ZALASIEWICZ J., ZAZO C. - Formal ratification of the GSSP for the base of the Calabrian Stage (second stage of the Pleistocene Series, Quaternary System). Episodes, 35 (3): 388-397.

JARY Z., CISZEK D. - Late Pleistocene loess-palaeosol sequences in Poland and western Ukraine. Quaternary International, 2013, 296: 37–50.

KOZŁOWSKI W., SOBIEŃ K. - Mid-Ludfordian coeval carbon isotope, natural gamma ray and magnetic susceptibility excursions in the Mielnik IG-1 borehole (Eastern Poland) – dustiness as a possible link between global climate and the Silurian carbon isotope record. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 339-341: 74-97.

KRZYMIŃSKA J., NAMIOTKO T. - Late Glacial and Holocene Ostracoda of the Gulf of Gdańsk, the Baltic Sea, Poland. International Review of Hydrobiology, 97 (4): 301-313.

STWORZEWICZ E., GRANOSZEWSKI W., WÓJCIK A. - Malacological and palynological evidence of the Lower Pleistocene cold phase at the Carpathian Foothills (Southern Poland). Quaternary Research, 77 (3): 492-499.

WIŚNIEWSKI A., ADAMIEC G., BADURA J., BLUSZCZ A., KOWALSKA A., KUFEL-DIAKOWSKA B., MIKOŁAJCZYK A., MURCZKIEWICZ M., MUSIL R., PRZYBYLSKI BO., SKRZYPEK G., STEFANIAK K., ZYCH J. - Occupation dynamics north of the Carpathians and Sudetes during the Weichselian (MIS5d-3): The Lower Silesia (SW Poland) case study. Quaternary International, 2013, 294: 20–40.

 

2011

GARCÍA-VEIGAS J., CENDÓN D.I., PUEYO J.J., PERYT T.M. - Zechstein saline brines in Poland, evidence of overturned anoxic ocean during the Late Permian mass extinction event. Chemical Geology, 290 (3-4) 189-201.

GÓRSKA-ZABIELSKA M., ZABIELSKI R. - Kleinkieszählung und Leitgeschiebe des Oder Lobus. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, 55 (4): 493-513.

HESSELBO S.P., PIEŃKOWSKI G. - Stepwise atmospheric carbon-isotope excursion during the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (Early Jurassic, Polish Basin). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 301 (1-2): 365-372.

LEIPE T., TAUBER F., VALLIUS H., VIRTASALO J., UŚCINOWICZ S., KOWALSKI N., HILLE S., LINDGREN S., MYLLYVIRTA T. - Particulate organic karbon (POC) in surface sediments of the Baltic Sea. Geo-Marine Letters, 31 (3): 175-188., http://www.springelink.com/content/l76t236056261078/

MAJOROWICZ J., WYBRANIEC S. - New terrestrial heat flow map of Europe after regional paleoclimatic correction application. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 100 (4): 881-887.

SZEWCZYK J., NAWROCKI J. - Deep-seated relict permafrost in northeastern Poland. Boreas, 40 (3): 385-388. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2011.00218.x/pdf

ZHANG T., TRELA W., JIANG SHAO-YONG, NIELSEN J.K., SHEN Y. - Major oceanic redox condition change correlated with the rebound of marine animal diversity during the Late Ordovician. Geology, 39 (7): 675-678.

 

2010

P. BRAŃSKI - Kaolinite peaks in early Toarcian profiles from the Polish Basin – an inferred record of global warming. Geological Quarterly, 2010, 54 (1): 15-24.

L. MARKS - Timing of the Late Vistulian (Weichselian) glacial phases in Poland. Quaternary Science Reviews, doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.08.008

S.M POPESCU, D. BILTEKIN, H. WINTER, J-P. SUC, M.C. MELINTE-DOBINESCU, S. KLOTZ, M. RABINEAU, N. COMBOURIEU-NEBOUT, G. CLAUZON, F. DEACONU - Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene vegetation and climate changes at the European scale: long pollen records and climatostratygraphy. Quaternary International, 219: 152-167. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.03.013

S. WESTERMANN, K.B. FÖLLMI, T. ADATTE, V. MATERA, J. SCHNYDER, D. FLEITMANN, N. FIET, I. PLOCH, S. DUCHAMP-ALPHONSE - The Valanginian ?13 C excursion may not be an expression of a global oceanic anoxic event. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 290 (1-2): 118-131.

2009

P. BRAŃSKI - Influence of palaeoclimate and the greenhouse effect on Hettangian clay mineral assemblages (Holy Cross Mts. area, Polish Basin). Geological Quarterly, 53 (3): 363-368.

J. SZEWCZYK, D. GIENTKA - Terrestrial heat flow density in Poland - a new approach. Geological Quarterly, 53 (1): 125–140.