The next, fourth already Forum of the Polish Geological Survey and the Polish Hydrogeological Survey took place on September 16th, 2021, at the Upper Silesian Branch of the Polish Geological Institute - NRI in Sosnowiec. Nearly 200 participants took part in the online meeting.

Office of the Upper Silesian Branch of the Polish Geological Institute - NRI in Sosnowiec

In 2021, the Upper Silesian Branch of PGI-NRI celebrates its 100th anniversary, which provided an opportunity to present a wide range of tasks performed by the Branch in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin.

The online event was led by Anna Stachura, M.Sc.

- The Upper Silesian region is characterized by a unique accumulation of complex geological and environmental issues - pointed out Piotr Dziadzio, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Poland’s Chief Geologist, Government Plenipotentiary for the National Raw Materials Policy in his letter to participants and organizers of the event, at the same time indicating the role of modern geology using the latest solutions in the process of transformation of hard coal mining. He also underlined that the tasks carried out by the Upper Silesian Branch geologists as part of both surveys - geological and hydrogeological - range from deposit geology, to environmental geology and hydrogeology, with their effects allowing for the implementation of many subjects important to Polish geology and, important policies – the country’s resource policy or ecological policy.

Dr. Janusz Jureczka, Director of the Upper Silesian Branch of the Polish Geological Institute-NRI welcomed the Forum participants and stressed the region’s uniqueness in Poland due to accumulation of many complex geological issues and problems resulting from a lengthy, almost 250-year exploitation of coal mining, as well as from significant industrialization and urbanization. At the same time he encouraged to listen to presentations prepared by the employees of the Upper Silesian Branch, presenting the results of geology and hydrogeology fieldwork. He also pointed out the usefulness of fieldwork for both state and local administration, enterprises, academic centers, and for the general public.

Dr. Janusz Jureczka, Director of the Upper Silesian Branch of PGI-NRI in Sosnowiec, welcomes the Forum’s participants

Deputy Director of the Polish Geological Survey, Dr. Andrzej Głuszyński, on behalf of the entire PGI-NRI management staff thanked the employees of the Upper Silesian Branch for their long-term work, including the creation of atlases, maps, deposit and hydrogeological documentations and scientific studies which make a substantial contribution to the development of geology of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin and the whole of Poland.

Deputy Director for Polish Geological Survey, Dr. Andrzej Głuszyński, on behalf of the PGI-NRI management, thanks the employees of the Upper Silesian Branch for their long-term work 

The important role of the Upper Silesian Branch of PGI-NRI in the development of the region was confirmed by the speech by the Plenipotentiary of the Sosnowiec Mayor for the adaptation of the city to climate change, the district geologist Tomasz Przedpełski.

Online presentation by the Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Sosnowiec for the adaptation of the city to climate change, district geologist Tomasz Przedpełski

The block of expert presentations began with two speeches by Dr. Janusz Jureczka. The first one presented the 100 years of activity of the Upper Silesian Branch, whereas the second one was concerned with the issue of new challenges for deposit studies in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (pol. Górnośląskie Zagłębie Węglowe – GZW).

Dr. Janusz Jureczka presented two papers: "Not only hard coal – the 100 years of activity of the Upper Silesian Branch of PGI-NRI in Sosnowiec" and "New challenges for deposit studies in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin".

The integration of geological data from this area was the subject of another paper presented by Dr. Zbigniew Małolepszy.

r. Zbigniew Małolepszy is giving a lecture titled the "Integration of Regional Geological and Mining Data in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin"

The regional importance of geological cartography as one of the tasks of the Polish Geological Survey was presented by Andrzej Piotrowski, M.Sc.

The lecture entitle the "Regional meaning of geological cartography" was presented by Andrzej Piotrowski, M.Sc.

The first block of presentations was completed by Dr Tomasz Wojciechowski from the PGI-NRI Geohazards Center, who discussed geological hazards that are the tasked subject of the Polish Geological Survey.

Dr Tomasz Wojciechowski, Head of the Geohazards Center, presented the lecture titled "Geological hazards as the subject of tasks of the Polish Geological Survey"

After the break, Robert Formowicz, M.Sc., discussed issues related to the monitoring of open-pit mining.

The lecture entitled the "Geoenvironmental issues as part of the tasks of the Polish Geological Survey" was presented by Robert Formowicz, M.Sc.

The next two lectures were devoted to the tasks of the Polish Hydrogeological Survey. The first lecture was presented by Dr Lidia Razowska-Jaworek and Marcin Pasternak, M.Sc. The first lecture was presented by Drs. Lidia Razowska-Jaworek and Marcin Pasternak, and was entitled the "Regional studies of groundwater resource availability and quality as part of the tasks of the Polish Hydrogeological Survey".

Marcin Pasternak, M.Sc. gives a lecture titled the "Regional studies of groundwater resource availability and quality as part of the tasks of PSH" 

The second lecture was presented by Jarosław Szulik M.Sc. and concerned development of a groundwater monitoring network in the region, in the light of European Union requirements. 

Jarosław Szulik, M.Sc., gives a lecture entitled "Development of a groundwater monitoring network in the Upper Silesian region, in the light of EU requirements"

Paweł Woźniak, M.Sc. talked about geological education and protection of geodiversity in an engaging way.

Paweł Woźniak, M.A., during his presentation titled "From Idea to Implementation. Geological education and protection of geodiversity as part of the tasks of PSG"

At the end of the block of lectures, Michał Rolka, MSc, presented issues related to the maintenance of Internet services and databases at the Polish Geological Institute.

Michał Rolka, M.Sc., presents a lecture prepared together with Remigiusz Maślanka, M.Sc. on "Database Internet services at the Polish Geological Institute”

During the discussion, the experts answered questions from the participants of the 4th Forum

Photo gallery

Video recording of the 4th PSG and PSH Forum

The 4th PSG, PSH Forum in Sosnowiec was organized as part of projects entitled the "Domestic cooperation in the field of geology and promotion of activities of the Polish Geological Survey in the years 2021-2023" and " Promotion of activities of the Polish Geological Institute - NRI" . Organization of the Forum was financed by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management and Ministry of Education and Science

 

Translated by Tomasz Trzpil (PGI-NRI)