Annual Report 2015
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Contents Director’s Introduction 1 Geological and thematic maps 2 Regional geological research 4 Global changes in the past 6 CZECH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Landscape vulnerability analysis 8 Groundwater research and evaluation 10 Annual Report 2015 Mineral resources 12 Mine workings and mining waste 16 Research into environmental and geo-energy technologies 18 Regional Geological Administration 20 Geological Information System 22 Remote sensing 25 International activities and cooperation 26 Laboratories 32 Library and Collections 34 Geological documentation 36 Publishing House and promotional activities 38 Selected publications issued by the Czech Geological Survey 41 Selected scientific papers 44 www.geology.cz Financial review 48 Human resources 50 Website of the Czech Geological Survey 51 Principal events in 2015 52 Czech Geological Survey Annual Report 2015 Projects 58 Edited by Petr Maděra Executive editor: Šárka Sedláčková An interview with geologist and oceanographer Zdeněk Kukal 66 Translation: Miroslav Rejchrt Graphic design: Oleg Man ISBN 978-80-7075-911-0 Photo on the cover: Vladimír Žáček Printed by Tiskárna Daniel, s. r. o., Prague Published by the Czech Geological Survey, Prague 2016 03/9 446-411-16 ISBN 978-80 -7075-911- 0 © Czech Geological Survey, 2016 Director’s Introduction The Czech Geological Survey (CGS), established by the Ministry of the Environment to carry out the duty of state geological survey, is also a leading research institution in the fi eld of geoscience in the Czech Republic. It has the largest production of geoscientifi c publications with impact factor and plays a major role in international research activities. I would like to highlight several outstanding results we achieved in 2015. The Czech Geological Survey publishes the journal Bulletin of Geosciences, which is the successor of the original Bulletin (Věstník), founded by the State Geological Institute of the Czechoslovak Republic as early as in 1925. Based on an agreement between the Czech Geological Survey and the Czech Geological Society, this journal has since 2007 assumed a prominent role of a globally renowned periodical dealing with the issues of palaeoenvironmental research and study of life on the Earth. The Bulletin of Geosciences acquired the impact factor 1.70 for the year 2015. It is ranked as science based and fi nanced at present by the Czech Development the third most signifi cant Czech scientifi c bulletin and it features Agency. In 2015, a three-year project of geological mapping an open-access policy. We have to thank for this outstanding at a scale of 1:50,000 including the assessment of mineral achievement to the editor-in-chief of this journal Mr. Jiří Frýda, potential in the Khovd Aimag in the western Mongolian Altay who has been fulfi lling this challenging role since 2006. Publishing was fi nished, covering an area of almost 1,800 km2. A project this top-rank Bulletin is an enormous service to our own and the aimed at assessment of landslides endangering settlements, an international professional community and we are also grateful international road and powerlines is being run for two consecutive for the fi nancial support granted by the Palacký University in years in the Dusheti area, Georgia. Three localities have been Olomouc, the Museum of West Bohemia in Pilsen and the selected for installation of slope movement monitoring devices Section of Earth Sciences of the Czech Academy of Sciences. linked to an early warning system. The project also includes setting On the other hand, the Czech Geological Survey has been a major up a database of slope instabilities similar to the one that has been 1 supporter of the closely related magazine Journal of Geosciences successfully operated on a long-term basis in the Czech Republic. published by the Czech Geological Society led by its editor-in- The year 2015 saw two projects being implemented in chief and our colleague Mr. Vojtěch Janoušek. This journal focuses Ethiopia. Objective of the fi rst project was promoting geoscience in a comprehensive manner on geology, petrology, tectonics education at universities in Addis Ababa and Arba Minch in the and structural geology of crystalline complexes and orogenic fi eld of geological and environmental hazards. Approximately processes. It also achieved a brilliant success with IF = 1.326. sixty MSc. and Ph.D. students participated in our educational Paradoxically, publishing of these journals, which largely program. The second project of the CGS conducted in Ethiopia contributes to our researchers being recognized internationally, is concentrated on the study of processes that threaten agricultural not enough appreciated in the evaluation of research institutions, production in the East African Rift System and aimed at mitigating be it by the Ministries or by the Research, Development and the impact of those processes thus securing sustainable utilization Innovation Council of the Czech Government. Finances for of agricultural land, water resources as well as of the local a research institution are most eff ectively acquired by top-ranking infrastructure. All the above-mentioned international projects publications with high impact factor. The CGS research teams, have been highly appreciated in the receiving countries and the which have the peak-quality publishing production, concentrate Czech Geological Survey has been invited to prepare follow-up on study of the lithosphere, in particular on the orogenic belts activities. and the inherent deformational, metamorphic and magmatic In conclusion, let me express my warmest thanks to all the processes and on the non-traditional isotope system assessment. staff members of the Czech Geological Survey who contribute to Biochemical research focused on element cycles, environment enhancing its professional prestige in our country and overseas. pollution and on vegetation health and resilience condition is another very productive domain, as well as the work of the team involved in the study of life and environment in the past. Along with describing the achievements in the basic-research programs, I would also like to emphasize the international activities of the Czech Geological Survey, which are applied- Zdeněk Venera Annual Report Czech Geological Survey 2015 Geological and thematic maps GeologickáGeological map mapa of České the Czech republiky Republic at 1 : 25,000 scale, 2 vsheet měřítku Valašské 1 : 2 Meziříčí (25-142). Geological maps provide comprehensive information on the geological structure of the territory of the Czech Republic. They are used in environmental protection, assessment of geohazards including the impacts of floods, mineral deposit exploration, evaluation of groundwater resources and strategic or land-use planning. Geological mapping geological and thematic map production. The map sheets and Geological mapping is one of the main activities of the Czech accompanying explanatory booklets are compiled on the basis Geological Survey since its formation. In 2015, thanks to the new of a unifi ed legend, which enables an easy link up with adjoining methods, procedures related to documentation and processing of sheets. geological samples were improved. All the acquired data including information about the thin section material and chemical analyses Geological maps at 1:25,000 scale are stored in a uniform geological database substantial for the The project of geological base mapping of the Czech Republic at a scale of 1:25,000 involves creation of geological maps with a graphic legend, supplemented by marginal data. The geological David Buriánek map is accompanied by thematic maps, in particular maps of Project leader mineral resources and environmental geofactors. Bedrock maps, for geological mapping tectonic maps or other maps were also compiled for some areas. of the Czech Republic 1:25,000 The explanatory booklets sum up information on character and quality of rock environment. The attention is paid also to protection of signifi cant geological localities and interaction between lithosphere and biosphere. These outputs are created www.geology.cz/extranet-eng/maps by specialists in geochemistry, geophysics, hydrogeology, engineering geology, structural geology, economic geology, and environmental geology. Thus, a gradual completion of the national geological map database by detailed data on the rock environment gets underway and a database of the open geologic server www.geology.cz is created in the course of the survey. At present, the Regional Geologic Mapping Project at 1:25,000 scale encompasses 25 map sheets in various stages of completion. The work is going on in eight areas: in the Železné hory Mountains National Geopark, in the Nové Hrady Mountains, in Pošumaví (the Bohemian Forest Area), in Český ráj (the Bohemian Paradise), in Českomoravská vysočina (the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands), in Central Moravia, on the territory of the former Vojenský újezd Brdy (Brdy military domain) and in the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area. Contribution to territorial development and landscape ecosystem The environmental geofactor maps at 1:25,000 scale are an integral part of the newly completed geological map set at the same scale. Environmental issues are dealt with in a special chapter of the explanatory booklet. The above-mentioned map and the accompanying chapter in the explanatory booklet Upgraded accuracy of geological unit boundaries thanks to new summarize data gathered by fi eld survey coupled by the # mapping is obvious even from the chart showing geological