The activities of the Geological Institute in the years 1981 - 1985

Abstract

On November 12, 1985, the Seym dissolved the Central Board of Geology (CUG) and transformed Geological Survey of Poland to the Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources (MOSiZN) and submitted it to the Chief Geologist of the Country. The years 1981-1985 were hard for the Geological Institute because of prolonged economic crisis of the country and several problems with performing of mining and drilling works as well as financial and personnel shortages. During five years the number of personnel reduced by 76 persons (Tab. 1), and the lowest rate of employment was in 1984.

The Geological Institute cooperated with geological organisations from 25 countries and with numerous domestic institutions, organized several symposiums and conferences including the XIIIth Congress of Carpathian - Balkan Geological Association.

In the years 1981-1985 a five-year plan was being realised. In the meantime it was modified in 1982 and the following major research directions were pointed out then:

I. Determining the geological structure of the Polish Lowlands and Carpathian aimed at increasing the oil and gas resources.

2. Determining the geological structure of the entire country aimed at increasing the mineral raw materials resources.

3. Advancing the geological mapping with respect to the Detailed Geological Map of Poland in the scale of 1: 50 000.

4. Organizing the system of stationary site observatories of groundwaters, their observating as well as water quality and purity testing.

To affect above purposes 387,071 m have been drilled (Figs. 3 and 4, Tab. 4) and several geophysical works have been carried out (Fig. 5, Tab. 3). The borehole Czaplinek IG I reached the depth of 6006 m

below surface (Fig. 6) and became the deepest drilling in the history of the Institute.

Geological structure of Poland was studied within the frame of international research programmes (IGCP project no. 86 - research on SW edge of the East-European Platform) as well as with regard

to the national projects (deep seismic prospecting, gravimetric layer stripping to the. Sub-Zechstein surface) and regional ones. Some of the latter are listed below. The research in the Polish Lowlands resulted in three outstanding publications i.e. a map atlas of crystalline basement of the Precambrian Platform, an atlas of lithofacies-thickness maps of Vendian to Carboniferous rocks and a map atlas of Permian-Mesozoic rocks of the Polish Basin. The works on the synthesis of the geological structure of the Fore-Sudetic Monocline and the Pomeranian Swell have been completed and the geological-raw material map atlas of the Świętokrzyskie Mts has been prepared in the scale of 1:50000. In the Upper Silesia the investigations reached the deep Carboniferous horizons. The Geological Atlas of the Outer Carpathians was completed in cooperation with Slovakian geologists.

In the years 1981-1985 the Institute controlled investigations and prospecting of mineral raw materials. The Institute took part in the national programme on estimating the oil and gas recovery resources as well as in prognosticating their potential areas. In the Lower Silesia an oil outflow from, the main dolomite was obtained in Borowiec oilfield.

The Geological Atlas of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (GZW) - Coal Quality Maps has been compiled in the scale of I : 100 000. the monograph of the Lublin Coal Basin (LZW) has been completed

and in the Lower Silesian Coal Basin (DZW) some new black coal resources have been recorded in the Victoria mine coal field. Also new brown coal economic resources have been documented e.g. Bilczew. Gorzkowice - Łęczno. Wola Owadowska. Krosno Odrzańskie, Lubowo, Siedlimowice, Wałcz and others, which totally amount many million tons. At Udryń the economic resources of iron. Titanium and vanadium ores have been documented at 263,5 million tons under the C2 category. Under the same category the rock salt resources have been documented at 2082 million tons at Wojnicz.

The intensive prospecting for radioactive elements. rare earths elements. Cooper, zine and lead, Molybdenum, tin, sulphur, strontium, phosphorites, barite, fluorite as well as rocky raw materials was

carried out in several geological regions of Poland. Geological cartography was prospering (Tabs. 5. 6). The edition of the Detailed Geological Map of  Sudetes in the scale of 1: 25 000 is almost completed now, and the Detailed Geological Map of Poland in the scale of 1 : 50 000 was developing during the reported period. Sixty one sheets of this map have been accepted for publishing, and over a hundred sheets were in progress at the end of 1985. The Magnetic Map of Poland  in the scale of 1 : 200000 has been completed and the following other editions in the same scale are nearing completion: Geological Map of  Poland. Hydrogeological Map of Poland and Gravity Map of Poland. Concerning the network of groundwater observatories, 7 hydrogeologic stations and 64 observation posts were built in 1981 - 1985 period. At the end of 1985 the observations were taken at 471 posts of the network. Underground potable, curative and thermal waters were being documented. Also purity testing of ground waters was continued.

Numerous basic studies (i.e. stratigraphic, petrographic, mineralogic, sedimentologic, paleontologic, geophysical and others) were carried out in the Geological Institute, however economic geology and

photogeology studies were progressing, too. Data processing, geological information as well as archivum and museum managment were permanently improved during the reported period