VOLUME 39 (1-2)/September 2010 XIX Congress of the Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association Thessaloniki, Greece, 23-26 September 2010

This presentation will review and interpret recent data on magmatic processes in the Carpathian – Pannonian Region (CPR) during Early Miocene to Recent times, and will compare them with contemporaneous magmatism in the Balkan Peninsula and the Aegean, all of which belong to the Eastern Mediterranean realm. This geodynamic system was controlled by the collision of part of Africa (Adria or Apulia) with Europe that generated the Alps to the north, the Dinaride-Hellenide belt to the west, and caused the extrusion and inversion tectonics in the CPR. The present-day tectonic configuration is a result of the Cretaceous to Neogene Africa–Eurasia convergence and collision that formed a complex lithosphere supplied with numerous subduction components. The CPR contains Neogene to Quaternary magmatic rocks of highly diverse compositions that were generated in response to complex post-collisional tectonic processes. These processes formed back-arc extensional basins in response to an interplay of compression and extension (e.g. subduction with roll-back, collision, slab break-off, delamination, strike-slip tectonics, core complex type extension, and block rotations) of two microplates: Alcapa and Tisia (Tisza)-Dacia. Competition between the different tectonic processes (syn- and diachronous) on both local and regional scale caused variations in the associated magmatism that were mainly a result of extensional processes, the rheological properties, and the specific lithosphere composition of the two microplates. No volcanic activity directly related to pre-collisional subduction is recorded in the CPR area. Meanwhile in the Balkans a regional extensional tectonic setting developed in Oligocene- Miocene times and progressed to the present-day in the Aegean where it was dominantly associated with calc-alkaline, ultrapotassic and Na-alkaline magmatism and formation of small sedimentary basins.
   Major oxide, trace element, and isotopic data of lavas and mantle xenoliths from the CPR suggest that subduction components were preserved in the lithospheric mantle after the Cretaceous-Miocene subduction and were reactivated by asthenosphere uprise via various processes (subduction roll-back, rotation-induced extension, slab detachment, slab-break-off or slab-tearing). Changes in the composition of the mantle through time support various geodynamic scenarios that are linked to the evolution of the main blocks and their boundary relations: Alcapa (1), Tisia-Dacia (2) and Balkans (3):
   1a. In the Western Carpathians and Pannonian Basin, magmatism occurred in a backarc setting producing felsic volcanic rocks at 21-18 Ma, followed at 18-8 Ma by felsic and intermediate calc-alkaline lavas and ended with Na-alkaline basaltic volcanism (10-0.1 Ma). Volcanism became younger towards the north. Geochemical data imply both a change in source from a crustal one, through a mixed crustal/mantle source, to a mantle source with a decrease of the subduction component in the mantle lithosphere through time. Garnet-bearing varieties occurred at 16.4-15 Ma. Extrusion tectonics, block rotation, subduction roll-back and continental collision triggered partial melting by delamination and/or asthenosphere upwelling. Generation of Na-alkaline magmatism at the western margin of Alcapa suggests a north-east-directed asthenosphere mantle flow acting as small finger plumes that caused high thermal anomalies at the base of the lithosphere and triggered magma generation along NWSE strike-slip faults. The process was most likely controlled by mantle perturbations resulting from the counterclockwise rotation of the Adriatic microplate and tectonic inversion in the Pannonian Basin. The continuous volcanic activity in central Slovakia, firstly as calc-alkaline (16.5-11 Ma), then as transitional calc-alkaline (11-8 Ma) and finally as Na-alkaline basalts (8-0.13 Ma) supports a mantle plume scenario, with increasing asthenospheric input through time;
   1b. The westernmost Pannonian sub-basins (Styrian basin and adjacent areas) contain felsic and intermediate calc-alkaline, K-alkaline and ultrapotassic volcanic rocks generated at 17.5-14 Ma. They are related to extension and extrusion tectonics and core-complexgeneration at 21.9-13.4 Ma that produced strong mantle perturbations and triggered melt generation. Na-alkaline basalts occurred at 11-12 Ma and ended at 4-1.8 Ma. They show heterogeneous isotopic features that suggest an association with the Adria push and tectonic inversion, causing a north-east directed asthenospheric mantle flow;
   1c. In the north-westernmost part of the Pannonian Basin, at 15-9 Ma, felsic and normal calc-alkaline volcanism erupted in the Transcarpathian basin at a triple junction between Alcapa, Tisia-Dacia and the European foreland. This is a result of extension via counter-clock rotation of Alcapa, causing core-complex exhumation. Geochemical studies indicate a heterogeneous lithospheric mantle source associated with fractionation-assimilation processes in crustal magma chambers. Melting was most likely triggered by back-arc rotational extension and asthenosphere uprise;
   2a. Calc-alkaline magmatism generated at 12-8 Ma in the northern part of the Tisia-Dacia block follows the Dragoş Vodă-Bogdan Vodă transcurrent fault and is entirely intrusive, ranging from basalts to rhyolites. Each body evolved independently with specific fractionation, crustal assimilation and/or magma mixing processes, suggesting decompression melting of the local heterogeneous mantle lithosphere. Garnet-bearing varieties occurred at 9.5-10.5 Ma. Sinistral transtensional stress regimes at 12-10 Ma along the transcurrent fault system controlled the generation and emplacement of the intrusive bodies. This may be the result of oblique convergence of Tisia–Dacia with the NW–SE striking European margin, evidenced by eastward thrusting in the external Miocene thrust belt;
   2b. Calc-alkaline and adakite-like magmas were erupted in the Apuseni Mountains at 15-9 Ma. Garnet-bearing rocks occurred at 13-12 Ma. Lithosphere breakup during extreme block rotations (~60 degree) at 14-12 Ma was responsible for extension with core-complex formation at the easternmost continuation of Bekes basin. This led to decompression melting of an enriched lithospheric source. Magmatic activity ended with small volume Na-alkaline basalts (2.5 Ma), shoshonitic (K-alkalic) at 1.6 Ma and ultrapotassic magmas at 1.3 Ma. This suggests a close relationship with Pliocene inversion tectonics along the South Transylvanian fault due to the Adria push, with small volume melt generation from diverse lithospheric and asthenospheric sources;
   2c. Calc-alkaline magmatism occurred along the easternmost margin of Tisia-Dacia forming the Călimani-Gurghiu-North Harghita volcanic chain, with diminishing age and volume southwards at 10-3.9 Ma. This marked the end of subduction-related magmatism along the post-collision front of the European convergent plate margin. Magma generation was associated with progressive break-off of a subducted slab and asthenosphere uprise. Fractionation and crustal assimilation were typical;
   2d. At ca. 3 Ma, magma compositions changed in South Harghita to adakite-like calcalkaline and continued until recent times (< 0.03 Ma) interrupted at 1.6-1.2 Ma by simultaneous generation of Na and K alkaline varieties in nearby areas, suggestive of various sources and melting mechanism. This complex magmatism situated in front of the Moesian platform was associated with two main geodynamic events: (a) slab-pull and steepening, with opening of a tear-window in the vertical Vrancea lithospheric block hanging into the asthenospheric mantle (forming adakite-like calc-alkaline magmas) and (b) inversion
tectonics along reactivated fault systems that allowed decompression melting of asthenospheric and lithospheric sources, thus generating the Na and K-alkaline magmas;
   3a. Calc-alkaline volcanic rocks occur at the southern border of Tisia–Dacia with the Dinarides along the Drava–Sava depression in several successive periods between 22.8 and 7.4 Ma, with K-alkaline rocks at 17.5-15.4 and 9.8-7.4 Ma. The area acted as a strike-slip fault at the terrane boundary that was probably reactivated several times in transtensional mode, generating magmas via decompression melting of heterogeneous lithospheric mantle, also influenced by fractionation and assimilation;
   3b. Miocene-Pliocene magmatism characterizes the Serbian and FYR Macedonian part of the Vardar zone. Ultrapotassic, shoshonitic and high K-calc-alkaline magmas were erupted at 23-21 Ma; at 12.9-10 shoshonitic rocks were generated and ended with K-potassic and ultrapotassic magmas at 9.1-1.5 Ma, becoming younger toward the south. Magmas were generated in a metasomatized depleted mantle related to different extensional events in the Pannonian Basin and Aegean region;3c. In the Thrace Evros basin, Early Miocene (22-19.5 Ma) calc-alkaline and K-alkaline rocks occur, suggesting an origin from both lithospheric mantle and crust related to postcollisional extensional processes and core complex exhumation. In the Thrace basin, Naalkaline basalts occurred at 8.9-4.5 Ma; decompression melting of an asthenospheric source may be related to a westward mantle flow generated by the block movement along the North Anatolian fault system;
   3d. The South Moesian block has an N-S line of Na-alkaline basalts that started in the Oligocene and become younger toward the south at 21.4-19.4 Ma. They have an asthenospheric source that may be connected to local fractures related to Tisia-Dacia block rotation movements around stable Moesia. Thus, the mantle dynamics and melt generation in CPR and surrounding areas are echoes of many subduction, collision, rotation and extension processes of several microplates that acted variably in the convergence between Africa (chiefly Apulia) and Europe since the Cretaceous period until Recent time.

The Western Balkan region is a region of south-eastern Europe that presents pronounced activities of various types of natural hazards and natural disasters. This paper analyses data sets from two international databases of the main types of natural disasters namely geophysical, hydrological, climatological and meteorological disaster events during the period 1900-2008. The following have been analysed: the number of natural disaster events, natural disaster occurrence by disaster type, the total number of fatalities, the total number of affected people and the corresponding economic damages expressed as a percentage of selected types of natural disasters. The data analysis in this paper aims to confirm the importance of data collection and analysis аs а foundation for planning and preparing disaster reduction programs for the Western Balkan countries.

The ruin of the medieval Sasov castle, a cultural heritage object in the Middle Slovakia, suffers from a strong deterioration. Besides the weathered binder, a reasonable part of the damages is caused by the intensive weathering of the building stone. The walls are builtmainly of Neogene andesite, which is common in this area of the volcanic Stiavnicke Vrchy Mts. The sound rock is of dark grey colour, but most of the building stones have yellowishbrown coatings of iron oxyhydroxides on the surface and in the fissures. Highly macro-porous stones are most affected by the alteration. Weathering of the andesite was studied within the project VEGA 1/0413/09 of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic.
   The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) of the powdered weathered building stone showed that the mineral assemblage is dominated by the plagioclase andesine (63 wt%) and the main alteration product smectite (up to 22 wt%), the rest are amorphous phases/volcanic glass (13 wt%), augite (1 wt%), magnetite (1 wt%) and traces of mica. The building stone material was compared with the rock material from an old local quarry, which was assumed to be the source of the building material for the castle walls. The study with polarized light microscopy (PM) of thin sections revealed the glomeroporphyritic character of this rock, i.e. phenocrysts of the same type (here plagioclase) are partly grouping into distinct clusters. There are three types of plagioclase: 1. sound plagioclase with regular shape and typical crystal twinning, 2. phenocrysts exhibiting growth zoning, and 3. plagioclase disintegrated due to magmatic corrosion. The corrosion creates alteration rims around the plagioclase grains or intrudes the whole mineral. A secondary mineralisation can be seen in some fine cracks cutting the phenocrysts, as well. The alteration of mafic minerals (augite, magnetite, mica) resulted in opaque phases. The rock matrix is built of volcanic glass, fine-grained plagioclase and some not identified brown phases. These are probably products of a post-magmatic alteration, i.e. weathering and/or post-volcanic hydrothermal alteration processes, very common in Neovolcanites.
   The results from XRD, PM and tests on physical properties confirmed a very good match of the building stone material with the most altered parts of the rock mass in the local quarry. Therefore, a comparison with the sound rock from the deeper parts of the quarry was used for the illustration of the alteration impact on the rock properties. The sound rock consists of andesine (≈ 62 wt%), the rest are amorphous phases (27 wt%), augite (8 wt%) and magnetite (3 wt%), no smectite is present. It means that amorphous phases are the most unstable components of the rock. With the alteration, smectite appears and its content is increasing (up to 22 wt%), while amorphous phases, augite, and magnetite are decreasing. A considerable part of the macro-pores is the result of selective leaching of weathering products. Total porosity increased from 2.4 % to 21.2 %, the effective porosity from 2.2 % to 15.0 % when compared with the sound rock. The uniaxial strength (tested by the point load test) dropped from 270 MPa (sound rock) to 51 MPa in the weathered, but still coherent macroporous stone. However, the most altered building stones are almost white and disintegrate into sand. Cyclic volume changes due to smectite swelling and water freezing in the effective pores probably weaken the structure and enhance the deterioration. Both processes are supported by the high water uptake due to the high smectite content, reflected also in the results of the Enslin-Neff tests. Therefore, ruins should be prevented from the infiltrating water precipitations (rain, snow) by roofing of the wall crowns. Missing or deteriorated building stones could be replaced by material taken from the deeper parts of the local andesite quarry.

The studied Pb-Zn-Cu deposits are located between Çanakkale and Balıkesir in NW Anatolia. Two ore deposits are investigated here, in Lapseki-Çataltepe to the northwest and in Yenice-Kalkım to the southeast of Çanakkale. The host rocks in both areas are represented, from the bottom to the top, by lense- and/or band-shaped recrystallized limestones, and/or marble-intercalations bearing Permo-Triassic metamorphic rocks. Eocene granitoids and subvolcanics are found in Lapseki area, whereas Oligo-Miocene aged granitoids and Middle Miocene subvolcanic rocks are found in Yenice area. The Pb-Zn-Cu mineralizations in these areas are observed at and around the carbonates and along fractures in the metamorphic rocks. The sulfide minerals comprise mainly galenite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and arsenopyrite, whereas the gangue minerals in the ore zones are represented by garnet, epidote, quartz and calcite. In addition to these minerals, manganiferous hedenbergitic pyroxene and hematite have been detected in the ore zones of Kalkım area.
   Fluid inclusion studies of Kalkım area (Handeresi, Bağırkaç and Fırıncıkdere mineralizations) revealed that fluids in pyroxenes have salinities of 5.4 to 8 wt.% NaCl equiv., and the homogenization temperatures (Th) range between 290 and 430°C. The salinities of sphalerites are around 11 wt.% NaCl equiv., and the Th vary from 272 to 338°C. The fluids during quartz formation stand out with the salinities of 1.4 to 2.6 wt.% NaCl equiv., and Th of this stage is 157-267°C. On the other hand, the Th of the fluids during calcite formation ranges between 68 and 75°C. The salinities of this stage could not be measured. The fluid inclusion measurements of Lapseki area (Çataltepe mineralizations), showed that the fluids in garnets have salinities of 0.7 to 1.4 wt.% NaCl equiv., and their Th range between 310 and 353°C. Sphalerites have salinities of 0.5 to 1.2 wt.% NaCl equiv., and Th of 220 to 300°C. The salinities of fluids related to the quartz formation vary between 0.5 and 1.1 wt.% NaCl equiv., and their homogenization temperatures from 200 to 310°C. Because the system was open, based on the fact that both liquid and gaseous phases could be observed at the same fluid inclusions in both areas, sphalerite homogenization temperaturescould be evaluated as formation temperatures varying between 220 and 340°C.
   In Kalkım area, the sulfur isotope compositions of the sulphide minerals are: δ³⁴S_PbS = -1.1 to 1.5 ‰ with a mean around -0.2 ‰, δ³⁴S_ZnS = -0.7 to 2.1 ‰ with a mean around 0.7 ‰, and δ³⁴S_CuFeS2 = -0.6 to 1.5 ‰ with an average around 0.4 ‰. The sulfur isotope composition of the sulphide minerals in Lapseki area are characterized by δ³⁴SPbS = -0.5 to 0.0 ‰ with an average around -0.25 ‰, δ³⁴S_ZnS = 0.8 to 1.3 ‰ with a mean around 1.03 ‰, δ³⁴S_CuFeS2 = 0.9 to 1.5 ‰ with an average around 1.2 ‰, and δ³⁴S_FeS2 = 0.0 to 1.0 ‰ with a mean around 0.5 ‰. The δ³⁴S values of sulfide minerals in both areas show a narrow range near 0 ‰ which can be interpreted as indicating magmatic sources and the sulfur isotopes are very similar to δ³⁴S values of skarn deposits.

The results of a detailed trend analysis of surface longwave and shortwave radiation over Europe are presented on a basis of data from the ISCCP project (International Satellite Climatology Cloud Project). The ISCCP FD SRF dataset includes spatially and temporally homogenized up-welling and down-welling longwave (LW = 5.0-200.0 microns) and shortwave (SW = 0.2-5.0 microns) radiation estimates coming from the synergistic use of satellite data and models. The area of interest, Europe, consists of equal area grids with a spatial resolution of equatorial 2.5x2.5 degrees (280 km²). The temporal resolution of the data is 3 hours while the dataset spans from January 1984 to December 2007. In order to study the long-term variations of the longwave and shortwave radiation, monthly mean values of the above mentioned period were considered. A statistical analysis is applied to derive trends and seasonal variability for this time period over Europe. To fit the time series, a model with a linear trend and a seasonal component for the annual cycle of radiation has been used. The seasonal component is estimated by a harmonic analysis. The significance of the longwave and shortwave radiation trend is also determined. As it is shown here, the observed trends and their significance are rather variable for different areas in Europe.

In the geotectonic unit of the External Dinarides, several volcaniclastic-sedimentary successions of Middle Triassic age have been investigated from outcrops in Croatia (in the vicinity of Sinj and Knin) and in Bosnia and Herzegovina (in the vicinity of Bosansko Grahovo). The appearance of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks in the External Dinarides have usually been interpreted as the Middle Triassic syn-rift phase in which graben-like depressions had been formed along deep structural fractures. The Middle Triassic rift phase in the External Dinarides is marked by volcanic activity that had been defined as basaltic extrusions at the beginning and more acidic explosive activity that characterised deposition of thick pyroclastic and volcanoclastic successions in the later phases. Volcanic and volcaniclastic successions near Sinj have been described mineralogically and petrographycally by the same authors and interpreted as vitric to crystal tuffs and ignimbrites deposited as pyroclastic flows in intrashelf environment, not far from a subaerially located caldera.
   In our investigation we examined several lithotypes of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks not previously described. Near Bosansko Grahovo there are occurrences of blocky pepperites. In the angular pepperite type jigsaw-fit texture can be observed suggesting quenching of Mgdepleted basaltic lava on the contacts with unconsolidated pelagic limestones. The Ladinian age of the succession was determined on the basis of conodonts found in limestones intercalations.
   Near Sinj a thick volcaniclastic beds (called “pietra verde”) are interbeded with marine bioclastic, well bedded limestones, cherts and dolomites. Bioclastic limestone and dolomites are characterised by an abundance of calcareous algae, foraminifers, gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, crinoids, serpulids as well as radiolarians, ammonoids and conodonts, the latter suggesting open marine (pelagic) associations. Limestone beds are strongly silicified and recrystalised. Dolomites exhibit macrocrystaline anhedral texture suggesting a secondary dolomitisation. Lower Ladinian age was inferred on the basis of conodonts and amonoids.
   Volcaniclastic beds (tuffs) near Sinj are massive or evenly laminated. Cross lamination occurs at the top of some beds. Several volcaniclastic lithotypes (tuffs) do not significantly differ in composition. They contain predominant former glassy fragments which are cuspate, platy, or udeformed bubble-wall shards. Pumice wisps occur in some lithotypes showing random orientation and relict tube vesicle texture. Other components are sparse feldspar and quartz crystal fragments. The formerly glassy shards are recrystalised to a fine quartz-rich mosaic. Shards are occasionally well preserved due to carbonate microcrystaline calcite that outlines them.
   The dominance of juvenile pyroclasts, particularly the abundance of various shard types and quartz crystal fragments suggest that they were sourced from explosive, acidic eruptions. The interlayering with carbonates containing pelagic (open marine) fossil assemblages suggests that they have been deposited farther offshore. In this circumstances are these subaqueous deposits not likely to by strictly primary pyroclastic in origin. Bedforms indicate rapid, possibly mass-flow, deposition in offshore environment. Nevertheless the abundance of texturally poorly or unmodified pyroclasts suggests that pyroclastic material was delivered more of less directly to sedimentary transport and deposition systems. Although it has been suggested that the origin had been primary pyroclastic surge deposits from subaerial depositional settings, we thought that pyroclastic material generated from explosive eruptions at marine submerged vents. The dominance of juvenile pyroclasts suggests that fragmentation occurred when lavas emplaced into marine unlithified sediments allow explosive vaporisation of pore fluids or when superheated water flashed to steam that rapidly expands. Thus we interpret deposits near Sinj as pyroclast rich offshore mass-flow deposits.

The Devonian sequence of the Moesian Platform in Bulgaria and Romania represents a part of the pre-Variscan sedimentary cover which overlies the Proterozoic metamorphic basement. A total of sixteen boreholes have been run in different parts of the Devonian.
   The Lower Devonian, together with the Silurian, consists of dark shales, siltstones, and minor limestones and sandstones (calcareous-terrigenous-clayey formation). The age assignment of this formation is based on chitinozoans, acritarchs, miospores, graptolites, and conodonts.
   Predominantly carbonate rocks (limestones and dolostones) and rare evaporites (anhydrites) build the Middle and Upper Devonian successions. They were subdivided into the following formations from bottom to top: carbonate-sulphate formation, dolomite formation, formation of banded limestones, formation of intraclastic and peloidal limestones, and formation of organogenic limestones. The lower clayey-carbonate package of the carbonate-sulphate formation consists of clayey limestones and shales of Eifelian age and the upper parts of this unit consist of Givetian dolostones, limestones, anhydrites, and scarce shales. The dolomite formation includes mainly dolostones and limestones, also of Givetian age. The formation of banded limestones consists of banded micritic limestones related to Upper Givetian and Lower Frasnian. The uppermost part of the Devonian is represented by the formation of intraclastic peloidal limestones (Frasnian-Famennian) and the formation of organogenic limestones (Famennian). The Middle and Late Devonian ages of these formations were mostly proved by conodont faunas and less commonly by brachiopods and foraminifers. Sedimentary features and conodont evidence indicate the presence of numerous erosional surfaces and stratigraphic hiatuses within the Middle and Upper Devonian carbonate sequence.
   The silicicalstic sediments of Silurian and Early Devonian age (calcareous-terrigenousclayey formation) are regarded as formed in deep-water open-marine to shallow shelf settings. Middle Devonian successions are interpreted as inner- and mid-ramp deposits developed in a shallowing-upward sequence. Eifelian carbonate sedimentation (clayey-carbonate package of the carbonate-sulphate formation) occurred in an open-marine setting below normal wave base (mid-ramp zone) which is gradually replaced by a shallow open-marine environment above normal wave base (inner-ramp zone). The shallowing tendency continued during the Givetian when carbonate-evaporite sediments precipitated under arid climate conditions (carbonate and evaporite packages of the carbonate-sulphate formation). Deposition took place in a low-energy tidal-flat setting (back ramp) with restricted or semi-restricted water circulation and locally developed supratidal sabkha evaporites. Repeated alternation of subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal successions observed in the well sections suggests a cyclic character of the Givetian sedimentation. Tidal-flat deposition continued later during the Givetian and Frasnian (dolomite formation, formation of banded limestones and formation of intraclastic and peloidal limestones) but without distinct evaporite precipitation. However, carbonate pseudomorphs after gypsum crystals observed in some intertidal/supratidal sediments indicate that arid climate conditions still existed. Finally, the Famennian carbonate deposition (part of the formation of intraclastic and peloidal limestones and the formation of organogenic limestones) reflects a gradual transition to open-marine shallow and deeperwater settings.
   With the final of the carbonate sedimentation in the Early Carboniferous, the whole Devonian underwent intense folding, vertical and horizontal displacement as a result of the Variscan orogenic events.

Our recent research in most areas of Eastern Hellenides has given following results:
   In Vourinos and Vermion, the ophiolites are in normal, not tectonic contact with their supporting layers (marbles of mostly upper Triassic age). This contact shows a typical thermal transformation with layers of hornstein, amphibolites and granatites. The directly underlying series shows progressive and clear evolution from a carbonate platform into a submarine environment with increasing volcanic influences, including pillow lava flows.
   In northern Pindos, at the ophiolitic overthrusted masses, outcrops of limestones are observed. Detailed analysis of these limestones showed that they are remainings of transgressions, their age determined by the microfauna as upper Campanian – early Maastrichtian. The limestone series ends upwards in a karstic surface supporting doleritic lava flows with essential thickness. In the locations of Tragopetra and Tzina we can observe that these lavas clearly intrude in the caves of the paleokarst. At the same section, over this lava formation can be found the basic conglomerate (Auversian) of the ''mesohellenic trench'' sediments. An important outcome of this is that there is no ocean floor before the overthrust but that land, with karstification of the limestones, was already emerged instead.
   In central Pindos, near Artotina, we observe ophiolite outcrops in the Pindos flysch with a transgression enclosing microfauna of the same age.
   In Euboea, a ''subpelagonian'' ophiolitic unit, with his underlying limestones, is overthrusted over a paleozoïc and mesozoïc continuous sedimentary succession (Eretria unit), but the contact is violently folded and characterized by a thick mylonite. This Eretria unit is the equivalent in South Euboea of the Styra unit and is overthrusted over a continental platform carbonate unit (Almyropotamos unit).
   In Argolide, we observe the same situation: an ophiolite unit, overthrusted over limestones and flysch with a mylonitic contact, with insertions of klippes of a continental slope unit (Pindos). Localy, the limestones are karstificated before the overthrust.
   As a conclusion of these observations we can state that we should respect the principle of actualism (James Hutton, Charles Lyell). Now, in present world, the geographic zones are large, extended: so was also in the past. The distinction of a (paleo) geographical zone must be based on the trend through geological times, not on local variations of sedimentation. Today, we observe a breaking up of geological units, due to more successive tectonic phases, not to a primary differentiation. Like this, already in Middle Cretaceous or even earlier, Tethys’s floor (ophiolites with effusive emplacement) was deformed and at least folded, and emerged. This emersion possibly characterizes also certain parts of African shelf. Immediately afterwards, ophiolites overthrust on the African shelf in an enormous movement, which drifted, fragmented and disintegrated the continental slope (Pindos unit, Eretria unit). This movement is accompanied also by proportional movement of the European-Asian mass. It is deformed in the scale of planet. It is obvious that this major movement was immediately followed by a phase of strongly, isoclinal folding, trending from SSW to NNE. The most obvious today (because latest) deformation during Late Eocene and Oligocene is the one which caused the actually observed main structural lines of the Hellenides.

Early Miocene (ca. 21-18 Ma) volcanic activity in the Kulu (Konya)-Haymana (Ankara) area produced a series of lavas and pyroclastic deposits with calc-alkaline and mildly alkaline affinities. The volcanic products display a broad range of compositions from basic to acidic (48-72 SiO₂ wt%). The calc-alkaline volcanic rocks include plagioclase (An_27-60), clinopyroxene (Wo_40-44En_41-50Fs_8-17), orthopyroxene (Wo_1-4En_64-76Fs_20-35), amphibole (Mg# = 0.63-0.77), Fe-Ti oxide, quartz, apatite, and scarce biotite whereas the mildly alkaline rocks contain plagioclase (An_41-74), olivine (Fo_64-89), clinopyroxene (Wo_41-48En_39-50Fs_7-16), orthopyroxene (Wo_2-4En_65-74Fs_23-33), amphibole (Mg# = 0.59-0.69), Fe-Ti oxide, apatite, and scarce anorthoclase. The rocks generally show disequilibrium textures such as: (a) resorption, oscillatory zoning, honeycomb and sieve textures in plagioclase phenocrysts, (b) amphibole phenocrysts pseudomorphed by opaque aggregates and surrounded by clinopyroxene corona, (c) composite pyroxene phenocrysts with core of orthopyroxene (enstatite) and rim of clinopyroxene (augite), (d) quartz surrounded by acicular clinopyroxene, and (e) reverse zoning in all phenocrysts. Estimations of pre-eruptive temperature (T) are in the range of 810- 1120 ^oC for the calc-alkaline and 1055-1300 ^oC for the mildly alkaline rocks. Estimations of crystallization pressure (P) range between 1.0-7.5 kbar for the calc-alkaline and 1.9-8.6 kbar for the mildly alkaline rocks, suggesting polybaric fractionation history. Textural and compositional relationships of mineral phases and P-T conditions of the rocks suggest that magma mixing played an important role in the evolution of the investigated volcanic rocks.

A Triassic Silicic Volcano-Sedimentary (SVS) succession is part of the Circum-Rhodopes Belt in Northern Greece. It records the voluminous rhyolitic activity that occurred on a Paleozoic composite basement (united Vertiscos plus Pelagonia terranes) at the early stages of extension that ended in continental break-up, separation of the above two terranes and creation of the Almopias Ocean. The SVS succession stratigraphically overlies the alluvial fan deposits of the Permo-Triassic Examili Formation, sourced from the eroded Vertiscos terrane, and is overlain by a Neritic Carbonate Formation of Triassic age. It comprises pyroclastic rocks, lava flows and quartz-feldspar-phyric intrusions, as well as epiclastic volcanic, non-volcanic and mixed volcanic – non-volcanic sediments, all now metamorphosed in low greenschist facies.
   The Nea Santa rhyolite dome is part of the SVS succession and is exposed in the Xiropotamos Creek between Nea Santa and Krithia villages. The dome is ~1000 m across and includes four facies recognizable despite their metamorphism and deformation. These are: (a) the “coherent rhyolite facies”, representing the core of the dome and consisting of massive, non-vesicular quartz-feldspar porphyry, locally flow-banded; (b) the “lithophysal rhyolite facies”, occurring in parts of the periphery of the dome. It is perlitic rhyolite porphyry containing spherulites weathered out from the host rock. Each spherulite contains a quartzfilled, star-shaped internal cavity (lithophysa); (c) the gradational “carbonate sediment matrix – sericite-altered rhyolite breccia facies”, defining the original contacts of the dome with carbonate sediments of the Neritic Carbonate Formation. It is composed of fluidal, ragged clasts and stringers of sericite-altered pumiceous rhyolite enclosed in bio-calcirudite host sediment (reef-debris). It is interpreted as intrusive hyaloclastite or fluidal peperite, based on criteria like: hydrothermal metamorphism of the host sediment adjacent to rhyolite clasts (bleaching, silicification and calcite recrystallization) and fluidization of the host sediment (calcite-filled vesicles in rhyolite clasts); (d) the “carbonate sediment matrix – quartz-feldspar porphyry breccia facies”, occurring as dyke-like breccia zones that range from 5 mm to 50 cm in width and penetrating the western part of the dome. It comprises blocky, angular, in places jigsaw-fitted porphyry clasts enclosed in carbonate host sediment. It is interpreted as blocky peperite intruded into dome’s open fractures formed at its last, brittle stage solidification. Some clasts were also spalled from the sides of the fractures. A relatively younger facies, named “mixed rhyolite – carbonate epiclastic sedimentary facies” was formed adjacent to the dome. It consists of rounded quartz-feldspar porphyry and carbonate clasts (granular siltstone, pebbly granular siltstone and pebble conglomerate). It is interpreted as mixed provenance mass- and debris-flow deposits.
   The Nea Santa dome displays typical characteristics of domes formed in submarine successions. During emplacement, its margins were quench-fragmented and mingled with wet unconsolidated carbonate sediment forming intrusive hyaloclastite (fluidal pepperite). The pumiceous nature of the fluidal hyaloclasts and the lithophysal nature of the periphery of the dome imply volatile exsolution not inhibited by the confining pressure, implying further that the sediment cover above the dome was thin and the water depth probably less than 200 m. The host carbonate sediment composed of reef-debris indicates that the dome intruded in a shallow submarine environment, below wave-base. The dome finally reached above storm wave-base level and was at least partly extrusive. Its fragmented margins were subjected to reworking and were syn-deposited with carbonate clasts on its flanks below wave-base as mixed provenance gravity-driven debris- and mass-flows. The identification of peperitic or intrusive hyaloclastite margins of the Nea Santa dome within the SVS succession is decisive for the relative chronology, facies architecture and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction because its presence demonstrates approximate contemporaneity of rift magmatism and sedimentation.

A new locality tracked down in the Eurotas Valley (Laconia, Greece) yielded mammalian dental remains of a young individual referred to as Hippopotamus antiquus. The findings are of very large size compared to already known specimens from Greece and W. Europe. The new locality is biochronologically dated at the Early–Middle Pleistocene.

A large-scale Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) survey was conducted at the basin of Sarantaporon, Elassona in order to study the tectonic and hydrogeological setting of the area. More than 150 soundings (AB/2 > 500m) were measured on a near-regular grid and were processed with 1-D inversion algorithm. Selected Interpretation models took into account the existing detailed drilling information of the area. Since some of the dense measured soundings were co-linear was possible to combine 1-D sounding data and produce 2D data sets which were interpreted using a fully 2D inversion algorithm. Finally the 2D and 1D results were combined to produce pseudo-3D geolectrical images of the subsurface.
   Interpretations are in very good agreement with the existing drilling and geological information and reveal a relatively detailed picture of the basin’s lithological and hydrogeological environment. Further, the results allowed us to obtain new, and verify existing, structural information regarding the studied area. Overall it is concluded that advanced interpretation to 1-D VES measurements can produce improved subsurface geophysical images and presents a very useful tool for larger scale geological investigations.

The studied area is located in Hungary, one of the deepest parts of the Carpathian Basin. Körös Rivers (it means Fekete-, Fehér-, Kettős-, Sebes-, Hármas-Körös) is belonging to Tisza river drainage basin that is the second main watercourse in the country. The Körös catchment area is 27,537 km², but 53% is in Romania, and 47% is in Hungary. Vast areas of the Hungarian Plain were flooded by the Paleo-Tisza and its affluents; and the river itself had not fix bed. The settlements were threatened by the enormous flood hazards returning year by year. The flood control has a long history in Hungary, because barrages were already built in 1613 along Tisza and other rivers. The real work started (with mapping) when a big flood was happened in the Körös–Berettyó region, in 1816. The Körös river regulation plan was made by M. Huszár, who distributed the work, and gave the depth and width of the bed, barrages distance and dimension. He determined the width of the active floodplain: by Hármas-Körös 379 m, by Kettős-Körös 246 m, by Sebes-Körös 246 m, by Fekete-Körös 190 m, by Fehér-Körös 114 m. The river regulation of the Danube and Tisza, and their affluents, was the most important reform in the remaking of nature in the 19^th century Europe. These impacts were filled the requirements of the era’s economic and social assumption. Low and a high water level database were made for the time interval between 1907 and 2006 with two water gauges in case of analysing the regime of Hármas-Körös River. The low water level had occurred in winter time (57%) in Gyoma (first water gauge), the lowest was -116 cm on 3rd August in 1930. The highest water level had happened in the first five month of the year. The highest water level was 918 cm on 9th July in 1970. The biggest difference was 943 cm in 1919. In Kunszentmárton (second water gauge) the lowest water level had happened in winter time (69%) as well, and the lowest water level was -240 cm on 24th August, 1946. The highest water levels occurred in January, March, April, and May. The highest water level was 1041 cm on 21st April, 2006. The biggest difference was 1134 cm in 2006. We are dealing with measurements of alluvial deposits of floodplain, as well. The sampling was made at the Hármas-Körös River in Takács-zug. The aim of the study to find out the amount of flood deposits on the floodplain after the river regulations. Geomorphological mapping was made near Kunszentmárton and Öcsöd in scale 1:10 000. The new map demonstrates some paleodrainage system of the study area. The thickness of alluvial deposit is increased with 150–180 cm after the river regulations on the study area. The greater part of mapped area is high floodplain; a low floodplain is deepening into this, which was perhaps a fossil riverbed. This low floodplain was occupied by Körös River. The deposits of the last few year of the 20^th century could be easily recognized; it is 5–13 cm by floods.

The project “SACRE” is based on the achievement of a health record from Chambord castle and aims to provide a basis for scientific monitoring and planning of restoration work using health and aesthetic specific criteria. The collected data (nature of degradations, weather measurements, architectural and historical archives) are used to reference all the information necessary to establish a detailed diagnosis of the state of alteration of the monument.
   This program of research both fundamental and applied is divided into 5 parts:
   1. The CAD modelling aims at constructing a graphic base used to gather all data acquired during the project.
   2. The realization of the health record of the book will reference all the information necessary to establish a detailed diagnosis of the state of alteration of the monument: mapping of degradations, weather conditions, architectural and historical archives.
   3. The simulation and prediction of degradations, which is the most fundamental step of this research program, is to simulate both in sequences of experimental laboratory and in numerical modelling the process of degradations in order to understand their evolution and to estimate their kinetics.
   4. The creation of a tool for decision support is the application of simulation to work, and aims to estimate the rate of degradation. Added to that a costing of restoration, this software tool will provide a rational schedule of restoration work.
   5. The valuation of the project to the public will be achieved by giving an access to a simplified version of the software, presented at an exhibition at Chambord.
   The castle has undergone many restorations and architectural changes that have resulted in replacement of stones. Dating and identification of rocks were determined by searching in the historical and architectural archives that are sometimes incomplete. In developing the health record of the castle, we aim to identify and localize all the stones used over the time since the sixteenth century for the construction and for the restoration.
   The ‘tuffeau’, porous chalk-lime and with very low mechanical strength, is the stone most commonly used in construction of buildings in the Loire Valley. It was also used for construction and restoration of the castle of Chambord. Stones used in the sixteenth century from quarries that are no longer used today. Over the successive restorations, new quarries have been opened.
   The objective of this study is to identify geographically the various careers that have served the construction and restoration of the castle of Chambord, and locate the different stone facades employed. Indeed, these stones juxtaposed on the building are not always compatible. Correlating these data with the changes observed on the walls can give indications about the evolution of alterations observed on the chateau.

The East Rhodope Depression situated in South Bulgaria is a Paleogene superimposed structure. It is mostly filled with Tertiary sedimentary, sedimentary-volcanogenic, andvolcanic rocks. The tectonic low-order elements distinguished in it are specific volcanotectonic, block, and block-fold structures. The subjects of our study are the aquifer layers (reservoir systems) situated in these structures investigated from the point of view of the possibilities, if other favorable conditions for storage of natural gas and carbon dioxide (СО₂) exist. Special studies carried out by the authors in the limits of the perspective structures are concentrated mostly on the: lithological-physical segmentation of the Tertiary section; defining of permeable and hard-permeable formations and their studying (structure, lithology, reservoir and sealing parameters, spatial behavior); defining of natural reservoirs and studying their spatial relationships; prognosis of possible types of local structures and natural traps. Because of the restricted volume and the absence of specialized information for a number of important geological preconditions and parameters, prognostic assessments are made with the use of indirect data, based on the contemporary ideas about the geological evolution of the examined region. Such are the structural-tectonic, the seismotectonic and the hydrogeological (hydrochemical, hydrodynamic) and the thermo-baric conditions. The prognoses concerning the perspectives for storage of natural gas and СО₂ are related to the sunken areas within the Dzhebel and Krumovgrad depressions.

Reconstruction of the mantle flows within the mantle is essential for understanding of the Earth evolution. A temperature and pressure increase in the mantle causes phase transitions and related density changes in its material. The transition boundary in the pressure–temperature phase diagram is determined by the curve of phase equilibrium. If the slope is nonzero, a phase transition in hot ascending and cold descending mantle flows occurs at different depths and, therefore, either enhances (gamma>0) or slows down convection (gamma< 0). Endothermic phase transition at a depth of 660 km in the olivine partially slows down mantle flows. The mantle material has a multicomponent composition. Therefore, phase transitions in the mantle are distributed over an interval of pressures and depths. In this interval, the concentration of one phase smoothly decreases and the concentration of the other increases. The widths of phase transition zones in the Earth’s mantle vary from 3 km for the endothermic transition in olivine at a depth of 660 km to 500 km for the exothermic transition in perovskite, and the high-to-low spin change in the atomic state of iron takes place at a depth of about 1500 km. We present results of calculations for 2D and spherical models, demonstrating the convection effect of phase transitions as a function of the transition zone width. Transitions of both types with different slopes of the phase curve and different intensities of mantle convection are examined. The mixing of material under conditions of partially layered convection is examined with the help of markers. We analyze 2D and 3S mantle flow models with strong viscosity variations and phase transition to investigate this joint effect. For 2-D models we employ the generalized Moresi method. The 3S models are calculated with the CITCOM code.

Camptonite dykes, 20 cm to 2 m wide, occur at the northern part of the Ditrǎu Alkaline Massif [DAM] (Eastern Carpathians, Romania), intersecting granitoids, syenitoids and hornblendites. Based on their low SiO₂ and high alkali, TiO₂, LILE and LREE content, high Yb/Nb, Ti/V, (La/Yb)N ratios, Zr/TiO₂ vs. Nb/Y distribution, nepheline and olivine normative composition they are defined as silica- and alumina-undersaturated, alkaline basic rocks and basanitic in composition. The Mg#, Cr, Ni, Co and Sc concentration, and low S.I. and high D.I. values of the DAM camptonites indicate that they could be fractionates of primary melts. Based on strongly incompatible trace element composition the DAM camptonites derive from an OIB mantle source containing HIMU and EM I mantle components. The high LREE and low HREE content of the DAM camptonites (La/Yb=15-24) may indicate both a metasomatised mantle source for the magma generation and a garnet lherzolite source by very low degrees (~1-2 %) of partial melting. The latter mean that the camptonite magma must have originated at a great depth, around 60-80 km.

OneGeology-Europe is a project which originated in the global initiative OneGeology. It started in September 2008 and will conclude in October 2010. It is a truly multilateral and multinational project with 29 partners from 20 European countries. The aim of this ECfunded project is to make geological spatial data held by surveys and national geological institutes discoverable and accessible. It will do this through a uniform data model, and create dynamic digital geological map data of Europe. The results of the project will allow researchers, consultants, environmentalists, construction and water industries, planners and local, regional and central governments, to make more informed decisions about the resources and hazards in Europe. It will also provide a means of seeing just what lies beneath your feet!
   Major objectives and achievements for OneGeology-Europe include:
   • A web-accessible, interoperable, geological spatial dataset for the whole of Europe at 1:1 million scale.
   • Accelerating the development and deployment of the emerging international interchange standard language for geological information (GeoSciML).
   • Removing barriers and making it easier for a wide range of both public and private sector organizations to use geological data through codes of practice on licensing.
   • Creating a common language that helps to acquire geological knowledge and move it closer to end-users for a greater public impact.
   • Making substantial progress in the implementation of the INSPIRE European Directive in the geoscience domain.
   In addition to the work in the field of informatics, a challenging and important task was the development and agreement of a common geological data specification. The project is delivering a specification for geological spatial data and an interoperable 1:1 million scale dataset for the whole of Europe - an essential platform for the whole project. This foundation includes at its core a vocabulary to describe lithology, age and genesis of the rocks and the tectonic structures and term definitions and their relations. Generic and specific geometric and semantic harmonisation issues were identified. Existing national datasets were then “reworked” to make significant progress towards a harmonised dataset – a crucial step towards INSPIRE goals. The standards, architecture and framework developed by the project can then be “upscaled” to more detailed levels and progressively deployed for higher resolution geological data. The Geological Survey of Slovenia is one of more than 24 data providers in the project. To deliver the Slovenian contribution an existing geological map at a scale of 250000 was edited and simplified to fit the requirements of 1:1 million scale target map. The spatial data were mapped into the common data model and were also party harmonized with neighbouring countries. An additional benefit of Slovenia’s participation in the project will be a new printed geological map of the country in scale 1:1.

The project Karpatian Tectonics Slovakia addresses the development of a coherent tectonic model for the Early Miocene in the Vienna Basin and adjacent areas. Studies include 2D/3D seismic interpretation in the Vienna Basin and structural fieldwork in the Outer West Carpathians. Structural data comprises 105 outcrops from the NW-rim of the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) and Outer West Carpathian Flysch units in Northwest Slovakia and Eastern Czech Republic.
   Structural data from the Outer West Carpathian Flysch Units (Biele Karpaty-, Magura-, Silesian Unit) depict (N)NW-directed shortening (D_F1), which is related to the large scale architecture of the ENE-striking fold-and-thrust-belt. Thrust ages, obtained from the ages of youngest overthrust sediments indicate Eocene to Early Miocene in-sequence thrusting towards the European foreland. Foreland propagating thrusting is also regarded to be responsible for the progressive steepening of thrust units towards the internal parts of the fold-and-thrust-belt, which causes overturning of the innermost flysch units and the PKB.
   Crosscutting relationships observed in outcrops give evidence that (N)NW-directed shortening is followed by ENE-striking strike-slip faulting (D_F2), reactivating former thrusts of D_F1. Strike-slip faults occur at the front of and within the Bystrica and Biele Karpaty Unit close to the PKB. Structures of D_F1 and D_F2 are further cut or overprinted by (N)NE-striking sinistral strike-slip faults and fold-thrust structures related to (N)NE-directed shortening (D_F3). Structural data and geological maps indicate that (N)NE-striking strike-slip faults and NNEdirected out-of-sequence thrusts coincide with bends at the front of the Magura and Bystrica Unit.
   Structures from the NW margin of the adjacent PKB prove a complex polyphase deformation history. Multiple folding events, tilted and refolded ramp-flat structures and overturning of strata complicate deciphering individual deformation events and their relative chronology. However, NNW-directed shortening, which postdates large scale overturning of strata, was identified in the region around the Middle Váh Valley. There, the NNW-directed shortening is followed by NNE directed shortening. Deformation styles are comparable with D_F1 and D_F3 in the flysch units. NNW-directed shortening is interpreted as out of sequence thrusting during deformation D_F1. In addition, ENE-striking sinistral strike-slip faults are recorded within the PKB, close to the border to the Biele Karpaty and Bystrica Unit.
   The outcrop-derived deformation history is compared to tectonics in the Vienna Basin area, where seismic data provide excellent constraints for deformation ages. In the Vienna Basin, out-of-sequence thrusting coeval with NE-striking sinistral strike-slip faulting occurs in the flysch units and Northern Calcareous Alps during the Early Miocene contemporaneously with in-sequence thrusting in the external Waschberg Unit. Early Miocene NE-striking sinistral strike-slip faults are cut by (N)NE-striking Middle to Late Miocene sinistral strike-slip faults. NE- and (N)NE-striking strike-slip faults mapped in the Vienna Basin are related to the eastward lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps towards the Pannonian region, whereas (N)NE-striking faults are linked to the pull-apart stage of the Vienna Basin during Middle to Late Miocene times. D_F2 and D_F3, identified in the Outer West Carpathians are therefore interpreted as to be linked to Miocene extrusion kinematics. ENE-striking strike-slip faulting (D_F2) may represent Early Miocene kinematics. NNE-directed out-of-sequence thrusting and (N)NE-striking strike-slip faults (D_F3) are interpreted to be linked to the pull-apart stage of the Vienna Basin. Considering several blocks moving towards (N)NE at different velocities during Miocene lateral extrusion, structures of D_F3 may depict a transfer of such (N)NE-directed movements to thrusts into the Outer West Carpathians.

Some inherited geophysical evidence in the lithosphere of the SE Carpathians, created by the geodynamic processes related to the W Black Sea opening are subject of the paper.
   During the time, various models have been proposed for the Black Sea genesis. They are dominated by the idea of the basin opening within the back-arc extensional environment created behind Pontides by the northward subduction of the Neo-Tethys ocean floor.
   Overall, the presence of the oceanic crust in the central part of W and E Black Sea basins is well revealed in the pattern of the geomagnetic anomaly.
   But, the hypothesis of the Black Sea opening during a unique geodynamic event is less supported by the residual geomagnetic and gravity anomalies pattern, showing completely different strikes for western and eastern Black Sea. Besides, gravity high, typical for the presence of the oceanic crust correlates with a geomagnetic high (normal magnetization) within W Black Sea, while E Black Sea, the gravity high correlates with a geomagnetic low, advocating for a reverse magnetization of the crust. These aspects advocate for a distinct opening of the W and E Black Sea basins during two time-spans with normal and, respectively, reverse geomagnetic field.
   In depth extension of the W Black Sea rifting processes is well revealed by the seismic tomography. Two major issues are well outlined by the geophysical information provided at various levels: the indent representing the lithosphere expelled towards the Carpathians (which is consistent with the two types of the Moesian Platform basement), and the splitting of the Moesian Plate (MoP) into several slivers by reactivation or creation of some deep crustal/lithospheric faults striking north-westward.
   Some of the well known regional faults on the Romanian territory (e.g. Sfantu Gheorghe Fault (SGF), Peceneaga-Camena Fault (PCF), Intra-Moesian Fault (IMF)) may be seen as lithospheric boundaries deep to more than 100 km.
   After the Black Sea opening ended, it seems that the geodynamic engine in the area became the active rifting within SW Arabian Plate, pushing the plate northward by about 48 mm/year. After accommodating about 15 mm/yr along the North Anatolian Fault, part of the motion is relocated to the Black Sea microplate, pushing the East Carpathians foreland encompassed between PCF and IMF towards NW. Evidence of this push are provided by the Quaternary (Walachian) folds in the bending zone of East Carpathians, and, more recently, by the stress revealed by borehole breakouts studies, or direct geodetic monitoring of the crust deformation along the PCF flanks.
   It seems that under this stress, the above-mentioned MoP compartments advance towards the Carpathians kept together by friction. However, from time to time, when tectonic forces overcome the frictional forces the above-mentioned lithospheric slivers may relatively slip each other thus generating earthquakes within their brittle, upper part. This may explain the unusual intracratonic crustal seismicity of the eastern Moesian Platform.
   Within the bending zone of East Carpathians, speed excess provided to MoP by the W Black Sea opening created circumstances for the occurrence of an unstable FFT (transform-transform-compression) unstable triple-junction between the three tectonic plates joining the area: MoP, East European Plate (EEP) and the Intra-alpine Microplate (IaP).
   Results of a combined inversion of seismic and gravity data are fully consistent with the assumption, by revealing a prismatic triangularly shaped high velocity compartment collapsed into the upper mantle, having vertices parallel to the plate boundaries. Therefore, Vrancea unstable triple-junction (VTJ) might be responsible for the unusual intermediate-depth seismicity within full intra-continental environment. The sinking into the hotter upper mantle of a colder lithospheric compartment generates P-T disequilibrium to which thermo-baric accommodation phenomena (e.g. thermal stress, phase transform processes) may occur as seismic sources.
   In depth distribution of the Vrancea intermediate-depth seismicity, with maxima located at the depths where the colder high velocity (seismic) body met the hotter asthenosphere of the surrounding tectonic plates is fully consistent with the assumption.

The Ditrau Alkaline Intrusive Complex (DAIC) is exposed in the southern part of the Crystalline-Mesozoic Zone of the East Carpathians. It is a complex Mesozoic intrusive body, which was incorporated in the Alpine Bucovinian Nappe during the Mid-Cretaceous shortening (the Bucovinian shear plan cut the DAIC at a depth of about 1800 m).
   In terms of petrography, DAIC is characterized by diverse rock types, lacking compositional constancy and gradual transitions from one petrographic type to another.
   By universal stage (US) plagioclase feldspars from hornblendite, diorite and monzonite cropping out in the left side of the Jolotca valley and along the way Ditrau-Hagota, plagioclase feldspars of nephelinsyenite from the Ditrău valley and plagioclase feldspars from ultramafics cropping out in the right side of the Teasc valley were analyzed. As a result of these analyses we found that a great part of the studied crystals emphasis, zoning, corroding and varying degrees of structural disorder. These plagioclases are generally twin and the twins frequently are complex twin (57.6% of cases) supplemented by parallel and normal twins, equal among themselves in share (21.2% of cases). Contents in anorthite determined by US were verified and detailed by microprobe. They are in the range An 0.09% - An 55% and show numerous frequency peaks. This, in conjunction with succession relations observed microscopically highlighted the existence of several feldspar populations: First plagioclase population that appears in gabbro is represented by an up to An 50% plagioclase. In diorites only exceptionally is present: in zoning structures, or in armoured structures (just in plagioclase core). A second population of plagioclase has a maximum frequency around An 27% - An 30% and appears to be the centre of crystals or around the cores containing over An 40%. It is found in diorite mainly, but in monzodiorite, monzonite or syenite as well. The third plagioclase population has the content around An 20%. It is found mainly in monzonite, syenite, and granite. The fourth population of plagioclase forms a peak at around 14% anorthite. It is not represented in gabbros but since diorite and ending with syenite this is omnipresent. The fifth plagioclase population (albite/oligoclase) appears mainly in the nepheline syenite. Like in all other types of rocks, the nepheline syenite presents a progressive decrease in calcium of the plagioclase feldspars due to the presence of several plagioclase phases. Here, however, the difference in composition between the phases is much smaller. The nepheline syenite oligoclase, rarely exceeds the An 10% - An 12% content but remains at approx. six, seven percent away to the albite which came later. The sixth plagioclases population (we consider the second plagioclase generation) has an albitic composition typically range between An 3% and An 8%. This albite is found in all the rock types from monzodiorite to syenite or nepheline syenite. The albite surrounds all other plagioclase crystals and edits the contact contour of early crystals.
   The albite (the second generation of plagioclase) is in a microcline, perthite and sometimes nepheline association while the calcium plagioclase is in a hornblende, sphene and sometimes pyroxene association.
   The process of reorganization of first plagioclase feldspars generation is developed to a high temperature level (between the “liquidus” and “solidus” lines of crystallizations diagram) so here an open system evolution process as magma mixing is. The existence of the high plagioclases (plotted on, or near the high temperature curves of the standard stereogram used in US determination) also the existence of the zoning structures, show that the process can not be a metasomatic one.

Due to the growing water shortage in the summer-dry Eastern Mediterranean, the question of water supply has become an important issue. Since antique times subsurface channels (qanats) have been built, which gather groundwater and take it due to the natural slope to places, where the water is needed. In Greece qanat technology has definitely been used during the Ottoman period. After the liberation and the following Greek-Turkish population exchange the knowledge about the systems has disappeared. There is evidence that many of the subsurface galleries are decayed. On the foothills of the Menikion and Pangeon Mountains active qanate systems have been investigated only recently in order to check their activity, contribution to the local water supply and water quality. The results reveal still working qanate systems, which are endangered by regional land use as well as by systemdestructive building measures.

We review on a regional-scale the distinct units of the eastern Circum-Rhodope Belt (CRB) in Bulgaria and Greece aiming to provide an up-to-date synthesis and correlation. The eastern CRB consists of Early-Middle Jurassic supra-subduction zone Evros ophiolite, the MORB related Late Jurassic Samorthaki ophiolite and Middle Triassic-Jurassic clastic, pelitic, carbonate and Cretaceous (?) flysch sedimentary successions. The Lower Cretaceous shallow-water Aliki Limestone seals part of these sedimentary successions already metamorphosed in greenschist-facies. Bulk stratigraphy in ascending order comprises a metasedimentary series overlain by a metavolcanic series. The metamorphic grade increases towards the high-grade basement northwards reaching upper greenschist to epidoteamphibolite facies, and decreases to very low-grade (prehnite-pumpellyite facies) and nonmetamorphic stratigraphically upwards in the section. Trace element and REE comparison of the ophiolite basalts and underlying greenschist-facies metavolcanics of same composition reveals similar geochemistry within the distinct units, implying a regional-scale chemical continuity. The allochthonous eastern CRB units show N-directed internal shear deformation and thrust emplacement, obviously along rarely preserved thrust contacts, and record tectonic overprint by Tertiary collision and extensional tectonics in the region. Collectively, the onshore eastern CRB is a region-wide (180 km long along strike ×80 km wide along meridian) tectonic zone including correlative units with regard to their coherent and comparable stratigraphy, tectonics and geochemistry. These units testify for three paleogeographic domains that include Triassic-Jurassic near Rhodope continental margin shallow-water environment, adjacent to this margin Early-Middle Jurassic intra-oceanic arc system responsible for the generation of the supra-subduction zone Evros ophiolite and related to the ophiolite Middle-Late Jurassic trench-slope environment. Another MORB-related paleogeographic domain is indicated by the Samothraki back-arc ophiolite offshore.

With this abstract we try to schematically reconstruct a portion of the long story of the southern Dinaric-Hellenic, basing our effort on the complex tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Dinaric ophiolites. First of all, we propose a new classification of the ophiolites cropping out in Albania and Greece that includes seven different types of occurrences, which correspond to different tectonic “units”. From bottom upwards they are: 1- the Sub-ophiolitic Mélange (SOM); 2 - the Triassic Ophiolites (TOP); 3 - the Metamorphic Soles (MES); 4 - the Jurassic Ophiolites with MOR and SSZ magmatic sequences (JOa); 5 - the Jurassic Ophiolites with only SSZ magmatic sequences (JOb); 6 - the Supra-ophiolitic Mélange (UOM); 7 - the Jurassic Ophiolites with BABB magmatic sequences (JOc). The features of these ophiolites (stratigraphy, geochemistry, tectonic setting and age), the same all over the southern portion of the Dinarids from Albania to eastern Greece, strongly suggest the existence of a single ocean located east of the Adria/Pelagonian continental margin: the Vardar Ocean. This ocean basin developed during the Middle Triassic and was subsequently affected since Early Jurassic by an east-dipping intraoceanic subduction leading to the formation of SSZ magmatism. This subduction was thus responsible of the birth of fore- and back-arc oceanic basins separated by a volcanic arc during Middle to Late Jurassic. This event was followed by the obduction during which a section of oceanic lithosphere thrust westwards onto the Adria margin at the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary, and the ocean was completely effaced. From this period to the Eocene the westward movement of the Ophiolites on the Adria continental margin, for more than 200 kilometres, till the Pindos took place
   We also believe that the model of geodynamic evolution presented herein can be extended to the all Dinaric-Hellenic orogenic belt.

The Moesian platform occupies a large area in Bulgaria and Romania. A lithostratigraphic division of the cross-section of the Triassic system is performed for both countries. The applied methodology in defining the lithostratigraphic units is based on the “International stratigraphic Guide” by Hedberg. Although the present work aims to unify positions and technical usage of the lithostratigraphic units the latter are rather different in Bulgaria and Romania, which makes difficult the cross correlation.
   The Bulgarian part of the Moesian platform is examined according “Regional lithostratigraphic scheme of the Triassic sediments on borehole sections in North Bulgaria”.
   The lithostratigraphic division for the Romanian part is based on publications. The following lithostratigraphic units are determined in the Moesian platform:
   In the Lower red colour complex: Bulgaria - Petrohan Group and Red colour sandstone unit, Stejerovo Fm., Alexandrovo Fm. and Dobrudja Fm.; Romania - Vedea-Jiu Group (Carboniferous-Permian-Scythian), Rosiori Fm. (Permian-Scythian) and horizons Bradesti and Viisoara;
   In the Carbonate complex: Bulgaria – Iskar Group, Doirentsi Fm., Mitrovtsi Fm., Russinovdel Fm., Preslav Fm. and Tulenovo Fm.; Romania - Alexandria Fm. (Permian-Scythian-Anisian), Putinei evaporites.
   In the Upper variegated colour complex: Bulgaria - Moesian Group, Kozlodui Fm., Komshtitsa Fm., Gorni Dabnik Fm., Tuchenitsa Fm., Dulovo Fm., Kaliakra Fm. and Shabla Fm.; Romania - Oltet Group (Triassic-Lias-Dogger), Segarcea Fm., horizons Curmatura, Beiu and Teascu, Motoci complex.
   The present correlation determines three type of units: A) Analogous units (subjective synonyms); B) Units defined on Bulgarian territory and probably present also in Romania; C) Units located only in Bulgarian and respectively in Romanian part of the Moesian platform.
   The detailed research and well investigations demonstrate the following results:
   A) Analogous units (subjective synonyms):
   In the Lower red colour complex there are Red colour sandstone unit (Bulgaria) – Bradesti horizon (Romania); Stejerovo Fm. (Bulgaria) – Viisoara hor. (Romania); Petrohan Group (Bulgaria) – Triassic part of the Rosiori Fm. (Romania, Permian-Triassic) and Vedea- Jiu Group (Romania, Carboniferous-Permian-Scythian).
   In the Carbonate complex have been established Doirentsi Fm. (Bulgaria) – Anisian parts of the Alexandria Fm. (Romania, Permian-Scythian-Anisian).
   In the Upper variegated colour complex there are Komshtitsa Fm. (Bulgaria) – Curmatura hor. (Romania); Gorni Dabnik Fm. (Bulgaria) – Beiu hor. (Romania); Dulovo Fm.(Bulgaria) – Teascu hor. (Romania); Moesian Group (Bulgaria) - Segarcea Fm. (Romania) and Triassic part of the Oltet Group (Romania, Triassic-Lias-Dogger).
   B) Units defined in Bulgaria and probably developed also in Romania:
   In the Lower red colour complex there is Alexandrovo Fm.
   In the Carbonate complex there are Mitrovtsi Fm., Russinovdel Fm., Preslav Fm. and Iskar Group.
   In the Upper variegated colour complex there is Kozlodui Fm.
   C) Units characteristic only of Bulgaria, respectively only of Romania:
   In the Lower red colour complex have been established Dobrudja Fm. (Bulgaria), Scythian carbonates (Romania, part of the Alexandria Fm.).
   In the Carbonate complex there are distinguished Tulenovo Fm. (Bulgaria), evaporites from Putinei (Romania).
   In the Upper variegated colour complex there are Tuchenitsa Fm. (Bulgaria), Kaliakra Fm. (Bulgaria), Shabla Fm. (Bulgaria), Motoci complex (Romania, sedimentaryvolcanogenic).

The objective of this study was to characterize urban road dust particles and to study their possible health effects. Road re-suspended dust has been recognized as one of the major contributors to TSP elevating concentrations in Thessaloniki. Eight samples of road dust were collected from the accumulated matter at the edges of major roads in the historic centre of the city of Thessaloniki. The predominant size fraction, according to mass, was 125–500μm, while the mass fraction of the suspendable dust particles (20-63μm and <20μm) was the lowest. Special emphasis was given to the mineralogical characteristics of the urban deposits. Road dusts were mainly composed of quartz, calcite, while plagioclase, dolomite, Kfeldspars, amphiboles, micas and chlorite were contained in minor amounts. Amorphous phase was also determined mainly in the finer fractions (20-63μm and <20μm). Scanning electron microscopy shows that dust particles consist of subhedral to anhedral crystalline grains, near-spherical and irregular agglomerates as well as few organic materials. EDS analyses reveal that the composition of dust particles is basically Ca-rich, Fe-rich and silicates.

Kotel’nyi Island is located in the Arctic Ocean near to the prolongation of Southern Anyi ophiolite suture zone which is supposed to be remnant of southern Anyi Paleo-ocean located between Eurasian and North American plates. Therefore the information on Early Mesozoic faunas of this area and their paleobiogeographic affinities represent high interest for paleogeography and paleotectonics. Triassic of Kotel’nui Island is represented by all three series that are well characterized by ammonites, nautiloids, coleoids, bivalves and radiolarians. Section is characterized by predominance of soft clays. Radiolaria are present in the Middle and Upper Triassic, from Upper Anisian to Middle Norian.
   The Middle Triassic is represented by Anisian black clays with interlayers of bituminous shales, clayey limestones and phosphatic concretions with total thickness 30 - 140 meters. Ladinian is composed of similar clays with thickness 6 - 15 meters. Radiolaria were found in the Upper Anisian together with ammonites Indigirophyllites popowi Konstantinov. They are represented by Glomeropyle clavatum Bragin, sp. nov., G. boreale Bragin and others (11 species). Next radiolarian assemblage was found in the Upper Ladinian (with bivalvs Daonella sp. ex gr. D. frami Kittl.): Muelleritortis firma (Gorican), M. kotelnyensis Bragin, sp. nov., and others (10 species). Upper Triassic is represented by Carnian clays with siderite and phosphatic concretions (100 m) and Norian clays with siderite and phosphatic concretions (up to 500 m). Radiolaria are present in the Lower Carnian (with ammonoids
Discophyllites taimyrensis Popov): Pentactinocarpus colum Bragin, sp. nov., Glomeropyle cuneum Bragin, sp. nov., and others (12 species); Upper Carnian (with ammonoids Yakutosirenites yakutensis (Kiparisova): Pseudostylosphaera glabella Bragin, sp. nov., P. gracilis Kozur et Mock, and others (34 species); and in the Lower Norian (with ammonoids Striatosirenites kinasovi Bytschkov): Pseudostylosphaera glabella Bragin, sp. nov., P. gelida Bragin, sp. nov., and others (10 species). Each radiolarian assemblage includes several forms know from low-latitude regions as Mediterranean and Japan. These taxa constitute from 25 to 40 % of all species present in assemblage/
   These results allow making several conclusions:
   1) The sections include several radiolarian assemblages ranging from late Anisian to the early Norian. Taxonomic diversity of the assemblages increases at the stratigraphic levels rich in phosphorites and bituminous shales, which probably correspond to transgression episodes and well correlate with intervals of abundance of cephalopods.
   2) Triassic radiolarian assemblages from Kotel’nyi Island significantly differ from the coeval radiolarians of Pacific and Mediterranean. They are characterized by domination of genus Glomeropyle Aita et Bragin which is present only in Northern Siberia and in the New Zealand and displays bipolar distribution pattern. Triassic radiolarian assemblages of these regions display clear affinity. Radiolarians can serve as paleoclimatic indicators for the Triassic.
   3) The Middle Triassic radiolarian assemblages from Northern Siberia and regions of Mediterranean and Pacific include a number of common species (25-40 %). Using them, we can correlate Triassic deposits. This approach is helpful for solving the basic problem of correlation between Triassic deposits accumulated in the high- and low-latitude zones.
   4) The presence of low-latitude species in radiolarian assemblages is well correlative with constant presence of low-latitude taxa among cephalopods. Their assemblages include several species known from Mediterranean and North America. These facts can be explained as results of marginal position of Kotel’nyi Island in the Boreal Realm and well connections between basins. We can interpret the appearance of warm-water taxa by the influence of warm current coming from Pacific via suspected North Anyi Paleo-ocean.

We define geomorphologic landscape (GL) as the complex of geomorphologic, tectonic, and landscape-climatic characteristics incident to a certain territory. Such complex includes absolute height, amplitude of neotectonic movements, their gradients, the depth of erosion dissection ant its density, intensity of landslide, karst, thermokarst and glacial processes, the amount of woodlands and the degree of peat formation, precipitation, runoff, and frost-free period. The territory analyzed includes the East-European Plain, the Ural Mountains, and the Western Siberia. The 20’x30’ spatial cells, described by the above mentioned 15 parameters, were clustered by k-means method with different k values. Euclidean distance was used. The results of clustering are represented as maps, where spatial distribution of different clusters, or GL, can be seen. Each GL is characterized by the set of parameter means, which determine the shape (the type) of a given GL. According to F-ratio the geomorphic parameters play the significant if not the main role in clustering. The set of cluster solutions with k=2, 5, 9, and 17 are represented.
   The two plains have some common GLs only at rough division with small k values; at k=2 there are two variants of division: first – mountainous (The Urals) and plain GLs, second – GLs of the accumulative plain (the Western Siberia) and of the erosion-denudation plain. At k=5 the northernmost and the southernmost parts of the plains have common GLs: tundra GL of permafrost-erosion dissection and GL of semiarid plains with extremely low erosion and denudation correspondingly. GL of boggy lowlands with low neotectonic intensity and low erosion occupies the central part of the West Siberia while GL of neotectonic highlands with intense erosion dissection and complex of denudation processes occupies the most part of the East-European Plain. More detailed divisions (with k=9, 17 and more) show clear difference between the two plains, and at k=20 they have no common GLs. The GLs of the Western Siberia have less dispersion of parameters, i.e. they are more homogeneous, and their boundaries show stronger dependence on the latitudinal zonality than those of the East-European Plain. The latter reveals more diversity of GLs than the Western Siberia. The Urals having the GLs of the “mountain” type don’t form the single area: the most part of the Middle Ural falls into the GLs of the East-European Plain types at any k value.
   The tree clustering of the GLs themselves (Euclidean distances, Ward method) demonstrates their hierarchical structure, which is in good agreement with the results of kmeans method. The spatial GL’s boundaries are sufficiently stable to the changes of k values and to the variation of the set of parameters. The approach described can be used also as a method of typological regionalization in other geographic regions.

The Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) is a narrow (merely several km), but lengthy (up to 600 km) zone dominated by Late Oligocene – Miocene wrench tectonics. It separates the Cenozoic accretionary complex of the External Western Carpathians from the Cretaceous nappe system of the Central Western Carpathians. Our investigation was focused on the tectonic structure and evolution of the Vršatec klippen area in the western Púchov sector of the PKB. The studied area includes the Oravic (Czorsztyn, Kysuca, Orava and Transitional Units) and the “non-Oravic” tectonic units (Klape and Drietoma Units). Detailed geological mapping and systematic field structural research of meso-scale deformational structures revealed the record of multistage tectonic evolution during Senonian-Pliocene times. The oldest recognized stage resulted in formation of the Mesoalpine fold-nappe system of the PKB due to subduction and closure of the Vahic Ocean during the Senonian – Early Eocene times. This compressive stage was accompanied by thrusting of the presently most external Kysuca Unit over the Czorsztyn and transitional units and by formation of macroscopic folds with the NNE-SSW to NE-SW trending fold axes. The main compression was oriented perpendicularly to the strike of the PKB recently trending in the SW-NE direction. The thrusting and folding were followed by several brittle deformation stages. The oldest stages (E-W to NW-SE oriented maximum compression) produced the NE-SW trending dextral positive flower structure along the western boundary of the PKB and resulted in the final morphostructural character of klippen with long axes oriented in the NE-SW direction. The dextral transpression was a result of the continuing shortening and relative counterclockwise rotation of the ALCAPA block in the Late Oligocene – Early Miocene. The younger N-S oriented compression (Early – Middle Miocene) produced mainly sinistral faults roughly parallel to the strike of the belt in the sinistral transpression regime. The apparent shift of the main compression to the N-S direction was an effect of a rigid counterclockwise rotation of the ALCAPA block during the Early Miocene. Mostly strike-slip and normal faults were formed during the next two tectonic events (Middle to Late Miocene) as a product of the transtensive tectonic regime with NNE-SSW to NE-SW trending compression. Active clockwise rotation of the main compressional stress axis from N-S to NE-SW direction, and inversion from the older transpression to the younger sinistral transtension resulted from NEward translation of the ALCAPA block. The NE-SW trending normal faults were generated by the NW-SE extension during the final deformational phase under the extensional tectonic regime (Pontian-Pliocene).

The diagenetic history of the Upper Eocene tuffs in the West Thrace Basin is based on petrological analysis of samples from six boreholes. Diagenesis in the tuffs principally involves the progressive development of various types of cements in the following order: quartz overgrowth, zeolite authigenesis, chlorite and illite authigenesis. After the formation of the cementation phases, there was a dissolution phase creating secondary porosity via the dissolution of volcanic class and feldspars, accompanied by generation of analcime and a late mordenite cementing phase. The tuffs also have been affected by the following diagenetic processes; fracturing and calcite, quartz, and zeolite cementation.
   Tuffs in the West Thrace Basin may contain significant amounts of secondary porosity owing to unstable grain and volcanic glass dissolution caused by relatively rapid rates of pore-fluid flow. Also tectonic stress appears to have controlled development of secondary porosity formation in the West Thrace basin which in turn might have been responsible for high porosity of the deep reservoirs. At depths greater than 2000 m, the porosity increases with depth due to secondary solution activities and fracturing in the West Thrace basin. Secondary Porosity is very important for hydrocarbon explorations in the Upper Eocene tuffs in the West Thrace basin. The dominant porosity type produced by dissolution processes (intragranular, intergranular). Fracture porosity also significantly increases reservoir quality. Authigenic clays may affect reservoir quality depending on type of clay and its distribution. However, dissolution and fracturing are generally a more effective diagenetic process than cementation in the tuffs of West Thrace basin.

The Rhodopeian Orogen developed since Late Cretaceous-Lower Eocene during accretionary processes following the closure of the Vardar ocean basin. We concentrate on Paleogene clastic sediments of the Rhodope area, developed synchronous to the post – Cretaceous collisional collapse and the subsequent Tertiary extensional phase. Throughout a multidisciplinary approach, including sedimentary petrology, sandstone geochemistry and compositional data analysis, we argue to reconstruct the unroofing history of the Rhodopian orogen and the abrupt onset of the volcanic activity between Late Eocene and Oligocene across the eastern and southern Rhodopian region. A total of 127 sandstone samples have been analysed. Sandstone detrital modes include three distinctive petrofacies, a quartzolithic, quartzofeldspathic and volcaniclastic. The major contributions are from the metamorphic basement units, represented mostly by low-medium grade lithic fragments for the quartzolithic petrofacies and high grade metamorphic rock fragments for the quartzofeldspathic petrofacies. Volcaniclastic sandstones recorded different composition betweeen eastern Rhodopes and southern Rhodopes samples. Detrital mode evolution testifies contributions from three key source areas corresponding with the two main crystalline tectonic units of the Rhodope Massif, Variegated Complex and Gneiss-Migmatite Complex and from the Circum-Rhodope Belt. The volcaniclastic petrofacies is interbedded with quartzofeldspathic petrofacies reflecting superposition of active volcanic activity. Geochemical analyses for major and trace elements provide useful provenance informations. The Zr/Sc vs. Th/Sc and Cr vs. Cr/Ni plots suggest that sediment recycling is negligible. The use of geochemical diagrams for tectonic setting discrimination confirmed, in most of the cases, the inferred tectonic setting, corresponding mainly to an active continental margin and subordinately to a continental island arc. The idea of a multidisciplinary approach has been represented by the successful attempt to use together the information provided by petrographic and geochemical analyses. Compositional data from Eocene-to-Oligocene sandstones of the Thrace Basin were used to unravel the interplay between tectonics and sedimentation by means of multivariate statistical methods adapted to the particular nature of the available data (concentrations and percentages). The biplot was particularly useful in order to extract details in terms of source area evolution. The indications obtained call for a progressive enrichment from mafic to felsic elements, corresponding to increasing rates of supply from deeper levels of the crust. In conclusion, petrostratigraphic (detrital modes) evolution and geochemical signatures of the Eocene-to-Oligocene sandstone suites of the western portions of the Thrace basin in Greece and Bulgaria is closely related to various geodynamic stages of the Rhodopian region, from collisional to post-collisional orogenic collapse and the superimposed volcanism related to extensional collapse. The type of sedimentary provenance of these Rhodopian Paleogene sandstones, provide an example of the changing nature of orogenic belts through time, and may contribute to the general understanding of similar geodynamic settings.

The quality of environment is extremely important for the human society development as well as for the entire biosphere equilibrium. In order to decipher the real status of an extended (regional) area and to rapport the print image of the local areas - subjects of development projects, a geochemical investigation have been performed in the Bucharest-Ilfov Region (Romania). The environmental factors (soil, underground and surface water and plants) evaluation on local or regional scale finds in geochemical survey (sampling, analyzing, mapping and reporting to national/international qualitative standards) an adequate solution. Taking into account the necessity of evaluating and monitoring the intensive populated areas, the exigency of such operation on height qualitative standards and at low costs increases. Admitting the European criteria to evaluate the water, soil and plants quality preservation as reasonable and averaging between national standards of EU community, the first observation regards the lowest possible price of sampling (proportional with sampling density, and increasing in case of difficult field access) and the highest accuracy/detection limits of final qualitative database acquisition. The necessary analytical diversity for a complex environmental investigation exceeds the classical routine of geological-geochemical one (usually limited to metalogenetic objectives) and includes various sophisticated categories (organic). For example the pesticides (a widespread category of biocides) investigation is an example of mostly refined and expensive analytical imperative. A systematic sampling must be performed at densities that ensure the representativeness on small surfaces (at least 4 soil samples/km², 1-2 underground water samples/km², 1 surface water sample/km², 2 samples of the same species of plant/km²) followed by physicalchemical analyses for specific categories (soil: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, Hg, mononuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and poli-aromatic hydrocarbons BTEX, PAH, insecticide organic chloride; vegetation: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, Hg; water: pH, conductivity, soluble oxygen, NH⁴⁺, NO₂, NO₃, PO₄, Cl, SO₄, Ca, Mg, Na, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Pb, Mn, Ni, Fe, Se, Zn, Hg, Te, Tl, Sn, U, V, phenols, BTEX, PAH, policlorurate biphenyl, organic-chloride insecticides. The mono-compound maps for each analyzed category were performed. Looking to the toxic and undesirable categories for each factor, lots of polluted areas have been identified as well as the pollutant sources.
   In order to evaluate less expensive solutions and the most relevant/representative mapping, the sampled/analyzed data were gradually reduced. The successive maps were analyzed in order to establish the proper sampling density for each chemical category. The quality of the environmental factors on the studied territory was affected by the lack of protection–prevention measures during the communist economy expansion and the massive post communist abandon of the industrial and agro-industrial units and by various polluting activities. This territory is undergoing an intensive developmental dynamic, the most intense of the entire national territory. Besides, the lack of a preliminary evaluation of the qualitative stage and the geographical extent of the polluting phenomena influences the environmental factors and will affect directly and essentially the quality of human life and socio-economic development. The elaboration of the cartographic image on the environmental pollution/preservation (the main purpose of this paper) supports both the necessary protection/prevention measures and the future socio-urban and cultural development plans for the target area (Bucharest-Ilfov). Meanwhile, it validates the geochemical systematic investigation as the main efficient and accurate methodology in assessment of environmental status of an area.

The Middle Miocene (Badenian) celestite (sulphate) diamictites, genetically associated with Salt (Evaporite) Formation, occurs in the external last lineament of the Sub Carpathian Nappe.
   The Middle Miocene is the stratigraphic correspondent of the early used term “Tortonian” of Vienna Basin and to present term “Badenian”. It has been firstly separated and described in Muntenia Sub Carpathians and comprises four lithobiostratigraphic horizons: the “Tuff and Globigerina Marls” horizon; salt breccias with salt bodies or “Upper Saliferous” horizon; “Radiolarian Schists” and “Spiratella Marls” horizon. These horizons have been recognized under the same name or under different names all over the Carpathians domain and moreover these “horizons” were recognized, with some exceptions, in the whole extra Carpathian area, Transylvania and Maramures.
   In Vrancea area the “Salt Formation” or the “Evaporite Formation” is represented by gravelly-sandy, gipsiferous lithotype respectively the sulphate diamictite, by the haliticanhydritic lithotype and by the secondary carbonate lithotype, together being genetically related.
   The components of gravelly-sandy deposits are bound by a brown-black, clayey matrix having with earthy appearance. The matrix is chiefly impregnated with bituminous organic matter and is considered to be an insoluble residue entrained from dissolving evaporite beds. Usually the matrix is dominating (matrix-supported texture) – ubiquitous feature observed especially in mines. In places the matrix could be absent (claste-supported texture), this being explained by removal due to meteoric leaching. Its high-degree of intercrystalline porosity makes it a potential subsurface reservoir for hydrocarbons or metalliferous solutions.
   Referring to celestite-bearing ore on the Valea Sării-Andreiaşu lineament (Vrancea district) the author separated in outcrops and in the mine (along Valea Sării brook) three types of mineralizations – petrologically and mineralogically different, but displaying continuous transitions between them. These are:
   Mineralizations having impregnation character (mudstone-celestite using Dunham’s, 1962 classification for carbonate rocks), in a matrix-supported fabric according to background/crystals ratio. This type is widespread, was separated in heavy minerals concentrates too. Also, it borders the massive type of celestite mineralizations and is characteristically closely related to gypsum and anhydrite. Also, it has been considered that the celestite appearing in evaporite sediments of an intertidal environment is primary or early diagenetic. It does not form accumulation of economic importance.
   The second type is a massive mineralization of replacement character, a wackestone/packestone celestite, in a crystal-supported fabric. Other authors termed it as “blocky celestite” or “replacement-type celestite”. Under the microscope some peculiar euhedral to anhedral shape of turbid-like methasoms of celestite, with a lot of inclusions and syntaxial rims showing an “intersertal texture” evidently disturbed by lack of space could be seen. The hot-rock within multiangular space between crystals is subordinated. This type has been developed during diagenetic stage as a true irregular and concretionary celestite bearing ore by redistribution of materials within sediment (diagenetic metasomatism).
   The third type is a secondary mineralization, known as “celestite infilling cavities and fractures”. This type has been developed in a free space, with syntaxial rims and without inclusions and no host rock. It is white colored, in large fan-like or fibrous or long prismatic crystals or in collomorphous aggregates associated with sulphides. During epidiagenesis stage involving uplift and sub aerial exposure of diamictites as is observed on Valea Sării and Reghiu brooks – the evaporite re-enter in active phreatic zone and a secondary mineralization may develop.

The Yeniköy area in the Thrace Basin includes coal formations in deltaic deposits of Oligo-Miocene age. Coal-bearing deltaic deposits in this field have been evaluated in the Danişmen Formation and the lignite bed has been extensively exploited by open-cast methods. The lignite bed in the sampling point has a thickness of 7.80 m, and 9 profile samples were collected, from bottom to the top. The samples have been subjected to some analyses using standard methods. The coal samples, on an air-dried basis, average 11.02% moisture, 10.43% ash, 43.21% volatile matter, 35.34% fixed carbon, 1.93% total sulphur and 5221 kcal/kg net calorific value. The mineral matter of the selected coal samples that was identified by X-ray powder diffraction and SEM-EDX shows that the samples are mainly made up of clay minerals, quartz, and pyrite. The most abundant maceral group of the samples is huminite in which textinite, ulminite, and especially densinite are rich. Liptinite group macerals in all the samples, which are considerably higher than the inertinite group macerals. Elemental concentrations, which were determined by ICP-AES and ICP-MS, and Hg concentrations by Leco AMA254, have been evaluated in this study. The random reflectance values (%Rr, oil) of ulminite were measured in all the samples for the determinaton of coal rank, and the mean values of % Rr of ulminite indicate that the coal rank is of a lignite stage (soft brown coal).

The paper treats the possibilities to recover the waste from coal combustion in some power plants in Romania. The greenhouse gas and the ashes have a huge impact on environment and the living species. The using of ash – recovered wastes – induces decreasing of the demand of natural resources. They also reduce the energy - intensive production of other concrete ingredients, leading to energy saving and decreasing the “greenhouse gas” emission. Replacing one tone of cement with fly ash it would save enough electricity to power an average home for 24 days, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions equal to a two months use of an automobile.
   During the study, in the experimental work were compared the properties of five different compositions of masonry mortars were prepared replacing the cement with different amounts of ash. The setting time and the workability were determined on the fresh mortar. After 28 days of hardening in standard conditions (5 days in moulds at 20°C and 90% humidity; 2 days without moulds at 20°C and 90% humidity; 21 days without moulds at 20°C and 65% humidity) the density and water absorption of the mortars were determined using the methods indicated in the European standards. The flexural and compressive strength of the compositions were determined after 28 and 56 days of hardening.
   The fresh and hardened mortars characteristics were investigated. The compositions (cement, Zalau ash, sand and water, in different proportions) were prepared by forced mixing using a laboratory mixer. The fresh mortar was cast in metallic moulds obtaining 160x40x40 mm prisms which were subjected to testing in hardened state.
   The study demonstrated that it is possible to use ashes in the mortar compositions, by replacing a part of the cement by ashes. The replacement of cement in proportion of 5, 10, 20 and 30 wt% was experimented. Thus, the setting times of the mortars increases. The difference between the initial setting time of the composition without ash and the composition in which 5 wt% of cement was replaced by ash is only 5 minutes. The differences are bigger for higher ash content; it reaches 80 minutes for composition 5 in which 30 wt% of cement was replaced by ash.
   The differences are more evident in the case of the final time of setting, where replacement of 5 wt% cement lead to a 30 minutes longer final setting time and replacement of 30 wt% cement with ash a 310 minutes longer time, which means an increase of 1,5 times.
In the case of mortars workability no differences were observed between the composition with no ash and the composition in which 5 wt% of cement were replaced, after that every 10wt% of cement replaced by ash brings 5 minutes in plus.
   The density increases slowly by replacing 5% of cement, after that a decrease is observed, every sample densities being under the density of the standard composition. The water absorption is in agreement with the results obtained for the densities. The water absorption decreases from 8.96 % (in the standard composition) to 8.34% (for composition 2 with 5wt% ash). For the other compositions the value of absorption increases to 12.87%, while the ash proportion was increased to 30 wt%.
   The values for the mechanical strength state the observations at the density and absorption determination. For the composition with 5 wt% ash was observed an increasing of flexural and compressive strength. While the ash content was increased the mechanicalstrength decreased and it is situated below the standard composition strength. The mechanical test after 56 day of hardening shows that the strength increase is higher for the compositions with ash.
   It can be concluded that the Zalau power plant ash can be used in mortar compositions 5 wt% replacement of cement by ash brings both economical and qualitative benefits.

Aghios Konstantinos lies on the foothills of the Atalanti fault system scarps. The area is located in central Greece and the fault system is the primary morphology-controlling agent. It defines the west shoreline of northern Euboea gulf and is associated with several historical earthquakes.
   Morphologically this zone forms steep high bedrock scarps, on the foot of which extensive colluvial deposits are observed. Several minor fault scarps have been mapped and they were classified in three classes: a) bedrock fault scarps with visible fault plane, b) softsediment scarps with visible fault plane and c) soft-sediment scarps with no visible fault plane. The minor scarps are generally aligned in en échelon pattern, following the general WNW – ESE trend of the major fault zones, while their general dip direction is towards the NNE. Fault analysis shows that there is extensive tilting of hangingwall blocks, as well as of the minor faults themselves. Faults tend to “lock” with each other forming a complex pattern that is inherited to the overlying Upper Miocene-Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentary cover.
   A small settlement was found at “Karvouna” site, west of Aghios Konstantinos, during the works performed for the construction of a new segment of E75 highway. This settlement comprises of low-lying houses, storage rooms and a small temple. A larger and more important temple was discovered in another location nearby. According to archaeological evidence, the settlement was active in classical and Hellenistic times, and sporadically afterwards. It was a rural settlement and numerous finds indicate at least three successive layers of buildings with stone foundations criss-crossing one another with no particular pattern.
   The foundations of the buildings and the surrounding environs show many signs of episodic deformation, either direct or indirect. The most obvious cases are:
   A surface rupture cutting through at least two foundations. It has a heave of up to 3 cm and a slight normal displacement.
   Several basal walls and foundations have been found tilted and deformed. Tilting is as high as 30^º off vertical.
   A small temple that is located just outside the settlement shows signs of sudden destruction: roof tiles are being found in and around the temple. They are roughly retaining the space that they had on the roof, which is an indication that the wooden roof collapsed. Also, one of the entrance pillars seems displaced both vertically as well as left-laterally. This displacement vector is compatible with the general fault displacement vector in the area.
   An artificial cross-section at the stream that bisects the settlement shows an exposure of a normal fault system that deforms a series of paleoseoils and runs through the settlement, parallel to the main fault. Paleoseismological analysis of the cross-section shows that this fault system was not active in historical times, although the southwesternmost strand of the system roughly coincides with the surface rupture.
   The position of the settlement on a rather steep slope, as well as the nature of finds, indicate a severe topographical amplification of the effects. Nevertheless, we believe that the primary deformational cause was faulting, evidence of which has been found in the crosssection that was consequently amplified by gravitational effects.

Coastal erosion is a gradual process that alters the distribution of sediments and modifies the geomorphology of the coasts. It may result in the destruction of natural coastal defences (sand dunes, cliffs, etc) and the increase in land instability which may in turn result in flooding of the hinterland and landsliding of coastal areas with steep slopes and unstable materials. The damages induced by such hazards include loss of life, property, infrastructure, and land. The costs of emergency action, remediation and prevention can often represent a significant burden to the communities affected and to national governments. According to predictions, climate change impacts, including sea-level rise and extreme weather patterns, will lead to the increase in the frequency and intensity of such hazards. Risk-based decisionmaking is seen to provide the means of addressing the challenges put forward by climate change. The complexity and interrelation of the processes acting on coastal locations call for an integrated framework for the assessment of coastal risks and the identification of the appropriate measures for the prevention and reduction of erosion, flood, and landslide risks. In this paper, existing models for the mapping of pressures on coasts and current development practices and tools will be reviewed, before a holistic methodology is proposed in order to assist decision-makers in effective coastal risk management.

In the Argolis, the Basal Sequence constituting the eastern Pelagonian margin which bordered the Vardar–Meliata oceanic domain, includes Late Triassic–Early Jurassic shallowwater carbonates, condensed pelagic limestones of Early–Middle Jurassic age, Late Jurassic radiolarian cherts, siliceous mudstones and sandstones rich in ophiolite fragments. Upsection, coarse breccias, also with clasts of boninites derived from a nearby ophiolite obducted onto the Pelagonian margin in Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous times crop out.
   Along the road from Angelokastron to Sofiko, about 2 km east of the village of Angelokastron, a small quarry exposes pervasively sheared dark reddish-brown, radiolarianbearing cherty shales with disrupted fragments of chert and chert nodules impregnated by ferro-manganese oxides. These shales occur in the footwall of a thrust bringing them into contact with the Pantokrator Limestone of the Basal Sequence.
   We collected more than 30 samples of the nodules and the shaly matrix. 13 nodules and one matrix sample yielded determinable radiolarians. 16 x-ray fluorescence analyses were carried out on 12 nodules that indicated a hydrothermal origin of the ferro-manganese mineralization.
   The radiolarian taxa found indicate four age groups for the nodules that are embedded in the siliceous shale matrix that yielded a Middle Jurassic age (middle Bathonian). The first group includes nodules of Late Triassic age (late Norian–Rhaetian); the second group nodules of Early Jurassic age (early Pliensbachian and probably middle–late Toarcian); the third group nodules of early Middle Jurassic age (Aalenian–Bajocian); the last group finally includes nodules of late Middle Jurassic age (Bajocian–Bathonian).
   The presence of Late Triassic to Early Jurassic Mn-impregnated chert nodules in a Middle Jurassic matrix indicates a deep oceanic environment prior to the tectonic emplacement of the succession onto the Pelagonian continental margin. We suggest that these nodules, more lithified than their matrix, were exhumed on the slope of an intra-oceanic accretionary wedge and were redeposited in the Middle Jurassic siliceous mudstones on the floor of the remnant Vardar–Meliata Ocean.

Fissured and karstified Eocene and Mesozoic carbonate formations of the Podhale Basin represent the largest reservoir of renewable thermal waters in Poland. They outcrop in the Tatra Mts. at altitudes of 1 000-1 800 m and deep to the north under the flysch formations of the basin. The main direction of flow is to the north for abt. 15 km where the impermeable formations of the Pieniny Klippen Belt divides it and diverts to the west and east, and next to the south to the Danube watershed in Slovakia. The temperatures range from abt. 20° C near the outcrops to abt. 85° C at the most northern wells. For a better understanding of the flow pattern, environmental isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ²H, ³H, ¹⁴C, δ¹³C) have been used since early seventies and recently also gaseous tracers (He, Ne, Ar and SF₆) under the grant No N 525 402334 from the Ministry of Science and Education.
   The C¹⁴ data of thermal waters change from 37 to 0 pmc with δ¹³C from abt. −5 to 0‰; exhibiting the influence of isotopic exchange with carbonate minerals, which makes the quantitative dating difficult. The δ¹⁸O and δ²H are similar to those of modern waters in springs and wells with cold water, with several exceptions characterized by shift of δ¹⁸O to heavier values, which are caused by isotopic exchange with carbonate minerals. The isotopic altitude effect was estimated form the data of springs and wells within the Tatras area. For δ²H, the mean altitude of recharge area reads: h2 (m a.s.l.) = −69.1⋅δ2H − 4054, with the uncertainty of about 100-200 m. The most negative δ²H values of thermal waters are similar to the values observed for large karstic springs in the Tatras, which may suggest their Holocene age. However, the spatial distribution of δ²H values indicates that close to the recharge area, the thermal waters are similar to those of medium springs discharging at the lowest altitudes. Thus, the most negative δ²H values of thermal waters observed far in the basin most probably result from recharge under cooler climatic conditions. Very high He excess contents and negative noble gas temperatures (NGT) derived from Ne and Ar
concentrations are in agreement with such interpretation. The lack of ¹⁴C and δ¹³C values close to 0‰ in these wells also confirms that hypothesis.
   Tracer data indicate the presence of the oldest waters in the north-eastern part of the basin whereas in the western part the exchange of water is faster by one to two orders of magnitude. That unexpected flow pattern most probably results both from the presence of some karstic channels in the western part, which enhance regional permeability, and from obstacles to horizontal flow caused by fault zones in the eastern part.

UV radiation can have both positive and negative influence on human health. According to the classification of biological UV resources proposed by Chubarova (2007) we define favourable UV conditions as the conditions, when it is possible to get vitamin D3 at noon within an hour but when at the same time the UV index does not reach the high UV category. Different methods were used to estimate the thresholds for generating the vitamin D3 in the skin. One method was based on the approach, which has been proposed by Holick and Jenkins (2003), and another one was based on the recommendations given in the CIE 2006 publication. We compared both approaches by evaluating and comparing the year periods with the conditions favourable for vitamin D3 production. The periods were obtained through the calculation of biologically active irradiance using the TUV model with the 8 stream DISORT solver, and some other modifications described in Chubarova (2006). According to our estimates in midlatitudes the application of the second method leads to the increase in day number (approximately 18 days), when it is possible to get the vitamin D3 in clear sky conditions. It is necessary to emphasize that this difference takes place mainly due to the different thresholds of the skin exposure area recommended in these approaches, since both erythemally-weighted and vitamin D3 irradiance have similar absolute values at noon in spring and autumn, when a “jump” from unfavourable to favourable conditions and back for vitamin D3 production occurs. We have also revealed a large difference in sensitivity of erythemally-weighted and vitamin D3 irradiance to the changes in solar zenith angle, total ozone content (especially, at high solar zenith angles), and quite similar aerosol influence on both types of biologically-active irradiance. Using the updated criteria for vitamin D3 threshold from CIE 2006 we estimated the biologically active UV irradiance over northern Eurasia. The spatial and seasonal distribution of UV favourable conditions has been analyzed both for the clear sky and for the cloudy atmosphere. The calculations were based on the TOMS/OMI total ozone and effective UV reflectivity datasets. The latter one has been used for estimating the effective transmittance in cloudy conditions. The aerosol parameters necessary for computations were taken from a specially developed aerosol climatology, which has been obtained on the base of ground-based AERONET dataset, radiometric Russian datasets and satellite MODIS retrievals (collection 5) over northern Eurasia. A special attention was paid to estimating the uncertainties of MODIS AOT dataset. We found the large AOT biases in spring conditions over Siberian area. The specific features of the defined favourable UV conditions for different time periods are discussed for the various types of human skin in the clear and cloudy atmosphere.
   Acknowledgments: The work was partially sponsored by RFBR Projects #10-05-01019 and #09-05-00582.

The early stage of basin formation in carbonate platform settings, from rifting to further crustal thinning, is generally characterised by mass movements from the faulted margins towards the stretching and drowning sectors. Avalanches, debris flows deposits with extrabasinal blocks, olistoliths, olistoplaque and olistostromes mark the sedimentary record. Block tilting, related to the normal activity of faults, determines the uplift of basin margins, shedding material for the formation of oliststromes. The onset of basin dynamics could be also marked by magmatic upwelling. During the late rifting stage, mass movements decrease, sediments supply with huge olistoliths and olistostromes is less common and coarse-grained deposits prevail, alternating with periods of pelitic sedimentations. Such sedimentary evolution may be observed in several basin successions, independent of their age and geodynamic setting. Good examples are the Northern Carpathian Basin and the Sicilian carbonate platforms-basins system, compared here because of their similarities.
   During the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, the Southern European Platforms system topped by carbonate sedimentation experienced rifting and that resulted in opening of the proto-Silesian Basin. Crustal stretching was accompanied by andesitic-teschenitic intrusions. The Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous sequences of the proto-Silesian Basin were later split into different tectonic units. Neritic grey, black or brownish marly mudstones deposited during the Kimmeridgian-Tithonian were locally associated with debris flows containing olistoliths derived from the adjacent carbonate platform. The mudstones evolve during Tithonian-Berriasian into pelagic limestones and shales with a complex of turbiditic limestones, suggesting a relatively quiet tectonics. Starting from the Valanginian, turbiditic and conglomeratic sandstones with exotic blocks appear within the calcareous shales. Locally, huge olistostrome appears, containing both extrabasinal olistoliths as well as olistoliths derived from the faulted flanks of the proto-Silesian Basin. These coarse sediments evolve upwards to Hauterivian-Aptian black shales. At the end of early Cretaceous (Barremian- Albian), compressional movements started, increased tectonic activity begun and uplift initiated denudation of the margins and ridges and resulting in very thick-bedded sandstones, conglomerates and occasionally olistoliths deposited during Late Cretaceous and Early Paleogene. An oblique collision of the Inner Carpathian terranes with the North European Plate during the Late Eocene-Early Miocene led to the development of accretionary prisms of the Outer Carpathians; numerous olistostromes were formed during this time.
   In Sicily, the onset of basin opening (Imerese-Sicanian) occurred during the Triassic. It was interposed between carbonate platforms (Panormide-Hyblean-Pelagian). In the basal deep-water sediments, lenses of olistostromes with olisholiths and basaltic extrusions related to crustal stretching were deposited at the basin margins. These olistoliths were derived from mass-wasting of the Late Permian-Lower Triassic carbonate platform. Late Triassic sedimentation (pelagic marls and limestones) suggests relatively quiet tectonic activity, followed by increased crustal stretching, as suggested by olistoliths of Lower Triassic clastic limestones embedded upwards. Jurassic-Early Cretaceous sedimentation is represented by deep-water siliceous marls and radiolarites, containing several horizons of carbonate turbidites and breccias derived from erosion of the fault-controlled basin flanks. From the beginning of Late Cretaceous, deposition of basin-plain marls and limestones indicates the mature stage of basin dynamics. Upward in the succesion, thick horizons of resedimented carbonate breccias are very common, indicating the onset of tectonic inversion, from preorogenic extension to the chain building.
   Acknowledgment: This research has been partly financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Eeducation in Poland, grant no NN307 249733.

Although the first dinosaur discoveries from the Transylvanian Basin were made at Bărăbanţ near Alba-Iulia as early as the end of the 19^th century, the Latest Cretaceous Transylvanian dwarf dinosaurs gained their worldwide notoriety only after Baron F. Nopcsa reported his first discoveries in the Haţeg Basin. Nopcsa realized the dwarfing tendencies of these dinosaurs and related this tendency to their limited environment, which he called “the Haţeg Island”. In order to defend the pattern he identified, he attempted to outline the spatial extension of this island, as supported by the distribution of illustrative non-marine sedimentary deposits. In this context, he discovered several new localities with dinosaurbearing rocks. Among these, the most important ones are located in the Alba-Iulia area. These faunal assemblages seem to be coeval with those from the Haţeg Basin. The non-marine Maastrichtian deposits from Alba County accumulated after the Late Cretaceous “Laramian” tectogenesis, when a fluvial system evolved in the area of the present-day Carpathians. As a matter of fact, the sediments exposed in Alba County suggest similar environments to those from the Haţeg Basin. In the red mudstones and the channel sandstones of the Şard Formation, several vertebrate teeth and bones have been preserved. In this paleobiota, dinosaurs are well represented by the following taxa: titanosaurian sauropods, the basal hadrosaurid Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus, the euornithopod taxa Zalmoxes shqiperorum and Z. robustus, the nodosaurid ankylosaur Struthiosaurus transylvanicus, as well as various small theropods. Besides dinosaurs, there are crocodilians (Allodaposuchus and Doratodon), turtles, and lizards. Fishes, amphibians, birds, and multituberculate mammals are other vertebrates making up this assemblage. More often than not, the remains are fragmentary, scattered and weathered, except for those preserved within sediments of lacustrine origin.

Earthquake forecasts have always been a difficult task because they can be affected by uncertainty in terms of the most appropriate model and the involved parameter values. The application of two quite different models to the same seismogenic area was explored. The first belongs to the category of the renewal models, based on the characteristic earthquake hypothesis, the necessary ingredients of which being historical or paleoseismic recurrence times, and a fixed geometry for the faults. The hazard rate so obtained is then modified by the inclusion of a permanent effect due to the Coulomb static stress change caused by failure of neighbouring faults that occurred since the latest characteristic earthquake on the concerned fault. The second model consists of a very simple earthquake simulator, which can be described by parameters taken from two data input classes, fault slip rates and adoption of a Gutenberg–Richter magnitude–frequency distribution. This information is commonly available even if historical and paleoseismic recurrence data are lacking. The intention is to develop and assess a simulator that has a very limited parameter set, which has the benefit ofreducing and quantifying uncertainty. We apply both methods along the Corinth gulf extension zone, a place that is rich with observations of strong–earthquake recurrence behaviour, to assess their relative forecast applicability. We find that use of slip rate as a primary constraint allows the simulator to replicate the pattern of observed segmented rupture rates along the Corinth seismogenic zones. As they evolve through time, our rupture simulations preferentially fill slip gaps, enabling estimates of time–dependent segment recurrence. We conclude that very simple earthquake rupture simulations based on empirical data and fundamental earthquake laws can be useful forecast tools.

According to the extrusion or escape model the Pelso tectonic unit should be palaeogeographically situated before Palaeogene and Early Neogene tectonic processes between the Eastern and Southern Alps (SA). In this long known palaeogeographic reconstruction the Early Cretaceous sequence of the south-western part of the Transdanubian Range (TR) (South Bakony and Zala Basin) should resemble the Maiolica/Biancone facies successions of the SA. In contrast the Early Cretaceous of the Gerecse Mts. should correspond to the Rossfeld sequence in the Salzburg Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA). It is not so well known that there are also significant facies differences between the south-western and the north-eastern segments of the TR and that these differences also correspond to those of the SA and the NCA. The basal Jurassic of the SA developed in huge areas on top of shallow-water carbonates, which were deposited in direct continuation of the Late Triassic platform in varied tectonic subunits: Friuli Limestone (Calcari grigi del Friuli), Misone Limestone (Calcari grigi), or San Vigilio Limestone (Calcare oolitico di San Vigilio). These formations correspond to the Kardosrét Lst. in the Bakony; in contrast this facies is missing in the NCA and also in the Gerecse Mts. One of the most typical facies of the Jurassic is the ammonite-bearing, red, nodular, clayey limestone (“ammonitico rosso”) both in the SA and the Bakony. It is called Tűzkövesárok Fm in the Early Jurassic, Tölgyhát Fm in the Middle Jurassic and Pálihálás Fm in the Late Jurassic in Hungary. A more deep-water formation is the radiolaritic Selcifero Fm in the Lombardy and the Lókút Radiolarite (Bakony Mts.) in the late Middle Jurassic to Oxfordian. The larger part of the Late Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous in the Lombardian Basin is represented by the Maiolica facies, while it is only developed in the Tithonian to Hauterivian and pinches out eastward in the Southern Bakony. Jurassic successions of the Gerecse Mts. show similarities to those known from the Tirolic units of the NCA. The base of the Jurassic in the Gerecse is represented by the Pisznice Lst., equivalent to the condensed red limestones of the Adnet Group of the NCA. Both of them cover the surface of the Dachstein Fm. with gentle angular unconformities. Sedimentation on submarine highs is characterized by condensed red limestones; in contrast in the basinal areas grey cherty limestones were deposited. On the Middle Jurassic highs, the red, nodular limestone is called Klaus Fm. in the NCA and Tölgyhát Lst. in the Gerecse. It is followed by the Ruhpolding Radiolarite in the NCA and Lókút Radiolarite in the Gerecse. In the Tirolic units of the NCA the radiolarite succession contain several olistromatic breccias, partly of exotic and partly of local provenance (Hallstatt and Tauglboden Mélanges). The Lókút radiolarite of the TR is followed by or include a breccia bed called „Oxfordian breccia”, which may correlate with the Tauglboden Breccias. The Agatha Fm. of the NCA mirrors the Pálihálás Limestone of Kimmeridgean–Early Tithonian age in the Gerecse, while the Oberalm Fm. matches the Szentivánhegy Lst. of the Tithonian-Berriasian. In the Early Cretaceous the carbonate succession is replaced by turbiditic siliciclastics (Bersek Marl Fm. in the Gerecse and Schrambach Fm. in the NCA). The sedimentation changed from carbonate into siliciclastics diachronously and the time equivalent Felsővadács Breccia Mb as a massflow deposit cuts this boundary in the Gerecse. This breccia is thicker and wider spread in the NCA and called Barmstein Breccia. This body is replaced by the lowermost coarse-grained turbidites of the lowermost Rossfeld evolution. Upsection the Bersek Marl is followed by the Lábatlan Sst in the Gerecse and the lower part of the Rossfeld Fm. by the upper one in the NCA In both regions the Rossfeld coarsening-upward cycle was interpreted as expression of nappe thrusting, whereas for the NCA nowadays for the Rossfeld Basin fill a foreland-basin character (Molasse sediments) is favoured.
   Conclusion: The TR is a special tectonic unit showing in part homogeneity to the SA (Bakony) and in part to the NCA (Gerecse). So its original palaeogeographic position has been situated between the NCA and the SA.

In the Western Pannonian Basin the widespread occurrence of ventifacts and large scale deflation features – like a system of yardangs, deflation hollows and basaltic buttes at least in part exposed by wind erosion – indicate strong wind activity during the Quaternary. This is supported by common presence of wind-blown sediments, like loess and aeolian sand. The Pleistocene glaciations are probably the most important periods of deflation, when the Pannonian Basin was a dry, periglacial area with scarce vegetation and strong winds. However, age of the wind-polished rock surfaces exposed on different geomorphic horizons of the Transdanubian Range – an uplifted low elevation (up to 750 m asl.) range in the Western Pannonian Basin – has remained unknown so far, although they can provide time constraints of landscape evolution. We used in situ produced cosmogenic ¹⁰Be to determine exposure time and denudation rate of wind-polished rock surfaces and regional (basin) scale denudation rates are also inferred. In view of surface samples only, minimum exposure ages assuming no denudation are ranging from 0.09 to 1.3 My with most of the ages between 100 and 400 ky. Considering the maximum denudation rates assuming that steady state is reached, yield to rates ranging from 0.36 to 8.42 m/My. In both assumptions, allowing for all surface samples, there is a weak, maybe apparent correlation between age and/or denudation rates versus altitude; saying that the higher is older and/or more resistant. Allowing for the maximum denudation rates of samples from the depth profiles one can observe that for the uppermost samples these rates are the same within uncertainties. This evidences the fact that steady state has been reached. However, for deepest samples, denudation rates become higher. This thus implies that steady state has not been reached at those depths. Accordingly, depth profiles allow determining simultaneously both denudation rate and exposure age. Measurements of ¹⁰Be concentrations along depth profiles of exposed, ventifacted rocks allow to derive a local denudation rate of 3.46-3.88 m/My and exposure ages as old as 1.5 My. Regional denudation, which occurred mainly via deflation of the loose sediments, varies between 40 and 80 m/My. Our results show that aeolian erosion in continental, periglacial areas of Central Europe played an important role in Quaternary landscape modification. Besides, the newly determined exposure ages are strong time constraints on the onset of denudation, exhumation of the Transdanubian Range, which is indicative of the minimum time of the uplift of the range.

Hail causes considerably damage to crops and property. In many areas of the world the cloud seeding with the goal of suppressing hail is common practice. The seeding agent is injected into the target cloud from aircraft, ground-based generators or the agent is injected into the cold peripheral parts of a cloud by rockets. The success of hail suppression activity is influenced by careful selection of seeding time, seeding dynamics, seeding agent amount and location of initial seeding zone. In the last decade, the cloud-resolving mesoscale models become widely used in testing the seeding criterions with respect to above parameters. The
simulation of seeding effects can be done by either explicit microphysics or bulk microphysics schemes. Bulk microphysics scheme is frequently used in the cloud-resolving mesoscale models due to lower computational cost. This scheme assumes a distribution function for the cloud and precipitation size particles. The variation in accumulated convective precipitation due to the uncertainties inherent in the selection of distribution functions and their parameters must be assessed. Until now the cloud-resolving mesoscale models are used in some studies that quantify considerable sensitivity of the amount of accumulated precipitation from a hailstorm on variations of cloud drop size distribution. Main consequence of the hail suppression activity is the accumulated convective precipitationchange. The selection of cloud drop size distribution is therefore critical for an adequatetreatment of seeding effects.
   We use the numerical model of cloud with two microphysical schemes involving the unified Khrgian-Mazin size distribution of cloud drops and a scheme involving monodisperse cloud droplet spectrum and the Marshall-Palmer size distribution for raindrops, respectively. The unified Khrgian-Mazin size distribution approximates the entire drop spectrum that splits into cloud droplets and raindrops at diameter of 100 μm. This drop size distribution is a function of two parameters: total liquid water mixing ratio and mean cloud drop spectrum radius. Sensitivity tests with respect to the amounts of seeding agent, location, time and dynamics of seeding are performed in order to investigate accumulated precipitation change in comparison with an unseeded case using both microphysical schemes. Silver-iodide agent is used in all experiments. Three mean cloud drop radii of 10, 30 and 50 μm are used in sensitivity tests with the unified Khrgian-Mazin size distribution.
   Our principal findings are as follows:
   For an unseeded hail cloud, the unified Khrgian-Mazin size distribution with a mean cloud drop spectrum radius of 10 μm leads to the huge increase of accumulated rain precipitation (up to 275%) and decrease in hail precipitation (-71%) compared to the counterpart with the Marshall-Palmer size distribution of raindrops and the monodisperse cloud droplet spectrum. Comparison of seeded cases with an unseeded one show the maximum increase of rain precipitation (13.7%) and decrease of hail precipitation (50.2%) if the Khrgian-Mazin size distribution is used. In general, this precipitation changes are greater than those simulated using the alternative approach. Analysis of above results leads to the conclusion that the radar reflectivity criterion alone is insufficient for decision making about hail suppression. The drop spectrum must be also known just before the agent injection due to the optimal seeding agent consumption.

Methane soil flux measurements have been made in 38 sites at the geothermal system of Sousaki (Greece) with the closed chamber method. Fluxes range from –47.6 to 29,150 mg m^-2 d^-1 and the diffuse CH4 output of the system has been estimated in 19 t/a. Contemporaneous CO₂ flux measurements showed a fair positive correlation between CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes but the flux ratio evidenced methanotrophic activity within the soil. Laboratory CH₄ consumption experiments confirmed the presence of methanotrophic microorganisms in soil samples collected at Sousaki. These results further confirm recent studies on other geothermal systems that revealed the existence of thermophilic and acidophilic bacteria exerting methanotrophic activity also in hot and acid soils thereby reducing methane emissions to the atmosphere.

A good understanding of the age and geodynamic evolution of ophiolite complexes is of key significance for the reconstruction of the past oceans. Since most extrusive events (i.e. lava flows) are often covered or intercalated with pelagic siliceous sediments, their dating provides a relatively detailed time frame to describe the magmatic events that took place in parts of the Tethyan oceanic realm. Radiolaria are often the only fossils preserved in these sediments. Therefore, Radiolarian biochronology has become an important tool to investigate the complex geodynamic evolution of Alpine mountain belts.
   The main aim of our project is to specify the geohistory of ophiolites preserved in the Lesser Caucasus, a key area of the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt. Improved knowledge on this subject will allow better lateral correlations of possibly equivalent suture zones and will help deciphering the geodynamic evolution of the greater area between Eurasia and the South-Armenian Block. The latter was a micro-continent that has become detached from Gondwana during the Late Palaeozoic – Early Mesozoic. It is considered as a part of the eastward extension of Taurides-Anatolides continental microplate.
   Two main ophiolitic zones are recognised in the Lesser Caucasus:
   - The Amassia-Sevan-Akera ophiolites (running from NW Armenia, through East of Lake Sevan to western Karabakh) represent the main suture zone in the Lesser Caucasus, including extensive outcrops of peridotites (often serpentinized) and gabbros. The geochemistry of lavas suggests the presence of two distinct extrusive systems; i) a contaminated MORB series of basalts, bearing a slight calc-alkaline signature, is considered to be the result of a slow spreading ridge in a back-arc setting; ii) an alkaline OIB series of lavas considered to be the expression of a mantle plume event.
   - The Vedi ophiolite, in the SE of Yerevan, is also composed of serpentinites, gabbros and a thick pile of massive and pillowed lava flows. It is considered as a folded klippe sequence that was thrusted over Cenomanian-Turonian shallow water carbonates and flysch of the South Armenian Block.
   New and revised radiolarian data point to the following working scenario:
   (1) the initial phase of sea floor spreading took place during the Late Triassic (Carnian). Evidence for this comes from a single locality.
   (2) The bulk of oceanic crust, preserved today in both the Sevan-Akera and Vedi ophiolite complexes, was formed during the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian, Bathonian-Callovian) in a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) setting;
   (3) Submarine volcanic activity continued occasionally during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, as this is suggested by reliable radiolarian ages obtained on cherts intercalated with tholeitic lavas from both the Vedi and Sevan ophiolites.
   (4) Preliminary results on radiolarian cherts intercalated with alkaline lavas of the Sevan ophiolite suggest that a hot spot event took place during the Late Jurassic.
   (5) Several tuffite levels, intercalated within the radiolarite sequence of the Sevan ophiolite, reflect a Late Jurassic subaerial volcanic. At the moment, it is unclear whether they are related with the emplacement of the SSZ ophiolites or with the mantle plume event.

The tectonic structure of Lesvos is characterized mainly by an extensional regime acting from Neogene to recent while it is also under the influence of the westward migration of the southern branches of the North Anatolian Fault and the North Aegean Trench (NAT). Some of the main active faults of Lesvos Island are extended along the Geras gulf, which form an area of particular importance due to its proximity to the town of Mytilene. At a primal study of faults, a rift zone was found by neotectonic mapping, with deep-slip to oblique-slip normal faults of general direction NW - SE and W – E, respectively. Afterwards, based on rural measurements, the stress pattern of the area was studied as the main directions of the strain-stress field trends (σ1, σ2, σ3) were calculated. In some specific sites of fault surfaces overlapping generations of slickenside striae were observed, meaning that more than one field tectonic trends acted in the same position in different time periods. The results include two main distinct tectonic phases; the oldest one with extensional axis directed NESW and the newest trending NNW - SSE. The tectonic analysis and the interpretation of digital relief model (DEM), as well as the use of satellite imagery of the study area, have contributed significantly to the quantitative and qualitative analysis of morphotectonic characteristics of the faults. On the basis of the digital relief model, morphological sections were constructed perpendicular to the faults in order to extract information on the morphology of the slope. Moreover, profiles of morphological slope gradients were constructed along faults, based on the slip map of the digital relief model, with mean gradient ranging from 14° to 16° for most of the faults. These values seem to be related to the lithology of the rising block and the uplift rate. Shaded relief maps and three-dimensional imaging helped identifying faults. The determination of the effect of the tectonic geomorphological phenomena can be defined and quantified with morphotectonics indicators. In the present study five (5) morphotectonics indicators were applied: Stream Length – Gradient Index (SL), Drainage Basin Asymmetry Factor (AF), Hypsometric Integral (HI), Ratio of Valley – Floor Width to Valley Height (Vf), Mountain – front Sinuosity (S). The calculation of morphotectonic indicators in the regional faults confirmed the activity, and the recent action, which gave rise to the tectonic structures observed today. The high values of the SL index are found in morphological slope of the faults. The AF index shows a river spin, possibly due to the influence of faults, which either lift or humiliate the respective pieces of the rift zone. The index Vf exhibits relatively low values indicating a strong, deep erosion of the streams rising in the piece. The estimates of Mountain – front Sinuosity index are ranging from 1.1 to 1.6
and characterize active faults, though not associated with any known historical earthquake. Finally using empirical magnitude - fault length relationships, for the Gera’s Gulf area, the maximum expected magnitude earthquake for each fault or fault zone is calculated to Ms = 5.7 – 6.3.

The studied Pb-Zn-Cu deposits are located between Çanakkale and Balıkesir provinces in NW Anatolia. Two deposits are investigated in these provinces, Lapseki-Çataltepe and Yenice-Kalkım deposits, situated to the northwest and southeast of Çanakkale, respectively. The main rock units in the region range in age from Paleozoic to Tertiary. Paleozoic rocks are generally characterized by Karakaya Complex units which are represented by Permo-Triassic metamorphic rocks consisting of schists and calcschists with lens- and/or band-shaped recrystallized limestones and/or marble intercalations. Tertiary rock units are represented by Eocene granitoids and volcanics in Lapseki area, and Oligo-Miocene granitoids and Middle Miocene volcanic rocks in the Yenice area. Mineralized zones in both deposits occur as hydrothermal veins in carbonate levels of metamorphic rocks or rarely in the fractures of other metamorphic rocks. The main ore mineral paragenesis for both deposits is galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and arsenopyrite assemblage, while gangue minerals are garnet, epidote, quartz and calcite. Manganiferous hedenbergitic pyroxene and hematite are only found in the Yenice-Kalkım deposits.
   According to EPMA studies, the garnets from Kalkım (Handeresi, Bağırkaç and Fırıncıkdere adits) are grossularite, andradite and hydroandradite in composition, while the garnets from the Çataltepe deposits are andradite and grossularite in composition. Pyroxene minerals are determined as manganiferous hedenbergite, johannsenite and diopside based on XRD, EPMA and Raman Confocal spectrographic analyses. EPMA studies of the ore samples of the Lapseki area show that there are two types of galena: (1) low Ag-Bi-Te bearing galena and (2) high Ag-Bi-Te bearing galena. Trace element mineral data indicate that sphalerite minerals can be classified as two groups according to Fe and Co contents: (1) low Fe and Co bearing sphalerite, and (2) high Fe and Co bearing sphalerite. Pyrite and chalcopyrite minerals are also divided into two groups; (1) Co rich pyrite and chalcopyrite and (2) Co-poor pyrite and chalcopyrite.
   Trace element analyses of sulfide minerals in Yenice-Kalkım area show that there is only one type of galena, sphalerite and pyrite formations. Trace element contents of Yenice-Kalkım ores are similar to the low sulfide bearing galena, sphalerite and pyrite minerals of Çataltepe ores. According to both geochemical analyses and EPMA studies, Kalkım area deposits with low Ag-Bi-Te-Fe-Cu-Zn-Co contents seem to be compatible with low Ag-Bi- Te-Fe-Cu-Zn-Co contents in the Lapseki area. In conclusion, EPMA results show that there are, at least, two different ore forming fluids active during the ore forming processes in Lapseki-Çataltepe deposits. Similar metallic element interactions for ore forming fluids in Kalkım area, Pb-Zn-Cu deposits, cannot be found as in the Lapseki-Çataltepe Pb-Zn-Cu deposits.

The new results from monitoring of the Krupnik seismogenic area in the Southwest Bulgaria are presented. Special attention is paid to the geodetic analysis using present-day GPS data and seismological modelling of regional stress field in order to constrain the kinematics and dynamics of the region. On the base of the complex analysis of the recent seismicity, geodetic data and fault plane solutions modelling we can conclude that the present tectonic activity in the Krupnik area in SW Bulgaria is associated with the main geodynamic processes in the central part of Balkan region.

E–W and N–S- trending cross grabens and horsts are the most important structures of Western Anatolia. Çamlıca High is a ~N–S-trending geomorphologic feature with a strong topographical manifestation. This feature, located at the northern tip of the Miocene Yuntdağı Volcanic Complex, is surrounded by Kırkağaç Graben to the east, Soma Graben to the north and Bakırçay Graben to the west. N–S- trending Kırkağaç Fault, E–W- trending Soma Fault and NE–SW-trending Kozanlı Fault set are the marginal faults of this structure. The lignite bearing deposits of N–S- trending Mio–Pliocene basin were elevated by these faults. These deposits and interior part of the High were also dissected by ~N–S and NW–SE- trending faults. To understand the tectonics of the region, field studies were carried out along the marginal structures and interior of the Çamlıca High. Based on the kinematic analyses, performed by using fault-slip data acquired from fault surfaces, the following results were obtained: i) NE–SW- trending faults have been formed under NW–SE extension and the principal stress distribution is σ1= 278°/78°, σ2= 63°/10° and σ3= 155°/7° and the value Φ is 0.184; ii) NW–SE- trending faults have been formed under NE–SW extension regime and the principal stress distribution is σ1= 154°/76°, σ2= 305°/12° and σ3= 37°/6° and the value Φ is 0.335; iii) for the formation of N–S- trending faults (Kırkağaç Fault), ENE–WSW extension is dominant. The principal stress distribution is σ1= 334°/47°, σ2= 187°/34°, σ3= 91°/23° and the value Φ is 0.609, and σ1= 166°/81°, σ2= 335°/9°, σ3= 65°/2° and the value Φ is 0.3 respectively. Under the light of these kinematic analyses, we can conclude that in the region two different tectonic regimes were revealed. The first one is NNE–SSW directed extensional regime resulted from WNW–ESE- trending compression. This tectonic regime was played an important role during the formation of N–S directed left lateral strike-slip faults with normal dip-slip component. The NW–SE- striking faults with normal dip-slip component and related oblique faults were formed due to extension in this regime. The last tectonic regime affecting the region is NNE–SSW and WSW–ENE directed simultaneous extension which enabled the formation of approximately N–S-trending normal faults (Kırkağaç Fault) and E–W-trending normal faults (Soma Fault) controlling especially the boundary of Çamlıca High. This regime additionally reactivated older faults within the region.

The interpretation of geo(morpho)logical phenomena and processes as well as the transmission of geoscientific knowledge to the general public are the essential tasks of geotourism. The proper development of the geotourist sites is a tool for their accomplishment. This paper presents the model of geotourist development which consists of planning and creation of infrastructure (basic and supporting) and the promotion of sites. The basic infrastructure includes the interpretative materials, geotourist trails as well as technical facilities ensuring the safety and comfort of sightseeing. The elements of proposed model are shown on the example of the area of Jasieniowa Mt. (Cieszyn Foothills). The outcrops located in the selected region represent the oldest sedimentary rocks in the Polish Carpathians Flysch, which are the Vendryne Formation and the Cieszyn Limestone Formation. Within the scope of geotourist development, the geotourist trail and information panels were designed, as well as the location of the protective and supporting facilities was proposed.

For nearly three decades, mud-mounds were thought to be essentially a Paleozoic phenomenon. Buildups composed of a mosaic of facies, like for instance the widespread Carboniferous Waulsortians and the Belgian Devonian récifs rouges were virtually considered as mud-mound archetypes. It is only since the middle of nineties that the term mud-mound is widely applied to Mesozoic sponge mounds.
   In the north-eastern part of Tulcea tectonic Unit from North Dobrogean Orogen, around the Mahmudia village are cropping out Middle Triassic limestones, described in the literature as the first occurrence of Middle Triassic mud-mound deposits in Romania. Associated with zebra and stromatactis typical mud-mound structures, there are some carbonate crusts whose origin seemed to be microbial, but are clues to assume that are similar with cemented grainstone crusts.
   The aim of the study is to separate the carbonate microfacies and it will include as methods, optical microscopy, staining and UV fluorescence as keys for sedimentary structures and frequency of allochems, cathodoluminescence (CL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and stable isotopes (C, O) analysis for microstructures and diagenetic features and petrography of fluid inclusions for paleoenvironmental conditions. In addition to the optical methods we have also investigated the geochemical composition of selected particles or lamina directly from polished slabs using a microXRF device (Horiba XGT 7000).
   Among the carbonate microfacies separated so far, we can include Tubiphytes boundstone, radiolarian and sponge spicule wakestone with stromatactis, bioclastic grainstone to packestone, dolomitised bioclastic grainstone and laminitic mudstones.
   The microbial nature of the mud-mound is sustained by the abundance of Tubiphytes, which dominate some areas resulting true boundstones, and the presence of Baccinella, a real microbial product. Metasomatism, dolomitization and cementation which affected the primary fabrics given by early marine diagenesis are proved also by the stable isotope analyses. A deep water environment (internal shelf – 70-100 m water depth) for the mud-mound is suggested by the typical wackestone with sponge spicules and calcified radiolarians or calcisferes.

The Outer Carpathians are built up of a stack of nappes and they are thrusted over the southern part of the North European Platform. The Silesian Nappe occupies central part of the Outer Carpathians and it is built of sedimentary facies represented continues succession of Late Jurassic to Early Miocene times. In sedimentary profile are written successively stages of development of Silesian Unit on the background of evolutionary stadia of the geodynamic development of the Northern Carpathians from syn-, post-rift to synorogenic phase. The best outcrops (legible, good-preserved and accessible for the group of tourists) to examine the Silesian rocks are presented and included into the trail. The sites highlight stratigraphy and sedimentology of Silesian Unit, from Jurassic to Neogene, elements of structural geology, petroleum systems (source rocks, reservoir rocks, seals), geotouristic important objects and history of human activities in the Carpathians, especially of mining and oil industries. The proposed trail traverses the Silesian Nappe in Polish sector of West Carpathians between Kraków, Cieszyn and Ciężkowice area.

Geomechanical Database developed by Department of Geomechanics at University of Warsaw until recently, collected nearly 200 000 parametric data for Poland’s rock properties as well as respective non-parametric informations (descriptions, graphics) have been collected. The data concern rocks of different age and lithology from various regions of Poland such as Holy Cross Mountains, Sudetes Mountains, Cracow - Czestochowa Upland, Carpathians, etc. The geological regions are subordinated to physical and geographical subprovinces according to the Kondracki division system. The main purpose of Database is systematization and integration of geomechanical rock properties, and their quick search option for large multi-subject data sets. Each component of the Database is identifiable geospatially by means of the material (“rock object”) source location in the geographical coordinate system. With that, all data collected in the Database meet the GIS system requirements and allow co-operating with other information sets within the system.
   Based on the unified research procedure adopted by the Department of Geomechanics UW, test results the BDG contains more than 50 000 strength and strain parameters; nearly 100 000 parameters of ultrasonic tests; and more than 40 000 parameters of physical features. Besides in database the data from special tests are collected such as surface roughness for rock fractures; long-term rock deterioration susceptibility under influence of weather or chemical factors. The base deals with data of rocks used currently as raw materials as well as not used recently for industrial purposes for various reasons, for instance due to the location within national parks.
   The BDG operates basing on two systems cooperating with each other: The General Database system collecting data on the server, and The System of Applications for viewing the collected data, acquiring new data and for generating reports responding to queries.
   The System of Applications consists of three modules: Main Module (MM), Search Module (SM) and Report Module (RM). The Main Module is intended for viewing the entire data base content and for entering new data. The Search Module provides with information selection required by the user. The Report Module presents reports in tables or graphics according to the available options.
   The MM structure consists of seven hierarchic information levels in the following sequence: rock origin region, data of the object, rock type, geomechanical parameter, type of examination, data for sample group and data for single rock sample.
   Created by Department of Geomechanics the Geomechanical Database operates based on the SQL programming language, which guarantees the system architecture compatibility with different up-to-date data bases. The applied information technologies provide with a full exchangeability of geomechanical data with other GIS systems, where UML, GML, GeoSciML, or XMML language was applied.
   The BDG ‘foundation stone’ was the need for a quick search solution for data contained in large multi-subject data sets. Such solution was necessary for publishing the catalogues for Polish rock properties in the regional division. That is why the adopted internal database structure allows presenting selected information in tables or diagrams as well as quickly selecting information for scientific researches thanks to the in-built search module.
   The Database layout allows presenting the data either against the background of wellknown geomechanical classification systems, or in needed sets of results. The Database is open and being permanently extended. Parts of the Database are available on the http://www.geo.uw.edu.pl/geomechanika

The SE part of the Carpathian-Pannonian region records the cessation of convergence between the European platform/Moesia and the Tisza-Dacia microplate. Pliocene-Quaternary magmatic activity in this area, in close proximity to the ‘Vrancea zone’, changed from normal calc-alkaline type to much more diverse magma compositions at approximately 3 Ma, suggesting a significant change in geodynamic processes. We review the tectonic setting, timing, petrology and geochemistry of the post-collisional volcanism to constrain the role of orogenic processes such as subduction and collision on melt production and migration. The calc-alkaline volcanism (5.3-3.9 Ma) marks the end of normal subduction-related magmatism along the post-collisional Călimani-Gurghiu-Harghita volcanic chain in front of the European convergent plate margin. In South Harghita magma compositions changed at 3 Ma to adakitelike calc-alkaline and continued until recent times (< 0.03 Ma) interrupted at 1.6-1.2 Ma by generation of Na and K alkalic magmas, signifying changes in the source and melting mechanism. We attribute the changes in magma composition in front of the Moesian platform to two main geodynamic events: (1) slab-pull and steepening with opening of a tear window (adakite-like calc-alkaline magmas) and (2) renewed contraction associated with deep mantle processes such as slab steepening during post-collisional times (Na and K alkalic magmas). Contemporaneous post-collisional volcanism at the eastern edge of the Pannonian Basin at 2.6-1.3 Ma was dominated by Na alkalic and ultrapotassic magmas, suggesting a close relationship with thermal asthenospheric doming and strain partitioning related to the Adriatic indentation. Similar timing, magma chamber processes and volume for K-alkalic (shoshonitic) magmas in the South Apuseni Mountains (1.6 Ma) and South Harghita area at a distance of ca. 200 km imply a regional connection with inversion tectonics.

Foraminifera (single-celled protists that secrete a shell-like test) are among the most abundant organisms in the deep sea (the largest habitat on Earth), and are recognized to be highly sensitive to environmental changes due to both natural and man-induced factors in marine and transitional environments. In particular, the potential of benthic foraminifera has long been recognized for their use in marine paleoenvironmental studies.
   The present study focuses on a high resolution analysis of the distribution of benthic foraminifera from one SE Aegean Sea core. The main aim is to describe the impact of the environmental changes on the marine ecosystem through the study of proxies related to the benthic environment. With this goal in mind, one site was selected to investigate spatial and temporal variability as recorded by the benthic microfauna.
   Detailed analysis of the benthic foraminiferal content of the core M22-18 in NE Cretan Sea, allowed its palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. The core, 270 cm long, was drilled at 360 m water depth and 39 samples (1 cm thick) were taken. Each sample was washed, sieved at 125 μm and then dried at 60^oC. Quantitative analysis was carried out on aliquots separated from each sample by means of a microsplitter, in order to obtain at least 250 – 300 benthic foraminiferal specimens. The number of planktonic foraminiferal tests was also recorded during picking. Based on the faunal counts, benthic foraminiferal numbers (BFN; number of specimens per gram dry sediment) were calculated. This number gives information on the taphonomy of the original living assemblage, the oxygen level, the energy level in which the sediments were deposited and to a minor extent the productivity or organic flux. The percentage of planktonic species in the total foraminiferal association (%P) was calculated as 100*P/(P+B). Raw data were transformed into percentages over the total abundance of benthic foraminifera. Reconstruction of bottom water conditions concerning oxygen content was based on the presence of the dysoxic indicators in the assemblage. For this purpose, the percentage occurrence of the well established redox fauna front dwelling taxa (Bulimina, Uvigerina, Fursenkoina, Globobulimina spp. and Bolivina spathulata/dilatata) which is related to disturbance and/or environmental stress was calculated. Two radiocarbon ages indicate that the studied sequence covers the last 26 ky BP.
   BFN remains relatively stable exhibiting low values apart from the basal part of the record where BFN shows an abrupt increase. Planktonic/benthic ratios vary between 16 and 95% of the benthic assemblage.
   A decrease in BFN and an increase of low oxygen indicators (infaunal taxa) suggest a strong decrease in oxygen concentrations. Poor ventilation created dysoxic condition allowing the presence of stressed benthic microfauna.
   The group of low-oxygen taxa shows high percentages from the bottom to 240 cm, but its abundance strongly decreases between 240 and 40 cm. At 30 cm this group increases again and then remains in constant percentage values in the upper part of the core. The strong decrease of BFN and the increase of the benthic foraminifera deep infauna in the lower part of the core suggests extremely low oxygen values on the sea bottom.

The aim of this paper is the gemmological and microthermometric studies of colour types of topazes (colourless, light pink and blue) from pegmatites of the Volodarsk-Volynski massif (Western Ukraine). These topaz crystals are characterized by the presence of numerous solid and fluid inclusions, mainly of a secondary origin as well as the abundance of micropores. The solid inclusions include mainly albite, tourmaline, Fe-bearing mineral phases and probably organic matter. Among the groups of fluid inclusions, secondary two-phase (liquid-vapour) inclusions distinctly dominate over sparse inclusions of a primary origin. The measured values of temperature homogenization (Th) for selected primary and secondary fluid inclusion assemblages range from 350-380°C and 322°C, respectively. Topaz from Volodarsk-Volynski Massif crystallized during hydrothermal stage in medium temperature conditions. The presence of different secondary and pseudosecondary fluid inclusions together with the traces of necking down processes, point that after the crystallization the topaz was also affected by mechanical, thermal and metasomatic processes.

Determination of the resistance against freezing water and salt crystallization are two important standard deteriorative tests of building or decorative stones. These tests partially simulate the influence of weather and polluted environment on rocks and check their durability. Impact of the tests on the pore structure of selected natural and agglomerated stone types have been studied by means of optical porosimetry. The optical porosimetry is a technique of a detailed study of porosity in discountinuous materials. Dried porous samples were fully saturated with blue coloured resin, and after hardening, thin cuts were prepared. Effective pores could be well recognized by the colour in thin cuts under microscope (visual analysis - VAO), but also in pictures taken by a digital camera, that were statistically analysed by the computer (digital analysis - DAO). Visual and digital analyses have been carried out before and after the frost resistance tests (25 cycles of freezing/thawing) and before and after the salt crystallisation tests (15 cycles of immersion into a salt solution and drying). Mineral composition, pore network, and selected physical properties have been studied on both, untreated samples and on samples after mentioned laboratory destructive tests. Changes in
rock microstructure predominantly in the pore network due to laboratory weathering tests were identified and illustrated.
   Seven types of sandstones from a territory of Slovakia, one type of rhyolite and of travertine, as well as one type of agglomerated stone VASPO simulative various types of natural stones (a Slovak product widely used as exterior and interior cladding stone) have been selected for the research.
   Optical porosimetry analyses refer to both realised laboratory tests had destructive effects on studied stones. The degradation due to the salt crystallization was more intensive. The used salt was hydrate phase of sodium sulphate, mirabilite (Na₂SO₄.10H₂O). According to VAO, micro-cracks were formed, predominantly near the samples surface, pore spaces were enlarged by chemical dissolution of some minerals reacting with the salt solution and existing fractures were opened. These visual signs of the stone decay and weakening were confirmed by changes of physical-mechanical properties after tests. Changes in values of total porosity, water absorption, velocity of ultrasonic pulses and uniaxial compressive strength were recorded.
   Statistical parameters determined by DAO, i. e. total optical porosity, size-count parameters and erode-dilate parameters, confirmed changes in the rock pore networks after laboratory deteriorative tests.
   In general, presented results of both, visual and digital porosity analyses after laboratory degradation tests demonstrate the applicability of the optical porosimetry method in a research of weathering of natural and agglomerated stones or building stone generally, under experimental or natural conditions, especially in cases when the effective (open) porosity of stones is higher than 5 %. More accentuated visual readable demonstrations require the realization a greater number of cycles of freezing/thawing than have been realized in our research.
   Acknowledgments: We acknowledge the Ministry of Education of Slovak Republic for funding the projects VEGA 1/4045/07, 1/0499/08 and 1/0413/09

Vaiscan magmatism is ubiquitos in Western and Central Stara planina, Bulgaria. Its composition is calc-alcaline and essentially acid, as granitoids predominate. Occasionally but with outstanding position, in the Variscan orogenic edifice in the Stara planina, are the rocks of the potassic-alkaline association. From west to east three alkaline plutons crop out: Svidnya, Buhovo–Seslavtzi and Shipka. The plutons intrude Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian low-grade metasediments. The plutonic rocks comprise potassic monzonites and syenites, evolving toward peralkaline acid species (quartsyenite and granite). Based on the isotope and trace elements composition, an enriched source was supposed for the magmas. Their geodynamic position is assumed as postcollisional.
   In order to establish the time of formation of the rocks from mentioned plutons ID – TIMS and LA – ICP-MS comprehensive study on zircons were performed.
   ID – TIMS analyses for plutonic rocks (syenite) from Buhovo-Seslavtzi display clustering around 340 - 325 Ma, and no reliable isochrone can be defined. LA – ICP-MS analyses yield similar results: 350 – 325 Ma. For the peralkaline dykes from Buhovo-Seslavtzi ID – TIMS age determinations cluster in two time intervals: 318 – 312 Ma and 460 – 435 Ma, with a substantial discordance. LA – ICP-MS results for the dyke rocks are mainly in the interval 470 – 430 Ma, as one analysis gives 310 – 303 Ma. Intrusive rocks from Svidnya plot in two separate time intervals: 315 – 305 Ma and 455 – 440 Ma (ID – TMS). Surprisingly LA – ICP-MS show considerable scattering, as the results cover very large time span: 840 – 388 Ma. Both ID – TIMS and LA – ICP-MS for dyke rocks from Svidnya plot mainly in the interval 460 – 450 Ma. Perfectly concordant ID – TIMS ages for the intrusive rocks from Shipka delineate two intervals: 555-506 Ma and 303 Ma. LA – ICP-MS determinations are grouped in several narrow intervals: 345-335 Ma, 319-326 Ma and 309-307 Ma. At the same time LA – ICP-MS data for dykes from the pluton show much older age: 462-454 Ma.
   Ages as 450 Ma could not indicate the time of intrusion of plutonic rocks, because such ages are older than the host metasediments (Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian). Thus, Variscan ages in the interval 350 - 303 Ma would represent the time of formation of the potassic-alkaline rocks. This time interval is too large and it is not possible to determine precisely the position of these rocks in the frame of the Variscan orogeny. Very striking feature is the ubiquitous presence of inherited cores in the studied zircons. It was to some extent unexpected, because zircons are highly soluble in hydrous and peralkaline magmas (according to the experimental data). The fact, that were found complex zircons with strong inheritance even in most alkaline rocks is surprising and requires more attention.
   Up to now rest unclear the relationships between the potassic rocks and the calcalkaline granitoids, as well as the successiveness of magma formation. The results show that both rock types are generally contemporaneous, so they belong to one tectonic event. The marked differences in their composition should be attributed to the sources.
   The zircons show a multistage origin, attesting for overlapping variable geological events. The frequent presence of inherited cores in the zircon testifies for multiple recycling of older material, involved in the generation of the potassic magmas. At this moment we are not able to specify the nature, origin and mechanism of involvement of these older materials in the source. The results show that material segregation from source and crystallization histories of the magmas were very complex.

The research was carried out on shales and mudstones of the Hieroglyphic Beds in the eastern part of the Dukla Unit. Samples of shales and mudstones were examined using optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical composition of minerals was studied by energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). In order to obtain clay fractions of <2 μm and <0.2 μm the samples were prepared according to the standard Jackson method. Clay minerals preparations were air-dried, glycol vapour saturated and heated at 330ºC and 550ºC.
   Muscovite is the most common detrital mineral and the main component of the analyzed sediments. It occurs as mangled flakes, which underline the lamination of the host rocks. The EDS analyses have revealed fengite character of muscovites, which contain up 5.27 wt% of the Fe₂O₃. Biotite grains in most cases underwent chloritisation.
   The XRD analyses of the <2 μm have revealed the presents of illite, chlorite and mixedlayer minerals: illite/smectite and chlorite/smectite. Illite, in most cases, is the component of cement. Detailed characterization of illite/smectite was based on the diffractograms of the (0.2 μm fraction obtain from the XRD studies of glycol vapour saturated oriented preparation. The type of layer ordering in the mixed layered minerals was established according to the position of 001 reflection. R1 and R>1 are the characteristic types of the ordering in these minerals. They contain up to 30% of smectitic component in their structure. The presence of 1M and 2M1 politypes confirms the existence of both authigenic and detrital illite in the analysed clay material. The EDS investigation showed different amounts of Fe (from 5 to 30 wt% of Fe₂O₃) in illite or illite/smectite mixed layers.
   It was determined that only detrital chlorites appear in the studied sediments. They are often products of chloritisation of biotite. The XRD studies of the <2μm fraction displayed presence of chlorite and mixed-layer chlorite/smectite. It was confirmed during the EDS examinations, which revealed a considerable amount of K, which may derive from smectitic layers. Moreover, the EDS studies showed that chemical composition of chlorites varies considerably and that it is comparable to the composition of chamosite and ripidolite.
   The chemical composition of minerals occurring in the studied rocks indicates the complex diagenetic environment. The composition of the pelitic fraction (illite, illite/smectite, chlorite and chlorite/smectite) and a small amount of smectitic component in the ordered illite/smectite interstratifications (R1 and R>1) in particular, indicate the advanced degree of diagenesis.
   Acknowledgments: Studies were sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Grant No. N307 2846 33).

The Gulf of Corinth presents a major scientific and/or socio-economic interest such as the Patras broader area, the Psathopyrgos fault zone which is considered to be a presently active structure, the Rion-Patras fault zone, the town of Patras and the Rion-Antirrion bridge. Patras is the third most populated town of Greece with more that 200,000 inhabitants. The bridge of Rion-Antirrion is 2,880m along (its width is 28 m) and connects the eastern and western Greece. The bridge has been designed and constructed taking into account the increased seismicity of the area. Psathopyrgos fault zone which is acting as a transfer zone between the Corinth and Patras rift as well as the Rion-Patras transfer fault zone are investigated for any detectable ground deformations that could be indicators/precursors of inter-seismic accumulation processes before a main seismic event. The town of Patras is investigated for any detectable ground/buildings deformation due to human impact or geophysical processes. The potential of Rion-Antirrion bridge and surrounding area deformation monitoring is also investigated and assessed.
   The studied area presents major difficulties for DInSAR/PSI applications, due to its intense vegetation coverage and abrupt topography presenting, high slopes and shadowing effects. Moreover the nature of the topography and the location of the study area, between Aegean and Ionian seas, result to high precipitation rates and extended cloud coverage. All these characteristics contribute to high decorrelation of the interferometric products. For the estimation of the occurred deformations a series of ASAR/ENVISAT (image swath 2) data are processed by means of PSI and DInSAR techniques, but RADARSAT-2 (ultra-fine beam mode) data are processed only by means of DInSAR technique due to its lack of historical data. The processing is carried out exploiting commercial and in-house software. The medium and high ground resolution added- value products are combined in thematic level and discussed.

The Oltenia Plain occupies ca 8,400 km² in the SW Romania. With decreasing altitudes from north to south, it includes three W-E elongated subunits: a High Plain (210-110 m elevation), followed to the south by the Danube Terraces (140-35 m) and by the large Danube Floodplain (40–25 m). The fresh groundwater resources are located in the Pliocene-Quaternary formations. The oldest Berbesti Formation consists of lacustrine sands (50-150 m thick) and is overlapped by the Jiu-Motru Formation composed of swampy clays and coal beds with sands insertions (150-300 m). The next lithostratigraphic unit, the Lower Member of the Danube Formation (15-20 m) was built during the Early Pleistocene. Finally, the Danube River moulded Valley own profile. As a result, the higher relief of the Oltenia Plain formed repeated down-cuttings of five-stepped terrace sequence and the Floodplain (Upper Member of the Danube Formation).
   The Berbesti Formation is a continuous multilayered aquifer, the hydraulic conductivity of 0.2-15 m/day and specific capacity values of 0.05-4.0 l/s/m.The Jiu-Motru Formation is the discontinuous multilayered aquifer (sands) on the mainly aquiclude clayey-coaly background. The specific capacity values of the lens-shaped tested sands are in the range of 0.01-0.25 l/s/m. The fine sands inserted on the aquiclude background are characterized by low Na⁺, K⁺, I⁺ contents and by higher contents of organic substances, CO₂, Fe³⁺, SO₂^4-, NO^2- and Br^-. The hydraulic conductivity determined through tests in situ has values between 0.1 and 5.0 m/day. The specific capacity has a large variation interval from 0.2 to 5.0 l/s/m.
   The Lower Member of the Danube Formation, represented by the alluvial fan, is discordantly disposed over the previous two formations and bears a continuous extended phreatic aquifer. Its potentiometric contour lines decrease from 200 m to the north to 95 m to the south. Despite the high hydraulic conductivity values (10-55 m/day), being situated at 40-60 m over the local base level of the floodplains, this aquifer discharges on the slopes of the main valleys and has limited resources.
   The six mono-layer aquifers bear in the Upper Member of the Danube Formation with 5 terraces and the floodplain of the big watercourses (Danube, Jiu and Olt). Within the Upper Member, there is a N-S increase of productivity (from 1-3 l/s/m in the N strip, to 3-6 l/s/m in the middle one and > 6 l/s/m within the whole Danube Floodplain.
   In the eastern subunit of the studied area – the so-called Leu-Rotunda Plain – the Danube Formation is covered by a continuous pile of the Aeolian Formation (30-35 m thick of loose wind-blown silts, clayey sands, fine to coarse sands, having like insertions fossil soils at different levels). Field investigations carried out during April 2010 in accordance to “Climate Change and Impact on Water Supply” Project (see logo) showed that the phreatic aquifer of the Aeolian Formation constitutes the historical source to feeding the people of 15 localities. In large areas, the depth of the water table ranges from 0.5 to 3 m, being vulnerable to estimated climate change. Its resource is contaminated by domestic seepage and fertilizers only within the perimeter of localities. There, the public fountains have around 1,200-2,100 μS/cm Electric

Treatment of municipal wastewaters (pHinitial 8.2-8.9) with 7.5 g of Hellenic Natural Zeolite (HENAZE) of a grain-size < 1.5 mm, gave overflowed clear water of pH 7.3-7.8, free of odors and improved quality parameters by 89.9-96.7 % for the color, 89.0-98.5 % for the suspended particles, 93.7-97.2 % for the chemical oxygen demand (COD), 92.9-99.3 % for the P₂O₅ content and 98.3-99.9 % for the NH₄ content. The improvement of the quality parameters for the clear water increases with increasing stirring time of the treatment experiments. The correlation coefficient is 0.9423 for the P₂O₅ content, 0.9323 for the suspended particles, 0.9282 for the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 0.8854 for the color. The correlation coefficient for the NH4 content and pH are < 0.60. The HENAZE comes from Ntrista stream of Petrota village of Trigono Municipality of Evros Prefecture, North-eastern Greece. HENAZE contains 89 wt. % HEU-type zeolite and exhibit an ammonia ion exchange capacity (sorption ability) of 226 meq/100g. The mineralogical composition and the unique physico-chemical properties, make the HENAZE suitable material for numerous environmental, industrial, agricultural and aquacultural applications, such as: animal nutrition, soil amendment for agriculture, pH soil regulation, greenhouse and flowers substrates, durability and health improvement of lawn, purification of industrial and municipal wastewaters, treatment of sewage sludge, odor control, fishery and fish breeding, gas purification and drying systems, oxygen enrichment of aquatic ecosystems, improvement of drinking water quality, constructed wetlands and wastewater treatment units. The treatment gave as precipitate odorless and cohesive zeo-sewage sludge, suitable for safe deposition and also for the reclamation of agricultural soils. The zeo-sewage sludge produced either from the municipal wastewater treatment or from the mixing of HENAZE and sewage sludge, can be used for the reclamation of agricultural soils. The presence of HENAZE in the agricultural soils, increases the crops yield by 17-66 % and improves the quality of agricultural products by 4-46 %, reduces the use of fertilizers by 56-100 %, reduces the usage of irrigation water by 33-67 %, prevents the seepage of dangerous species into the water environment (e.g., NO₃^- by 55-92 %), protecting thus the quality of surface and underground waters. The usage of HENAZE in vivarium units and in the animal nutrition increases the production and improves the quality of the relevant products, reduces the feed cost, the animal diseases and medication, the new-born animal’s death-rate and the malodor, converting thus the manure to odorless fertilizer.

The purpose of this study is to thoroughly examine the conditions leading to the development of a mesoscale convective complex (MCC) on 24 May 2009 that affected the western and southern Balkan Peninsula, its features and the manifestation of its activity at the surface. To this end, data from a variety of sources were used, such as weather maps, surface records and upper-air soundings, a hailpad network, satellite, lightning, precipitation and radar data. First, the evolution of the system was described, in terms of the track, timing, and areal extent. Second, the synoptic and thermodynamic environment that favored its development was studied. Special features at the surface, such as a cold pool and a mesohigh, were documented by surface observations. Finally, successive satellite, lightning and radar imagery revealed the organization of the system. All data together document well the categorization of this system as an MCC.

We explore the cause of color in the mineral world from the smallest (isolated ions) to the largest (a full crystal). Many mineral colors originate in absorption but occasionally dominates the others, which then merely provide a nuance to the general color appearance.
   Isolated ions from the first series of transition elements are undoubtedly the most common cause of color in minerals and gems. They may be a component of the mineral, which is then intrinsically colored, or simply appear as impurities, which is often the case in gems. The major elements involved are vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe) and copper (Cu), and to a much lesser extent cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni). Rarely, rare earth ions may also be at the origin of the tint (mostly cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd) and uranium (U)). At planetary scale, iron dominates by the shear volume of rocks it colors. Important factors include the identity of the element, its valence state, the nature of the ligands (mostly oxygen, though), the coordinance (octahedral, tetrahedral or otherwise) and the details of the environment of the ion at the atomic scale (the “crystal field”). For example Fe²⁺ often gives a bottle-green tinge to minerals (such as peridot and some amphiboles) and Cr³⁺ emerald-green colors, but both may also induce a purple-red tint (respectively in garnet and ruby).
   Color centers result frequently from natural irradiation, and may be treated as pseudoatoms. They could be intrinsic defects (for example a vacancy: the neutral carbon vacancy colors diamond blue). But often, such defects trap impurities. Diamond and fluorine are colored almost exclusively by color centers. One of the most complex examples is amazonite, the turquoise-blue potassium feldspar, colored by a combination of lead and water.
   There is a charge transfer when several atoms forming molecular orbitals are involved in light absorption. It may happen between two atoms (oxygen-“metal”) or a more extended cluster. These processes are often very directional, inducing strong pleochroism. They are also very efficient: a small concentration of clusters (10 to 100 ppm) may induce a strong, broad absorption, as is the case for the blue color of sapphire cause by Fe-Ti charge transfer. However, on the contrary to common belief among gemologists, the Fe-Ti charge transfer confers more often a brown tint. The Fe²⁺ – Fe³⁺ charge transfer gives a blue color to many minerals and gems (cordierite, some aquamarines and sapphires, blue amphiboles, etc.)
   A small number of gems have invariable intrinsic colors explained through band theory, which involves all atoms in the crystal: these could be metallic gems (“marcassite”, actually pyrite), semimetals (graphite, a common inclusion) or semiconductors (cuprite or red sulfides).
   Relatively rarely, the electronic structure is not involved, but rather the texture of the mineral, through optical effects. Diffraction is well-known in opal and labradorite, but scattering may be comparatively more common in gems (moonstone, blue chalcedony and agate, blue and violet halite, etc.) or even contribute to some rock tints. Finally, a mineral might color another as an inclusion (hematite makes near-colorless feldspars and quartz red) and poorly crystallized silica (agate, common opal) is almost only colored by inclusions.

Oaş and Gutâi Mts. are part of the inner volcanic arc of the Eastern Carpathians built up during complex Miocene subduction processes. The suite of different extrusive and intrusive deposits attributed to the felsic, extensional-type volcanism and the intermediate, arc-type volcanism, respectively, comprises abundant volcaniclastic deposits often in connection with coeval sedimentary deposits. Fragmental processes, both explosive and non-explosive, provided the volcanic debris consolidated partially as primary volcaniclastics such as pyroclastic, hyaloclastic and talus breccia deposits.
   The pyroclastic deposits identified in Oaş and Gutâi Mts. belong to both felsic and intermediate magmatic suites. The rhyolitic ignimbrites from Gutâi Mts are the exponents of the felsic, caldera-related volcanism. Andesitic block and ash flow deposits occur in Gutâi Mts. and dacitic pyroclastic surge deposits in Oaş Mts. All of them accounting for both magmatic and phreatomagmatic explosions are related to the collapse of growing volcanic structures. The hyaloclastic deposits developed extensively in both Oaş and Gutâi Mts., by the quench fragmentation undergone by andesitic and dacitic lavas emplaced under water. The talus breccias formed on the steep slopes of the volcanic forms in Gutâi Mts., involving the unstable part of the lava pile prone to gravitational collapse.
   Most of these primary volcaniclastic deposits are spatially connected with secondary volcaniclastic deposits involving the same loose volcanic debris emplaced by subsequent reworking. Commonly they are interbedded with sedimentary deposits. The felsic volcanism from Gutâi Mts. provided abundant rhyolitic, ignimbrite-related pyroclastics which underwent repeated reworking mostly by mass flow processes, slides/slumps before emplacing in submarine, deep water setting. A similar succession was identified in drill cores in Oaş Mts., but lacking the primary pyroclastics.
   The hyaloclastic deposits are usually passing to resedimented hyaloclastites and frequently they suggest reworking altogether with the pyroclastics provided by phreatomagmatic rootless explosions, mostly by mass movements. Thick debris flow deposits and slides or slumps involving the volcanic debris are very common in the geological record of Oaş and Gutâi Mts. The identification and proper classification of these deposits play a major role in understanding the evolution of the volcanic phases, usually followed by subsequent, sometimes dramatic reworking processes. These processes developed in a syneruptive stage seem to contribute much more to the actual volcanic morphology of Oaş and Gutâi Mts than the long lasting post-volcanic erosion.
   Fragmental processes, whether explosive or non-explosive, followed by reworking episodes contributed essentially to the build up of the Oaş and Gutâi Mts. They were triggered and controlled by the active tectonics and subsidence as well as by the submarine setting, predominant throughout the volcanic area and the time span of the volcanism.
   Besides the geotectonic setting controlling the evolution of the volcanism and the style of eruption, the submarine setting had a major input in some of the fragmental processes and in the emplacement of the volcaniclastic deposits. Considering the processes controlled by the submarine, mostly deep water setting, may be useful when reconstructing the volcanic forms of the Oaş and Gutâi Mts. which is a real challenge as far as most of the volcanic morphology was substantially altered by syn-eruptive subsequent processes followed by post-volcanic erosion.

An important low sulphidation type epithermal Au deposit occurs at Certej in the southeastern part of the Apuseni Mts., Romania in a small Neogene intramountain basin (Brad-Săcărâmb).
   The ore bodies are hosted in Miocene amphibole andesite and Cretaceous and Neogene sandstone, micro-conglomerate and black claystone as well as in their brecciated counterparts. K-Ar ages for the magmatic rocks in the region are between 12.58 – 10.27 Ma. The characteristic mineral association of the studied ore deposit is pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, tetraedrite-tennantite series minerals, bournonite, arsenopyrite, boulangerite, pyrrhotite and mackinawite accompanied by quartz, calcite and barite. Two ore-forming stages have been distinguished based on ²⁰⁴Pb/²⁰⁶Pb isotope data: 1) syngenetic disseminated Pb-Zn ore in Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, and 2) the main breccia pipe hosted goldpolymetallic ore bodies formed during the Neogene volcanic activity. Hydrothermal alteration products were analyzed by optical microscopy, while selected hydrothermal minerals were determined using XRPD.
   Pyritization, silicification, adularization, carbonatization and sericitization are the prevailing hydrothermal alteration types in relation to the main mineralization stage. The XRD study revealed the presence of the following hydrothermal phase minerals: illite, smectite, kaolinite, adularia, barite. Based on K-Ar dating of illite and adularia, the hydrothermal alteration in the Certej occurred between 11.86 (+/-0.52) and 12.29 (+/-1.56) Ma, within the time interval of magmatic activity.
   Primary and secondary fluid inclusions in quartz and sphalerite were trapped from a heterogeneous (boiling) fluid. Homogenization temperatures range between 186 – 355.4°C, however, due to the occurrence of heterogeneous entrapment, the temperature of ore forming processes is most probably around 180 – 200°C. The determined eutectic temperatures of the fluid inclusion brines range between -19.3 – -24.4 °C, while freezing point depressions from -4.1 to -0.1°C. The final melting temperature mostly occur between -0.2 and -3.3°C and thus fluid inclusion salinities are in the range 0.35–5.41 eq. wt. % NaCl.

The Slovenian Basin represents a Mesozoic deep-water sedimentary environment, located on the south Tethyan passive continental margin. Its history can be divided into two parts: from the initial opening during late Anisian/Ladinian to progressive shallowing in the Carnian, and from a marked deepening, which started in late Triassic/early Jurassic, to the final closure at the end of Cretaceous. Upper Triassic deposits comprise Carnian “Amphiclina beds”, followed by Norian-Rhaetian “Bača Dolomite”, which in the northernmost part of the basin laterally passes into non-dolomitized Slatnik Formation.
   The “Bača Dolomite” due to strong late-diagenetic dolomitization represents a very poorly investigated segment in the history of the Slovenian Basin. In order to resolve its depositional characteristics, an incompletely dolomitized succession outcroping on Mt. Slatnik (south-eastern Julian Alps, W Slovenia) has been studied in details. The Mt. Slatnik section structurally belongs to the Tolmin Nappe, which is a part of easternmost Southern Alps. The Norian age of the “Bača Dolomite” in this section has been established on the basis of superposition, foraminifers and conodont data.
   The Mt. Slatnik section starts with 75 m of mud-supported massive channelized slump breccias with laminated intraclasts and chert clasts, indicating an inner apron environment. They are followed by 19 m of medium-thick amalgamated, partly bioturbated beds of marly dolomite with parallel lamination and chert nodules. Non-dolomitized parts are represented by spiculite packstone. Slump breccias are rare. Deposition took place in an outer apron. The following 10 m of the succession are composed of several up to 1 m thick sedimentary cycles starting with thin-bedded cherty limestone and ending with more prominent marlstone layer. Limestone is texturally thin-shelled bivalve coquina pack- or wackestone, or very finegrained peloidal and fine-grained peloidal-bioclastic packstone. In the latter grains are mostly of shallow-water origin. These beds are interpreted as distal turbidites intercalated within basin plain deposits. In the next 23 m the marly content markedly decreases. Beds are thicker. Among dolomite, limestone beds are preserved, texturally being mudstone or wackestone, with intercalated very fine peloidal and fine-grained peloidal-bioclastic packstone. Amalgamation is common as well as chert nodules and sedimentary structures, namely normal and inverse grading, parallel, cross and convolute lamination, geopetal structures and load casts. These beds were deposited in the outer apron. Massive clast-supported slump breccias in the next 13 m contain laminated dolomitic intraclasts and chert clasts. The first are concentrated near the lower bed-boundary and sometimes imbricated. Breccias indicate an inner apron environment. Next 20 m of medium-thick dolomite beds with subordinate laminated limestone with wackestone to packstone textures again mark the outer apron. They are followed by 17 m of dolomite with chert nodules, indicating deposition on a basin plain. Dolomite beds in the next 80 m thick interval in places exhibit convex lower boundaries, indicating occasional slumping in the lower part of this interval. Upwards, limestone predominates. Amalgamated beds show parallel, cross and convolute lamination, and grading. Texturally they are wacke- to packstone. This interval shows deposition in an outer apron. Mudstone in the uppermost part could indicate the beginning of the next deepening phase.
   In summary, the bulk sedimentation of the Norian “Bača Dolomite” took place via slumps and sediment gravity flows. Two “retrogressive-progressive” (?) cycles can be deciphered, each with shifting of the place of deposition from an inner apron to basin plain environment.

Heraklion is a fast-growing urban centre where knowledge of active faulting is necessary for city planning and infrastructure projects. Neotectonic faults (not all necessarily active at present) most probably traverse the built-up coastal part of Heraklion, but they require subsurface geological and geophysical studies to be precisely located and characterised. In the frame of a research project assigned to the Institute of Geodynamics by the Heraklion Municipality, we made detailed geomorphological and geological observations in the coastal area of the Tripiti Hill, where previous workers report a NNW-SSE trending, WSW-dipping, presently active normal fault crossing the port of Heraklion as well as a densely built-up part of the city. Based on our observations, we conclude that this fault does not exist. In support of our conclusion, we discuss: (1) the nature of a steep contact between Neogene bedrock and Quaternary deposits exposed at a roadcut along the coastal avenue, (2) the depositional environment of Quaternary deposits at the above outcrop and surrounding area, (3) the buried relief and stratigraphic features exposed in a trench excavated by previous workers across the alleged fault trace, and (4) the geomorphological context of coastal deposits and marine terrace remnants used by previous workers for fault slip rate estimation. This case study is presented as a vivid example of the importance Geomorphology and Quaternary Geology have in studies of active faulting.

The Nestos Shear Zone (NSZ), mostly on the Greek territory, is recognized as one of the major structures of the Rhodope Metamorphic Complex (RMC). It consists of a thick NNE-dipping pile of mylonites with top-to-SW kinematics encompassing the contact of the ‘Sidironero Unit’ (SU) onto the ‘Pangaeon Unit’ (PU, the lowest exposed unit of the RMC). For most authors, the top-to-SW shear fabric of the NSZ reflects synmetamorphic thrusting.
   We carried out a structural, petrological and geochronological (U-Pb and ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar) study of the NSZ. Inverted metamorphism is confirmed and is found to be coeval with top-to-SW shearing. The whole SU (including its base, overlapping with the NSZ) experienced the conditions of advanced partial melting at T > 650°C. Leucosomes that locally crosscut the main fabric crystallized between ≥ 50 and ca. 40 Ma (U-Pb zircon and monazite ages), just before cooling of the metamorphic pile. This shows that at least part of the migmatization is not an old event but is part of the syn-shearing metamorphic evolution. In contrast, rocks of the PU right beneath the SU do not show any evidence that they ever reached the conditions of anatexis. In orthogneisses, microstructures document amphibolite facies shearing. Although relatively rare, metabasites and Grt-bearing micaschists keep the record of a prograde metamorphic path culminating at T ≤ 620°C (at P ~ 8-10 kbar). Thus, higher-grade rocks were emplaced onto lower-grade rocks during top-to-SW shearing, attesting for synmetamorphic thrusting along the NSZ. Hornblende ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar single-grain plateau ages from the NSZ are between 39 and 37 Ma, which we interpret as dating amphibolite facies shearing. Later strain increments have produced greenschist facies mylonites and ultramylonites subconcordant with the earlier fabric and with identical kinematics. White mica ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar single-grain plateau ages from these rocks are between 36 and 33 Ma, which we interpret as dating mylonitization. With respect to peak conditions in the PU, this deformation occurred at lower grade conditions, therefore inverted metamorphism cannot be invoked in this case. Nevertheless, several lines of evidence indicate that this deformation reflects thrusting as well. Consequently, our study documents persistent synmetamorphic thrusting along the NSZ as late as ca. 33 Ma. This is consistent with results obtained from the Chepelare Shear Zone, in the Bulgarian Central Rhodope (Gerdjikov et al., this volume), and contradicts the view that post-orogenic extension was already active in pre-Oligocene times in the northern Aegean. Our analysis of the RMC further indicates that post-orogenic extension
did not start before ca. 27 Ma. Hence, it started at about the same time than it did further south in the Cyclades and Menderes region, at variance with the statement in some recent geodynamic syntheses. The picture arising from the RMC is consistent with a change in the geodynamic setting of the whole Mediterranean at around 30 Ma, from strongly compressional (i.e. Alpine collision) to a situation dominated by trench retreat and postorogenic extension.

In the High Karst Nappe in southern Montenegro radiolarites of unknown age topped the Upper Anisian Bulog Limestones (Late Pelsonian to Illyrian) in the investigated sections Boljevici near Virpazar and Obzovica on the road Budva to Cetinje. Radiolarian faunas from the radiolarites as well as conodonts from the overlying red hemipelagic limestones prove an Illyrian age of the radiolarites. The time interval of the deposition of the up to 5 m thick radiolarite successions is relatively short and started and ended in the Illyrian.
   In the section Boljevici the hemipelagic succession starts with red hemipelagic Bulog Limestone on top of shallow-water limestones equivalent to the Ravni Formation (Dedovici Member) in the Outer Dinarides or the Steinalm Formation in the Eastern Alps/West Carpathians. The drowning of the platform sediments can be dated by the occurrence of Nicoraella germanicus, Nicoraella kockeli, Gondolella bulgarica, and Gondolella cf. bifurcata as Late Pelsonian; these conodonts derive from the overlying Bulog Limestones. Deposition of the Bulog Limestones in this section lasted until the Illyrian, proven by the occurrence of Gondolella excelsa, Gondolella trammeri, and Gondolella liebermanni. Following radiolarians from the reddish laminated radiolarites on top of the Bulog Limestones prove an Illyrian age (Spongosilicarmiger italicus Zone to lower part of Ladinocampe multiperforata Zone; equivalent of Reitziites reitzi Ammonoid Zone): Baumgartneria cf. retrospina, Cryptostephanidium cornigerum, Oertlispongus inaequispinosus, Paroertlispongus multispinosus, and Triassocampe scalaris. The directly overlying sequence of the radiolarite is not exposed, but upsection follow Late Ladinian to Early Carnian shallow-water limestones and dolomites.
   In the section Obzovica the drowning sequence of the carbonate platform is not exposed. Red limestones below the radiolarite succession belong to the Bulog Limestone. Upsection follows a five metre thick succession of red and partly grey well-bedded radiolarites. From the red radiolarites we isolated a well preserved Illyrian radiolarian fauna (Spongosilicarmiger italicus Zone; equivalent of Reitziites reitzi Ammonoid Zone) with: Baumgartneria bifurcata, Baumgartneria cf. yehae, Cryptostephanidium cornigerum, Eptingium manfredi, Eptingium ramovsi, Falcispongus calcaneum, Hozmadia sp., Oertlispongus inaequispinosus, Parasepsagon asymmetricus, Pseudostylosphaera japonica, Pseudostylosphaera tenuis, Spongostephanidium sp., Triassocampe deweveri, Triassocampe scalaris. In the upper part of the radiolarite sequence up to ten centimetre thick intercalated hemipelagic filament-bearing limestones are of latest Anisian to earliest Ladinian age, proven by the following conodonts: Gondolella excelsa, Gondolella trammeri, and Gladigondolella tethydis. Upsection the radiolarian cherts decrease rapidly and the following hemipelagic red limestones are of earliest Ladinian age, proven by conodonts. These red limestones pass continuously into grey hemipelagic limestones of Late Ladinian age (with Gladigondolella tethydis and Gondolella foliata), topped by shallow-water dolomites of Late Ladinian to Early Carnian age.
   This short-lasting latest Anisian radiolarite event in the succession of the High Karst Nappe is contemporaneous with the complete demise of shallow-water carbonate production in the whole western Tethyan realm and corresponds to the onset of the first radiolarites on the Neotethys Ocean floor, as proven in Albania and northern Croatia as well as in the Meliata Unit in Slovakia and Hungary. In the late Anisian the huge parts of the passive margin facing the newly formed Neotethys Ocean became flooded and volcanic ashes and radiolarites were deposited in the whole Dinarides reaching the palaeogeographic realm of the High Karst Nappe. Obviously, volcanics in our sections are preserved only as some thin intercalations of metabentonites. The latest Anisian radiolarite deposition corresponds also to the onset of intense volcanism in the Dinarides more to the north and in the southern Alps in Italy. The studied successions are nice examples of short-lived hemipelagic basins that formed on continental margin during the late Anisian rifting and were later, in the Ladinian and Early Carnian, completely infilled with sediments of prograding carbonate platforms.

The Neogene-Quaternary Central Anatolian Volcanic Province (CAVP) is characterized by widespread polygenetic and monogenetic volcanism. About 800 monogenetic volcanoes were identified within the CAVP and these mainly include scoria cones and related flows (basaltic and andesitic), with subordinate maars (of both basaltic and rhyolitic composition), and domes (generally rhyolitic in composition).
   Despite the occurrence of q-normative, ol-hy-normative, and ne-normative basalts, CAVP monogenetic basalts (s.l.) have been generally considered as alkaline. Based on this fact, they are recently evaluated as tholeiitic, transitional, and mildly alkaline (<5% normative ne), respectively. Similar patterns and HFS anomalies of monogenetic basalts on mantlenormalized diagrams to CAVP calc-alkaline lava flows from the polygenetic volcanoes were also noted. These andesitic-dacitic lava flows from the CAVP stratovolcanoes display orogenic trace element fingerprint, reflecting enrichment of their source regions by subduction-related fluids. So, this brings about the need for revisiting the source characteristics of CAVP monogenetic basalts. Compilation and re-evaluation of all available geochemical data from previous studies, and interpretation of our own data from monogenetic
volcanoes enabled us reviewing source characteristics of monogenetic basalts in CAVP.
   CAVP monogenetic samples are transitional to calc-alkaline according to their Zr and Y contents. All CAVP monogenetic basalts display similar variably enriched LIL/HFS patterns and HFS anomalies on mantle-normalized diagrams. They all have incompatible element ratios intermediate between orogenic andesites and within-plate basalts. High La/Nb (>1.6), Al₂O₃/TiO2 (10-17) and low Sm/Yb ratios (<2.5) imply that the melts must have been derived from shallow depths (<80 km), that is within the lithospheric mantle, just like the calc-alkaline volcanics of CAVP. There is also evidence which might account for crustal contamination such as highly variable range in HFS and other incompatible element ratios Zr/Nb, Y/Nb, La/Yb, and presence of slight negative Ba anomaly on multielement diagrams. Presence of U peaks on mantle-normalized multielement diagrams for most monogenetic CAVP basalts, and variation in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios reported for monogenetic volcanoes in the western part of CAVP imply crustal contribution as well.
   The driving mechanism for generation and ascent of Neogene-Quaternary volcanism in the CAVP is the transtensional and rotational tectonics in central Anatolia from Miocene onwards. This is evidenced by exposure and vent distribution of the central Anatolian volcanics confined to two major fault zones namely, the Central Anatolian Fault Zone (or Ecemis Fault Zone) and the Tuz Gölü Fault Zone. In a wider regional context, CAVP monogenetic basalts are comparable to Apuseni Mountains (Romania) and Big Pine (Basin and Range) volcanics, except CAVP basalts have depleted Ba contents. There is a need for systematic petrological study to expand the database and have a better picture of monogenetic volcanism within the CAVP.

The studied area belongs to the Rhodope Massif and is located approximately 1km north of town of Xanthi, where a plutonic body of mainly granodioritic composition and Oligocene age intrudes into marble. It is generally medium-grained, composed mainly of plagioclase, orthoclase, quartz, biotite and hornblende.
   Three samples of the skarn formation were collected; two from the aureole near Xanthi (samples WXT1 and WXT2) and one from the aureole near Kimmeria (sample WXB1).Thin sections of the samples were prepared in order to determine their mineralogical and textural characteristics. Furthermore, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) study was performed using a Philips PW1710 diffractometer with Ni-filtered CuKa radiation. Representative quantity of the samples was treated chemically. In this way the organic matter, fine carbonates and iron oxides (COI) were removed. The abundance and semi-quantitative estimates of the mineral phases present was determined from the untreated samples, whereas the form of the wollastonite present along with its unit cell properties were established from the treated ones (31 lines each). Finally, chemical analyses of the wollastonite were carried out using a JEOL JSM-840A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped with attached Energy Dispersive Spectrometer.
   All the samples are in general of massive fabric, forming fibrous aggregates with no distinct spatial orientation. Samples WXT1 and WXT2 are coarser grained compared to WXB1. The samples from Xanthi reveal elongated crystals of wollastonite with fractures parallel to the secondary cleavage (001), mainly filled with fine micritic calcite. The sample from Kimmeria reveals finer and elongated crystals of wollastonite, as a sample being also richer in calcite in aggregate form.
   The samples are mostly composed of wollastonite (73-80%), along with considerable amounts of calcite (3-13%). Andradite is found in considerable amounts (up to 18%) only in the samples from Xanthi, while quartz is present only in Kimmeria samples. Clinopyroxene is not always found, as well as feldspars. The COI amount is greater in Kimmeria samples, showing an increasing tendency with the calcite content present in the samples.
   From the unit cell data obtained from the chemically treated samples it is shown that all the samples are of triclinic structure, being in general very close to the wollastonite nominal structure. These from Xanthi show generally a slightly lower (a) angle. The wollastonite from Kimmeria demonstrates a more complex chemical content, which does not affect its crystal structure. The mean chemical formula of wollastonite in sample WXT1 is (Ca_5.895Mn_0.100Fe_0.017)Si_5.994O₁₈, in sample WXT2 is (Ca_5.846Mn_0.152)Si_6.001O₁₈ and in WXB1 is (Ca_5.833Mn_0.120Mg_0.045)Si_6.001O₁₈. The wollastonite from Kimmeria incorporates Mg²⁺ in its structure, whereas wollastonite from Xanthi Fe²⁺. Both demonstrate substitution of Mn²⁺ for Ca²⁺. The absence of vesuvianite and plagioclase, along with the presence of clinopyroxene, garnet, minor calcite and traces of quartz, indicates 0.05<XCO2<0.2 and temperature range of approximately 650-700ºC at 3 Kbar (corresponding to 10-20 km depth). This also implies a volumetric H₂O wollastonite ratio of greater than 7:1. The skarn formation was not the same around the granodiorite, with reaction CaCO₃+SiO₂↔CaSiO₃+CO₂ reaching almost completion to its western margin, rather than its northern one, possibly due to insufficient amount of time and the type of marble permeability. The magmatic fluids interacting with the marble wall rock were gradually depleted in silica content and subsequently enriched in Al, Fe and Mg, forming andradite garnet and clinopyroxene.

The basement of the Rhodope Metamorphic Province comprises four groups of tectonic units forming the Lower, Middle, Upper and the Uppermost Allochthons which were emplaced onto each other during a protracted orogenic history from Late Jurassic to Eocene. The Lower Allochthon includes the Pangaion-Pirin Complex, and the Arda, Kardamos/Kesebir, and Byala Reka/Kechros units. The units consist of Variscan basement and, partly, a metasedimentary cover dominated by marble. The overlying Middle Allochthon comprises slivers of both oceanic and continental crust and, in addition, orthogneisses derived from Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous arc granitoids. It includes, among others, the Kerdilion unit in the Serbo-Macedonian Massif and the Sidironero-Mesta, Starcevo, and Asenica units in the Western and Central Rhodopes. The Middle Allochthon was thrusted towards southwest over the Lower Allochthon during the Palaeogene along the Nestos Shear Zone. The Upper Allochthon crops out most extensively in the Eastern Rhodopes (Kimi Complex) and in the Serbo-Macedonian Massif (Vertiskos/Ograzhden unit). These units represent Variscan continental crust which was affected by HP and partly UHP metamorphism in the Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. The Uppermost Allochthon (not exposed in the Western and Central Rhodopes) consists of low-grade metamorphic (greenschist facies, locally blueschist facies) sedimentary and volcanic rocks, partly of oceanic affinity. It includes the Circum Rhodope Belt along the SW border of the Rhodope Metamorphic Province and the Mandrica greenschists in the Eastern Rhodopes.
   The Rhodope Metamorphic Province includes, in addition to the Rhodope Mountains proper, also the Rila and Pirin Mountains and the Serbo-Macedonian Massif. These different massifs are separated by basins of Paleogene and Neogene age. The Rhodope Metamorphic Province in Bulgaria and Northern Greece has been affected by significant extensional tectonics since the Middle or Late Eocene. An important fault system active in the Eocene and Early Oligocene includes the Ribnovo Fault on the eastern side of the Mesta Basin in Bulgaria and the Vertiskos-Kerdilion Fault in Greece. Together with several minor normal fault relicts identified during our studies, these represent an originally west-southwestdipping, low-angle (at least at the end of faulting) normal fault with greenschist facies mylonites in the footwall and cataclasites along the fault plane, the Mesta-Kerdilion Detachment, exposed over ca. 150 km along strike and about 50 km parallel to the slip direction. The Mesta-Kerdilion Detachment system removed the Vertiskos-Ograzhden Unit from the top of the Sidironero-Mesta Unit. The along strike horizontal displacement amount was more or less constant. The Ribnovo, Vertiskos-Kerdilion, and Alikochov faults accommodated the collapse of a thickened orogenic wedge above the subduction zone in which the Apulian plate is retreating. In that sense, the Late Eocene Mesta-Kerdilion Detachment system corresponds to the onset of Aegean extension. During the intrusion of several plutons in the Pirin Mountains at ca. 32 Ma, the footwall of the fault was uplifted to form a large anticline parallel to fault strike, and the fault was offset by a system of antithetic, northeast-dipping normal faults along the northeastern flank of this anticline (Dobrotino and Breznica faults). The Mesta-Kerdilion Detachment was later, in the Miocene, again crosscut and offset by the southwest-dipping Strimon Valley Detachment which accommodated important, core-complex-like exhumation to the south, strongly diminishing and finally ceasing towards north. This rotational activity of the Strimon Valley Detachment represents the onset of the extension that led to opening of the Aegean Basin. The Mesta-Kerdilion Detachment can be viewed as a precursor of this, but with slightly different kinematics (i.e. not involving significant vertical-axis rotation) and separated in time from the following events by a phase of relative tectonic quiescence in the Late Oligocene.