Wojciech Chelmicki

Geology and Land-use related pattern of spring water quality. Case study from the catchments of the Malopolska Upland (S. Poland)

Spring water chemical composition was investigated in three catchments (i.e. Pradnik, Dlubnia and Szreniawa) located within a carbonate-rock monocline from the Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and constituting voluminous aquifers. The total spring water dissolved solids (TDS) displayed a concentration increase between 1974 and 1999. Using principal component analysis (PCA), the authors identified factors determining spring water chemistry. The research focused on making a distinction between the regional (large-area) and the local factors, the latter being related to the land-use in the direct vicinity of the springs. PCA yielded evidence that local sources of pollution can significantly contribute to the differentiation of spring-water chemical composition.

Environmental and Land Use Determinants of Stream Water Chemistry During Flood Events in Small Carpathian Foothill Catchments in Poland

The goal of the research was to determine which factors control changes in the chemical composition of stream water during floods of different types: storm floods, frontal precipitation floods, and snowmelt floods. Three catchments in the Carpathian Foothills of woodland, agricultural and of mixed land use were examined and the data were explored with R-mode factor analysis. Three factors driving changes in the chemical composition of stream water during floods of particular types were identified for each catchment. The first factor (hydrological) is related to the magnitude of flow, the second factor (meteorological) is linked with air temperature and soil temperature, and the third factor (circulation) is related to mechanisms of water transfer to stream channels (surface runoff, shallow throughflow). The fourth factor (anthropogenic), related to the dilution of highly polluted pre-event waters with less polluted event waters, was identified only for the anthropogenically altered, agricultural and mixed-use catchments.

Hydrographic Maps as Sources of Information About the Polish Carpathians

The chapter is a review of both historical and modern hydrographic maps of the Polish Carpathians. The emphasis of the review is on the Hydrographic Map of Poland (Mapa Hydrograficzna Polski), at a scale of 1:50,000, which has been published since the early 1960s. Special attention is paid to the hydrological characteristics of mountainous areas such as the Carpathians, which contain more water features per unit area than lowlands. Given this diverse water distribution, a different approach is needed for the generalization of map contents, especially with respect to the shape of the river network and groundwater outflows as springs, bog springs, and seeps. Hydrographic maps are sources of information that are useful for different purposes, such as water resource management, land development, spatial management, flood protection, and environmental conservation. The recording of hydrological phenomena allows for an assessment of changes in the aquatic environment over the long-term.