CZECH IGCP NATIONAL COMMITTEE * SUMMARY REPORT * 1995

 

1. Chairpersons of the Czech IGCP National Committee

Chairman: Jan PASAVA, Czech Geological Survey

Secretary: Jindrich HLADIL, Institute of Geology, Academy of Sciences CR

Date of submission of Report: November 24th, 1995

 

2. Members of the Czech IGCP National Committee:

Karel BREITER; Miloslav DURIS; Olga HODANOVA; Stanislav OPLUSTIL, Vladimir SKOCEK, Vladimir SIBRAVA, Miroslav STEMPROK, Jaroslav TYRACEK.

 

3. Number and title of projects in which the Czech Republic has participated:

 

A/ Projects with project leaders from the Czech Republic:

 

Project #357 - Organics and Mineral Deposits

Project Leader: J. Pasava

Czech Representative: B. Kribek

Meeting of the Czech working group was held on August 30, 1995 in Prague. Research activity was centred on the evaluation of the role of organic matter in the formation of uranium deposits. It has been shown that the deposition of uranium ore in many deposits of the Bohemian Massif was controlled by graphite at low temperature (<200oC) ore-bearing equilibrium. Recent studies of solid bitumens (anthraxolites) from hydrothermal veins of famous Pribram deposits have revealed that anthraxolites are highly aromatic, non-graphitic carbonaceous compounds with low structural order. They were interpreted as products of low-temperature (100-150oC) alteration of bitumen-like, kerogen-derived compounds, concentrated in hydrothermal veins.Three members presented scientific results at the IGCP #357 Annual International Meeting held in Prague, Czech Republic in late August, 1995.

 

B/ Projects with active working groups in the Czech Republic:

 

Project #328 - Paleozoic Microvertebrates

Project Leaders: S. Turner/G.C. Young/A. Blieck

Czech Correspondents: J. Zajic and S. Stamberk

Research activites were focused on two principal topics: The Upper Stephanian and Lower Autunian fresh-water microvertebrate communities in the Bohemian Massif and Environmental changes at the Carboniferous/Permina boundary and their impact on the assemblages of organisms in fossiliferous horizons in the Krkonose Piedmont Basin. Several working meetings was held during 1995.

 

Project #335 - Biotic Recoveries from Mass Extinctions

Project Leaders: D.H. Erwin/E.G. Kauffman

Czech Representative: J. Hladil

Research activity was focused on the study of patterns and trends of recoveries from deep crises on the example of two, the Kellwasser and Kacak events in the Bohemian Massif.. The results were summarized in about 25 publications. Significant contribution was made by Czech scientists on the definition of refugia and the study of their functions as refugia can represent important link between mass extinctions and subsequent recoveries. Meeting of the Czech working group was held in November in Brno and the Final Meeting of the IGCP #335 will be held in Prague (1997).

 

Project #343 -Stratigraphic Analysis of Peritethian Epicratonic Basins

Project Leader: J. Dercourt/F. Cecca

Czech Representative: S. Oplustil

Czech group, gathering 6 specialists from Charles University, Academy of Sciences and Czech Geological Survey, has continued paleogeographic and paleofacial study of the Permo-Carboniferous and Triassic formations of the Bohemian Massif. A drill hole database as well as paleogeographic and paleofacial maps were completed and submitted for reviewing. An atlas of paleofacial and paleogeografic maps will be published and provided to French counterparts for correlation studies in 1996.

 

Project #360 - Global Geochemical Baselines

Project Leader: A.G. Darnley

Czech and Central European Representative: M. Duris

A globally consistent database for surficial geochemistry is the principal aim of the Project. Work on the Gechemical Atlas of the Bohemaina Massif as well as geochemical maps of soil contamination in heavily populated areas (e.g. City of Prague) have continued. Principal results have been presented at the meeting of reginal co-ordinators of the IGCP #360 which was held in Seili island, Finland in September 1995.

 

Project #362 - Tethyan and Boreal Cretaceous

Project Leaders: H. Leereveld and J. Michalik

Czech Representative: M. Bubik

Research activities covered the following topics: (1) Magneto- and biostratigraphy across the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary, (2) Cretaceous paleogeography, (3) Intergrated stratigraphy of the Carpathian flysch, (4) Upper Cretaceous events, (5) Stratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous carbonate facies of the West Carpathians and (6) Cretaceous stratigraphy on the Tethyan north margin. Major scientific results were presented at the IGCP #362 Annual International Meeting in Maastricht, Belgium.

 

Project #378 - Circumalpine Quarternary Correlations

Project Leader: C. Schluechter

Czech Representative: P. Havlicek

Activities of the Czech WG were focused on the study of loess sections in the region of south Moravia (Sedlec near Mikulov). A study of revision of important loess sections in the area of Kremze nad Dunajem was carried out within a joint Czech-Austrian co-operation with the aim to facilitate correlation between Nothern and Alpine glaciations.. A meeting of Czech IGCP #378 WG was held within the National INQUA Meeting at Brno on April 18, 1995.

 

4.IGCP meetings held in the Czech Republic in 1995

Project #328 -"Paleozoic Microvertebrates" (working meetings of Czech correspondents - April 9th, 1995; June 15th, 1995; August 23rd, 1995, September 30th, 1995)

Project #335 -"General questions on the evolution and extinction" (November 23, Brno) - Czech WG Meeting

Project #343 -"Stratigraphic Analysis of Peritethian Epicratonic Basins"

(July 21and August 24, 1995) - Czech WG Meeting

Project #357 -"Organics and Mineral Deposits"

(August 30th, 1995, Prague, 13 participants) - Czech WG Meeting

Project #378 - "Circumalpine Quarternary Correlations"

(Brno, April 18, 1995, 25 participants) - Czech WG Meeting

 

5. IGCP meetings planned for 1996

Project #328 -Paleozoic Microvertebrates (Meetings of Czech correspondents is planned several times a year).

Project #335 - Biotic Recoveries from Mass Extinction - Czech WG Meeting (Prague; the date is not known yet).

Project #343 - Stratigraphic Analysis of Peritethian Basins - Czech WG Meeting (the date and venue will be specified at a later date).

Project #357 - Organics and Mineral Deposits - Czech WG Meeting (Prague; the date will be specified later on).

Project #378 - Circumalpine Quarternary Correlations - Annual International Meeting of the IGCP 378 (October 1996). Two-day field trip visiting south Moravian and Austrian classical Quarternary sections will be organized.

 

6. Other relevant information

A proposal for a new IGCP Project "Anthropogenic weathering process: man-induced atmosphere-water-rock interactions on global- to micro-scale", submitted by Drs. Sulovsky and Zeman from the Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic and addressing important environmental issues is strongly supported by the Czech IGCP National Committee.