Volume 40 (2009): Issue 1-4 (January 2009)

One of the topical problems of science in general at present is spreading the newest discoveries among population as well as among the decision-makers. "Mineralogical sciences" (mineralogy, geochemistry, petrology) affect the wide spectrum of human activities. Such an influence can already be traced in prehistory, and in the modern age the significance of the mentioned geoscience branches is on the increase. The author presents here a review of selected applications of mineralogical sciences in the development of mankind.

First Polish textbooks on mineralogy, published between 1780s-1820s mostly in Vilna, are presented and their contents briefly discussed. Authors of these textbooks, lecturing at the Vilna University, being A. G. Werner's students, played an important role in propagating most recent ideas in mineralogy and related sciences. They were also the authors of pioneer Polish mineralogical nomenclature, which corresponded to the internationally recognised terms.

Clays from Solymár (Hungary) were treated with volatile components of light hydrocarbon in order to investigate their ability to sorb these organic compounds. The clays were characterized using XRD, optical microscopy (thin sections) and CEC measurements. The contaminated samples were analyzed using ATD-GC-MS, Rock Eval and XRD. Volatilization of the fluid phase hydrocarbon was monitoring for 663 days. The quantity of volatilized hydrocarbon compounds reached 50.0-65.0% at the end of the experiment. All of the analyses indicate hydrocarbon pollution of the clay layers after the volatilization process. The gross compositions of the fluid and the sorbed phases are different; the total amount of cycloalkanes among the sorbed hydrocarbons is very low. The dominant sorbed components are toluene, xylenes, nC₉, nC₁₀, nC₁₁ and nC₇. Cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, benzene, nC₁₂ and nC₁₃ also occur in lower concentrations. The geochemical and XRD results indicate that adsorption onto the external surfaces of the clay minerals was the main sorption process.

Cerussite, the most important oxidized lead mineral in the Upper Silesian Zn-Pb deposits, occurs in two readily distinct types: fine-grained cerussite replacing galena in-situ and macrocrystalline cerussite filling open fractures and cavities. Microscopic observations and thermodynamic considerations lead to the conclusion that galena can be oxidized to lead carbonate directly, not necessarily through an intermediate sulphate phase. Locally present iron sulphides undergoing oxidation acidify solutions and provide ferric ions which are important oxidizing agents. In such microenvironments, anglesite can preferentially form.

Cerussite and galena commonly coexist together with non-oxidized zinc sulphides. It is difficult to explain such assemblages if galvanic couplings made of these two sulphides are not considered. These couplings are only formed when these two sulphides are in direct contact. In such an assemblage, galena undergoes oxidation, mostly to cerussite, and sphalerite is passivated. When there is no direct contact between sulphides, the galvanic couplings do not exist. Galena surfaces become covered by oxidation products which inhibit further oxidation. As such a cover does not form on sphalerite, it can be easily oxidized.

The studied bones and teeth of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) come from the Biśnik Cave, located in the Częstochowa Upland (Southern Poland). The specimens originate from different geological layers formed since the Odra Glaciation (250-270 thousand years BP). The fossilized bones and teeth were studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, and INAA. They are built of recrystallized carbonate-rich apatite-(CaOH) and/or apatite-(CaOH). The teeth additionally contain some apatite-(CaF). The lack of collagen and minor REE contents suggest rapid burial and collagen decay in the early stage of diagenesis. The bones and teeth have only limited mineral infillings. In some teeth, Mn-Fe (hydroxy)oxides were found in the dentine canaliculi and in bones, some osteocyte lacunae contain Fe (hydroxy)oxides with admixture of Mn. In one bone specimen, calcite infillings are present in Haversian canals. The infillings formed during later stages of diagenesis and were succeeded by non-filled cracks.

Natural samples of fluorite and apatite from granites, pegmatites, carbonatites and andesitic tuffs were investigated by steady-time spectroscopy to characterize the luminescence properties of Ce³⁺ and Eu²⁺. The luminescence of Ce³⁺ has been clearly seen in fluorite as 320 and 337 or 343 nm bands. In apatites, two distinct bands for two different Ca crystal sites were obtained: 340-380 nm for Ca(1) and 420-450 nm for Ca(2). The luminescence spectra of Eu²⁺ in the fluorite crystals were measured even at for low concentration of this element (0.11 ppm). For Ce³⁺, it has been showed that the crystal field strength depends more on the nature of the ligand than on the Me-ligand distances.

Two granite complexes in Egypt, a sodic type and an aluminous type are characterized by Mössbauer spectroscopy. Mössbauer spectra (MS) of the sodic granite show a major doublet of ferric (Fe³⁺) iron that is attributable to octahedral coordination (M1) sites plus/minus a tetrahedron Fe³⁺ doublet plus/minus a doublet of ferrous (Fe²⁺) iron on the M1 sites plus/ minus another Fe²⁺ (M1) doublet and a sextet of Fe³⁺. The sextet is attributed to α-Fe₂O₃ (hematite) and the other Fe components are due to NaCaFeSi₂O₆ (aegirine-augite) plus/minus minor contributions from (Ca₂(Mg, Fe)₅(Si, Al)₈O₂₂(OH)₂ (magnesium-hornblende). Changes in the quadrupole splitting and width line of Fe²⁺ ions are likely composition-related. The MS of the aluminous-type granite, on the other hand, shows evidence only of single doublets containing Fe²⁺ or Fe³⁺ in the octahedral M1 sites, with parameters that remain almost constant. This consistency implies that the existing minerals - K(Mg, Fe²⁺)₃ (Al, Fe³⁺)Si₃O₁₀(OH, F)₂ (biotite), (Mg, Fe)₆(Si, Al)₄O₁₀(OH)₈ (clinochlore), (Na, K)Ca₂(Fe, Mg)₅(Al, Si)₈O₂₂(OH)₂ (ferrohornblende and magnesiohornblende) - have similar iron positions. The intensity of iron oxidized (Fe³⁺/ΣFe) for the sodic granite is 79.1 to 100% and for the aluminous granite, 28.4 to 38.2%. The observed Fe³⁺/ΣFe differences between the two granites are source-related and consistent with distributions of other redox-sensitive elements.

Two ordinary chondrites are compared and classified using transmitted and reflected light microscopy and electron microprobe analyses. Both meteorites were confiscated by the Polish Customs Service at the border with Belarus. The first meteorite (called in this paper Terespol-1) is a L/LL6 chondrite, its classification being supported by the equilibrated compositions of olivine and orthopyroxene and the presence of large recrystallized feldspars (< 150 μm). The specimen examined experienced weak shock metamorphism (S3) and moderate weathering (although metal in the inner part of the meteorite seems to be unaffected by oxidization). The other meteorite (called in this paper Terespol-2) is a LL6 chondrite which experienced weak shock metamorphism (S3) and is unaffected by weathering. The Terespol-2 meteorite shares its classification with the Dhofar 1401 chondrite but the lack of data prevents further correlation. Both meteorites have been correlated with known findings from the Meteoritical Bulletin database and an attempt is made to identify their place of origin (fall event). Results indicate that Terespol-1 is most closely related to the Dhofar 1316 chondrite and we suggest that both meteorites at least came from the same parent body.