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A unique fossil site in southern France reveals the history of polar ecosystems

In 2018, a pair of enthusiastic paleontologists discovered a site in southern France where, in addition to the usual fossilized shells and skeletons, even remains of soft bodies of ancient organisms were preserved. This site, the study of which was also contributed by Lukáš Laibl of the Institute of Geology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Martina Nohejlová of the Czech Geological Survey, offers a hitherto unknown view of polar ecosystems 470 million years ago. The site was located near the South Pole at that time, whereas the most similar sites with preserved soft bodies come from former tropical regions. Moreover, the high diversity of species at the new site confirms the migration hypothesis towards the southern hemisphere, where these species sought refuge from the high temperatures prevailing in the then-tropical zones.
The link to the article is here
Image caption: Artistic reconstruction of the Cabrières biota © Christian McCall

A new international stratotype in the Paleozoic of the Barrandian area

The International Commission on Stratigraphy IUGS, through its plenary power, has designated the fourth Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) in the Lower Paleozoic of the Barrandian area. On December 27, 2023, the Commission selected the black shale succession of the Želkovice Formation near Hlásná Třebaň as the international stratotype for the lower Silurian Aeronian Stage. This decision resulted from the extensive study, description, and proposal by an international research team led by Petr Štorch of the Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Together with the existing Devonian base stratotype at Klonk near Suchomasty, the Pragian base stratotype at Velká Chuchle and the Přídolí base stratotype at the Požáry Quarry near Řeporyje, the Hlásná Třebaň section poses an unparalleled concentration of global stratotype sections worldwide.

Gaseous elemental mercury in air decreased after phasing out of amalgam electrolysis

A new study by the team of the Environmental Geology and Geochemistry Department led by Tomáš Navrátil found that elevated concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury and also particle-bound mercury in the air near Spolana Neratovice decreased rapidly after the shutdown of the amalgam electrolysis line in 2017. Annual air measurements performed since 2013 indicated a decrease by over 60 %. The study published in journal Environmental Science Pollution and Research further indicates that the concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury in the air near Neratovice still remain approximately doubled compared to sites unaffected by emissions.

Institute of Geology involved in science promotion at schools

On October 31 and November 1, a pilot event of an educational project financed by the Czechoslovak Microscopic Society was organized by our colleague Eva Pecková. Within their „Journey from Microworld to Macroworld“, students of grades 3 and 8 of the Dolákova Basic School in Prague 8 analysed specimens from living and inanimate nature using their optical microscopes as well as images from the polarizing and electron microscopes of the Inst Geol. The event received high rating from the school management, and the whole project will be continued (for info see Osmička monthly or School webpage). Other educational activities at basic schools were performed within the project Strategy AV21 (Dynamic Planet Earth programme). Altogether 17 events were organized by our colleague Martina Kočová-Veselská in 2023. Being focused on geology and palaeontology, they were taken as a supplement to standard curricula.

Signum Excellentiae medal for Lukáš Krmíček

On the occasion of the November 17 anniversary of the events in 1939 and 1989, a ceremonial assembly of the academic community was held in the historic hall of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, BUT Brno, at which important personalities were honoured. Prof. RNDr. Lukáš Krmíček, Ph.D. was awarded the Signum Excellentiae ("sign of excellence") silver medal for his outstanding achievements in publishing scientific articles, research in the field of geosciences, and for pedagogical and science-promotion activities. Lukáš Krmíček is engaged in comprehensive research in the field of volcanology and geochemistry of igneous rocks at Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. In the current issue of Vesmír magazine, he published an article dedicated to the Litli-Hrútur volcano, which arose on the Icelandic peninsula of Reykjanes in July 2023.

Study of continental red beds in Utah

On the Colorado Plateau, thick sequences of sediments can be observed in deep canyons or various rock formations. Well known are the rocky sceneries of national parks such as the Grand Canyon, Canyonlands and Arches. Some rocks show a striking red coloration. A few days ago, a team of geologists of the Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc and the Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences returned from Utah. They studied Permian to Jurassic sediments around Moab with the aim to characterize the conditions under which the red coloration of these rocks is formed.

Institute of Geology contributes to the study of Mars

The scientific community takes it as a viable working hypothesis that hot ocean-floor springs on Mars represented a source of energy for a group of chemotrophic bacteria, such as those found in terrestrial conditions. Nevertheless, the evolution of possible life on Mars did not reach beyond the level of microbial communities of stromatolite type. It is presumed that sediments with microbial remains were deeply buried and altered by high temperatures and pressures in a similar way as phytoplankton which gave origin to oil deposits on Earth. The new study in the International Journal of Astrobiology, which was contributed by Václav Cílek of the Institute of Geology, considered Mars surface in view of Mars gravity data in order to determine areas with possible occurrences of organic remains in rocks. The purpose of this research is to point to potentially significant sites to be studied by future Martian missions.

Larvae of ancient arthropods lived similarly to their adults

An international team of paleontologists led by Lukáš Laibl of the Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Allison C. Daley of the University of Lausanne studied tiny, 480 million years old, arthropod larvae. They scanned these fossils using a powerful X-ray scanner at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland to study them in detail. The results show that the development of these ancient arthropods was very simple, with no fundamental changes in the mode of life. Larvae and adults were living at the same place, feeding in a similar way. This contrasts with the development of most of today's arthropods whose larvae often live differently from the adults. Early arthropods likely had a simple type of development, while more complex life cycles evolved independently later in this animal group.

A new type of gold mineralization discovered in the Bohemian Massif

Gold deposits of economic importance can be found in the Bohemian Massif (e.g., Mokrsko or Kašperské Hory). These well known occurrences are intimately associated with magmatic/hydrothermal processes during the Variscan orogeny (at ca. 340 Ma). A new study co-authored by Institute scientists Lukáš Ackerman and Martin Svojtka describes a completely new type of gold mineralization found in shales of Neoproterozoic age (ca. 570 Ma). Structural position of quartz veinlets that host gold mineralization together with the chemistry of the associated sulphides link this type of gold mineralization with high heat flow in response to continental rifting during the Ordovician (c. 470 Ma). The discovery is not of economic significance but represents a new genetic model for this type of gold mineralization in the Bohemian Massif. For additional information, see Mineralium Deposita journal.

Iceland's most recent volcano explored by Lukáš Krmíček

The newly formed volcano of Litli-Hrútur (Little Ram), which was born on the Reykjanes Peninsula in July, was investigated by Professor Lukáš Krmíček, who is a member of an international volcanology team. The team of experts from Europe and the USA was given permission to stay in the immediate vicinity of the eruption. The situation at the site was complicated by extreme air pollution the first days of the volcano's existence, caused by a combination of volcanic gases and local vegetation fires. This was later compounded by random explosions of pockets of methane and hydrogen. Nevertheless, it was possible to take samples of tephra and lava, the study of which will provide valuable information about the interior of our planet.

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