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Shallow seismic measurement, specifically seismic refraction tomography, is an effective geophysical method that has applications in various sectors. It enables the search for and determination of the course of the interfaces, thus helping to resolve geological, environmental, hydrogeological, engineering, geotechnical and other problems. The paper demonstrates the possibilities of using these methods through examples of shallow seismic measurements that have been performed at various four locations in the Western Carpathian Mountains. The first case study describes Monastery Pond at Katarínka. It was found that, the basement of the Monastery pond is at a depth of 2-3 m below the surface and the results were also confirmed by electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The next measurement through the thermal power station waste storage showed that the storage area base runs at a depth of about 20 m under the measured profile. The third case study addresses the depth of groundwater depth in the area of Borská nízina. The measurement confirmed the assumed depth of ground water level at 3.35 m below the surface. In the last case study, border fault between the Turiec Basin and the Malá Fatra Mts. was mapped by application of shallow refraction methods. The results show that shallow seismic methods shed light on the problem and in combination with other geophysical methods are an effective tool with great potential. They provide very useful data for shallow mapping applications.

Our contribution presents the geological analysis results of the lithological composition for deep geothermal sources characterized by the thermal conditions suitable for application of classic hydrothermal sources exploitation and specialized EGS technologies for the electricity production in the territory of Slovakia. The results are presented in the form of lithological characterization for the isothermal surface depths with the reservoir temperature of 160 °C. The lithological conditions of geothermal source regions were constructed using available published and archive materials. From the point of view of technically utilized depths (up to 5000 m) there are two most perspective regions – Eastern Slovakia and Danube Basin with surrounding areas. We tried to characterize supposed lithological composition also in second category of geothermal sources between 5and 6km.

The paper deals with the revision and enrichment of the present gravimetric database of the Slovak Republic. The output of this process is a new version of the complete Bouguer anomaly ( ) field on our territory. Thanks to the taking into account of more accurate terrain corrections, this field has significantly higher quality and higher resolution capabilities. The excellent features of this map will allow us to re-evaluate and improve the qualitative interpretation of the gravity field when researching the structural and tectonic geology of the Western Carpathian lithosphere. In the contribution we also analyse the field of the new based on the properties of various transformed fields – in particular the horizontal gradient, which by its local maximums defines important density boundaries in the lateral direction. All original and new transformed maps make a significant contribution to improving the geological interpretation of the field. Except for the horizontal gradient field, we are also interested in a new special transformation of , which excellently separates various detected anomalies of gravity field and improves their lateral delimitation.

The main aim of this study is to compile 2-D density model of the CELEBRATION 2000 profile CEL12, which is based on seismic refraction data. The profile CEL12 crosses the External Western Carpathians Flysch zone and is located in the southern part of Poland. The general feature of the resultant density model shows significant changes in the crustal thickness. The Moho depth changes in the interval from 31 km to 43 km. The interpreted 43 km crustal thickness over a 60 km section of the profile results in the discovery of an area, which represents the thickest crust in the entire West Carpathians. This area is situated ~50 km north-east from the High Tatras in Poland.

The contribution presents the results of geothermic interpretation approaches applied to measured geothermal data and is focused to determination of the thermal conditions both for application of classic hydrothermal sources exploitation and specialized EGS technologies for electricity production in the region of Slovakia and adjacent areas. Primarily, the heat flow density data and the temperature distribution measurements in boreholes were interpreted by classic 1D interpolation and extrapolation methods. New terrestrial heat flow density map for the studied area was constructed using the values determined in boreholes, their interpretations, the newest outcomes of geothermal modelling methods based both on steady-state and transient heat transfer approaches, and on other recently gained geoscientific knowledge. Thereafter, we constructed the maps of temperature field distribution for selected depth levels up to 6000 m below the surface and the final map of the isothermal surface depths for the reservoir temperature of 160 ◦ C. This final map serves for the appraisal of the effective application of the binary cycle power plant technology in Slovakia in terms of thermal conditions.

The Tatricum crystalline basement in the northern Považský Inovec Mts. contains several narrow tectonic slices with different rock composition. Some of them composed of the Upper Cretaceous mass flow deposits (the Horné Belice Group) are considered unique within the framework of the Internal Western Carpathians and particularly within the Tatricum. Tectonic interpretation of their structural position is longer a matter of debate. Contrasting resistivity properties of the Hercynian mica schists and the Upper Cretaceous sandstones and shales were confirmed by the parametric geophysical measurements. The Hranty section, the structurally highest and most internal Upper Cretaceous tectonic slice was investigated by the electric resistivity tomography. Two longitudinal and two transverse resistivity profiles were measured and combined into a 3D image which suggests that the low resistivity Upper Cretaceous rocks form relatively shallow and flat lying structures folded and deformed between the crystalline basement slices.

The area of the Danube Basin is interesting in the light of the evaluation both of the lithosphere structure and of various theories of Carpathian-Pannonian region tectonic evolution. The aim of this paper is to analyse both the thermal conditions in the Danube Basin and the mutual relations to geological structure and tectonic development of the region under study. First the improved distributions of the terrestrial heat flow density and of the lithosphere thickness were constructed using recently gained geophysical and geological knowledge. Then the critical analysis of existing models of the tectonic development of the region under study was carried out. The tectono-thermal interpretation activities were accomplished by new geothermal modelling approach for transient regime which utilizes also the backstriped sedimentology data as a control parameter of model. Finally the McKenzie’s “pure-shear” model of the Danube basin was constructed as acceptable conception for used geothermal and tectonic data. The determined stretching parameter has an inhomogeneous horizontal distribution and the thinning factors express the depth dependency for separate lithospheric layers.

In this paper we present a geological interpretation of magnetotelluric sounding along the southern part of the seismic 2T profile situated in the southern Central Slovakia. The complexes with higher conductivity are imaged in the shallow depths, formed by the Tertiary sediments and volcanics. In the northernmost part of the profile, the influence of non-conductive complexes composed of orthogneisses and overlying Mesozoic carbonates is significant. In the central part of the profile, the low conductive granitoid complexes are superposed over the metamorphic rocks with higher conductivity. This structure is a remnant of the Hercynian middle crust nappes. The most outstanding phenomenon of the profile is the sudden, almost step change in the conductivity parameters of the crust in the southern part. The significantly high conductivity of the crust in this area is most probably not related to its lithological composition, but by the abundant supply of fluids in the crust connected with the Neogene tectonic and volcanic processes.

The Tatra Mts are located on the border of two countries – Poland and Slovakia. It is a unique, extremely geobotanically-differentiated region, protected by law and listed on the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve List as an internationally recognized area. Due to the high nature values of the Tatra Mts, varied research, including mycological, has been intensively conducted on this area for many years. The first data on the microscopic fungi of the Tatras comes from to the second half of the nineteenth century and spans more than 150 years. Currently, the critical list of microfungi is being prepared concerning species published up to date from the whole Tatra range (the Polish and Slovakian parts), and also the adjacent areas. During detailed study of the available mycological literature, many erroneous citations of the original data or incorrect interpretations of these records were noted. Often, this faulty data was also reproduced in subsequent publications. The aim of this study was to correct some of the data published in the cited literature. In the paper, 68 fungal species were mentioned, including 29 species of Ascomycota and 39 species of Basidiomycota. Additionally, some information about the plants – the fungal hosts – has also been corrected.

Monazite-(Gd), ideally GdPO4, is a new mineral of the monazite group. It was discovered near Prakovce-Zimná Voda, ∼23 km WNW of Kosice, Western Carpathians, Slovakia. It forms anhedral domains (≤100 µm, mostly 10-50 µm in size), in close association with monazite-(Sm), Gd-bearing xenotime-(Y), Gd-bearing hingganite-(Y), fluorapatite and uraninite. All these minerals are hosted in a REE-U-Au quartz-muscovite vein, hosted in phyllites in an exocontact to granites. The density calculated using the average empirical formula and unit-cell parameters is 5.55 g/cm3. The average chemical composition measured by means of electron microprobe is as follows (wt.%): P2O5 29.68, As2O5 0.15, SiO2 0.07, ThO2 0.01, UO2 0.04, Y2O3 1.30, La2O3 3.19, Ce2O3 6.93, Pr2O3 1.12, Nd2O3 10.56, Sm2O3 17.36, Eu2O3 1.49, Gd2O3 22.84, Tb2O3 1.57, Dy2O3 2.27, CaO 0.21, total 99.67. The corresponding empirical formula calculated on the basis of 4 oxygen atoms is: (Gd0.30Sm0.24Nd0.15Ce0.10La0.05Dy0.03Y0.03Tb0.02Eu0.02 Pr0.02Ca0.01)0.98P1.01O4. The ideal formula is GdPO4. The monazite-type structure has been confirmed by micro-Raman spectroscopy and selected-area electron diffraction. Monazite-(Gd) is monoclinic, space group P21/n, a = 6.703(1) Å, b = 6.914(1) Å, c = 6.383(1) Å, β = 103.8(1)°, V = 287.3(1) Å3 and Z = 4. The middle REE enrichment of monazite-(Gd) is shared with the associated Gd-bearing xenotime-(Y) to 'xenotime-(Gd)' and Gd-bearing hingganite-(Y). This exotic REE signature and precipitation of Gd-bearing mineral assemblage is a product of selective complexing and enrichment in middle REE in low-temperature hydrothermal fluids by alteration of primary uraninite, brannerite and fluorapatite on a micro-scale. The new mineral is named as an analogue of monazite-(La), monazite-(Ce), monazite-(Nd) and monazite-(Sm) but with Gd dominant among the REE.