LANDSCAPE-GEOCHEMICAL RESEARCH OF THASOS ISLAND

Rumen Penin

Abstract:
Landscapes geochemistry is a priority scientific field in physical geography, studying the behavior, migration and differentiation of chemical elements and compounds, both in natural and in anthropogenized to varying degrees natural land and aquatic complexes. The establishment of the contents and the microelement composition in the soils and bottom sediments is an important part of the research in the field of geoecological monitoring. These two natural components are particularly informative, as they accumulate the result of geochemical processes in the natural complexes of a given area. In recent decades, a number of landscape and geochemical studies have been conducted in areas close to Thassos island in natural conditions – the Rhodope Mountains, the Slavyanka Mountain, Belasitsa, Bozdag, Mount Athos, etc. The contents of association of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Co, Zn, Mn, Ni, Cr) in soils, bottom sediments, vegetation were studied. This is why our scientific interests are also directed to Thassos Island, where field research and collected material for geochemical research were conducted. The article analyzes and interprets the obtained geochemical results from field and laboratory research and comparisons are made with soils and bottom sediments in other spatially close objects. Associations of concentrating and dispersing microelements were found in the two studied sites. Such studies provide a basis for conducting systematic geochemical observations in the framework of environmental monitoring.

Keywords:
heavy metals, landscapes, soils, bottom sediments, environmental monitoring

Problems of Geography, 2021, Vol.3-4, DOI: https://doi.org/10.35101/prg-2021.3-4.4

Author information:
Author: Rumen Penin
E-mail: rpenin@abv.bg
Affiliation: Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”