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Abstract
Multidisciplinary research (including magnetic survey, earth resistance survey, geological mapping, detailed archaeological surface survey and geochemical prospection) was undertaken on an area of about 0.7–9.0 hectares (depending on the method) in the close surroundings of the medieval ring-fort relicts in central Poland. The geophysical studies of the vicinity of the Rozprza ring-fort were part of a multi-method complementary non-destructive archaeological survey. The ring-fort is situated in the Luciąża River (Vistula River basin) valley floor and the flood plain morphology is very important for the reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental conditions of settlement location. Results of aerial photographs and geophysical prospection allowed the discovery of traces of sub-fossil palaeomeanders of different sizes as well as relicts of archaeological features (system of ramparts and moats). It was possible due to the application of high resolution archaeo-geophysical surveys. Both natural structures and also anthropogenic features registered with geophysics have been verified by geological sounding. The surface geology structure of the close vicinity of the ring-fort has been recognised in detail and selected organic deposits of palaeochannel fills and overbank covers have been 14C dated. The Rozprza ring-fort was situated in a defensive location on the surface of a sandy terrace remnant in the central part of a (partly) swampy valley floor. The accumulation of recorded fills of palaeochannels and moats covers the whole Holocene, as documented by 14C data. It gives the possibility for future detailed palaeoenvironmental studies. The results of geophysical studies, due to their known precise location, allow the effective planning of further research activities, both archaeological and palaeoenvironmental.

Abstract
Fluctuations in groundwater levels are usually associated with the seasonal variability of precipitation and evapotranspiration. This has an effect on the carrying capacity of soil and on foundation engineering structures in river valleys. The analysis concerns the example of the Upper Vistula River valley. It presents the geological, groundwater and geological engineering conditions of the researched area through seasonal variations in groundwater level. Based on the results of soil and groundwater analyses, a preliminary assessment was made of the bearing capacity and aggressiveness of the water. An analysis of steel and concrete construction elements was carried out. It was estimated that precipitation has an influence on the strength parameters of soil. With a rise of the groundwater table, physical and mechanical parameters deteriorate. However, a drop in the level of the groundwater table causes an improvement in the strength parameters of soil.

Abstract
Homogeneity is important when analyzing climatic long-term time series. This is to ensure that the variability in the time series is not affected by changes such as station relocations, instrumentation changes and changes in the surroundings. The subject of this study is a long-term temperature series from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences at Ås in Southern Norway, located in a rural area about 30 km south of Oslo. Different methods for calculation of monthly mean temperature were studied and new monthly means were calculated before the homogeneity testing was performed. The statistical method used for the testing was the Standard Normal Homogeneity Test (SNHT) by Hans Alexandersson. Five breaks caused by relocations and changes in instrumentation were identified. The seasonal adjustments of the breaks lay between -0.4°C and +0.5°C. Comparison with two other homogenized temperature series in the Oslo fjord region showed similar linear trends, which suggests that the long-term linear temperature trends in the Oslo fjord region are not much affected by spatial climate variation.

Abstract
: This article investigates the spatial distribution of global solar radiation (K↓) in Toruń and its suburbs, observed in 2012. Measurements were taken at 12 points (7 within the city and 5 in the suburban area) using CNR4 net radiometers and automatic weather stations (Vantage Pro+). At all locations, the diurnal and annual courses of K↓ were typically related to the Earth's rotational movement and changes in the sun's declination over the year, and disturbed by clouds and atmospheric phenomena that enhance the extinction of solar radiation. A substantial spatial diversity of K↓ was observed in Toruń and its suburbs. The annual sum of K↓ at several urban locations accounted for over 70% of the solar radiation in the open space outside the city. The amount of incoming solar radiation in the urban area was more restricted in winter (<50%) than in summer (approx. 70%). The diurnal courses of K↓ were heavily disturbed by local obstacles which cast shadows (causing a considerable decrease of K↓), but there were instances of increases in K↓ (122%) augmented by radiation reflected from roofs, walls and windows surrounding the measurement point. The spatial diversity of K↓ in the urban area is heterogeneous, due to local meteorological conditions (cloudiness, fog, smog and airborne dust) and the obscuring of the horizon.

Abstract
The current article will attempt to confirm that Polish post-mining areas are characterized by high cognitive and aesthetic values and that they have great geotourism potential, which has been little used so far. Tourism is regarded to be one of the most dynamically growing sectors of the global economy and is a phenomenon that occurs in the landscapes of all ecological and altitudinal zones. Geotourism is among the relatively recent types of tourism. Poland is a highly attractive country for geotourism. The aim of this article is to analyze the distribution and size of post-mining areas in Poland and, based on these analyses, to assess the geotourist potential of selected post-mining regions. Based on the distribution of natural resource mining sites and their potential and actual use in geotourism, the authors selected 20 actual and potential geotourist regions in Poland. These regions were divided into three basic categories based on their attractiveness.

Abstract
This paper presents the structure of weather types at four Siberian synoptic stations: Ostrov Kotelnyj, Verkhoyansk, Oymyakon and Yakutsk. The analysis has been performed on the basis of data published in the Internet database of synoptic messages OGIMET for the period of December 1999 to November 2013. Types of weather were determined based on the modified classification of weather types by Ferdynus (1997, 2004, 2013). The occurrence of particular groups, classes, and types of weather, and sequences of days with predominant weather types was identified. During the research period the structure of the weather types at the selected stations is characterized by a large number of observed types of weather, with the majority of them occurring with a low frequency. Frosty weather was predominant. The most frequently reported was the weather marked with numerical code 1100 (extremely frosty, clear without precipitation and calm) in Verkhoyansk (12.5%), 1300 (extremely frosty, cloudy without precipitation and calm) in Yakutsk (12.2%), 1200 (extremely frosty, partly clouded without precipitation and calm) in Oymyakon (11.6%) and 2201 (exceptionally frosty, partly clouded without precipitation and light breeze) in Ostrov Kotelnyj (6.7%).

Abstract
This study presents the results of monthly examinations of the vertical distribution of water thermal structure (2008-2011) carried out over a four-year period in the deepest lakes located in the Kashubian and Brodnickie Lakelands and the Tuchola Forest1. Three lakes were selected for examination (Raduńskie Górne, Zbiczno and Ostrowite). Their maximum depths slightly exceed 40 m, and their surface areas range from 121 to 362.5 ha. The results of the measurements show that, despite only minor differences in depth, water temperature varied significantly between the studied lakes. These differences were mainly apparent in the extent of the epilimnion, water thermal stratification, and in the water temperature in the bottom-most layers in summer and winter. The diversity in thermal stratification of the lakes is mainly determined by their morphometric properties, their location above sea level, and the dynamic influences of winds.

Abstract
This paper aims to indicate the periods within the year that are most and least suited to outdoor recreation along the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. The author indicates these periods based on the analysis of annual variability of several meteorological and bioclimatic parameters from the years 1981-2010 in Greifswald and Świnoujście, and from 1985 to 2010 in Hel and Gdynia. Passive recreation is favoured in July and the first half of August. The whole of the summer season has the most favourable conditions for active recreation. Good conditions frequently occur in May, and to a lesser degree in September. The advantages of May are that it has the highest sunshine duration and the lowest frequency of precipitation.

Abstract
Analyses of temperature-depth profiles logged in deep boreholes (> 1 km) permit the reconstruction of ground surface temperature (GST) and surface heat flux (SHF) histories in the period of global climate change at the border of the Pleistocene and the Holocene. We reconstructed past GST and SHF histories using data obtained from the 3.5-km-deep Onega borehole (Karelia, north-west Russia). The resulting reconstructions include information on the basal thermal regime of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet, which covered the region in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The surface temperature history reveals a high amplitude of Pleistocene/ Holocene warming equal to 18-20 K. The heat flux changes precede the surface temperature changes and are close to the variations of insolation at a latitude of 60°N. A comparison of the reconstructed GST and SHF histories with the records of carbon dioxide contents in Antarctic ice cores shows that CO2 changes are much closer to temperature changes than they are to heat flux changes.

Abstract
The paper aims to present research into both the long-term variability in the ice days in Svalbard representing the Atlantic sector of the Arctic, and their relations to atmospheric circulation. Ice days are defined as days with a daily maximum temperature below 0°C (Tmax<0°C). They are considered to be amongst the most important indices of current climate change. All the available data on daily maximum air temperature from three Norwegian stations (Svalbard Airport (Svalbard Lufthavn), Bjørnøya and Hopen) and from the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund (SW Spitsbergen) have been employed. The relevance of atmospheric circulation to the frequency of the occurrence of ice days was evaluated by calculating the Spearman correlation coefficients between the frequency of ice days and three regional circulation indices: zonal westerly circulation index (W), meridional southerly circulation index (S) and index of cyclonicity (C). At all the stations the number of ice days exhibited significant decreasing trends in the period of 1979-2012.

Abstract
The aim of the paper is an attempt to present the relationships between sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) blooming time, climatic conditions and spring frost risk in western Poland (Great Poland Lowland). Air temperature indices from meteorological stations in Przybroda and Poznań for the period 1985-2010 representing contemporary climate warming were used. 'English Morello' sour cherry phenological records for the period 1985-2010 were collected at the Research Station of Poznań University of Life Sciences located in Przybroda. The earliest end of blooming was observed on 2nd of May 1999, and the latest one on 26th of May 1987. The average period of sour cherry blooming was between 30th April and 12th May. During 50% of the years the blooming period lasted from 11 to 15 days. Mean monthly temperature in Przybroda varied from -1.1°C in January to 19.6°C in July. A significant relationship between the beginning date of cherry blooming and the beginning of the thermal vegetation period was found. Variability of the index explained more than 50% of variability in the first dates of cherries blooming (coefficient of determination R2 = 0.505 is significant on the level p < 0.05). The beginning of blooming was also significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with mean April temperature, which could explain about 43% of variability in the dates of the first bloom. An increase in April temperature by 1.0°C caused earlier blooming by about 2.8 days. During the period of 1985-2010 a significant increase in April temperature was observed (in Poznań 0.79°C per decade). It had an effect on advanced dates of the beginning of sour cherry blooming of about 3 days per decade. In 26 of the years the last frost occurred 4 times (15% of seasons) during the blooming phenological phase or later in Przybroda. Frost occurred 10 days before blooming started and during blooming in 54% of the years.

Abstract
Chemical plants are important objects of hydrogeological research, due to their potentially large impact on the soil and water environment. The topic of this paper is one of the oldest chemical plants in northern Poland, owned by the 'Zachem' company and located in the city of Bydgoszcz. The plant is located on a 500 ha property. This area has isolated about a dozen landfills for different types of wastes. In order to make a proper estimation of the influence of a chemical plant on its environment we must first identify the geological and hydrogeological conditions, and also the character of its land-use. Field investigations must be preceded by in-depth historical studies of the plant's development and the technologies used within, and an identification of historical and present contamination sources. The author describes the current condition of the plant's groundwater monitoring and indicates the direction of modernization and further development. This paper presents the problems faced when designing a groundwater monitoring network for industrial areas.

Abstract
Groundwater samples were randomly collected from forty-five protected dug wells and thirteen boreholes in parts of Lagos, Southwestern Nigeria. Samples were analysed for pH, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids in situ. Cations (calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium) and anions (chloride, bicarbonate, sulphate and carbonates) were determined in the laboratory after standard procedure. The study is aimed at examining the extent of groundwater pollution and its possible sources using multivariate and graphical techniques. Rockware software was used to characterize groundwater composition while the sample locations were mapped with ArcMap 9.3 software. The results show high mean value in the groundwater characteristics of the protected dug wells compared to the boreholes. A significant relationship exists among EC/ TDS and major ions indicating the influence of sea water on the groundwater quality. The dominant cations and anions are in the order of: Ca2+ > Mg2+ >Na+ > K+; and Cl- >HCO3 - > SO42+ respectively. Factor analysis extracted two major sources of pollution (sea water and industrial) responsible for the processes controlling groundwater quality in the area. The Piper plot revealed seven distinct water types including Ca-HCO3, Ca-Cl, Mg-HCO3, Na-SO4, Mg-Cl, Na-HCO3 and Na-Cl representing 44.8%, 25%, 15.5%, 5.2%, 3.4%, 3.4%, and 1.7% respectively. The paper recommended monitoring of groundwater abstraction and treatment of industrial effluent before being released into the subsurface to prevent salinization and quality deterioration in the study area.

Abstract
The article presents the results of measurements of ground temperature in the context of general meteorological conditions at the Henryk Arctowski Station (King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic) from the period of 20 January 2013 to 22 February 2013. The measurements were taken using a Vantage Pro+ automatic weather station and the thermal conditions of the ground were measured by means of a HOBO automatic data logger. The variability of ground temperature was analysed in an annual and diurnal cycle. A clear recurrent diurnal pattern was observed in the summer season, resulting from more favourable insolation conditions in that part of the year. In the winter, on the other hand, no major differences in the diurnal cycle of ground temperature were found, particularly with a dense snow cover.

Abstract
This article describes the influence of cloudiness and synoptic situations on individual components of the radiation balance such as: global solar radiation; surface-reflected radiation; longwave terrestrial and atmospheric radiation, and the long- and shortwave balance of two types of ground cover typical to Spitsbergen (the Kaffiøyra region), i.e. morainal and glacial. The research was carried out in the summer seasons of 2010 and 2011, using a Kipp & Zonen CNR4 net radiometer. A substantial influence of the presence of clouds on the individual components of the radiation balance was observed. The type of air masses related to specific synoptic situations was also found to affect the incoming and outgoing solar radiation, as well as its losses.