Examination topics in the discipline Earth and related environmental sciences

  • Regional geology of Poland and the world

Principles of regionalisation of geological structures. Geological regions in the context of plate tectonics.Geological structures of Europe.  Division of Poland into geological regions. Geological structure of NEs of Poland. Overview of the geological regions of Poland.

  • Structural geology and tectonics

Plate tectonics. Geological structures and styles of geological formation. Structural and tectonic levels, unconformity. The mechanisms of folding. Development of thrusts and nappes, faults and shear zones. Joint and fractures. Stress fields. Graphical presentation of structural measurements.

  • Geology of mineral deposits

Principal types of deposits. Genetic classification of mineral deposits. Deposits of various mineral resources in Poland - examples.

  • Sedimentology

Sedimentation processes and environments. Granulometric analysis. Facial analysis of clastic rocks. Flysh. Carbonate rocks: classification, formation, diagenesis, dolomitization. Sedimentology of evaporates. Sedimentary rocks as raw materials.

  • Stratigraphy and historical geology with paleontology

Geologic time scale and the bases of its construction. Geotectonic evolution of the Earth. Paleontological characteristics of individual time intervals. Basic groups of fossils. Diagnostic forms. The great extinctions.

  • Geological mapping and teledetection

Topographic and geological maps, cartographic mapping, classification of maps. Methods in geological mapping. Mapping of geological structures. Global Positioning System. Aerial and satellite remote sensing. Multispectral satellite scanners. Spectral indicators of rocks and minerals. Recognition of lineaments.

  • Mineralogy, crystallography and crystalochemistry

Fundamentals of crystallography. Methods of characterization of crystal structures. Principles of crystallochemistry, chemical bonds in minerals, isomorphism and polymorphism. Classification of rock-forming minerals. Ores and ore minerals of Poland. Clay minerals.

  • Hydrogeology and hydrochemistry with modeling

Groundwater filtration. Darcy's law. Pumping tests and methods of interpretation. Groundwater resources. Hydrogeological maps. Hydrogeochemistry of infiltration process. Water sampling and storage. Numerical hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical models and software.

  • Petrology of rocks and mineral deposits

Igneous processes and the origins of igneous rocks. Conditions and processes of metamorphism.  Genetic classification of sedimentary rocks. Provenance. Determination of pressures and temperatures of geological processes. Dating geological processes. Structures of ores. Formation of clay rocks.

  • General geochemistry

The origin of the elements. Crystalochemistry of chemical bonds in minerals. Elements of thermodynamics. Geochemistry of igneous processes in plate tectonics. Geochemistry of the Earth surface. Isotopes in geochronology, geochemistry of stable isotopes. Organic geochemistry. Geochemical monitoring.

  • Geomorphology and quaternary geology

Fundamentals of Quaternary stratigraphy. Glacial processes, mass movements, river erosion, eolic processes, karst processes. Anthropogenic landscape. Elements of Quaternary in Poland.

  • Instrumental analysis of rocks and minerals

Principle of operation, specimens, applications and limitations of: optical microscopy, SEM and TEM electron microscopy, electron microprobe, X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy. Preparation and measurements in studies of clays and clay minerals. Examples of methods in gemmology.

  • Geological exploration

Analysis of drilling logs. Geophysical anomalies generated by hydrocarbon fields. Correlation of geophysical data with geological and geochemical data. Geochemical prospecting of mineral deposits. Geochemical anomalies. Geochemical barriers.

  • Principles of geophysical methods.

Principles of applied gravimetry, rules of interpretation. Applications of magnetic method in geological and mining research. Geological interpretation of geoelectrical research. Methods of well geophysics, applications, correlation of data from different methods. Geo-radar method. Methodology of surface seismic measurements, principles of interpretation and application.

  • Geology of oil and gas

Geology of hydrocarbon deposits. Analysis of sedimentation basins and oil systems. Genesis of conventional and unconventional deposits of fossil fuels. Basics of analysis of parent, reservoir and sealing rocks. Oil provinces in Poland.