Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2021 number 1

A qualitative assessment is made of dust pollution in zones affected by crushed stone quarries as well as was carrying out a spatial analysis of the dust distribution geoinformation technologies. Primary data were provided by the results of geochemical field sampling of soils and snow cover and Earth remote sensing. The factor analysis based on geochemical data has revealed a trace element (V, Co, Ni, Cu and Sc) association characteristic of both the soil and snow. These elements display elevated concentration coefficients in the rocks quarried, namely Late Vepsian gabbro-dolerites. Models of the spatial distribution of the identified trace element association, based on the results of the study, were constructed using QuantumGIS programme. It has been noted that high factor values were obtained near the quarries. Analysis of the spectral characteristics of snow cover, based on Landsat satellite images, has revealed quarry dust migration routes. Assessment criteria were provided by the normalized snow index and the snow pollution index. They were calculated for open monitoring sites with abundant snow where the snow retains its natural condition over the entire winter season. Interpolation models, showing the distribution of these indices, were constructed. The results of the distribution are clearly correlated with the wind regime. The limiting role of the relief in the movement and accumulation of dust pollution is shown. Comparison of the spectral indices obtained for images from different years has shown that the results obtained at a snow melting stage are most contrasting, although the spatial distribution pattern of pollution generally varies slightly.