100 LAT PAŃSTWOWEGO INSTYTUTU GEOLOGICZNEGO – DLA GOSPODARKI, NAUKI I EDUKACJI Badania złóż surowców metalicznych przez Państwowy Instytut Geologiczny

Abstract

Prospecting works for metallic ores by the Polish Geological Institute.A b s t r a c t. Very intensive prospecting works for metallic ores have been conducted by the PGI since the 50. of the 20th century. Strong research-prospecting teams were organized and focused on the detailed and successive recognition of different and prospective metallogenic formations in Poland. The most important was the discovery of the enormous Cu-Ag Lubin–Sieroszowice deposit of the Zechstein formation on the Fore-Sudetic Monocline made by J. Wyżykowski’s team. Also, in the 50–70. the iron prospecting finalized with documentation of a few sedimentary type deposits in central Poland. Intensive drilling works carried out in the 60–70. on the Mazury–Suwałki Elevation allowed for discovery and documentation of the Fe-Ti-V deposit in Krzemianka and Udryn, which are related to Mesoproterozoic magmatic AMCG rock complexes. Besides, in the Tajno Massif REE mineralization, hosted by carbonatites, was recognized. Moreover, in the Triassic carbonate formation of the Zawiercie region a few Zn-Pb deposits of the Mississippi Valley Type were documented in the 70–80. The intensive prospecting drilling program carried by the PGI in the 90.within the contact zone of the Małopolska and Upper Silesia blocks documented the buried Myszków Cu-Mo(-W) deposit of porphyry type and a few very prospective areas for another porphyry-type deposits along the Kraków–Lubliniec Fault Zone. In addition, the REE and/or gold resources both in the primary (hydrothermal and contact-metasomatic) and the secondary (detrital) deposits have been discovered and documented in the Sudetes. The very successful prospective works carried out by the PGI ore geologists allowed for a strong development of the base metal mining industry which has highly influenced the Polish economy during the last 50 years.