Soil sampling at the Akrotiri a salt lake | A big part of the work carried in the field of geoenvironment falls within the topic of analytical geochemistry. Sampling as well as advanced analytical techniques, such as spectroscopy and chromatography, alongside other classical methods of wet chemistry, are used for the determination of chemical constituents, minerals and compounds of interest in various geological media (water, soil and rocks). Soil geochemistry is complicated because it is directly related to the complex geological processes of the island. [1], [2]
Geochemical activities help determining what the natural geochemical background is and aim at:
· Better understanding of the geological conditions on the island.
· Discovery of new mineral resources and sustainable management of existing ones for the benefit of society.
· The efficient identification of environmentally polluted areas from anthropogenic activities. A process that requires in-depth understanding of the natural geochemical background. [3]
· The establishment of national concentration levels for Potentially Hazardous Chemical Elements (PHE) and compounds in soils so that adequate action is taken upon chemical contamination and regeneration.
· Better understanding of how climate change affects the geochemistry of the soils of Cyprus.
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In a recent holistic attempt of mapping the distribution of chemical elements and defining the mechanisms driving their distribution the Geological Survey Department in collaboration with the University of New South Wales in Australia has published the Geochemical Atlas of Cyprus [4] a series of distribution maps for some 60 chemical elements in soil.
Such examples of distribution maps are electrical conductivity, pH and elements such as copper (Cu), arsenic (As), calcium (Ca), and soluble salts such as nitrates, chlorites and sulfates in soil. [5]
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| pH distribution of surface soils | Map showing the distribution of copper in surface soils in Cyprus.
An element strongly associated with the history of the island. |
Electrical conductivity of Cyprus soils
References
1. Cohen, D.R., Rutherford, N.F., Morisseau, E. and Zissimos, A.M., 2012a. Geochemical Patterns in the Soils of Cyprus. Sci Tot Environ., 420, 250–262.
2. L. Ren, D.R. Cohen, N.F. Rutherford, A.M. Zissimos, E.G. Morisseau, Reflections of the geological characteristics of Cyprus in soil rare earth element patterns, Applied Geochemistry, 56 (2015) 80–93.
3. Cohen, D.R., Rutherford, N.F., Morisseau, E., Christoforou, E. and Zissimos, A.M., 2012b. Anthropogenic versus Lithological Influences on Soil Geochemical Patterns in Cyprus. GEEA, 12, 349–360.
4. Cohen, D.R., Rutherford, N.F., Morisseau, E. and Zissimos, A.M., 2011. Geochemical Atlas of Cyprus. UNSW Press, Sydney.
5. Zissimos, A.M., Christoforou, I.C., Morisseau, E., Cohen, D.R., Rutherford, N.F., Distribution of water-soluble inorganic ions in the soils of Cyprus, Journal of Geochemical Exploration 146, 1-8, 2014.
6. A M. Zissimos, D R. Cohen, I C. Christoforou, Land use influences on soil geochemistry in Lefkosia (Nicosia) Cyprus, March 2017, Journal of Geochemical Exploration, DOI 10.1016/j.gexplo.2017.03.005