Abstract: Environmental magnetism was born not far ago from several interdisciplinary studies starting from deposits in British lakes and soon expanded to marine sediments, Chinese loess and finally to soil pollution, and magnetic characteristics of soil itself.
Environmental magnetism involves the application of magnetic techniques used in paleomagnetism and rock-magnetism to situations in which various environmental settings were influenced by transport, deposition and transformation of magnetic grains. Magnetic minerals, particularly iron compounds, are present everywhere, iron being one of the most common elements in the earth crust. Important advantage of techniques used in environmental magnetism is that they are relatively rapid, simple and nondestructive.
The scope of subjects is so broad that it is not possible to address all problems. I would like to focus on pedosphere where interaction of chemical, physical and biological processes leads to creation of complex magnetic structure.
Magnetic characteristics of soil are examined in two main aspects – study of loess-paleosol sequences in connection with paleoclimate changes and monitoring of anthropogenic pollution.
Recently, new aspect has emerged – magnetic characteristics of soil in connection with soil classification and pedogenesis.
One of the most commonly used mineral parameters is a magnetic susceptibility which is the ratio of magnetization induced by a weak magnetic field to the applied field itself.
The observation of susceptibility records in loess-paleosol sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau dated by magnetostratigraphy and correlated with O record of marine sediments provided magnetic proxy of paleoclimate changes.
Human impact on the environment can be also detected.
Mapping of susceptibility of topsoil horizons in industrialized districts demonstrates anthropogenic pollution by coal-burning power plants and steel industry as magnetic susceptibility correlates well with heavy metal content in fly ashes.
Study of soil profiles shows differentiation of magnetic susceptibility often accompanied by an enhancement in the topsoil horizon. This enhancement has been related to creation of new pedogenic magnetic minerals by soil forming processes.

Brief Biography of the speaker:

Jeleñska Maria has received a M.Sc degree in physics at the Warsaw University, Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. Since 1966 she has been working in the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw where she received Ph.D, the degree of assistant professor and the title of full professor. She has been invited as visiting professor to the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, St. Louis University (USA), Institut de Physique du Globe, Universit Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg (France), Institut fr Allgemeine und Angewandte Geophysik, Ludwig-Maximilian Universitt, Mnchen, Germany and Gosciences-Rennes, Universit de Rennes 1 (France).
Main topics of her research are paleomagnetism of Paleozoic rocks from Spitsbergen, Sudetes (Poland), France, Ukraine and Slovakia, rock-magnetic study, especially magnetic anisotropy and influence of stress on magnetization of rocks and recently, environmental magnetism.
Prof. Jelenska won Awards of the Scientific Secretary of Polish Academy of Sciences in 1979, 1980 and 1987, Medal of 40th Anniversary of RP in 1984 and Golden Cross of RP in 1990.
She has been Scientific Secretary of the Committee of Geophysics of Polish Academy of Sciences since 1990.