Mineralogia regionalna, Karpaty / Regional mineralogy, Carpathians

Wydawnictwo / Publishing House "Granit"
Prague 2002
480 str./pp.
ISBN 80-7296-014-8
Po angielsku / In English

A very interesting book prepared by six authors from six countries: Milan Novák from Czech Republic, Sándor Szakáll from Hungary, Ewa Koszowska from Poland, Georghe Udubasa from Romania, Rudolf Duda from Slovakia and Viktor Kvasnytsya from Ukraine. The areas, characterised in mineralogical sense in this book, are not limited only to the Carpathians themselves, but include the neighbouring and geologically related terrains like Forecarpathians in Poland and Ukraine etc. After Introduction, the book presents the list of the mineral species first discovered in the Carpathians and a brief seven-lingual vocabulary of the common geographical terms being parts of the geographical names. Next, the structural and metallogenic outlook of the Carpathians is given with characteristic of the genetic types of mineral occurrences. After this part, the description of the Carpathian mineralogical regions in the six countries is given (for Ukraine by Orest Matkovski).

Afterwards, there is the main section of the book, comprising the descriptions of the minerals found in the Carpathians. This section is divided into parts containing characteristics of native elements, sulphides, halides, oxides and hydroxides, carbonates and nitrates, borates, sulphates, phosphates, vanadates etc., silicates and organic minerals. Within these parts the minerals are arranged alphabetically by names, within each name file the occurrences and descriptions are given by country. The mineral descriptions are illustrated by numerous and good colour photographs. Drawings of the mineral habits are placed in the separate chapter closing the mineralogical part of the book, what makes a distinct inconvenience for the reader - it would be better to have them together with the descriptions of the respective minerals. Last chapter contains informations on the mineralogical museums (or those displaying the collections of minerals), in which the specimens from the Carpathians may be found in abundance. The book is supplied with extensive references, index of the minerals and another index of localities. The quality of print is very good and the editorial work very thorough. This book is really a valuable item for all mineral collectors and mineralogists.

I regret to feel in duty, in completion of the above characteristic, to make some remarks concerning the Polish contribution to the book. Although the Polish co-author made a significant effort to prepare the appropriate entries, her contribution could be easily improved. The illustrations in the chapter concerning Polish part of the Carpathians and Forecarpathians consist of one not interesting rather ugly photo of an open pit (Machów sulphur mine not "Tarnobrzeg" mine, I presume) and three pictures of the underground workings from Wieliczka salt mine. Two of the latter pictures are reproductions of the 18th century issues and one is from 1920s. I think that it would be reasonable to replace one of them by a good photo taken recently, and to make a search for a good picture of the sulphur mine. (In the same chapter we read The Pieniny Klippent Belt).
A quick review of the detailed mineralogical part showed e.g. that the dawsonite description (p. 239) omits its occurrence in Poland, moreover the most famous Carpathian quartz variety, so-called Marmarosh diamond, is not illustrated at all. Perovskite from the Polish part of the Carpathians is mentioned, but not illustrated as well.
Another remark concerns the Ukrainian salt deposits in the eastern Forecarpathians: the quoted references disregarded completely the pre-war Polish mineralogical publications describing this area (e.g. by A. Łaszkiewicz). The list of references to the Ukrainian part is rather short and would be extended by several items, what could be suggested to the Ukrainian colleagues. If not, these items could be included to the discussion of the Polish salt deposits of the Forecarpathians. Now, these important and historically significant publications are lost in the otherwise good book.

Left: dawsonite from Jawor Mt. close to Jablonka Brook near Wetlina, Polish Carpathians; right: 5 mm long Marmarosh diamond i.e. quartz crystal, here superficially coloured by goethite, coming from flysch, the same area; both photos: M. Mlynarczyk 1996.

Perovskite twinned according to {101}, Międzyrzecze sill of glimmerite, thin section; R. Wlodyka, L. Karwowski 2000.