Geological Polar Expeditions to Spitsbergen have been organised by staff and students of the AGH University Department of Mineralogy, Petrography, and Geochemistry since 1983. Their main characteristic is always the participation of students. It is both a research and teaching activity, with trips culminating in theses, dissertations, and scientific publications. The topics covered by the field of Earth sciences range from the reconstruction of the geological evolution of the Arctic over many millions of years to contemporary processes, including those associated with glacial retreat. This allows us to better understand, for example, the phenomena occurring on the Polish lands in the periods between glaciations. Nowhere on Earth are the effects of contemporary climate change as clear as in the Arctic. Changes in this region, while improving weather conditions perceived by humans in polar regions, cause phenomena with numerous negative effects significant throughout the globe.
Professor Maciej Manecki
Employee of the Department of Mineralogy, Petrography, and Geochemistry at the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Protection at the AGH University. Graduate of the AGH University, Jagiellonian University, and Kent State University, USA. Since 1983, participant and organiser of the Geological Polar Expedition of the AGH University to Spitsbergen. He introduced state-of-the-art techniques for dating geological processes for reconstructing the geological history of the substrate of the Svalbard archipelago in the context of the evolution of the entire Arctic. He is also actively involved in research related to environmental protection, atmospheric pollution, and neutralisation of lead and arsenic contaminations in soils and waste. Apatite specialist. His current interests are mainly focused on the use of modern experimental mineralogy in industrial technologies and the methods for the recovery of critical elements.