ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE REGIONAL GEOCHEMICAL SURVEY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF EAST-GERMANY

From 1977 to 1985 an area of 14000 km(2) of the new Federal States of Germany has been covered by a stream sediment and surface water geochemical survey. Approximately 18000 samples were collected and analysed for at least 31 trace and secondary elements. The chemistry of stream sediments is used to quantify natural geochemical baselines and anthropogenic effects. Surface water chemistry is less effective in establishing baselines because of additional factors such as modifications of the E(h)-pH conditions with varied landscape type and rainfall amounts. Environmental geochemical aspects of the surface geochemistry were an integral part of the survey planning. One of the most important factors in the geochemical landscapes - land use - was also included in the statistical evaluation of geochemical data. The classification of geochemical anomalies is used to distinguish between inputs from natural element enrichments caused by mineralization, bed-rock sources, landscape type and anthropogenic effects. Multivariate statistical methods (principal component analysis, cluster-Q-analysis) determined multielement anomalies and their extent was mapped.