The subject of the research was the Middle Miocene red algal limestone from the Włochy deposit, which is currently the only place of exploitation of the Pińczów Limestone representing a local type of the Leitha Limestone. The collected samples of this rock belong to the organodetric facies of diverse grain size and sorting of clastic material. Considering the proportions of characteristic skeleton remains, the composition of the coarse-grained organodetric facies is red algal-foraminiferalbryozoic, while of the fine-grained facies is foraminiferal-red algal. The cement of these rocks is predominantly sparite compared to micrite-clay matrix. A complement to petrographic studies was the chemical analysis and identification of mineral phases with X-ray diffraction. Moreover, physical and mechanical properties of samples were analyzed. Porosity of the rock was assessed in the polarizing and scanning microscope (SEM-EDS) observations, as well as with a porosimetric tests. The coarse-detrital limestone with a dominant binder in the form of intergranular cement is characterized by the apparent density sometimes exceeded 1.90 Mg/m3, while fine-grained limestone has the highest water absorbability (above 20%) and total porosity (about 40%). The above properties influenced high water absorption by capillarity, limiting the possibility of using limestone in places exposed to moisture. The observed relationship between the ultrasonic waves velocity and the uniaxial compressive strength gives the possibility of predicting the value of the latter parameter in the future. The limestones from Włochy deposit do not differ in quality from the previously used Pińczów Limestones, and their technical parameters predestine them for use as cladding material with insulating properties.

This article presents the history of mining for rock raw materials in the Cieszyn area since the beginning of the 20th century. The study assessed the possibility of continuing these activities in relation to the ongoing enlargement of conservation areas. The conflict between mining these deposits and environmental interests was described. The results of the analysis allowed for the identification of potential sites for further exploitation of Godula Sandstone and Cieszyn Limestone. The study used analog and digital data which were subjected to the procedures specific to the GIS (Geographic Information System) methods. The exploitation of Cieszyn Shale and Limestone played an important role in the first half of the 20th century. They were used for the production of lime and cement. However, the importance of these materials decreased gradually due to declining demand and quality. In later years, after the closure of the cement plant in Goleszów, limestone was used only for aggregate production. Natural aggregates and clay raw materials were initially exploited in small excavations based on local needs, and later in an organized manner with documented deposits. At present, mining of these materials has been discontinued. The centuries-old tradition of Godula Sandstone block production was maintained during the last hundred years. In the last decade, their extraction was conducted in the original quarry, as well as several new quarries. Additional resources have been documented at other locations. Because of the nature of the product, such extraction (in small quarries, without the use of blasting agents) does not significantly affect wildlife. Moreover, the locations of current and former mining operations often become tourist attractions. This is evidenced by the fact that the documentation sites are established on the basis of such excavations. Numerous objects of protection established in recent years have led to a major conflict between the exploitation of rock materials and the environment. This prevents development or even the continuation of exploitation. Therefore, in future planning processes, efforts must be made to characterize mineral deposits as a part of nature, requiring protection.

In the article there was described the current state of mines against a background of tradition of exploitation and application of rock raw materials. Active quarries were selected, where the extraction of rock blocks has been a tradition, as well as quarries where the geological structure of the deposit allows to exploit the blocks in the future. There were also assessed old quarries and their deposits where the popular stones had been extracted in the past and then used in domestic architecture as a decorative materials. That is a group of more than 230 deposits in total. It has been presented economically justified perspectives of exploitation development concerning decorative and architectural rocks in south-eastern Poland against a background of European market requirements, the state of resources and environmental limitations. It was established that they are differentiated depending on the decorative properties of the rocks, their block divisibility and quantity of resources. Taking above-mentioned into consideration the deposits have been classified to groups which have the chances of exploitation development in the European, domestic and local scale. The former are Zygmuntówka Conglomerate, Morawica Limestone, Zalesiaki Limestone and Diplopora Dolomite. The domestic scope of use can be associated with properly developed deposits of Paleozoic limestones in the vicinity of Kielce and Krzeszowice and some dimension sandstones in the margin of the Holy Cross Mountains and in the Carpathians. The small deposits of sandstones from the Holy Cross Mountains margin and from the Carpathians as well as deposits of limestones from the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, excavating material used in so called small architecture, have guarantee of local development. Moreover there was shown the hazard to the dimension stones deposits connected with the huge consumption of their resources for the production of crushed aggregates. This problem concerns especially raw materials with good physico-mechanical properties. For the most attractive rocks it was justified the need of their protection against exploitation for the other purposes than block production. It was stated that the return to local masonry traditions is possible and necessary because of many connections with the national culture through its history, architecture and art. It requires large investments for modernize the exploitation methods as well as for promotion of Polish stones in the European market. It must be also taken into consideration the possibility of financial support from the European Union funds.

A lithological profile and measurements of the orientation and spacings of natural discontinuity planes were carried out in the Górka-Mucharz sandstone excavation (Krosno Beds, Outer Carpathians, Poland). In addition, the density of the discontinuities was assessed by measuring their spacings using oriented digital photographs of the quarry walls. An orthophotomap was also used in assessing the orientation and density of fractures with the tools available in QGIS. It was shown that digital image analysis can be used as an alternative to direct field measurements, especially in situations where access to an outcrop is difficult. The distributions of spacings larger than 40 cm, obtained by direct measurements and based on digital images of the quarry, were comparable. As a consequence, both measurement techniques yielded similar values of the quantity of blocks (QB), which differed by less than 2% for the minimum block volume in the range 0.4-1.0 m3 and by 6-7% for larger blocks. On the other hand, measurements of discontinuity spacings that were taken on the basis of an orthophotomap can only serve to estimate the approximate maximum value of this parameter. However, the use of orthophotomaps gives a more explicit spatial pattern of the main vertical joint sets than direct measurements in the quarry.

The analysis results also showed the following: (i) the presence of tectonic disturbances visible at the highest level of the deposit; (ii) higher density of set A fractures with planes deepening in the NE direction and a considerable reduction of the QB parameter, particularly in the peripheral NE and SW parts of the deposit; (iii) differences in the orientation of the discontinuity system between particular beds. The variable density of the discontinuities in the excavation is related to the presence of the faults that limit the Górka-Mucharz deposit.

This paper presents data on the management of dimension stones in Poland in the period 2011– –2021. The domestic production of rocks suitable for the production of slabs, pitcher and curbs, etc. is estimated and the major varieties of rocks utilized for these purposes are indicated. Data on raw and processed products with regard to imports and exports are presented for crude and roughly worked blocks and slabs, worked dimension stones as well as pitcher, curbs and other road stones. In the first two groups, data is reported separately for:
- marbles, limestones and other carbonate rocks,
- granites,
- sandstones (distinguished as separate category in crude blocks and slabs group),
- other rocks.
Data on the volume of production, imports and exports is utilized for the calculation of the apparent consumption of dimension stone in Poland. The conducted analyses revealed that its volume has been ranging from 1.4 to 1.9 million tons/year in 2013–2021 with the exception of the years 2011–2012 when it reached ca. 2.7 million tons/year. The most important group of rocks utilized in Poland as dimension stones are granites. These originated primarily from domestic deposits but they are also imported from various directions, primarily from the Republic of South Africa and India (crude blocks and slabs), China (worked dimension stones) as well as from Sweden and Norway in 2011–2012 (significant amounts of hydrotechnical stones). A nother significant group of rocks utilized in Poland as dimension stones are sandstones (with a share of imports in total domestic consumption not exceeding 1%) while marbles, limestones and other carbonate rocks are of marginal importance (primarily imported in the form of worked dimension stones from China, the Czech Republic, Italy and Turkey).

This work is an attempt to determine the scale of threats to the mineral security of Poland in the area of non-energy raw materials resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In particular, it aims to identify those industries whose proper functioning may be threatened in the face of the limited supply of raw materials from three directions – Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. An element of the analysis was also the indication of possible alternative sources of the supply of these raw materials. For this purpose, the directions of imports to Poland of about 140 non-energy raw materials in 2011–2020 were analyzed. As a result, about thirty raw materials were selected, the supplies of which came from, among others, at least one of the three mentioned countries. To determine the raw materials for which the disruption of supplies may have the most serious impact on the functioning of the Polish economy, the following criteria were adopted: a minimum 20% share of these countries in covering the domestic demand in 2020, and a minimum value of these imports in 2020 of 20 million PLN. These threshold conditions were met by eight raw materials: iron ores and concentrates, carbon black, potash, aluminum, ferroalloys, nickel, ball clays and refractory clays, and synthetic corundum. Among these, the need to change the directions of supplies applies to the greatest extent to iron ores and concentrates, aluminum and nickel, while in the case of non-metallic raw materials, it applies most to ball clays and refractory clays and potassium salts. These are among the most important raw materials necessary for the proper functioning of the national economy, but their shortage or disruptions in the continuity of their supplies pose a real threat to the mineral security of Poland.