Geochemical atlas of the Medvednica Mt.: natural distribution of geochemical elements in stream sediments

The sample catchment basin approach applying the active stream sediment as a sampling medium is a frequently used cartographic technique for mapping geochemical data. It is particularly useful in mountainous areas with developed drainage network where each individual catchment basin can be assumed to represent an elementary map unit. Stream sediments have been widely used during the last two decades as an alternative sampling medium (vs. soils and overbank sediments) for regional geochemical exploration, mineral exploration, and geochemical mapping as well as for fingerprinting purposes and provenance studies. In this study, uninhabited slopes of the Medvednica Mt. in the close vicinity of the Croatian capital Zagreb, including the whole Medvednica Nature Park, have been selected as an appropriate geochemical environment for evaluation of geochemical baselines at the local and regional scale. The single-element geochemical maps representing the spatial distribution of 21 elements (As, Ba, Ca, Co, Cu, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sc, Sr, Th, Ti, V, Y, and Zn) reflect both natural and anthropogenic impact on the environment at the contact of urban and natural landscapes.