The soil geochemistry was studied in the area of Atalanti, Greece, an area characterized by presence ofmafic and
ultramafic rock members of an ophiolite complex. The objectives of the study were to evaluate their impact on
soil chemistry and to establish the geochemical baseline of soil with respect to elements derived from the
ophiolite rocks. A total of 118 agricultural soil samples were collected and found to be enriched in Ca (7.6%),
Co (31 mg/kg), Cr (230 mg/kg), Cu (37 mg/kg), Mg (2.9%) and Ni (330 mg/kg) relative to the median values of
both European and Greek soils. Soil baseline concentrations of the ophiolite derived elements (Cr, Ni, Co) were
estimated within two sub-areas and the variation in their concentration was assessed along two toposequences
characterized by different intensities of weathering of parent rock. Differences in groundwater chemistry were
also demonstrated for the aquifers developing within the two subareas. The results of this study can be utilized
in future studies on serpentine soil in temperate climate by providing an objective basis for setting realistic
threshold values for pollution assessment and remediation. Schlüsselwörter: Ni-Kontamination; Cr-Kontamination; Verwitterung; Geochemische Kartierung; Serpentinischer landwirtschaftlicher Boden Keywords: Ni-contamination, Cr-contamination, Weathering, Geochemical mapping, Serpentine agricultural soil
