The Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of the Ciprnik Complex Landslide, Tamar Valley, Julian Alps, Slovenia

Mass movements represent important processes that shape relief in Alpine areas. In this article, we present the spatio-temporal dynamics of the Ciprnik landslide (Julian Alps, NW Slovenia) and interpret its triggering and evolution. In the study area, mass movement activity is characterised by two phases: normal deposition on the fluvial fans that dominated up to 2000, and a more active phase related to the triggering of the Ciprnik complex landslide and formation of an additional debris-flow fan. The Ciprnik landslide started as a translational movement over the discontinuity plane that was mobilised into a debris-flow. The triggering and slope failure resulted from a combination of tectonics (i.e. dip-slope position of the strata, and strong fracturing), lithology (alternation of thin beds of carbonates and fine-grained clastics), and accumulation of precipitation. The debris-flow fan remains active and interfingers with adjacent active fluvial fans.

Reconstruction of Late Quaternary Neotectonic Movements and Fluvial Activity in Sikkimese-Bhutanese Himalayan Piedmont

In the part of Sikkimese-Bhutanese Himalaya the youngest Siwalik overthrust had not developed, and the piedmont zone with extensive fans forms a semicircular gulf dismembered by several faults and minor overthrusts. Some uplifted parts of older deformed alluvial fans contain the lenses of organic clays which were earlier dated at 22–34 ka BP byTo distinguish various alluvial formations and phases of tectonic activity the authors dated older levels in several localities by OSL method as well as investigated soil profiles. Most mature soils over elevated blocks built of coarse alluvia were dated between 50 and 60 ka BP. Probably the previous

Climatic Fluctuations Reflected in Slope and Fluvial Systems of Polish Carpathians and their Foreland During Upper Quaternary

On continents, besides lake and bogs, we observe non-continuous sedimentation where particular layers or whole members represent time intervals of various lengths separated by breaks of different origin. Both, fluvial and slope sediments or forms carry climatic signal. By analyzing sources of sediments, factors of transfer, duration of deposition we reconstruct climatic changes (mainly temperature, precipitations and circulation of water). We order the collected records after age and tracing longitudinal profiles of slopes and river valleys. The slopes and valley floors inform us about spatial differentiation of extreme climatic-hydrological events and on their reflection in degradation or aggradation. All this information sums up the records collected in various projects or commissions like IGCP-158 and GLOCOPH (Starkel ed. 1982–1996; Starkel et al. 2007), Climatostratigraphy of the Holocene of Polish territory (Starkel et al. 2013) as well INTIMATE (Starkel et al. 2015; Gębica et al. 2015). It may be concluded that fluctuations in temperature combined with expansion of permafrost were the leading factors in transformation of landscape of analyzed area of Southern Poland during last cold stage, which is in contrary to the Holocene, when variations in humidity especially in frequency of extreme events played a leading role. The continental records very well express the role of transitional phases.

Application of Ground Penetrating Radar to Identification of Thickness and Structure of Sediments in Postglacial Lakes, Illustrated with an Example of the Mały Staw Lake (The Karkonosze Mountains)

This paper has been aimed at demonstrating the applicability of the ground penetrating radar to acquiring basic information on lake sediments and geomorphological conditions of their deposition in the basin of Mały Staw lake. The lake area is one of the most comprehensively studied part of the Polish part of the Karkonosze Mountains. The application of radar soundings enabled a fast and environmentally friendly verification as well as updating the results of previous research on the thickness and structure of the sediments of this glacial lake. Mały Staw lake is formed at the postglacial depression in the granite bedrock. The bottom of the lake is composed of limnic deposits of the maximum thickness reaching up to 15 m. The postglacial formations occurring below them probably contain a buried moraine of the youngest recessional phase. Solid rock is located about 25 meters beneath the current bottom of the lake.

Morphological and Morphometrical Analyses Reveal the Avalanche Influence over the Talus Cones in the Rybi Potok Valley, Tatra Mountains

Intense physical weathering engenders formation of scree cones at the foot of slopes dissected by couloirs. Combination of several geomorphic processes operating within the slope results in formation of cones of a polygenetic character (talus-alluvial cones, rockfall talus cones, or – in particular cases, talus-alluvial-avalanche cones). This study was aimed at determination of morphometric parameters characteristic for particular morphogenetic types of the cones in the Rybi Potok Valley in the High Tatra Mountains. For the purpose of the research, knowledge about the terrain and available cartographic materials (geological, geomorphological and topographical maps, LiDAR data) were employed. In the studied valley, 24 cones were selected and for each of them, morphogenetic types and morphometric parameters (surface, minimal and maximal height, roughness coefficient, Topographic Position Index) were determined. The correlations between different parameters enabled establishment and determination of the combination of morphometric parameters typical for the particular types of the cones. The impact of snow avalanches on one of the cones (at the mouth of Żleb Żandarmerii) was identified. This cone has morphometric parameters dissimilar to those of the other cones in the studied valley. It is the only cone in the valley which was classified as the avalanche cone.

Are There Any Active Rock Glaciers in the Tatra Mountains?

Research on rock glaciers have been conducted in the Tatra Mountains for about 100 years. About 30 years ago, there were papers suggesting that part of the Tatra rock glaciers was formed during the Little Ice Age. About 20 years ago, permafrost was discovered in the mountains. This discovery marked the beginning of research on the activity of rock glaciers. Ten years ago, a study was carried out on the rock glacier near the Velké Hincovo Pleso lake, which excluded any activity of this glacier in the last few hundred years, despite the high probability of the existence of permafrost in it. The following paper presents the results of lichenometric dating conducted for the activity of rock glaciers in the Świstówka Roztocka and the Buczynowa valleys.

Biogenic Imprint on Hillslopes in the Sudety Mts. — Origin and Consequences of the Tree Uprooting Process

The main subject of this article is the tree uprooting process and its effects on forested hillslopes in the Sudety Mts. The research has been carried out between 2010 and 2012 in the Karkonosze National Park (KNP), Stołowe Mountains National Park (SMNP) and Suche Mts. The methods included: detailed geomorphological mapping and measurements of root plates of recently fallen trees and relict treethrow mounds and pits (called pit-and-mound microtopography), their qualitative description and measurements of diameter at breast height (dbh) of uprooted tree trunks.The mean root plate volume was 0.3-1.4 mIt has been shown that tree uprooting can contribute to the evolution of regolith and soils and it is an important factor of their disturbances. This reflects results from other sites in the World. However, in the Sudety Mts. the significance of tree uprooting has been validated only locally and it is suggested that its importance decreases proportionally to the area under consideration. Here, biogenic transport is limited to treethrow pits on gentle hillslopes but can be much more effective at steeper sites.

The Quaternary Transformation of Older Inherited Mountain Landscapes

The Quaternary transformation of the inherited mountain relief was controlled by three factors: cyclic climatic changes, resistance of the substratum and neotectonic uplift. Cyclic climatic fluctuations in the majority of European mountains were reflected in the alternation of interglacial and cold stages, the former characterized by a dominance of forest and chemical weathering, the latter by permafrost, solifluction, wind activity and, at higher elevations, by glacier advances. The transitional phases played an important role as periods of re-establishment of water circulation and transfer of regolith and sediment, formed during the previous cold or interglacial stage. The rates of degradation of inherited planation surfaces and slopes depend on bedrock resistance. In the case of less resistant flysch deposits, degradation during a single (last) cold stage reached 10 metres. Therefore, the higher planation levels may have been either better preserved on more resistant bedrock or even emphasized by cryoplanation processes. The lowest piedmont developed on less resistant beds was lowered to 50 m. In the young mountains, the Quaternary uplift may have played an additional role. In the case of uplift reaching or exceeding several hundred metres, the former fluvial forms were shifted to the cryonival or even nival (glacial) vertical zone where they became entirely transformed.

Changes of the Morphology of the Ropa River — Upstream and Downstream of the Klimkowka Water Reservoir

The paper outlines changes in the channel morphology of the Ropa riverbed over the last six years, taking into account the role of large floods and the Klimkówka water reservoir in shaping the morphology of the riverbed. The analysis was based on annual geodetic measurements of the Ropa riverbed conducted between 2009-2014. The research was carried out in four cross profiles of the riverbed located upstream (1 profile) and downstream (3 profiles) of the reservoir. In order to recognise the direction and scale of morphology changes of the riverbed, additional analyses of water levels in the Ropa River was performed in the analysed multiannual period. The conducted analysis led to the conclusion that floods with extremely large discharges are the key factor causing the deepening of the riverbed downstream from the reservoir. It can be up to about 70 cm deep during a single event. The reservoir is just one additional factor of many which shape the direction and scale of changes to the riverbed. A significant role in modifying the riverbed morphology upstream from the reservoir is played by river control works, which diminish the effects of sediment accumulation occurring on this section.

Late Cenozoic Tectonic Activity of the Śnieżnik Massif Area (Sudetes, Sw Poland)in the Light of Lidar Dem Morphometric Analysis

AbstractŚnieżnik Massif represents a prominent morphological feature in the East Sudetes, which is bounded by a system of faults controlling its differential uplift. Vertical movements originated at least during the Oligocene times, with culmination phase in Pliocene times, whereas estimated total uplift was in the range of 500-1000 meters. This study presents a qualitative (geomorphometric) and quantitative (morphotectonic) approach that combines Late Cenozoic tectonic uplift model with landscape evolution theories. Application of basin asymmetry factor (AF) and hypsometric integral (Hi) analyses allowed recognizing a NW trending tilted fault blocks. They originated as a result of Palaeogene planation surface braking and differential uplift. Uplift and later fault-block tilting in the Śnieżnik Massif morphotectonic unit, were generally realized along NE-SW striking Wilkanow fault to the west and WNW-ESE striking southern fault zone, as expressed here e.g. by Potoczek-Branna, Herˇmranice and Pisary faults.