Topography of a composite relict rock glacier, ślęża massif, sw poland

Abstract

A detailed geodetic survey and, additionally, a map of slope covers have been carried out for a composite relict rock glacier on the slopes of Mt Ślęża (718 m a.s.l.), Sudetic Foreland, SW Poland. The survey allows one to distinguish the mobilisation, transition and accumulation zones and to define geomorphic features diagnostic for relict rock glaciers such as lateral ridges standing above a central depression, steep margins of the landforms in the transition and accumulation zones, as well as absence of distinct head scarps above. Furthermore, it indicates that the present‐day hydrographic pattern on the surface of relict rock glaciers has been superimposed on the relief inherited from the active landforms. The topography indicates that tension prevailed rather than compression during the development of the rock glaciers. Some of the features, such as small lateral lobes, developed probably as a result of the compressive flow, however. The pattern of the slope cover shows that it developed during activity of the rock glaciers and been modified afterwards due to solifluction.

Key words:

• relict rock glaciers
• geodetic survey
• Mt Ślęża