Relict rock glaciers in the Central European Mid-Mountains. State of the art
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26485/BP/1999/38/15Keywords:
Relict rock glaciers, ground ice, periglacial, Central European Mid-MountainsAbstract
Landforms in Central European Mid-Mountains, which already have been defined as relict rock glaciers or, at least, have been suggested to be ones, have been revisited. Following locations have been taken into account: Mt. Meiβner (Germany), Karkonosze Mts. (Czech Republic and Poland), Hrubý Jeseník Mts. (Czech Republic), Ślęża Massif (Poland) and Bernese Jura.
All these landforms have been examined for their morphological and, where possible, sedimentological features, which were defined by BARSCH (1996b) as diagnostic for relict rock glaciers. The comparison shows that none of these landforms fulfils all the criteria required and that there is no single geomorphic characteristic common to all of them. However, they undoubtedly have developed due to slow downslope movement of regolith. The basic question about the role of interstitial ice in their evolution cannot be answered definitively in the light of available sedimentological data. On the contrary, micromorphology and dimensions, as well as their geomorphological context do show that most of them required interstitial ice to form and hence, may indeed be called rock glaciers.
According to morphology and inferred origin the landforms can be classified into four groups: (1) tongue-shaped rock glaciers, showing relatively distinct morphology that resembles relief of active rock glaciers, (2) embryonic, lobate talus rock glaciers, (3) features, which have possibly developed due to deformation of ice accumulated between blocks and hence, can be called rock glaciers, but do not show any distinct relief; they resemble the "kurum-glaciers" known from Siberia and (4) other landforms, which could be called rock glaciers only if their structure would confirm importance of interstitial ice in their development.
All the features occur on slopes efficiently remodelled by periglacial processes as testified by distinct microrelief of block covers, or tors or cryoplanation terraces, and have either talus or scree as a source of debris. In most cases the landforms have developed on slopes built of massive igneous or metamorphic rock and only embryonic talus rock glaciers in Jura developed from limestone debris. Rock glacier shape and, in places, locations have been controlled by local topography.
Because of lack of quantitative dating, the age of relict rock glaciers cannot be precisely defined; however, most of them seem to have developed during cold phase (phases?) of last glaciation.
References
Abrož, V., 1942 - Periglaciální zjevy u Jevan (Periglacial phenomena by Jevany, Bohemia). Zprávy Geologického ústavu pro Čechy a Moravu, 18; p. 219-230.
Badura, J., Przybylski B., 1998 - Zasięgi lądolodów plejstoceńskich i deglacjacja obszaru między Sudetami a Wałem Śląskim (Extent of the Pleistocene ice sheets and deglaciation between the Sudeten and the Silesian Rampart. Abstract in English). Biul. Państw. Inst, Geol., 385; p. 9-28.
Baraniecki, L., 1951 - Gołoborza Ostrzycy i Sobótki (Blockfields of Mt. Ostrzyca and Mt. Ślęża). Czas. Geogr., 20/21; p. 439-440 ( in Polish only).
Barsch, D., 1969 - Studien zur Geomorphogenese des zentralen Berner Juras. Basler Beiträge zur Geographie, 9; 221 pp.
Barsch, D., 1983 - Blockgletscher-Studien, Zusammenfassung und offene Probleme. In: Poser, H., Schunke, E., (eds.): Mesoformen des Reliefs im heutigen Periglazialraum. Bericht über ein Symposium. Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen, Mathematisch-Physikalische Klasse, Dritte Folge, 35; p. 133-150.
Barsch, D., 1987 - Rock glaciers: an approach to their systematics. In: Giardino, J. R., Schroder, J. F., Vitek, J. D., (eds.), Rock glaciers. Allen & Unwin; p. 41-44.
Barsch, D., 1993a - Periglacial geomorphology in the 21st century. Geomorphology, 7; p. 141-163.
Barsch, D., 1993b - Schneehaldemoränen (Protalus Ramparts). Ein falsches Modell behindert die paläoklimatische Deutung. Würzburger Geographische Arbeiten, 87; p. 257-267.
Barsch, D., 1996a - Welche geoökologischen und klimatischen Aussagen erlauben aktive, inaktive und fossile Blockgletscher? Heidelberger Geographische Arbeiten, 100; p. 32-39.
Barsch, D., 1996b - Rockglaciers. Indicators for the Present and Farmer Geoecology in High Mountain Environments. Springer; 331 pp.
Błaś, M., 1997 - Comparison between measurements and modelling of rainfall enhancement by the seeder-feeder mechanism over Mount Ślęża. In: Acid Snow and Rain. Proceedings of International Congress of Acid Snow and Rain 1997. Nigata University 1997; p. 235-240.
Capps, S. R., 1910 - Rock glaciers in Alaska. The Journal of Geology, 18; p. 359-375.
Chaus, I., K., 1995 - Splyvy gruntov v uslovyakh vechnoï merzloty (summary: Earthflows on permafrost). Geomorfologya, 4; p. 85-91.
Chmal, H., Traczyk, A., 1993 - Plejstoceńskie lodowce gruzowe w Karkonoszach (summary: Pleistocene rock glaciers in the Karkonosze Mts.). Czasopismo Geograficzne 64, 3-4; p. 253-263.
Chmal, H., Traczyk, A., 1999 - Die Vergletscherung des Riesengebirges. Ztschr. f. Geomorph., N. F., Suppl.-Bd. 113; p. 11-17.
Corte, A., 1987 - Rock glacier taxonomy. In: Giardino, J. R., Schroder, J. F., Vitek, J. D., (eds), Rock glaciers. Allen & Unwin; p. 27-39.
Czudek, T., 1997 - Relief Moravy a Slezska v kvartéru (Zfs.: Das Relief Mährens und tschechischen Schlesiens im Quartär). SURSUM, Tišnov; 213 pp.
Fencl, J., Svatoš, A., 1962 - Kamenné proudy v údolí Bystřice u Domašova na Morave (Zfs.: Die Blockstrome im Bystřice-Tal bei Domašov in Mähren). Anthropozoikum, 10 (1960); p. 75-86.
Fencl, J., Svatoš, A., 1962 - Soliflukční kamenný proud na Dlouhém vrchu u Zlutic (Zfs.: Fossiler Blockstrom am Berg Dlouhý bei Zlutice). Antropozoikum, A, 5; p. 77-92.
Finckh, L., 1928 - Erläuterungen zur Geologischen Karte von Preußen und benachbarten deutschen Ländern, Lieferung 210, Blatt Zobten. Preußische Geologische Landesanstalt; 95 pp.
Haeberli, W., 1983 - Permafrost-glacier relationships in the Swiss Alps - today and in the past. In: Permafrost, Fourth International Conference, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., Washington; p. 415-420.
Haeberli, W., 1985 - Creep of mountain permafrost : Internal structure and flow of Alpine rock glaciers. Mitteilungen der Versuchsanstalt für Wasserbau, Hydrologie und Glaziologie, 77; 142 pp.
Harris, S. A., Cheng, G., Zhao, X., Yongquin, D., 1998 - Nature and dynamics of an active block stream, Kunlun Pass, Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China. Geografiska Annaler, 80 A (2); p. 123-133.
Högbom, B., 1914 - Über die geologische Bedeutung des Frostes. Bull. Geol. Inst. Univ. of Upsala, 12; p. 257-390.
Horwath, B., J., 1981 - Jęzory gruzowe Ślęży na Dolnym Śląsku (summary: The debris lobes of Ślęża Mtn., Lower Silesia). Czas. Geogr., 52; p. 447-456.
Humlum, O., 1996 - Origin of Rock Glaciers: Observations from Mellemfjord, Disko Island, Central West Greenland. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 7; p. 361-380.
Humlum, O., 1998a - The Climatic Significance of Rock Glaciers. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 9; p. 375-395.
Humlum, O., 1998b - Rock glaciers on the Faeroe Islands, the North Atlantic. Journal of Quaternary Science, 13; p. 293-307.
Karásek, J., 1977 - Solifluktionsblockströme am Babi lom bei Brno (ČSSR). Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen, 4/1977; p. 269-273. ·
Kerschner, H., 1985 - Quantitative paleoclimatic inferences from lateglacial snowline, timberline and rock glacier data, Tyrolean Alps, Austria. Ztschr. f. Gletscherkunde und Glaziologie, 21 p. 363-369.
Łoziński, W., 1911 - Die periglaziale Fazies der mechanischen Verwitterung. Naturwissenschaftliche Wochenschrift, 10, 41; p. 641-647.
Majerowicz, A., Pin, Ch., 1994 - The main petrological problems of the Mt. Ślęża ophiolite complex, Sudetes, Poland. Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie, 9/10; p. 989-1018.
Partsch, J., 1882 - Die Gletscher der Vorzeit in den Karpathen und den Mittelgebirgen Deutschlands. Verlag von Wilhelm Koebner; 198 pp.
Partsch, J., 1894 - Die Vergletscherung des Riesengebirges zur Eiszeit. Forschungen zur deutschen Landes-und Volkskunde, 8/2; p. 103-194.
Petránek, J., 1953 - Skalní ledovec u Malé Morávky v Hrubém Jeseníku (summary: Rock-glacier of Malá Morávka). Přírodovědecký sborník Ostravského kraje, 14,; p. 1-19.
Poser, H., 1933 - Die Oberflächengestaltung des Meißnergebietes. Jahrbuch der Geographischen Gesellschaft zu Hannover für 1932 und 1933; p. 121-177.
Poser, H., Brochu, M., 1954 - Zur Frage des Vorkommens pleistozäner Glazialformen am Meißner. Abhandlungen der Braunschweigischen Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft, 6; p. 113-125.
Romanovski, N. N., Tyurin, A. I.,1986 - Kurums. Biul. Peryglacjalny, 31; p. 249-259.
Romanovski, N. N., Tyurin, A. I., Sergeev, D. O., Afonskaya, L. G., Boïkov, S. A., Volkova, V. P., Volchenkov, S. Y., Zaitsev, V. N., Klimov, I. V., Lisitsyna, O. M., Solov'ev, V. P., Yavelov, A. V., 1989 - Kurumy gol'tsovogo poyasa gor (summary: Kurums of the "golets"zone of mountains). "Nauka", Sibirskoe otdelenie; 149 pp.
Roth, Z., 1944 - Skalní proudy, ledovcové kary a ledovce (Rock streams, glacial cirques and glaciers). Rozpravy II tř. České akademie, 54; p. 1-30.
Rother, K., 1965 - Ein Beitrag zum Blockmeerproblem. Ztschr. f. Geomorphologie, 9; p. 321-331.
Schott, C., 1931 - Die Blockmeere in den deutschen Mittelgebirgen. Forschungen zur deutschen Landes- und Volkskunde, 29; p. 1-78.
Schröder, H., 1992 - Aktive Blockgletscher im zentralen Teil des nördlichen Tienschan. Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen, 136; p. 109-119.
Szczepankiewicz, S., 1958 - Peryglacjalny rozwój stoków Masywu Ślęży (summary: Periglacial slope development in the Ślęża Massive) Biul. Peryglacjalny, 6; p. 81-92.
Traczyk, A., Żurawek, R., 1999 - Pleistozäne Schuttdecken und Schuttzungen im nordwestlichen Teil des Ślęża-Massivs (Polen) und ihre Entstehung unter den Bediengungen eines Dauerfrostbodens. Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen, 143; p. 131-141.
Wilschowitz, J., 1939 - Geologie des Altvatergebirges mit geologischer Karte. Troppau, Im Selbstverlag; 81 pp.
Żurawek, R., 1999a - Reliktowe lodowce skalne - nowa interpretacja form akumulacji na wschodnich i południowych stokach Ślęży (summary: Relict rock glaciers - a new interpretation of debris accumulation forms on eastern and southern slopes of Mt. Ślęża, Poland). Przegląd Geograficzny, 71; p. 77-94.
Żurawek, R., 1999b - Lithological and geomorphological controls on the development of Pleistocene rock glaciers in the European Mid-mountains: the example of the Ślęża-massif, SW Poland. In: INQUA XV International Congress, Durban, South Africa, 3-11 August 1999, Book of Abstracts, p. 204.
