Geographia Polonica (2011) vol. 84, iss. Special Issue Part 2
Geomorphic diversity of the Sudetes - effects of structure and global change superimposed
Geographia Polonica (2011) vol. 84, iss. Special Issue Part 2, pp. 93-105 | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/GPol.2011.S2.7
Abstract
The Sudetes are mountains of outstanding geomorphic diversity. Reasons reside inlithological and structural variability of bedrock and protracted history of landscape evolutionspanning at least the entire Cenozoic. Over this time span, global changes have exerted a keycontrol on the geomorphic evolution of the Sudetes. Late Cenozoic mountain building in theAlpine-Carpathian region induced differential uplift of the Sudetes and radically changed itsgeomorphic environment, from one typified by a landscape of low relief to one of increasingrelief energy and accelerated erosion. Environmental changes were equally profound but theirgeomorphic effect is less obvious, except for the widespread presence of periglacial landformsof Pleistocene age and localized occurrence of glacial cirques and moraines in the KarkonoszeMts. At the same time, rock control on the location and shape of individual landforms is evidentand large tracts of the Sudetes may be described as having structural morphology. Therefore,unequivocal recognition of relief generations in the Sudetes is problematic.
Keywords: geomorphology, geodiversity, global change, rock control, the Sudetes
[piotr.migon@uwr.edu.pl], Institute of Geography and Regional Development University of Wrocław pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław: Poland