Geographia Polonica (2023) vol. 96, iss. 1

Contemporary degradation of steep rock slopes in the periglacial zone of the Tatra Mts., Poland

Bogdan Gądek, Joanna Kajdas, Klaudia Krawiec

Geographia Polonica (2023) vol. 96, iss. 1, pp. 53-67 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0245

This study presents the results of the first large-area monitoring of steep slopes in the Tatra Mountains. In the research, we used terrestrial laser scanning methods and GIS tools. We also performed crack density measurements. The results obtained demonstrate that the rate of change of slopes under the influence of weathering and rockfall processes is very variable both in time and space. The rate of retreat of 4 steep adjacent granitoid slopes over the same period ranged from 0.00013 ma-1 to 0.004 ma-1. The spatial variation in the numberand size of cavities was related primarily to the cracks density.

Keywords: granitoid slopes, rockfall, climate change impact, terrestrial laser scanning, Tatra Mts.

Bogdan Gądek [bogdan.gadek@us.edu.pl], Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice ul. Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec: Poland
Joanna Kajdas [kajdasj@gmail.com], Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice ul. Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec: Poland
Klaudia Krawiec [klaudia.gergont@laser-3d.pl], Laser-3D al. Sosnowa 4, 30-224 Kraków: Poland