Andrzej Traczyk

Use of 10 Be exposure ages and Schmidt hammer data for correlation of moraines in the Krkonoše Mountains, Poland/Czech Republic

Exposure ages and relative-age data are presented from eight sites in the Łomnica and Łomniczka valleys to provide essential information for reconstructing local glaciation chronology. A combination of 10Be exposure ages and Schmidt hammer data obtained for moraines indicate relatively short period of glacier accumulation lasting from 17.0 0.4 ka to 13.6 0.9 ka. Exposure age of 8.4 0.3 ka measured on the lowermost section of the Łomnica cirque headwall further confirms the view of glacier preservation in favourable sites until the beginning of the Holocene. A comparison of the obtained chronological data with timing of mountain glaciation in the nearby Upa Valley is used to propose the first correlative model of Late Quaternary glaciation in the eastern part of the Krkonose Mountains. The correlation implies that the lowermost preserved moraines originated during the local maximum of the last glaciation whereas recessional moraines were deposited until the Lateglacial period. A subsequent melting of glaciers terminated at the beginning of the Holocene. The implications of the model are discussed and further investigations are suggested to extend its validity to the whole mountain area.

LiDAR and 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography as a Supplement of Geomorphological Investigations in Urban Areas: a Case Study from the City of Wrocław (SW Poland)

In urbanized areas, particularly in lowland terrains and floors of large river valleys, the natural land configuration is often hard to recognize due to a long history of human activity. Accordingly, archaeological works in cities, which supply knowledge on settlement conditions, are usually accompanied by geological and geomophological research. Lately, data from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) have become a valuable source of information on urban land configuration. Geophysical methods are also becoming increasingly popular in background studies. The paper presents a method of using and linking these sources of spatial information about landforms in such areas. The main aim is to identify to what extent these complementary sources of data and the proposed method can be used in such a specific environment to reconstruct natural, buried terrain morphology. The city of Wrocław in Central Europe serves as an example. To this end geomorphometric studies were conducted with the use of digital elevation models (DEMs) based on LiDAR scanning and derivated land-surface parameters—SAGA Wetness Index, Channel Network Base Level and Altitude above Channel Network. The study also involved determining morphological edges and measurements of the meanders of the Odra, as well as expanding information on the spatial distribution of alluvia and the structure of slope breaks. To this end, geophysical measurements were conducted using the Two-Dimensional Electrical Resistivity Tomography method. Additionally, five typical sequences of man-made ground present within the perimeter of the city were distinguished. As a result, a map of the main landforms of Wrocław is presented. Finally, we argue that although high resolution DEM and derivate land-surface parameters are very useful in terrain analysis, places with thick man-made ground or strongly levelled areas must be recognized by geoarchaeological excavations or geological bore holes. The geophysical survey is useful to identify buried morphological edges and older relief elements in open areas.