Peryglacjalny rozwój stoków północno-środkowej części Wyżyny Małopolskiej

Abstract

Evaluation of slope growth in sub-quaternary periglacial conditions has been performed on the base of the investigations of present relief and of sub-quaternary fossil relief in West-central part of Małopolska Upland, as well as upon a detailed recognition of structural conditions in Upper Cretaceous bed of calcareous-marly-siliceous rock and upon laboratory determination of their susceptibility to frost weathering. The slopes on calcareous-marly-siliceous deposits achieved convex-and-concave profiles in sub-quaternary. Slight slope inclinations are due to low resistance of bed rocks to frost weathering and to high susceptibility of the weathering products to denudation processes. The slope degradation in periglacial conditions was a selective process and it occurred faster on the slopes constituted from marly rocks. The convex-and-concave slope profiles result from an interaction of depressioning, flattening and recession trends. The slopes are of ripe profile, their Holocene conversion has been negligible.