Geographia Polonica (2008) vol. 81, iss. 1

The Dynamics of Recent Geomorphic Processes in the Alpine Zone of the Tatra Mountains

Juraj Hreško, Gabriel Bugár, Martin Boltižiar, František Kohút

Geographia Polonica (2008) vol. 81, iss. 1, pp. 53-66 | Full text

Abstract

The energy of high-mountain georelief is evidently transformed into intensity and rangeof impact of gravitational, water- or snow-induced processes, cryogenic processes, solifluctionand deflation. The altitude and climatic conditions of the alpine zone allow for the conservationof some relict or development of some recent processes in the periglacial environment. This paperpresents the results of direct measures of some geomorphic processes acting, or said to be active,in the alpine area of the Tatra Mountains. Measurements of debris flows and debris slides, aswell as of eolian-nivational, solifluction and ploughing boulder processes, have been conductedat 25 sites distributed across: the Jalovecká Valley in the Western Tatra Mts. of Slovakia, as wellas the source area of the Predné Meďodoly and Zadné Meďodoly Valleys in the Belianske Tatry.The results have been compared with those from previous observations.

Keywords: debris flows; debris slides; deflation; nivation; ploughing boulder; alpine zone; the Tatra Mountains; Slovakia

Juraj Hreško [jhresko@ukf.sk], Department of Ecology and Environmentalistics Faculty of Natural Sciences Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra
Gabriel Bugár [gbugar@ukf.sk], Department of Ecology and Environmentalistics Faculty of Natural Sciences Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra
Martin Boltižiar, Institute of Landscape Ecology SAS Bratislava, branch in Nitra Akademická 2, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia
František Kohút, Institute of Landscape Ecology SAS Bratislava, branch in Nitra Akademická 2, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia