Piotr Migoń

University of Wroclaw | WROC ·  Instytut Geografii i Rozwoju Regionalnego

The Central European Variscan ranges are typified by elevated plateaus, levelled water divides and slopes of moderate to low steepness, very rarely exceeding 30°. Today they are mostly located below the timberline, except for a few high-altitude massifs. This geographical and climatic setting bears on the geomorphic and sedimentary record of perigl...

Coarse clastic sedimentary successions cover approximately-one fourth of the continental surface and give rise to distinctive landforms at a variety of scales. Rock-mass strength differences between members of layered successions account for the presence of escarpments, typically capped by thick sandstone or conglomerate beds, usually also with mid...

A great number of spectacular inselbergs (burs in the Somali language) punctuates an otherwise flat landscape of a vast area in southern Somalia known as the Bur Area. These inselbergs are built mainly by granitoids, which represent two types: syn- to late kinematic and late-kinematic plutons. Their mineralogy, petrology and geochronological dating...

Geodiversity and geoheritage play an increasingly important role in the tourism industry, although visitors’ interest in natural phenomena is much older than these two, relatively modern concepts. This chapter reviews several key issues emerging at the interface of geoheritage and the needs and expectations of the tourism industry, both tourists an...

Few data are available on how soil erosion rates compare between surfaces of different ages because short-term processes often overprint the longer-term erosion signal. This study investigated the soil dynamics among two end-member sites, a formerly glaciated ('young', maximum glacial extent at 22–30 ka BP) and a non-glaciated ('old') area at the S...

Mt. Kamienna Góra is a plateau spur located in the north-eastern part of the Bystrzyckie Mts in the Middle Sudetes, a few kilometres south of the popular spa resort of Polanica-Zdrój. Its planar upper surface is underlain by quartz sandstone of Late Cretaceous age (Upper Turonian), whereas finer-grained rocks such as mudstones, marls and calcareous...

The Waldviertel region in the northern part of Lower Austria hosts numerous localities of granite tors which add to the diversity of landscape developed through protracted long-term deep weathering and regolith stripping. They are varied in size and shape. Castellated tors tend to occur at higher elevations, whilst bouldery tors and monolithic boul...

Dwudzielne morfologicznie skałki, z szeroką czapą spoczywającą na węższym trzonie, nazywane są skalnymi grzybami. W Polsce i na świecie rozpoznano wiele form tego typu, występujących w zróżnicowanych sytuacjach morfologicznych i różnych typach skał. W niniejszym artykule o charakterze przeglądowym podjęto próbę usystematyzowania dotychczasowej wied...

The paper presents an attempt to recognize areas of enhanced erosional dissection, based on a combined analysis of several geomorphometric variables and using four different approaches (rank-based, cold and hot spot analysis, k-means clustering of 'raw' data, and k-means clustering of local measures of spatial autocorrelation). The study area inclu...

Modern conceptual approach to geointerpretation and geoeducation emphasizes the holistic understanding of the environment and attends to linkages between various abiotic, biotic, and cultural components. In this paper, we highlight multiple relationships between Cenozoic volcanism and host sedimentary rocks, mainly sandstones of Cretaceous age, whi...

The Sudetes mountain range in SW Poland include several areas, where distinctive topography has developed upon layered sedimentary successions of Cretaceous age, with quartz sandstones supporting the most spectacular landforms. They are most diverse in the Stołowe Mountains, which are a good example of a tableland with plateau levels, escarpments a...

Relationships between geoheritage and cultural heritage are being increasingly explored and have become one of the mainstreams within studies of geoheritage and geodiversity. In this review paper, we identify the main and secondary themes at the geoheritage—cultural heritage interface and provide examples of specific topics and approaches. These th...

We review DTM-based measures that can be applied to study the main drainage divides of mountain ranges. Both measures proposed in the past and new or modified approaches are presented, in order to show an ensemble of tools and jointly discuss their information potential and problematic issues. The first group focuses on the main drainage divide (MD...

Cavernous weathering is commonly found on sandstone slopes in different environments. Either a single dominant process or polygenetic agents require to be invoked in order to interpret the development. The Yongningshan hill of the central Loess Plateau is representative of cliff dwellings in Northwest China, which is characterized by well-developed...

Slovenský raj is a dissected highland in the Inner Western Carpathians, at the border of central and east Slovakia. Geologically it is predominantly built of limestones and dolomites of Triassic age, which have supported the development of karst phenomena. Characteristic landforms include remnants of karst plateaus, with uvalas and dolines, incised...

Among sites of geomorphological interest in the tableland of the Stołowe Mountains, consisting of clastic sedimentary rocks of Late Cretaceous age, are enigmatic occurrences and clusters of sandstone boulders within plateau levels that are underlain by mudstones and marls. These boulders are allochthonous, having been derived from the quartz sandst...

Rzeźba terenu jest ważnym zasobem przyrodniczym, podlega zmianom zarówno w czasie, jak i w przestrzeni. Zmiany te dokonują się zarówno pod wpływem procesów naturalnych, jak i antropogenicznych, obejmując wszystkie sfery środowiska geograficznego, wśród których morfosfera stanowi miejsce ich działania, a także relacji z innymi sferami, w tym z antro...

Przekazujemy Państwu znacznie rozszerzoną w stosunku do pierwszego wydania syntezę Współczesne przemiany rzeźby Polski. Zawiera ona także nieobecny w pierwszym wydaniu rozdział dotyczący kotlin podkarpackich.

Przekazujemy Państwu znacznie rozszerzoną w stosunku do pierwszego wydania syntezę Współczesne przemiany rzeźby Polski. Zawiera ona także nieobecny w pierwszym wydaniu rozdział dotyczący kotlin podkarpackich.

The area of Land of Extinct Volcanoes Geopark can be divided into a mountainous (located in the Sudetes Mountains) and a fore-mountain part. Within the former are the low-altitude range of the Kaczawskie Mountains and the hilly land of the Kaczawskie Foothills. Despite their low altitude, morphology is very diverse in terms of both appearance and o...

The book is the regional atlas of the Karkonosze | Krkonoše Mountains, and in the same time Karkonoski National Park (Poland), and Krkonošský National Park (Czechia). It consists of set of thematic maps concernig geography of the highest mountain range of the Sudetes, the elements of natural environment, and their preservation, as well as populatio...

Rock properties are a crucial control of landform development. The purpose of this chapter is to examine the progress that was made in studying rock properties in general and then to discuss developments in the study of landforms in three main rock types: granite, limestone and sandstone. From the mid-1960s onwards, geomorphology witnessed an incre...

This chapter reviews major advances in studies of long-term landform evolution in the last few decades of the 20 th century. These include in particular the development of etchplanation concept that evolved into a dynamic approach linking inheritance, environmental change, contemporary processes, realization of the importance of weathering mantles...

This article explores the value of madograms to characterize the geomorphology of frontal belts of mountain ranges. Madograms are a geostatistical, variogram-related concept, allowing for the analysis of altitude variability as a function of distance. After simple idealized digital elevation models were tested to reveal characteristic madogram shap...

Vine cultivation is strongly dependent on local terrain conditions, including geology, landforms and soils. This offers an opportunity to develop interpretation and geo-education that would holistically relate wine culture to abiotic environment. Wine-related cultural landscapes inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and those UNESCO Global Ge...

Volcanic geoheritage is emphasized as the main asset and distinctive characteristic of the Land of Extinct Volcanoes Geopark in the West Sudetes (SW Poland). However, the geoheritage values of the region are not limited to the legacy of ancient volcanism but include various other elements. This paper explores the contribution of geosites that expos...

The drainage basin of the upper Nysa Szalona river in the West and Middle Sudetes shows polygenetic topography considered representative for the low-to medium-altitude mountain belt of Central Europe. It consists of mountain ridges and massifs, uplands and intramontane basins, with total relief energy up to 400 m. Geology is diverse and includes pr...

Morphometric properties of drainage basins, expressed as indices related to their shapes, altitude variability, river networks and stream profiles, are frequently used as proxy information concerning the relative intensity of uplift. Research procedures lead towards division of an area into classes of relative tectonic activity (various rates of su...

In Europe, a high soil erosion risk is modelled for the Mediterranean area such as the Iberian Peninsula (e.g., EEA, 2009), while actual field data often lacks behind. Here we present the first 239+240Pu soil erosion results (last ~60 years) in the UNESCO Geopark Estrela, Portugal. We investigated soils in a former vastly glaciated and a non-glacia...

The eastern sector of the northern escarpment of the Stołowe Mts tableland, so far almost completely neglected in geomorphological studies, includes numerous landforms which deserve closer attention. The sinuous course of the escarpment rim resembles the sector located further west, but the embayments are smaller, more elongated and lack wide amphi...

This paper explores problems associated with explanation of geoheritage at the landscape scale and argues that focus on individual geosites that show rock outcrops or small-scale landforms may not be sufficient to tell the story. The area of Orlické–Bystrzyckie Mountains Block in Central Europe lacks spectacular landforms or large rock outcrops, an...

Granite geomorphological sceneries are important components of global geoheritage, but international awareness of their significance seems insufficient. Based on existing literature, ten distinctive types of relief are identified, along with several sub-types, and an overview of medium-size and minor landforms characteristic for granite terrains is...

Weathering plays an important role in the evolution of hillslopes. It decreases strength of a rock mass and hence contributes to slope failures by fall, slide, or topple. Accelerated weathering of soft rock under hard caprock disturbs slope equilibrium and results in long-term escarpment retreat. In deeply weathered terrains, patterns of mass movem...

Ruiniform relief is a broad term that includes various rock-cut residual landforms, from individual tors and hoodoos to rock cities and regionally extensive assemblages of emergent bedrock outcrops. Ruiniform landforms are distributed across the globe, particularly within basement uplands and sedimentary tablelands. They are shaped by various proce...

Weathering processes are not confined to surface conditions. Thick weathering mantles are ubiquitous around the world and show various ages, from Mesozoic to Quaternary. Of considerable geomorphological importance is stripping of pre-weathered materials that exposes an etched surface. Etchsurfaces at different stages of evolution are present around...

Few data are available on how soil erosion rates compare between surfaces of different ages because short-term processes often overprint the longer-term erosion signal. This study investigated the soil dynamics among two end-member sites, a formerly glaciated ('young', maximum glacial extent at 22–30 ka BP) and a non-glaciated ('old') area at the S...

Distinguishing between mountain fronts of various origins is an issue of considerable scientific and practical importance. Whereas morphometry is often applied to fault-generated fronts and a range of indices has been proposed to assess their activity, comparative studies of fault-generated and fault-line escarpments seem very rare. In this paper w...

This paper provides a review of recent publications dealing with different issues of sandstone geomorphology, which was long an under-researched theme. Nevertheless, considerable advances have been made recently regarding the origin of various characteristic landforms and landscapes developed in sandstones. The structure of this review reflects the...

This paper subscribes to the concept of Key Geoheritage Area (KGA) which is currently being developed. Three localities in northeast Brazil are described as possible candidates for KGA. They represent the diversity of erosional granite landscapes found in cratonic areas. Pedra da Boca is an impressive cluster of tall domes rising from the marginal...

The city of Wałbrzych represents a geomorphic landscape, heavily modified by nearly three centuries of industrial activity, related mainly to coal mining. The key landforms due to human impact include spoil tips of various types, extensive levelled terrains, waste ponds, and railway embankments and cuts. Ground subsidence due to mining and water pu...

Areas of enhanced erosion may be considered as markers of tectonic processes as far as the signals resulting from non-tectonic controls of landform evolution can be isolated. In this study spatial distribution of strong erosional signal recorded in morphometric attributes of the land surface, longitudinal stream profiles and valley morphology is ex...

Mountain fronts may have more than one origin and not all of them are necessarily fault-controlled. Their occurrence may also reflect the presence of significant lithological boundary and result from differential erosion. In this study we apply various geomorphometric and geostatistical measures to two mountain fronts in SW Poland in order to check...

The paper explores the topic of how geomorphometric analysis of high-resolution digital elevation models can be used within a spectrum of current geomorphological research focused on sandstone areas of very complex topography. Geomorphometric approach is applied to the study of tabular hills, valley (canyon) systems and connectivity in surficial dr...

Conglomerates are widespread clastic rock, often occurring in thick successions and supporting complex geomorphological landscapes. Yet, by contrast to some other rock types, little systematic work has been done on geomorphology of conglomeratic terrains, major geographical gaps exist, and no review has been offered up to now. This paper partially...

It is commonly assumed that geomorphic evolution of tablelands, where durable caprock overlies weaker formations, proceeds via escarpment retreat which leaves residual tabular hills (mesas) in front of the receding scarps. These in turn are reduced in extent towards buttes and then pinnacles in the final stage. In this paper we use empirical eviden...

Five areas in Central Europe, each hosting abundant geological evidence of Carboniferous to Permian volcanic activity, are analysed in terms of their volcanism-related geoheritage and opportunities to develop geotourist product. One area is located in the eastern part of Germany (Geopark Porphyrland), two in northern Czechia (Bohemian Paradise, Bro...

The conservation of sites of geomorphological interest in England and Wales has a long, though sometimes mixed history, but because of a burgeoning interest in geodiversity, it has in recent years become of even greater importance. Numerous methods have been developed, especially since the Second World War, for landform protection and conservation....

The pre-Quaternary period in the geomorphological evolution of England and Wales is a paradox. It is within this time interval that the main traits of topography originated, including the configuration of highlands and lowlands, the presence of extensive surfaces of low relief and the drainage pattern. However, very little about the pre-Quaternary...

The Eastern coast of Dorset, running from Portland to Bournemouth, has some remarkable coastal features, including major mass movements behind Weymouth Beach, at Osmington Mills and White Nothe. Further east, there are two sets of landforms that illustrate the evolution of coastal scenery through time. The first location is centred on Lulworth Cove...

Brimham Rocks are the largest, most varied and arguably most scenic among sandstone natural outcrops in northern England. They are built of Millstone Grit sandstones which formed in a fluvial-deltaic environment in the Late Carboniferous and represent deposits of a braided river system. Brimham Rocks occupy the plateau surface of a local elevation...

The High Weald in south-east England hosts picturesque sandstone cliffs developed upon the Lower Cretaceous Ardingly Sandstones. Around 100 natural outcrops occur in the area, with the largest being continuous cliff lines over half a kilometre long and more than 10 m high. Cliffs typically occur in the upper parts of valley sides, at the junction w...

Sarsens are somewhat enigmatic rocks present in southern England, mainly scattered as boulders of metric dimensions across the Chalk uplands of Wiltshire and Dorset. They are remnants of mid-Cenozoic silcretes and the majority originated due to silicification of primary fluvial and lacustrine deposits, in an environment typified by low relief and g...

The Fens is a low-lying, near-coastal terrain in the eastern part of England. The Fenland topographic basin is the product of glacial and periglacial erosion during the Pleistocene, whereas in the Holocene deposition of peat, silt and clay occurred. Peat prevailed in the southern part of the Fens (Black Fens), whereas in the north the surface was u...

This paper presents the results of mapping inherited cold‐climate landforms and deposits at the Muchów Hills site in the Sudetes, Central Europe (51°N). Bedrock supporting the upper slopes is basalt, with well‐developed columnar jointing, and local relief is of the order of 100 m, whereas the middle and lower slopes are underlain by glacigenic depo...

Guide to thematic geotourist trail among picturesque sandstone rock formations (pedestal rocks, hoodoos, 'rock mushroom') in the Stołowe Mountains National Park, plus supplementary information about similar landforms elsewhere in the world, as well as sandstone and conglomerate landforms in the Sudetes Mountains

This book presents the geomorphological diversity of England and Wales. These regions are characterised by an extraordinary range of landforms and landscapes, reflecting both the occurrence of many different rock types and drastic climatic changes over the last few million years, including ice sheet expansion and decay. The book begins by providin...

A b s t r a c t. The occurrence of landforms induced by large-scale mass movements has never been reported from the SE part of the Wałbrzyskie Mts., despite detailed geological field mapping carried out twice in the 20th century. This paper provides the first description of landslide-affected slopes in this area, recognized through the combination...

Seoraksan Mountains in the Republic of Korea are presented as an area of outstanding geodiversity combining rock-controlled granite landforms, inherited cold-climate landforms and highly active contemporary geomorphological processes. Three generations of granites, ranging in age from Proterozoic to Cretaceous, are present and each of these support...

Slopes of the Kamienne Mountains, SW Poland, have been affected by a variety of slope deformations, from DSGSDs through rock slope collapses, rotational and translational landslides sensu stricto, to valley-confined earth flows. Variable geomorphic expression suggests that major slope deformation events are of different ages and some slope deformat...

In sedimentary tablelands, catastrophic mass movements are among the most significant processes responsible for escarpment retreat. While the presence of episodic rockfalls has been hypothesised to be of crucial importance for the geomorphic evolution of the Polish Stołowe Mountains, no record of such phenomena has been provided so far. In this pap...

We explore the assumption that uplift drives erosion and hence, more dissected (eroded) terrains may indicate areas subject to more intense uplift than others, especially if other factors such as elevation and geology can be demonstrated as inconsistent with the spatial pattern of dissection. Geomorphometry and statistics are employed to recognize...

Although the general concept that escarpments in layered rocks retreat through time was offered more than 150 years ago, recognizing the exact mechanisms, patterns and rates of retreat remains a challenge. In this paper, we provide the state-of-the-art of the theme of escarpment retreat, reviewing both the classic contributions, often forgotten but...

This paper reviews recent developments focused on the promotion of geoheritage in the region of Kaczawskie Mountains and Kaczawskie Foothills in the Sudetes, SW Poland. Since ancient volcanic features are of primary interest, the brand name “Land of Extinct Volcanoes” is consistently used in territorial marketing, although geoheritage values cover...

Naturtejo Geopark is the oldest among the UNESCO Global Geoparks in Portugal, which was admitted to the then Global Geopark Network in 2006. It is located in the eastern part of the country, on both sides of the Tagus River, close to the border with Spain. The highlights of regional geoheritage include spectacular granite landforms (inselbergs, tor...

Naturtejo Geopark is the oldest among the UNESCO Global Geoparks in Portugal, which was admitted to the then Global Geopark Network in 2006. It is located in the eastern part of the country, on both sides of the Tagus River, close to the border with Spain. The highlights of regional geoheritage include spectacular granite landforms (inselbergs, tor...

The Stołowe Mountains are a stepped tableland within the Sudetes range, which otherwise represents valley-and-ridge fluvio-denudational relief. Reasons for the distinctiveness of the Stołowe Mountains are lithostructural and related to the presence of a nearly flat-lying clastic sedimentary sequence, with massive sandstone beds separated by fine-gr...

The southern part of Elbsandsteingebirge in east Germany represents tableland morphology, with more than a dozen of residual tabular hills—plateaus, mesas and buttes. Their morphological diversity and close proximity to one another create an opportunity to use the ergodic principle (i.e. space-for-time substitution) as a framework for geoheritage i...

Recognition of structural connectivity is particularly challenging in terrains lacking a hierarchical fluvial system, but typified by strong bedrock control, extreme ruggedness of relief, the presence of sinks (closed depressions) as in karst, or considerably modified by anthropogenic interventions. In this paper, the issue of connectivity mapping...

The backslope of a sandstone cuesta in the Broumov Highland (Czechia) is cut by a complex network of canyons. Long sections of canyons have thick boulder fills which are difficult to reconcile with simple rock fall and talus development scenario. Boulder caves occur within these fills and their lowermost parts are drained by streams that evacuate f...

Mesas are residual landforms typical for layered rock sequences, formed due to tableland dissection and cliff retreat. Caprock cliffs are characteristic elements of mesa morphology. Mesas have finite lifetimes and over time are reduced in area, transforming into buttes and eventually into irregular arrays of boulders. Thus, they are ‘born’, when se...

South-west Poland is very diverse in terms of geology and geomorphology. Geo-heritage and geo-tourism opportunities in three specific areas are examined. The Giant Mountains are an excellent example of a once glaciated mountain range and an established tourist destination. 'Land of Extinct Volcanoes' is the name given to an upland area where remnan...

Natural disasters may be considered as opportunities to learn about the magnitude of natural processes and to better understand the role of human factors, especially exposure to risk. In this paper, we look at sites of past natural disasters from the perspective of geotourism. In a number of archeological sites from antiquity, one may see evidence...

Despite over 40 years of scientific activitiity, the recognition and understanding of ground thermal conditions in the surroundings of Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station is rather poor. To date, the only data on ground temperatures were based on seasonal observations carried out in the weather station (Kejna and Láska 1999, Kruszewski G. 200...