Quaternary History

Studies of Quaternary deposits in Poland accelerated during the last 70 years when extensive geological mapping programme was initiated. The older Fennoscandian glaciations were generally more extensive, reaching the Carpathians and the Sudetes in the south, whereas the younger ones were less widespread. Deposits of older glaciations are scarce in southern Poland and due to long-lasting fluvial erosionErosionfluvial, denudation and loessLoess accumulation, they are only slightly reflected in the present-day landscape. The modern river pattern in Poland inherits large latitudinal reaches of ice-marginal spillwaysSpillway (ice-marginal valley, pradolina) that were the main run-off trains of meltwatersMeltwater during the glaciations. Repeated climate changes resulted in rebuilding of the landscape and transformation of sedimentary environments. In cold periods, clastic sediments, released by melting of ice sheetsIce sheet, were deposited in different environments, whereas the occurrence of permafrostPermafrost controlled the periglacialPeriglacial processes. During climate ameliorations, fluvialFluvial accumulation and soil formation processes occurred. Human-induced transformations of the landscape, vegetation and habitats in Poland were initiated in the Middle Holocene.