Suwałki Lakeland—Best Example of Lowland Glacial Geomorphology in Poland

The landscape of Suwałki Lakeland in NE Poland was created during the last, Weichselian glaciationGlaciationWeichselian (Vistulian). After the last ice sheetIce sheet melted, a wealth of glacial landforms remained. These are both terminal morainesMoraineterminal, reflecting the position of the ice-sheet margin, and landforms from areal deglaciationDeglaciation. Long and deep tunnel valleysTunnel valley are common. The deepest reaches of these tunnel valleys are occupied by lakes, including the Hańcza Lake, which is the deepest lake in Poland and in the Central European lowlands. Tunnel valleysTunnel valley are related to the activity of subglacialSubglacial meltwatersMeltwater and within the Masurian ice lobe they are generally oriented from the NW to the SE, while those within the Lithuanian ice lobe run almost meridionally or from the NE to the SW. The depressions of complex origin are the Szeszupa and Wigry basins. The mosaic of small and large landforms with significant elevations creates an extremely varied relief, unique among other Polish lakelands.