Some problems concerning slope development in the Sudetes

Abstract

Studies of the slopes of the Sudetes and the island mountains of the Sudetic Foreland indicate that convex–concave forms predominate in this region. These landforms were shaped during the Tertiary and have since undergone only minor modification. The evolution of the slopes is primarily controlled by the lithological resistance of the rocks, whereas denudational processes exert a comparatively smaller influence. During the Pleistocene, periglacial surface processes prevailed, leading to the smoothing and planation of slopes. The slope covers, originating from the last glaciation, display a tripartite structure consisting of layers formed by downwash, solifluction and wind-action. Granite tors occurring on the slopes document the ongoing disintegration and rejuvenation of the slopes upward, associated with the upward shift of the zone of greatest geomorphic activity.