The aim of the paper is to reconstruct differences between the paleotopography and contemporary topography of the historic centre of Krakow city, Poland, during the last millennium. The paleotopography was reconstructed using published contour-line maps based on archaeological and geoengineering investigations and showing the roof of in situ fossil soil. The preliminary contour-line map represented a digital elevation model (DEM) base map. A DEM from aerial laser scanning (ALS DEM) shows the contemporary topography of Krakow city centre. The application of selected morphometric indices makes it possible to quantitatively describe changes in the spatial dimension with regard to altitude, relative heights, slope, and aspect classes. The analysis of the changes in the values of the elements of topography studied shows that, at the scale of the whole study area, a trend to flattening occurs, however this trend is locally balanced or overridden by an increase of surface unevenness.

The paper concerns investigations on urban geomorphology. The subject of the paper is the historic centre of Kraków (or Cracow) where the pre-human relief became masked due to the rapid increase in cultural deposits from the mid-13th century onwards. The aim of the investigation is the reconstruction of the original topography, relief and hydrography of this area based on rich sources of materials in papers and non-published data on geology, geoengineering, archaeology, history, and also on maps and panoramic drawings of the town. A digital elevation model has been generated, which showed the topography of the study area in the period before the mid-13th century. Structural analysis, cross validation test and estimation by ordinary kriging method were carried out. The final cartographic work was prepared with the use of QGIS and Surfer software. The distribution of landforms in the study area in the mid-13th century is presented as a proposed variant of the geomorphological map prepared by the authors. The former relief was evaluated in terms of its potential for encouraging settlement.

Open pit mining leads to irreversible changes in topographical relief, which makes a return to the original morphology virtually impossible. This is important for quarries that were part of former mining areas. This research presents an innovative approach to the reconstruction of the relief of anthropogenically transformed land on the example of Liban Quarry in Cracow, where operations began before 1873 to 1986. The basis for the reconstructed area was a Topographic Map of Poland with a scale 1:10,000 from 1997, from which a set of data was obtained to perform spatial analyses. The estimation was conducted using the ordinary kriging method, enabling a reconstruction of the morphology of the studied area and presenting it in the form of a hypsometric map and a digital elevation model. The correctness of the modelling was verified by cross-validation and a kriging standard deviation map (SDOK). These revealed low values of estimation errors in the places without contour lines on the base map. The comparison of the obtained maps and model with a Tactical Map of Poland with a scale 1:100,000 from 1934 indicated great similarities. The highest interpolation error value was recorded in the part of the pit where the difference between the actual and reconstructed elevation was about 30 m on average. In the exploited part, the SDOK did not exceed 0.52 m, and in the entire studied area, it reached a maximum of 0.56 m. The proposed approach fulfilled the assumptions of reconstruction, as the analysis revealed elements matching the historic relief in both forms of presentation of the topography of the quarry, on the obtained hypsometric map and on the tactical map. Our study is among the very few in the world concerning the application of geostatistics in the restoration of the relief of land transformed by open pit mining activities.

Based on the analysis and interpretation of maps, remote sensing data published in the literature, and environmental reconnaissance, this article discusses environmental transformations in the Wojkowice area in southern Poland (up to the year 2020). A comprehensive analysis was carried out concerning spatial development, mining activity, hydrogeological conditions and the biotic environment. The current state of the hydrogeological conditions was also characterized. Mining activity in the vicinity of the studied town caused significant changes in its relief, which contributed to its area dropping by about 5 m. In fact, these terrain forms are overgrown by various forms of vegetation that colonized these areas both naturally and as a result of forest reclamation. The contemporary vegetation of Wojkowice differs from the potential natural vegetation, which is an indicator of the complete anthropogenization of the natural environment. Over 100 years of industrial activity in Wojkowice has also contributed to a strong transformation of the groundwater. There has been a quantitative depletion of usable groundwater in the Triassic and Carboniferous formations. With inflows to the ore mines of up to 17 m3/min, the groundwater table has dropped by more than 60 m. The aquifer of Muschelkalk has been practically drained. At present, wells extract the waters from the Röth aquifer. There has been a major transformation of groundwater chemistry. The waters of the Triassic carbonate complex are anthropogenically transformated and are characterized by increased mineralization, multi-ionic types and usually with a quality class III and IV, and, therefore, they require some treatment.

It shows the outline of the geological structure and history of quarrying, while the current topography and dominant elements of the relief of this object are discussed in more detail. Anthropogenic changes in the natural environment of the quarry have revealed its geodiversity and enhanced its biodiversity. It contains vertical rocky walls, debris cones, waste-heaps, a vast undulated surface of the quarry bottom, as well as diverse flora and fauna. Within the borders of the Liban quarry, the remains of industrial buildings and the staging for the film entitled "Schindler's List" have survived. Despite the fact that the extraction has already finished a long time ago, the quarry has not been systematically reclaimed or developed.