Internal Structure of a relict rock glacier, Ślęża Massif, Southwest Poland

Abstract

The sediments of a large accumulation landform, interpreted as one of six Pleistocene rock glaciers occurring in the Ślęża Massif, southwest Poland, are described. The sediments have been subject to strong compression and the main deformation mechanism is that of shearing. The similar angle of shear in sediments of extremely different lithology is inferred from the geometry of failure surfaces and indicates that ice was necessary for the debris transport. Because the geomorphological setting excludes a glacigenic origin, the sediments are interpreted to result from the creep of permafrost, i.e. the landform is a relict rock glacier. The movement of the rock glacier, at least in its terminal stage, is associated with a dense pattern of shear planes and would have occurred even in the presence of a small amount of interstitial ice. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impact of relict rock glaciers on spring and stream flow of alpine watersheds: Examples of the Niedere Tauern Range, Eastern Alps (Austria)

“…Recently Krainer et al (2015) investigated two drill cores of an active rock glacier in the Italian Alps which showed sequences of ice rich and unfrozen layers and also indicating a layering due to grain size variations. Recent investigations at a relict rock glacier (SRG, the rock glacier studied herein) in the Austrian Alps (Winkler et al, 2016b) also indicate a layered structure with coarse grained upper layer(s) and a fine grained bottom layer confirming first observations at a relict rock glacier in Poland (Zurawek, 2002(Zurawek, , 2003. As such, the main feature of the internal structure of a rock glacier seems to be its layering differentiating relict rock glaciers from talus and moraines.…”

Cosmogenic 10Be dating of a sackung and its faulted rock glaciers, in the Alps of Savoy (France)

“…5) that represent shear zones formed during their large displacement (e.g. Zurawek, 2002). The dating of these successive rock glaciers can show if they formed during a same or different cold periods.…”

“…These block accumulations, with their characteristic flow lobes and ridges, generally result from the cryogenic movement of the screes (e.g. Todisco et al, 2000;Zurawek, 2002). In the western Alps, in the absence of age determination, relict rock glaciers are considered as formed during a late-glacial cold period: the Oldest Dryas, the Younger Dryas or the Subboreal episodes (e.g.…”

Investigating groundwater flow components in an Alpine relict rock glacier (Austria) using a numerical model

“…Yet, this would suggest a matrix hydraulic conductivity of about 10 −4 -10 −5 m/s, which is in discrepancy with the geophysical investigations, suggesting coarse-grained sediments based on seismic velocities. Moreover, fine-grained sediments, for instance from the development, evolution, and movement of the rock glacier itself, are likely to exist as a potential source of low conductive zones (e.g., Zurawek 2002;Hausmann et al 2012).…”