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Recent Debris Flows in the Tatra Mountains

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Geomorphological impacts of extreme weather

Part of the book series: Springer Geography ((SPRINGERGEOGR))

Abstract

This chapter results from the interpretation of the data collected by field studies of debris flow events including geomorphological effects, of an Ikonos satellite image from 2004, and the DEM prepared for the entire Tatra massif. Based on about 20-year-long field observations, the rainfall thresholds necessary to trigger debris flows have been identified. Such thresholds, however, vary with lithology and relief. As it is illustrated by the lack of debris flows associated with the extreme weather events in May and June of 2010 in the Tatras, there is no clear relationship between periods of high daily precipitations and the triggering of this type of mass movement. The most spectacular topographic impacts of debris flows are observed in the middle section of the vertical profile of the mountains. Debris flow activity is strongly conditioned by relief (topography and substrate properties) that resulted from Pleistocene glacial and periglacial morphogenesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geoenvironmental Research, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organisation, Polish Academy of Sciences, str. Św. Jana 22, 31-018, Cracow, Poland

    Adam Kotarba, Zofia Rączkowska & Michał Długosz

  2. Institute of Landscape Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Branch in Nitra, str. Akademická 2, 949 01, Nitra, Slovakia

    Martin Boltižiar

  3. Department of Geography and Regional Development, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Trieda A. Hlinku 1, 949 74, Nitra, Slovakia

    Martin Boltižiar

Authors
  1. Adam Kotarba
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  2. Zofia Rączkowska
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  3. Michał Długosz
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  4. Martin Boltižiar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zofia Rączkowska .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Pécs, Ifjúság útja 6, Pécs, 7624, Hungary

    Denes Loczy

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Kotarba, A., Rączkowska, Z., Długosz, M., Boltižiar, M. (2013). Recent Debris Flows in the Tatra Mountains. In: Loczy, D. (eds) Geomorphological impacts of extreme weather. Springer Geography. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6301-2_14

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