Glacial geomorphology of the Šumava / Bayerischer Wald mountains, Central Europe

Abstract

During Quaternary glacial periods, the Šumava / Bayerischer Wald mountains were subject to mountain glaciations. Recent studies have focussed mainly on the several well-developed cirques. However, the glacial geomorphology of the mountain range as a whole has not yet been mapped from digital data. Here we use high-resolution digital elevation models to identify over 300 erosional and 40 depositional landforms of glacial origin. Our study provides a map of glacial geomorphology for the whole mountain range across the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria, with an up-to-date overview of previously investigated sites and newly identified glacial features in areas that have not previously been surveyed. The results of our mapping study can further be validated by field surveys and will serve as a basis for future reconstructions of palaeoglaciation in the Šumava / Bayerischer Wald mountains.

Keywords

• mountain glaciation
• lidar dem
• šumava
• bayerischer wald
• central europe
• palaeoglaciation