Geomorphology, sedimentology and origin of the glacigenic Złota Góra hills near Konin (Central Poland)

Abstract

The Złota Góra hills (Central Poland) have been variously interpreted as a kame, a sandur and as different types of moraine. Due to their morphology and internal structure, the Złota Góra hills differ, however, from typical depositional glacigenic landforms in the European lowlands. Morphologically, the Złota Góra hills consist of numerous asymmetrical and oval hills of various sizes. The deposits show a wide variety of lithofacies, which are diagnostic for debris flows, hyperconcentrated flows, sheetfloods, braided rivers, deltas and ephemeral lakes. The combination of such deposits is characteristic of an environmental setting including both an end moraine fan (debris flows, hyperconcentrated flows, sheetfloods and ephemeral lake deposits) and a sandur (braided river, sheetfloods, and delta or ephemeral lake deposits). Therefore, these hills must be interpreted as representing an end moraine/sandur massif. The hills were probably formed subaerially by meltwater in an interlobate area of the retreating Scandinavian ice sheet.