Quaestiones Geographicae vol. 30 (3), 2011
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Item QUAESTIONES GEOGRAPHICAE 30(3). Contents(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011)Item Present-day changes in the morphology of the shore zone in the conditions of heavy tourist use: the case of Lake Czarne (upper Parsęta catchment)(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Cichoń, MałgorzataSo far, works on the effect of tourist use on relief have usually focused on mountain areas. Research confirms that changes in montane geoecosystems are not always a natural manifestation of landscape evolution, but often result from poorer resistance to degradation caused by heavy tourist traffic. In spite of a great number of studies concerning this problem, few address the effect of tourists on the geographical environment of lakeland areas. Hence, Lake Czarne was selected to determine the dynamics of morphogenetic changes in its shore area, especially in the scarp zone, with the help of geodetic surveys and studies of tourist capacity conducted in the years 2006–2009. On the basis of observations and the research, four stages in the evolution of the shore zone of Lake Czarne were distinguished that were correlated with specific meteorological and hydrological conditions affecting the number of recreationists on the beach.Item Analogue aerial-photographs external orientation reconstruction based on geoportal data(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Dzieszko, PiotrFor acquisition of source data for geoinformation analyses is necessary to do some field works. This way of data acquisition is time-consuming. In this case, photogrammetric and remote sensed methods can be more effective choice. Especially orthophotomap extracting is more effective process in creation of geodata. It is good foundation for further analysis and nice extension of existing geographical information systems. Despite fast growth of photogrammetry there are plenty of analogue, archival airphotos which can be used for geoinformation analysis. They are quiet up to date and scanned in very high resolution which means they can be used for really reliable analysis. The problem is very important because many of analogue, archival air photos do not contain photogrammetric warp. The aim of this paper is expression of applicability of geoportal webpage, which is part of INSPIRE directive, that can be used for external orientation reconstruction when there is no other georeference data.Item Impact of coastal inundation on ecology and agricultural land use case study in central Java, Indonesia(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Marfai, Muh ArisFocusing on the regional scale, this study provides information concerning the existing ecological problems associated with coastal inundation in the northern part of coastal area in Central Java Province, Indonesia. The objectives of this paper are to map the coastal inundation, to investigate the impact of coastal inundation on coastal environment and ecology, and to assess the impact of inundation on agricultural land use. An integration of techniques, namely neighborhood analysis, iteration operation, and superimposed analysis method has been applied to generate the digital map and to analyze the impact of inundation. Fieldwork measurement has been done using cross-profiling in order to observe the impact of inundation on the coastal ecosystem. Based on the scenario of 100 cm and 150 cm of inundation, the affected area is about 15 207.6 Ha and 16 687.31 Ha, respectively. Fishpond, dry farming and paddy field are the most affected agricultural areas due to coastal inundation.Item Geomorphological processes in channel heads initiated by groundwater outflows (the Parsęta catchment, north-western Poland)(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Mazurek, MałgorzataChannel initiation is caused by a combination of various hydrogeomorphic processes. In the humid temperate zone of the Polish Plain, in areas with permeable deposits, seepage erosion is the primary mechanism of stream channel initiation. In the 24 channel heads selected in the southern part of the Parsęta catchment (NW Poland), the zones of occurrence of the following processes were identified: (1) seepage erosion; (2) falls, dry ravel events and slides; (3) creep, solifluction, surface runoff and erosion; (4) channel processes; and (5) landforms created under the impact of plants and animals. The co-occurrence of various morphogenetic processes produces variations in the accumulation conditions, and as a result, a diversity of deposits. Channel heads morphology shows the effect of the topography of the zero-discharge catchment, the type and magnitude of groundwater outflows, the variability of the geological structure, and the possibility of material being removed from the alcoves.Item Ground Water in the City of Varanasi, India: present status and prospects(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Mohan, Kshitij; Srivastava, Ajai; Rai, Praveen KumarThe city of Varanasi is short of water. The city obtains a total of 270 million litres water from the river Ganga and tubewells. Yet every fifth citizen lacks drinking water. The ground water is polluted due to nitrate and faecal coliform. A further problem is the plan to settle the growing population in a new township nearby under the integrated development plan of Greater Varanasi, a part of the Jawajarlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission. To fulfill the growing demand of fresh water, new water bearing horizon of the most affected part of the city i.e. southern part is to be identified. This paper reports a study of the variation in the grain size attributes of an aquifer material taken from different depths from the affected region in order to establish the generalized hydrological properties and recommend the depth of the well accordingly. From the grain size analysis and hydrological study it may be concluded that water bearing zones are mainly found in three horizons at the depths 44-56 m; 56-87 m; and 87-165 m. The third water bearing horizon (total thickness being 78 m) can act as a good potential ground water horizon for a new township. Due to its greater depth, the water would be relatively fresh being characterized by very low concentration of dissolved solids. Therefore, this horizon is strongly recommended for utilizing the water resource for the township.Item Lithofacies-genetic characteristics of sedimentary basins in the foreland of the Pomeranian Stage in the Drawsko Lakeland (northern Poland)(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Paluszkiewicz, Ryszard; Paluszkiewicz, RenataThe research carried out in the years 1995–98 in the area of the Złocieniec proglacial lake inclined its authors to take a broader view of the operation of proglacial basins in the Drawsko Lakeland (Paluszkiewicz 2004). Glaciolacustrine deposits in the studied lakeland area were discovered by Maksiak and Mróz in 1978. Until that time, the varved deposits at Złocieniec had not been subjected to lithological analysis. The more detailed studies conducted by the present authors in the years 2006–2007 at both Złocieniec and Wierzchowo sites with the help of geo-engineering methods allowed them to show that the two sites with varved clays in this region should be treated as separate sedimentary basins. The basins differ in thickness of varved deposits, in size, and processes responsible for the formation of the rhythmically stratified series.Item Erosional-denudational valleys and their significance for the reconstruction of the Late Glacial environmental conditions (the Drawsko Lakeland, NW Poland)(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Paluszkiewicz, RenataThe article presents the morphological-lithological development and operation of dry erosional-denudational valleys located on morainic uplands in the Drawsko Lakeland. A detailed research was carried out on the morainic upland of the Buślarka and Piaski Pomorskie area. A geodetic study made it possible to identify over ten NW-SE and N-S oriented erosional-denudational valleys, clearly marked in the relief. They are small landforms: their length does not exceed 100 m, and the depth of incision reaches 4 m. Their exact morphometric description with the help of GIS methods and a detailed study of lithofacies characteristics of their deposits provided an insight into their operation. They follow a Late Glacial pattern in which Late Vistulian erosion only rejuvenated the already existing older forms.Item Sensible temperature at the Łeba Sandbar (Słowiński National Park) on selected days of the 2010 summer season(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Półrolniczak, MarekThe analysis was performed on the basis of weather measurements conducted in the Słowiński National Park at the Łeba Sandbar in the period from 8th July to 6th August 2010. Two biometeorological indices were calculated: the effective temperature (ET) and the radiative-effective temperature (RET). The daily course of RET was used to select the typical days, which were then subjected to a detailed analysis. This consisted in assessing the influence of individual meteorological elements and the synoptic situation on the development of the values of the RET and ET indices. A considerable diversity of sensible conditions was determined, as well as the considerable variability thereof during the day, in particular during the movement of atmospheric fronts. The sensible conditions were also influenced by factors connected with local circulation and the presence of the sea. Finally, a considerable decrease in the values of RET and ET was observed during changes in wind direction, namely when the wind was blowing from the northern sector.Item Cold shores in warming times – current state and future challenges in High Arctic coastal geomorphological studies(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Strzelecki, Mateusz CzesławMany of the existing intellectual paradigms regarding the functioning of the polar coastal zone are now out-dated, based on descriptive geomorphology and a limited process-based understanding. Currently, among many components of Arctic landscape adjusting to global warming, the coastal zone is probably the most critical one both in terms of rapidity of environmental change as well as importance for human communities living in circumpolar regions. This issue was often raised during the 4th International Polar Year 2007-2008 and encouraged the scientific community to focus on the state of cold region coasts in more detail. In this paper I summarize the most recent developments in Arctic coastal geomorphology with a particular focus on the Svalbard Archipelago and draw attention to the research challenges awaiting further investigation. This paper highlights the need for a greater understanding of the controls on High Arctic coastal geoecosystems, especially given the potential for accelerated warming and sea-level rise in the coming decades and centuries. Many of presented views benefited from discussions with Professor Andrzej Kostrzewski – to whom this volume is dedicated.Item Hail occurrence in Poland(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Suwała, KatarzynaThe main objective of this study was to present the spatial and temporal distribution of hail in Poland covering the period of 1973–2009. The analysis was based on the data for 23 meteorological stations published by The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (1973–1980) and National Climatic Data Center (for the years 1981 to 2009). The results are presented with the maps of mean monthly and annual number of hail days, histograms of the seasonal variation of hail and trend lines in temporal variability of hail. It shows that in Poland the mean annual number of hail days varies from 1,3 near Suwałki to 10 near Hel. Most of the hail cases occurred in March, when the number of mean monthly hail days amounted almost 15. When it comes to temporal variability it is characterized by increasing tendency with the maximum at the beginning of 2000.Item Regional differences in the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on seasonal river runoff in Poland(Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, 2011) Wrzesiński, DariuszIn this paper, an analysis of monthly and seasonal runoff volumes in two stages of the North Atlantic Oscillation are presented. The analysis embraced runoff at 146 profiles located on 96 Polish rivers during the years 1951–2000. The changes in the runoff conditions of Polish rivers in the two NAO stages and their spatial diversity were determined based on the differences between runoff observed in the years of exceptionally high (NAODJFM > 2,0) and low (NAODJFM < –2,0) values of the winter NAO index. The results of the research indicate that the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on the runoff of Polish rivers is diverse in terms of time and space. A classification of rivers was made in terms of the similarity of deviations of their seasonal runoff between the different NAODJFM stages. In the classification procedure use was made of Ward’s method of hierarchical grouping. In this way, five classes of the river profiles under analysis were obtained. Environmental conditions in the catchments and hydrological regime features clearly influence the regional differences in the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation on the flow of rivers.