SŁOWIŃSKI PARK NARODOWY (SŁOWIŃSKI NATIONAL PARK)



Commune: Smołdzino (pow. słupski, woj. pomorskie)

Framework element or context represented:
The coastal zone of the Baltic Sea.

Primary geological/geomorphological interest:
Barrier-lagoon coast.

Comparative assessment justification:
Unique area of very active aeolian processes.

Protection status and accessibility:
The whole area of the Łeba barrier is situated within the Słowiński National Park (Biosphere Reserve) established in 1967. It is one of the countries most memorable natural landscape. This area of geosite-sets presents also high scientific values and good sightseeing accessibility.

Character of site: Sea-coast.

Area: 18 618.2 ha

Altitude: 0 - 115 m a.s.l.

Lithology: tills, sands, peats

Discipline: Geomorphology, Stratigraphy of Quaternary

Process Age: Quaternary, *all periods

Bedrock Age: Quaternary, *all periods




Description of primary interest:
This area is situated within the limits of the youngest, Vistulian (Weichselian) Glaciation. A characteristic dunes landscape occurs within vicinity of Łeba. The thickness of Quaternary deposits exceeds the maximum of 264 m. In this area located within so-called Łeba Barrier the Quaternary stratigraphy is relatively poorly known. Tertiary deposits form the substratum of the Pleistocene sediments and are overlain with two beds of glacial till, the latter being associated with fluvioglacial and ice-dammed lake deposits. The beds are separated from each other by a thick (about 50 m) series of fluvial deposits, whichare thought to be connected with the Lublin Interglacial. The last deposits represent the Vistulian Glaciation as indicated by radiocarbon dating, and include sediments and landforms of the Leszno Phase, Poznań Phase, Pomeranian Phase, Gardno Phase and South Baltic Phase. The Łeba Barrier with Łeba dune field within the Słowiński NP is an area where intensive aeolian processes took place in the Younger Holocene. Their products are barchans, barchan-crescent dunes, elliptic and parabolic crescent dunes, groups of fore-dunes occurring exclusively in the narrow zone behind the beach, and abundant slacks and deflation hollows. In the middle part of the Łeba Barrier, spread over an area of about 5.5 km2 almost completely devoid of any plant cover, there are 9 complex barchan-like forms moving quickly eastwards. These dunes attain a relative height of 20 to 40 m, and among them are deflation hollows sometimes filled with ephemeral pond-like lakes appearing during high storm surges.

Literature:

BER A. 1999–Preliminary list of the Quaternary geosites in Northern and Central Poland, their age and geological position. Pol. Geol. Inst., Spec. Papers, 2: 77-85.     BER A. 2001–Ważne czwartorzędowe stanowiska geologiczne Polski północnej i środkowej (Polish only). In: W trosce o Ziemię. Księga ku czci Prof. S. Kozłowskiego: 224-239. KUL Lublin.     BORÓWKA R.K. 1995–Dunes on the fceba Barrier - their history and dynamics of present-day aeolian processes. In: Polish Coast: Past, Present and Future. Spec. Issue CERF 22: 247-251.     HILDEBRANDT-RADKE J. 1999–Balance of aeolian sandy transport on the beach of the Gardno-Łeba Barrier (English sum.). In: Borówka R.K., Młynarczyk Z., Wojciechowski A. (eds). Ewolucja geosystemów nadmorskich południowego Bałtyku: 79-86. Bogucki Wyd. Nauk. Poznań - Szczecin.     PIOTROWSKA H. 1997–Słowiński National Park. In: Biosphere reserves in Poland (A.Breymeyer - ed.): 135-140. Polish National MAB Committee.     ROTNICKI K. 1995 — An outline of geomorphology and main problems of the Upper Quaternary of the Gardno-Łeba coastal Plain. In: Polish Coast: Past, Present and Future. Spec. Issue CERF: 22: 221-223.