Commune: Jerzmanowice-Przeginia (pow. krakowski, woj. małopolskie)
Framework element or context represented:
Landscape of limestone hardrocks of Polish Jura Chain.
Primary geological/geomorphological interest:
Limestone hardrocks raising above the old planation surface, Upper Jurassic carbonate buildups.
Comparative assessment justification:
An example of landscape rocky scenery of the Polish Jura Chain. Most interesting limestone rocky relief with signs of gravitational disintegration of tors. Jurassic carbonate buildups are similary as in Schwäbische Alb.
Protection status and accessibility:
Nature monuments in Dolinki Krakowskie Landscape Park; the area proposed as S-part of the Jurassic Geopark. Many tourist trails.
Character of site: Rocky limestone landscape.
Area: c. 15 ha
Altitude: 450 - 512,8 m a.s.l.
Lithology: limestones
Discipline: Geomorphology, Palaeoenvironment, Stratigraphy of Phanerozoic
Process Age: Paleogene, *all periods
Bedrock Age: Jurassic, *all periods
Description of primary interest:
Several groups of limestone tors rising over the Paleogene planation surface at the top of the Ojców Plateau in Jerzmanowice (Krakow Upland). The rocky hill called Grodzisko in Jerzmanowice is the culminating point (512,8 m a.s.l.) of this plateau. In the vicinity of Jerzmanowice occur 33 rocky forms: tors, groups of tors and rocky hills formed of Upper Jurassic massive limestones (Oxfordian). Their heights are 3–30 m, in most cases about 10 m. According to results of detail microfacial analyses these are mainly carbonate cyanobacterial-sponge buildups. As more resistant to erosion and denudation in relation to the surrounding bedded limestones they tower over the whole landscape. Numerous tors are divided with gaping joint fissures. Karst phenomena represented by microrelief covering the surface of rocks and by several caves are typical features of this area. Limestone tors on the large planation surface are the typical features of the landscape of the Cracow Upland. This characteristic relief developed since Paleogene under climatic conditions changing considerably. The rocky landforms generated by karst processes spread over the plateau are described as mogotes, monadnocks, hardrocks, limestone tors and rocky hills. During the Pleistocene the periglacial climate accelerated the congelifraction and relaxation of this landforms. In the Holocene the modification of the relief was controlled by both climatic and anthropogenic factors. Fossil rendzina soil dated at 1500 years B.P.
Literature:
ALEXANDROWICZ S.W., ALEXANDROWICZ Z. 2003–Pattern of karst landscape of the Cracow Upland (South Poland). Acta Carsologica 32, 1: 39-56. FELISIAK J. 1992–Oligocene - Early Miocene karst deposits and their importance for recognition of the development of tectonics and refief in the Carpathian Foreland, Kraków Region, Southern Poland (English sum.). Ann. Soc. Geol. Pol. 62, 2: 173-207. GRADZIŃSKI M. 1999–Position and age of conglomerates in caves near Kraków (Polish Jura). Ann. Soc. Geol. 69: 113-124. JĘDRYS J., GRABOWSKA T., KRAJEWSKI M., MATYSZKIEWICZ J., ŻABA J. 2004–Structural pattern of Upper Jurassic carbonate buildups in the Kraków-Wieluń Upland in relation to the magnetic data (English sum.). In: J. Partyka (ed) The diversification and transformation of natural and cultural environment of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, vol 1. Nature: 19-26. Ojców N.P. MATYJA B.A., WIERZBOWSKI A. 2004–Stratigraphy and facies development in the Upper Jurassic of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland and the Wieluń Upland (English sum.). Ibidem: 13-18. MATYSZKIEWICZ J. 1989–Sedimentation and diagenesis of the Upper Oxfordian Cyanobacterial-Sponge limestones in Piekary near Kraków. Ann. Soc. Geol. Pol., 59: 201-232. MATYSZKIEWICZ J. 1997–Microfacies, sedimentation and some aspects of diagenesis of Upper Jurassic sediments from the elevated part of the Northern peri-Tethyan Shelf: a comparative study on the Lochen area (Schwäbische Alb) and the Cracow area (Cracow-Wieluń Upland, Poland). Berlin. Geowiss. Abhandl., E-21: 1-111. POKORNY J. 1963–The development of mogotes in the southern part of the Cracow Upland. Bull. Acad. Pol. Sci. Ser. Geol. Et geogr. 11, 3: 169-175.