Commune: Mszana Dolna (pow. limanowski, woj. małopolskie) , Mszana Dolna (pow. limanowski, woj. małopolskie)
Framework element or context represented:
Landslide forms in Carpathians.
Primary geological/geomorphological interest:
Big landslide area within Carpathians, thick-bedded sandstones underlain with flysch.
Comparative assessment justification:
Each landslide characterised by own morphological features but described example is the most representative for the morphogenese of highest part slopes in the Carpathians.
Protection status and accessibility:
Nature reserve since 1970 (11.80 ha, enlarged in 2004 to 35.24 ha) within Landscape Protected Area; accessible by tourist trails.
Character of site: Landslide forms.
Area: 35.24 ha
Altitude: 850-980 m a.s.l.
Lithology: sandstones
Discipline: Geomorphology
Process Age: Holocene, *all periods
Bedrock Age: Paleogene, *all periods
Description of primary interest:
Mass movements play an essential role in shaping of Carpathians relief. They strongly transform bedrock, relief, soil, water relations and plant cover creating the mosaic-like morphology of various habitat types. Just below of the Luboń Wielki summit (1022 m a.s.l.) occurs large area sliding. The steep and isolated mountain is situated in zone of the Magura Unit characterised by thick-bedded Eocene sandstones underlain with flysch. It is Carpathians complex of deposits very suitable on the mass movements. The rocky head scarp attains about 20 m in height. At the foot of scarp the big masses of colluvium spread. They separated by some trenches up to 20 m wide bordered with colluvial swell and partly filled with sandstone packets and blocks. On the middle part of colluvium area in the very steep slope occur the field of huge rock-blocks, one of very developed phenomena of old landslides in the Carpathians. The Holocene landslide occupied the southern slope of Luboń Wielki Mt represents complex displacements of different types. The Holocene landslide, which occurs on southern slope of the Luboń Mt, represents compound type of movement (intermediate between rotational and translational slide), developed as listric form (biplanar, antythetic). Main sandstone packet of the colluvium were gravitational transported as toppling (with components of translational displacement): later, in second stage of movements, part of rock colluvium (divided by cracks), were transported as rotational landslide to the head scarp direction.
Literature:
ALEXANDROWICZ S.W., ALEXANDROWICZ Z. 1988–Ridge top trenches and rifts in the Polish Outer Carpathians. Ann. Soc. Geol. Pol. 58: 207-228. ALEXANDROWICZ Z., MARGIELEWSKI W., PERZANOWSKA J. 2003–European ecological network NATURA 2000 in relation to landslide area divesity: a case atudy in the Polish Carpathians. Ecologica (Bratislava) 22, 4: 404-422. ALEXANDROWICZ Z., POPRAWA D. (eds) 2000–Geodiversity conservation of the Polish Carpathians (English sum.). Państw. Inst. Geol. Warszawa, 142 pp. BAUMGART-KOTARBA M. 1974–Development of mountain ridges in the Flysch Carpathians (English sum.). Prace Geogr. Inst. Geogr. PAN 106, Warszawa, 136 pp. MARGIELEWSKI W. 2004–Types of gravitional movements of rock masses in landslide forms of the Polish Flysch Carpathians. Przeg. Geol. 52: 603-614.