Morphological and morphometrical analyses reveal the avalanche influence over the talus cones in the Rybi Potok Valley, Tatra Mountains

Abstract

Intense physical weathering engenders formation of scree cones at the foot of slopes dis-sected by couloirs. Combination of several geomorphic processes operating within the slope results in formation of cones of a polygenetic character (talus-alluvial cones, rockfall talus cones, or – in particular cases, talus-alluvial-avalanche cones). This study was aimed at determination of morpho-metric parameters characteristic for particular morphogenetic types of the cones in the Rybi Potok Valley in the High Tatra Mountains. For the purpose of the research, knowledge about the terrain and available cartographic materials (geological, geomorphological and topographical maps, LiDAR data) were employed. In the studied valley, 24 cones were selected and for each of them, morphoge-netic types and morphometric parameters (surface, minimal and maximal height, roughness coeffi-cient, Topographic Position Index) were determined. The correlations between different parameters enabled establishment and determination of the combination of morphometric parameters typical for the particular types of the cones. The impact of snow avalanches on one of the cones (at the mouth of Żleb Żandarmerii) was identified. This cone has morphometric parameters dissimilar to those of the other cones in the studied valley. It is the only cone in the valley which was classified as the avalanche cone.