Wartanian glacial sediments: insights into deglaciation of Polish Lowlands and Highlands border for geotourism

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents five sites located in the marginal zone of the Wartanian stadial within the Odranian Glaciation (MIS6a) on the border of the Central Polish Uplands and Lowlands, representing different glacial forms and geological structures: terminal moraine hill, undulating moraine hill, sedimentary margin of the ice sheet, kame hill, and outwash plain. This differentiation is also reflected in the petrographic composition of the gravels and the interesting surface microstructures of the Scandinavian erratic boulders. This small study area, with its high geodiversity, which we have identified and investigated, has considerable potential for sustainable development. Geotourism is a tool for this development in a peripheral tourist region, providing both economic benefits for the local population and conservation services for the geoecosystem.