Chapter 2 - Subdued Mountains of Central Europe

Abstract

Abstract Slope deposits, which veil entire slopes or large parts of them in a rather uniform manner (cover beds), are ubiquitous in the subdued mountains of Central Europe. Here we provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on these deposits. The Central European cover beds are divided into (1) the upper layer that is ubiquitously distributed and displays a relatively constant thickness; (2) the intermediate layer the distribution of which is mainly restricted to flat relief, to slope depressions, and to lee-ward facing slopes; and (3) the basal layer, which is rather widespread again. Both the upper and intermediate layer contain intermixed loess, whereas the basal layer is free of loess and typically has a high bulk density. Aside from the loess content, the composition of the layers differs, reflecting varying portions of crushed and chemically weathered rock allocated from up-slope. This causes notable diversity depending on bedrock and, thus, induces remarkable regional differences. Cover beds were mainly formed by periglacial gelifluction. The upper layer formed in the Late Glacial possibly during several short episodes of activity. In contrast, the underlying layers may be diachronous; nevertheless, they display recurring vertical sequences. This is probably due to the fact that loess-free layers usually could not deposit as long as there was loess in the environs, which may have been inherited from older deposits. Thus, the last phase of surface wash, during which older loess was removed, determines the age of the lower layers.