Abstract
The examination of low-altitude aerial photographs reveals the presence of more than 400 polygonal nets in central western Poland. Polygons range from 5 to almost 70m in diameter. Based on the polygons' diameter and intersection angles, we identified seven main types of nets geometry. Based on ground verification, we interpreted them as past thermal-contraction-cracks, filled mostly with sand (i.e. sand-wedge casts). As favourable weather conditions and a proper land cover (i.e. cultivated land) are necessary for identifying polygonal nets, the observed number of polygons is probably much underestimated.The broad occurrence of former thermal-contraction-cracks' polygons indicates that continuous permafrost was widespread in central western Poland after the termination of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Preliminary dating of the cracks' infilling as well as polygon geometry suggest that thermal-contraction-cracking occurred in several different phases and that a time frame of a few thousand years is sufficient to form complex, mature nets.
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