Present-Day Periglacial Processes in the Alpine Zone

Abstract

This chapter reviews the existing knowledge concerning the current state of the main frost-driven processes in the Romanian Carpathians. Since permafrost has a patchy distribution and occurs in marginal conditions only in few massifs from the Romanian Carpathians, the key periglacial processes are those associated with seasonal frost, which are widespread above the tree line. The present-day amplitude of solifluction, frost heaving or frost creep is generally lower than in other periglacial environments ranging from few mm to tens of centimetres/year. The results revealed that mass wasting and frost weathering in the alpine environment of the Romanian Carpathians are strongly controlled by ground freezing, which depends on several factors, such as ground materials, topography, vegetation cover, snow cover, water content and incoming solar radiation. Major progress has been achieved in the last few years, when comprehensive monitoring of several periglacial processes (e.g. solifluction, frost heaving, frost creep) has started. The outcomes improved the understanding of current periglaciation in the Romanian Carpathians, but many uncertainties still exist regarding several periglacial processes (e.g. frost weathering) and the role of the environmental controlling factors. The periglacial deposits have a central, but not a defining position within the alpine landscape, occupying a greater extent than glacial or fluvial deposits. Based on the estimated volume of sediments within the alpine sector of a small alpine catchment in the Southern Carpathians, a post-glacial mean denudation rate of 0.26 mm/year was calculated.