The significance of morphogenetic analysis in the assessment of soil–water conditions in Quaternary sediments

Abstract

The landform pattern of the Polish Lowlands, which originated during and after the Warta Glaciation, is closely connected with areal deglaciation and directions of geomorphological landform evolution. Landscape-shaping processes were significant for the creation of sediment configuration and sediment characteristics of particular landforms and thus for properties of sediments. Determination of the relationships between the origin of a landform and its physical/geochemical properties can facilitate the evaluation of geological conditions carried out for land use planning that should take into account the sensitivity of the geological environment (soil, groundwater) to the migration of contaminants. The aim of this research was to find geomorphological means of identifying physicochemical and hydrogeological properties of Quaternary sediments that enable fast and precise assessment of long-term and recent soil–water conditions. The investigations were conducted in two areas of the Polish Lowlands that were formed during the Warta Glaciation. During geological mapping of distinguished landforms, 169 samples of sediments were collected for laboratory testing. The samples were analyzed for particle size, calcium carbonate, organic matter content, pH, permeability coefficient, CEC, and adsorption of Cd and Pb. The results show that these distinguished glacial landforms are characterized by the recurrence of superficial lithological profiles with typical physicochemical parameters. Thus, the morphogenesis of postglacial areas of central Poland formed during the Warta Glaciation has influenced the ability of surface deposits to retain contamination. A total of seven insulation classes of landforms in terms of differentiated insulating abilities of deposits, as well as the ranges of values for each insulating parameter, have been identified.