Periglacial Zone Research Articles

The thermal regime and mineralogical attributes of highland volcanic-ash soils from the Cotopaxi volcano, Ecuador: Absent permafrost and little pedogenesis

The high Andean volcanic zones constitute a unique environment, in which a sequence of lava flows and ash layers (tephra) form soils with distinct characteristics within a short distance. The objective of this study was to investigate soil genesis, mineralogy, and the possibility of permafrost occurrence along a representative toposequence at the periglacial zone in the northern slope of the Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuador. Six soil profiles between 4000 and 4900 m above sea level were collected, to determine soil properties, mineralogy and petrology characteristics. Soil temperature and moisture were monitored from 2011 to 2015 at the highest zone (4900 m) at different soil layers. Overall, soils are layered with alternating ash and lapilli strata between little pedogenetically transformed soil layers with coarse texture, high stoniness and low clay contents associated with high levels of Na+, K+, and P. Andesitic-rhyolitic material, as well as volcanic scoriae, are the predominant material, and all soils show the presence of easily weathered primary minerals. Organic carbon contents decreased with increasing altitude, due to recent flows at higher parts creating an unstable slope, constraining the formation of A horizon. Landscape instability triggers colluvial processes, and cumulative buried A horizons are observed at the footslopes. Even at the highest altitude, no permafrost occurs at any depth in this active volcano, although little evidences of cryoturbation were observed. At this low latitude, higher solar energy on the soil surface and the current global warming, as well as recent volcanic activity, limit permafrost formation at the highest altitude. Higher temperatures, landscape stability and vegetation growth enhanced soil formation processes at the lower altitudes of the volcano toposequence, whereas the highest position have recent volcanic ash deposition and bare soils, with negligible soil formation.

Evaluation of stabilization rate of high and low molecular organic matter in cryoconite holes from the Arctic, Antarctic and Caucasus mountain ecosystems by 13C–NMR spectroscopy

Cryoconite holes are considered as a place of accumulation of organomineral matter, including black carbon. It is formed as a result of incomplete combustion of carboncontaining fragments of natural and anthropogenic origin. Such material is transported by the wind and participates in the formation of cryoconite on the ice surface. The accumulation of organic matter in cryoconite can significantly affect the climate of our planet. To assess the processes of resistance to biodegradation of organic matter in cryoconite, molecular methods of analysis were used. This work presents the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of composition of humic acids, formed in selected cryoconite holes of various geographical regions. To identify them, the 13C–NMR spectroscopy method was used, which makes it possible to reveal trends in the accumulation of specific structural fragments and the rate of stabilization of cryoconite organic matter. The analysis of the elemental composition revealed that the most condensed macromolecules of humic acids accumulate in cryoconite holes on Mount Elbrus. In the molecules of humic acids, the accumulation of aliphatic structural fragments up to 71-73% occurs to a greater extent, while the composition of the aliphatic fragments depended on local precursors of humification. In the Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems, humic acids with relatively homogeneous composition are formed. These ecosystems are characterized by the domination of moss-lichen communities, which are characterized by a predominance of lipids and carbohydrates in the chemical composition. Black carbon is an important part of the planetary carbon cycle. Under the conditions of active deglaciation, cryoconite material can enter the periglacial zone, and under the action of soil microorganisms, it can become an additional source of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Combined Use of Aerial Photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Detecting Geomorphological Changes in Hornsund, Svalbard

The Arctic is a region undergoing continuous and significant changes in land relief due to different glaciological, geomorphological and hydrogeological processes. To study those phenomena, digital elevation models (DEMs) and highly accurate maps with high spatial resolution are of prime importance. In this work, we assess the accuracy of high-resolution photogrammetric DEMs and orthomosaics derived from aerial images captured in 2020 over Hornsund, Svalbard. Further, we demonstrate the accuracy of DEMs generated using point clouds acquired in 2021 with a Riegl VZ®-6000 terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). Aerial and terrestrial data were georeferenced and registered based on very reliable ground control points measured in the field. Both DEMs, however, had some data gaps due to insufficient overlaps in aerial images and limited sensing range of the TLS. Therefore, we compared and integrated the two techniques to create a continuous and gapless DEM for the scientific community in Svalbard. This approach also made it possible to identify geomorphological activity over a one-year period, such as the melting of ice cores at the periglacial zone, changes along the shoreline or snow thickness in gullies. The study highlights the potential for combining other techniques to represent the active processes in this region.

Криогенные литопотоки горного массива Мунку-Сардык

The article deals with exogenous cryogenic relief-forming litopotoks: periglacial (supraglacial) zone, modern glacial zone; the thermal zone of paleoglacials of regressive stage, erosive or fluvial zone of proluvial, solifluction, high-altitude ice and permafrost-stone mountain streams.

The morphology of altiplanation in interior Alaska

ABSTRACT Altiplanation (cryoplanation) terraces are conspicuous and widespread elements of upland landscapes in Alaska’s interior. They occur in staircase-like series, primarily along divides in ridge-crest positions, and as summit platforms. Flanks (side slopes) consist of a steep upper section composed of coarse clastic debris and amorphous solifluction forms, grading through a break in slope (the ‘solischrund’) to a gentler lower section (cryopediment) dominated by well-defined solifluction lobes and low-order hillslope hydrological networks. An individual terrace unit consists of a steep scarp (riser) and a subjacent gently inclined tread (platform). A sequential group or series of adjacent terrace units, descending from a summit platform along ridge crests, are referred to collectively as an altiplanorium. Altiplanation terraces are a prominent feature of the altitudinal zonal arrangement of landscape phenomena in interior Alaska, and are confined to the upland periglacial zone between 915 and 1675 m.a.s.l. They are positioned below the contemporary snowline. Three study areas are given detailed verbal, cartographic, and photographic description. These areas (Mount Fairplay, High Valley/Denali Mountain, and Goodpaster Uplands) could serve as type localities for altiplanation landform assemblages. An appendix identifies the locations of many other areas in the Alaskan interior containing well-developed altiplanation landforms, and demonstrates the widespread geographic distribution of these landforms.

Dynamics of peat accumulation processes in the areas of the periglacial zone of the basin watershed of Tugur-Nimelen rivers

The paper considers the features of waterlogging of a flat watershed, unique in its structure and evolution, between the valley complexes of the two largest watercourses of Khabarovsk Territory. The Tugur and Nimelen rivers had rather powerful debit of water flows during the Pleistocene and were repeatedly redirected from the northern azimuth (the Sea of Okhotsk) to the southern one (the Amur catchment). This process continued partly at the early stages of the Holocene, as the stratigraphy of the peat deposits of the bogs formed indicates here.

Mass wasting and erosion in different morphoclimatic zones of the Makalu Barun region, Nepal Himalaya

ABSTRACT Mountain regions of the world face unprecedented climate-induced changes and associated sustainable development challenges. Retreating glaciers, degrading permafrost and rapid mass movements on the one hand and glacier-related disasters, on the other hand, are the sentinels of these phenomena. In this study, we focus our attention on the Makalu Barun region in the Nepal Himalaya, and characterize four main morphoclimatic zones, building on repeated field surveys and interpretation of remote sensing imagery. We distinguish four distinct zones: (i) extreme glacial zone; (ii) glacial zone; (iii) periglacial zone; and (iv) seasonally cold/warm humid zone. While extreme glacial zone is stagnant in its area, remaining three zones have been experiencing areal/location changes associated with changing climate, glacier extent and permafrost distribution. We describe dominant geomorphic processes and typical landforms of these zones in detail, highlighting the role of mass wasting processes and far-reaching process chains acting across distinct morphoclimatic zones. The study provides evidence of very dynamic landform evolution which indicates extreme geomorphological hazards in the Nepal Himalaya.

Paleocryogenic traces of climatic peaks of the Late Pleistocene periglacial hyperzone of the mammoth steppe in soils of archaeological sites

Recording and accurate dating of paleo-cryogenic processes traces in modern ecosystems can act as a key for understanding the current state and interpreting the history of landscape development. The stage of the existence of glaciers and the accompanying periglacial zone of the tundra-steppes is the milestone in general history of the Russian large areas. The paleo-cryogenic structures in the modern soil cover are the inheritance of this stage. The recording of said structures at deep levels is possible during archaeological excavations. The stratigraphy of the layers of archaeological sites provides a possibility to link paleo-cryostructures’ traces to certain periods of time and archaeologically date the enclosing context. Preservation of the more complete paleosol record relative to past periods of landscape formation is typical for modern natural zones formed under the affection of limiting factors. These zones include steppe (lack of moisture and excess heat) or tundra (excess of moisture and lack of heat). We recorded the third-order soil polygons preserved on sandy loams of the steppe area in the Orenburg region under the earthfill bunds of the Early Iron Age dwelling. We also recorded the third-order soil polygons under the embankment of a Neolithic-Bronze dwelling on sandy loam soils located in the modern northern taiga zone. In both cases the dimensions of the polygons were about 2-3 meters, and their shape was regular or broken hexagons, resulted from the surface slope or terrain roughness. Moreover, we draw parallels in the history of systems formation, and outlined tasks for further research.

The Lateglacial and Early Holocene vegetation dynamics: New multi-proxy data from the central Belarus

Detailed knowledge of the periglacial flora is essential to assess the vegetation dynamics in deglaciated regions of northern and north eastern Europe, previously covered by the ice sheet of the Late Weichselian Glaciation. Therefore, the territory of Belarus, which stretches in the periglacial zone of the Last Glaciation and the most part of which was free of ice during the Last Glacial maximum, is off particular importance in analysing the postglacial floral establishment and the subsequent vegetation dynamics in this part of the continent. In this study, results of palaeobotanical (pollen and plant macrofossil), lithological (measurements of magnetic susceptibility, MS) and isotopic (14C) investigations were obtained to fill the existing gap in reconstructing the peculiarities of the terrestrial and aquatic vegetation dynamics throughout the Lateglacial - Early Holocene period in the central Belarus. The investigated sediment profile, comprising organically enriched gyttja at 13,400–13,100 cal yr BP, carbon enriched and sandy gyttja at 13,100–9700 cal yr BP and unconsolidated mud after 9500 cal yr BP, provides clear evidence proving the flourishing of a pine-birch predominated forest with occasional spruce stands during the Allerød in area. Three occasions of change in the vegetation structure were noted within the Younger Dryas, i.e. 12,900–12,700 cal yr BP, 12,200–12,000 cal yr BP and 11,900–11,700 cal yr BP, suggesting negative climatic excursion taken place in area and facilitating flourishing of a Picea-predominating forest that culminated at about 12,300 and 12,000 cal yr BP. Pollen record suggests the Early Holocene vegetation shifts occurring at about 11,300–11,200 cal yr BP, 10,800–10,600 cal yr BP and 10,300–10,100 cal yr BP evidence the general response to the global-scale climatic events i.e. Preborael Oscillation or “10,2 ka” while fluctuations triggered by local or regional-scale climatic events have been identified as well. About 10,800–10,700 cal yr BP, formation of the forest with an increasing representation of thermophilous taxa (Ulmus, Tilia, Quercus) started in area.

Loessoids of Russia: Varieties and distribution

This review serves as an explanatory note to the sketch map of loessoids, i.e. loess and various loess-like deposits. The map is a byproduct of the ongoing project of Quaternary Map of the Russian Federation, scale 1:2,500,000 in GIS-format. The primary information is derived from the standard National Geological Map scale 1:1,000,000 of the last two generations supplemented by literary data. The map polygons present all mappable loessoid units, including thick southern carbonate loess with paleosols, loess-like silts of northern terrains, intercalations of loessic sediments with waterlain facies and icy silts of the Arctic and Subarctic type. The loessoid formations are classified according to their stratigraphic intervals: 1) the radiocarbon dated Upper Pleistocene of northern terrains, 2) the Middle plus Upper Pleistocene of central Russia, 3) the late Lower Pleistocene to Upper Pleistocene series of southern regions and 4) the Lower Pleistocene red clays of the south. The distribution of diverse loessoids is an imprint of: i) the diverse sedimentary environments of the basically arid periglacial zones of the Pleistocene and ii) the modern geographical zonality changing from subtropics to the icy High Arctic and responsible for post-depositional alteration of subaerial dust. Whatever the origin of the primary dust and geographical varieties of the diagenesis, all loessoids share the same fundamental feature – paleosols, whether numerous and expressive or scarce and weak. They underline the climatically driven intermittent process of loessoid formation – basically subaerial and independent of any aqueous agencies.

Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau

Abstract. Permafrost as a climate-sensitive parameter and its occurrence and distribution play an important role in the observation of global warming. However, field-based permafrost distribution data and information on the subsurface ice content in the large area of the southern mountainous Tibetan Plateau (TP) are very sparse. Existing models based on boreholes and remote sensing approaches suggest permafrost probabilities for most of the Tibetan mountain ranges. Field data to validate permafrost models are generally lacking because access to the mountain regions in extreme altitudes is limited. The study provides geomorphological and geophysical field data from a north-orientated high-altitude catchment in the western Nyainqêntanglha Range. A multi-method approach combines (A) geomorphological mapping, (B) electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to identify subsurface ice occurrence and (C) interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) analysis to derive multi-annual creeping rates. The combination of the resulting data allows an assessment of the lower occurrence of permafrost in a range of 5350 and 5500 m above sea level (a.s.l.) in the Qugaqie basin. Periglacial landforms such as rock glaciers and protalus ramparts are located in the periglacial zone from 5300–5600 m a.s.l. The altitudinal periglacial landform distribution is supported by ERT data detecting ice-rich permafrost in a rock glacier at 5500 m a.s.l. and ice lenses around the rock glacier (5450 m a.s.l.). The highest multiannual creeping rates up to 150 mm yr−1 are typically observed on these rock glaciers. This study closes the gap of unknown state of periglacial features and potential permafrost occurrence in a high-elevated basin in the western Nyainqêntanglha Range (Tibetan Plateau).

ТЕМПЫ ДЕНУДАЦИИ В ПЕРИГЛЯЦИАЛЬНЫХ ОБЛАСТЯХ ВЫСОКОГОРИЙ: МЕТОДЫ И РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ

Periglacial areas in the mountains are characterized by the highest denudation rates, which is due to active physical weathering, significant gradients and low projective vegetation coverage of the slopes of these areas. The accelerated expansion of periglacial areas that has taken place in recent decades is explained by climate changes that contribute to the melting of mountain glaciers. The improved methodology of studying the relief transformation processes, the rates of various exogenous processes, and the features of material redistribution along the pathways of sediment transportation from the slopes to the river valley bottoms contributed to a dramatic increase in quantitative assessment of spatio-temporal changes in the relief of the mountain periglacial zone. The article discusses various traditional and contemporary methods and approaches to studying the periglacial zone relief and its changes. They are divided into two groups: methods of stationary and semi-stationary observations of exogenous processes and methods for studying sediment redistribution in catchments. Various directions are highlighted within each group of methods, special attention is paid to the latest techniques. The results of observations of the rates of various exogenous processes occurring in the periglacial zone are generalized. It is shown that the intensity of rockfall-talus processes depends on lithology and frequency of daily air temperature fluctuation through zero °C and varies from 0.02 to 1.6 mm/year. Avalanche abrasion in avalanche trays reaches 40–70 mm/year. The rate depends on the area of the slope catchment, within which avalanches descend, and corresponds to the rate of denudation for the slope catchment equal to 0.01–0.05 mm/year. Maximum soil erosion rates are typical for young moraine slopes, where it reaches 100 mm/year in the first years after the glacier melts, and after 50 years slows down to 7–10 mm/year. The main flux of sediments is delivered from the slopes to the river bottoms by occasionally formed mudflows.

New evidence for the rank of the Wartanian cold period (Pleistocene, MIS 6): a case study from E Poland

In the stratigraphic division of the Saalian (Middle Pleistocene) in Europe, the Wartanian cold period has the rank of a stadial of the Odranian Glaciation, correlated with MIS 6. The authors demonstrate the higher rank of this cold period, on the basis of an analysis of the sedimentary succession in eastern Poland, at an exposure of the terminal moraine of the Wartanian ice sheet. At the Wólka Zagórna site, three stratigraphic units were distinguished: A (lower glacigenic deposits – glaciofluvial deposits and subglacial till), A/B (fossil soil of lessivé type), B and C (a periglacial horizon with deflation pavement, involutions, frost-wedge structures and upper glaciofluvial deposits and flow till, with ice-wedge casts). Two distinct periods of climatic cooling, associated with the youngest Saalian ice sheets, were recorded in this succession in E Poland: Odranian (unit A, an ice-sheet transgression marked by the deposition of glaciofluvial deposits dated as 365–226 ka, ending with the deposition of subglacial till), and Wartanian (units B and C, an ice sheet transgression marked by development of a periglacial zone, dated as 180–126 ka, and then deposition of glacigenic sediments at the front of the ice sheet and formation of a marginal moraine). Each of these periods of ice-sheet transgression occurred at a different time (in the MIS 8 and MIS 6 positions) and were separated by a warm period. It is documented by unit A/B – a fossil soil with a very well developed Bt horizon – which attests to its formation in an illuviation process beneath a complex of mixed forests during an interstadial warming that occurred in MIS 7. From this palaeoclimatic reconstruction, it is inferred that the Wartanian cold period should be viewed as a separate glaciation in MIS 6 and the Odranian period should be assigned to MIS 8 in the stratigraphic schema of the Quaternary.

Timing and Sedimentary Record of Late Quaternary Fluvio-Aeolian Successions of the Tura-Pyshma Interfluve (SW Western Siberia, Russia)

The sedimentary record of aeolian deposits and geomorphic features of the aeolian landforms of Northern Eurasia contain important information that allows us to better understand the climate and environments of the Late Glacial and Early Holocene periods. At the same time, the degree of scientific knowledge about the timing of aeolian activity, as well as the landscapes that existed during these periods, differs significantly for different parts of this vast territory. Data on the sedimentological record and age estimations of aeolian phases are practically absent for the periglacial zone of Western Siberia, in contrast to that of Europe. This paper presents the first data on the Late Quaternary fluvio-aeolian environments of the southwestern part of Western Siberia, using two sections as examples. Our methods included field investigations, analysis of grain-size and chemical composition, quartz grain morphoscopy and infrared optically stimulated luminescence (IR-OSL) and AMS dating. The obtained results show that aeolian sands are common covering deposits within the study area. Two stages of aeolian activity were identified: the first during the Boreal period (9.2–10.2 ka BP), and the second during the Atlantic period, beginning near 7 ka BP.

Mire Development and Disappearance due to River Capture as Hydrogeological and Geomorphological Consequences of LGM Ice-Marginal Valley Evolution at the Vistula-Neman Watershed

The advances and retreats of ice sheets during Pleistocene significantly changed high- and mid-latitude landscapes and hydrological systems, albeit differently, in North America and Europe. On the southern margin of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Baltic Sea basin, a specific type of valley has developed between glacial margins and upland or mountain slopes. We studied new geological data (boreholes, electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) from this geomorphic setting in Northeast Poland to understand: (1) how the landscape and river network evolved to eventually produce peat mires during the Holocene, and (2) the nature of groundwater recharge to fens in the upper Biebrza Valley. We present the results on a geological cross-section with hydrogeological interpretation. We also discuss regional geomorphology. In addition, we present the LGM extent derived from a spatial distribution of Vistulian (Weichselian) terminal moraines. These end moraines are also interpreted as Saalian kames. Thus, we additionally present another method of LGM extent delineation from a physicogeographical division. We link the steep slopes of the studied valley walls (kame terrace fronts) with thermokarst erosion in the periglacial zone. We then document the hydrogeological window (DISCONTINUITY in the till layer over the confined aquifer), which enables the outflow of groundwater into the peat bog. Although minerotrophic fen mire development in the study area is likely to be sustained in the near future through sufficient groundwater supply, the projected capture of the Biebrza River by the Neman River will not allow for sustaining peatland development.

Quantifying the contribution of dust to alpine soils in the periglacial zone of the Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA

Profiles of alpine soils in the Uinta Mountains (Utah, USA) were investigated to determine how long-term dust deposition has influenced soil properties in this environment. Field studies were focused on four above-treeline sites, all of which were apparently beyond the reach of erosive glacial ice during the Pleistocene. Modern dust, soil A and B horizons, and local bedrock were compared in terms of major and trace element geochemistry, along with Sr and Nd isotope compositions. In all cases, soil samples are a mixture of dust and local bedrock end members, with A horizons more closely resembling dust, and B horizons more similar to bedrock. Calculations estimate that these soil profiles contain ~50 to 80% dust, which is effectively mixed downward into the solum by cryoturbation. Because these landscape positions were not glaciated, the total amount of dust contained within soil profiles is large relative to sites at lower elevation within the glacial limit. In addition to altering physical properties of these soil profiles, including horizonation and texture, deposition of dust rich in base cations positively influences soil fertility.

Assoc. Prof. Martin Glovnia – A Favourite Pedagogue from the Second Half of XX Century

Assoc. Prof. Martin Glovnia works on the problems of the relief in high mountainous areas, especially the glaciation and periglacial zones with appearance of cryogen processes. He publishes many learning books for students in the universities and high schools.

Reconstruction of Late Pleistocene sedimentation environment from data on catenary differentiation of soils and sediments along the northern slope of the Klin-Dmitrov Ridge (Russia)

Based on analyzing the catenary sequence of soils and parent materials down the northern slope of the Klin-Dmitrov Ridge adjacent to the Upper Volga Lowland (formerly the periglacial zone of the Russian Plain), it was revealed that sediments including sandy loams, clay loams and clays, which constituted slope terraces at heights from 130 to 180 m a.s.l. and often accounted for lithic discontinuities in soil profiles, had glacio-lacustrine genesis, i.e., they had accumulated during the existence of a periglacial dammed lake at the final stages of the Late Pleistocene.

IMPACT OF TECTODYNAMIC AND MORPHODYNAMIC FACTORS ON THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHPAT MOUNTAINOUS RIDGE

Shpat mountainous ridge represents a morphological unit with extremely prominent natural borders and rich natural resources. This abstract presents the natural potentials of Shpat mountainous ridge and a synthesized analysis of key aspects of tourism, mineral and water resources, forests and pastures management, etc. Shpat unit, is integral part of Bukanik ultrabasic massive, where are explorated cooper resources. The geological content of this mountain, contribues the mesozoic ultrabasic and flysch, calcareous rocks and quaternary deposition are also present. The morphologic and morphogenetic complex of the relief was created during the tectogenic period, especially during the tecto-orogenesis, where as consequence diverse magmatic, terrigenous and carbonates rocks were created. Structural relief landforms, are structural benches, flat surfaces formed in the aclinal structure, structural surfaces, denudational surfaces and concave fragment of front of the cuestas. The karstic surface forms were developed on limestones of different age and character. There is a conspicuously small number of dolines on the surface of the hardly dissolvable crystalline limestone, and the debris covering the surface is high enough for agriculture. The water infiltrating on the plateau surfaces in the karst springs. The knowledge of present morphodynamics implies features concerning the positive and restrictive role of each factor, which, by association, defines the potential of some gropus of processes and state of morphologic hazards in certain area. Such analyses multiplied in the last couple of years, when the occurrence of some mass wastings determined many geomorphologic risk situations allover Shpat mountainous ridge. The climate by regional and local differences of the weathering elements favorable to the development of morphological processes. In periglacial environments solifluction frequently occurs in association with permafrost or seasonally frozen ground, and under these circumstances it is more specifically described as gelifluction. Snow provides both and as ground insulation. The erosional potential of nivation is controlled primarily snow thickness or absence underlying permafrost. Cryoplanation terraces (also known as altiplanation terraces) are level or gently sloping surfaces found in the periglacial zone which are cut into bedrock on hill summits or upper peaks. The natural potentials of Shpat mountainous ridge have been analyzed as key elements of this area for sustainable development. The effects of the use of the natural resources and their influence on the economic structure have been analyzed defining the directions of the development on perspective of the rural area. The current developments at the agricultural rural area have produced changes to the physical-geographical elements, accelerating the pace of slope processes, where the predominant part of the settlements is established on the terrace levels, causing environmental degradation.

Buried Late Weichselian thermokarst landscape discovered in the Czech Republic, central Europe

Pronounced climatic warming associated with the Late Weichselian Pleniglacial‐to‐Lateglacial transition caused considerable environmental changes throughout the former periglacial zones (in Europe ~53°–46°N). During permafrost degradation and subsequent ground subsidence (i.e. thermokarst processes), the landscape changed rapidly. In this study we investigated a flat mid‐altitude area in south Bohemia, Czech Republic, lying close to the southern limit of the Weichselian permafrost. We discovered palaeo‐lake basins with sedimentary infillings up to 11 m in depth. According to radiocarbon and palynostratigraphical dating, these basins were formed at the onset of the Late Pleniglacial‐to‐Lateglacial transition, whereas the smaller depressions were formed later. We suggest that the basins resulted from thermal and fluvio‐thermal erosion of the former permafrost and represent remnants of discontinuous gullies and possibly collapsed frost mounds (pingo/lithalsa scars). The formation of this a fossil thermokarst landscape was climatically driven and multiple phased, with the major phase during the climatic warming and wetting at the onset of GI‐1e (Bølling) and the minor phase during GI‐1c (Allerød). This study enhances knowledge of the palaeogeography of the former European periglacial zone by showing that Late Pleistocene thermokarst activity could have had a significant impact on the evolution of the landscape of at least some regions of central Europe along the southern limit of the continuous permafrost zone. The research also points to a similar history for the physical transformation of the landscape of the former European periglacial zone and current thermokarst landscapes and could be a valuable source of information with respect to the future transformation of the Arctic under conditions of ongoing global warming.