Reconstructing the Quaternary glaciation of the central European uplands and its palaeoclimate implications

During the Pleistocene ice ages, Central Europe formed a mostly unglaciated corridor between the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet and the Alpine ice complex. The mountains of this region hosted small ice masses at the time. However, the extent, timing and climate conditions under which glaciers existed, as well as their erosional imprint on the landscape remain poorly understood. Solving these challenges is important for understanding the impact glaciation may have had on the distribution of biota and permafrost, which, in turn, can be used to reconstruct former human migration routes in Central Europe. This project aims to reconstruct the past glaciation of the Central European uplands and its palaeoclimate implications, focusing on the mid-elevation mountains in the region, such as the Bohemian/Bavarian Forest, the Fichtel Mountains, the Ore Mountains, and the Sudetes.

Firstly, we aim to identify and date former ice extents and determine the style of glaciation through geomorphological mapping of glacial depositional and erosional landforms and their radiometric dating with terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides and optically stimulated luminescence. Secondly, we will conduct morphometric analyses and geophysical surveys to determine the degree of glacial erosion of cirques and valleys and assess the influence of plateau surfaces as potential snow or ice accumulation areas. Finally, we will apply a numerical glacier model (Parallel Ice Sheet Model) to identify the degree of temperature cooling and precipitation increase or decrease from present-day to grow glaciers that match the mapped and dated extents. Thus, an understanding of past glaciation and climate over Central Europe during the Pleistocene will be produced, with a wide relevance for the palaeoclimatology, ecology, and archaeology research communities. This poster will introduce the project and present initial results.