Lichenometrical Studies and Dating of Debris Flow Deposits in the High Tatra Mountains, Poland

Abstract

A growth curve for Rhizocarpon lichens has been constructed for a valley in the Polish High Tatra Mountains. Monuments and buildings of known age have been, used as measurement sites for the lichen sizes. The lichen growth could be described by the equation: Ld = 0,44 A—4, where Ld - lichen diameter in mm, A-lichen age in years. As an application, this curve has been used for dating of debris flow deposits. These datings show that most of the investigated debris flows were triggered during the later part of the Little Ice Age, due to alluviation. During the last hundred years, only a few debris flows have occurred.