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Vistula River Delta-Plain—A Region of Fluvial, Coastal, and Land Reclamation Impact on Landscape Development

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Landscapes and Landforms of Poland

Part of the book series: World Geomorphological Landscapes ((WGLC))

Abstract

Vistula River delta-plain, which includes the Żuławy area and the western part of Vistula Sandy Barrier, represents a unique, relatively flat landscape, shaped by fluvial, coastal, and anthropogenic interactions. The decay of the last ice sheet and the development of the Baltic Sea triggered the evolution of the Vistula River mouth that lasted for over 15 thousand years. In the past 700 years, human activity intensely transformed the natural character of the region. Characteristic landforms that distinctly contribute to the landscape include river channels with associated alluvial forms and artificial dykes, anthropogenic constructions like terps or fortifications, the relict Druzno lake, and sandy barriers insulating low-lying region from the Baltic Sea. The region is likely to evolve in the near future due to relentless human impact and ongoing climate change that put the Vistula River delta-plain in danger of coastal flooding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geomorphology and Quaternary Geology, University of Gdańsk, Bażyńskiego 4, 80–309, Gdańsk, Poland

    Damian Moskalewicz & Piotr Paweł Woźniak

Authors
  1. Damian Moskalewicz
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  2. Piotr Paweł Woźniak
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Correspondence to Damian Moskalewicz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geography & Regional Development, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland

    Piotr Migoń

  2. Institute of Geography & Regional Development, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland

    Kacper Jancewicz

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Moskalewicz, D., Woźniak, P.P. (2024). Vistula River Delta-Plain—A Region of Fluvial, Coastal, and Land Reclamation Impact on Landscape Development. In: Migoń, P., Jancewicz, K. (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of Poland. World Geomorphological Landscapes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-45762-3_42

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