RESEARCH TEAM:
• Micro-weathering of Rock Surfaces
Project Leader: Prof. Maciej Dąbski, DSc
Team: Ireneusz Badura, MA
Micro-weathering and Spectral Characteristics of Rock Surfaces in Glacier Forelands
NCN Preludium-Bis2
2020/39/O/ST10/01068 (2021–2025)
As glaciers retreat, they expose landscapes that are only just beginning to adapt to their new conditions. Our research investigates how rock surfaces recently uncovered by ice change—ranging from their microscopic structure to the composition of the microorganisms that colonise them. This knowledge helps scientists better understand the pace and mechanisms of transformation in post-glacial landscapes and contributes to the development of terrain dating methods.
The research project, carried out under the NCN grant, focuses on the micro-weathering of rock surfaces in glacier forelands—areas where ice has retreated over the past 150 years. These are geologically “fresh” environments where adaptive processes occur dynamically, and yet they remain poorly understood. The study sites include moraines and erosional forms shaped since the so-called Little Ice Age:
– in Austria (Hallstaetter Glacier foreland – limestone), – in Spitsbergen (Midtre Lovénbreen Glacier foreland – gneiss).
Researchers are analysing:
• changes in micro-roughness and elasticity of the rock surface,
• development of the “weathering rind” – a thin outer layer,
• visibility of these changes in reflected light spectra (visible + infrared),
• the types of microorganisms (mainly bacteria) that colonise rock surfaces.
To determine microenvironmental conditions, UAVs (drones) were used to produce orthophotomaps and digital terrain models (LiDAR + photogrammetry).
Findings — with increasing distance from the glacier front and the passage of time:
• rock surfaces become rougher and less elastic,
• reflectance spectra shift,
• new communities of microorganisms emerge.
However, these changes do not follow a linear pattern—local conditions such as slope aspect, humidity and shading play a crucial role. This research deepens our understanding of how quickly and under what conditions post-glacial landscapes transform. It supports the more precise dating of landforms and enhances the ability to forecast how environments respond to climate change.
Upper graphics:
↑ Location of the research sites and test areas in Spitsbergen.
Lower graphics:
↑ FROM THE LEFT.
Measurement of rock roughness and spectral reflectance in the Hallstaetter Glacier foreland.
UAV survey of the Hallstaetter Glacier foreland.
Cross-sections of microstructures within weathering rinds (limestone), imaged using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
Sample collection in the Midtre Lovénbreen Glacier foreland.
RESEARCH LOCATIONS: Austria / Spitsbergen (HALLSTAETTER / MIDTRE LOVÉNBREEN GLACIERS)