8 Groundwater Resources of Poland
143
Fig. 8.1 River basins in the territory of Poland
8.2 The Topography of the Land
In the area of Poland, a band-shaped system of parallelly running geomorphological
forms can be distinguished. It has a considerable impact on the fresh groundwater
conditions in the whole country [1–5].
The range of mountains and foothills of the Sudetes stretches along the southern
border of Poland in the west, whereas the mountains and foothills belonging to the
range of the Carpathians are located in the east. The genesis and geological evolution
of these mountains vary. The Sudetes were formed during the Variscan orogeny and
belong to the Palaeozoic tectonic platform of Western Europe. The Sudetes largely
consist of volcanic and metamorphic rocks, while the Carpathians are relatively
young mountains, belonging to the Alpines, which is the reason for the prevailing
occurrence of flysch in the massive layers of the sheets from the Jurassic period
to the Neogene. Only in the highest parts of the Tatras has the occurrence of hard
crystalline rocks been recorded.
143
Fig. 8.1 River basins in the territory of Poland
8.2 The Topography of the Land
In the area of Poland, a band-shaped system of parallelly running geomorphological
forms can be distinguished. It has a considerable impact on the fresh groundwater
conditions in the whole country [1–5].
The range of mountains and foothills of the Sudetes stretches along the southern
border of Poland in the west, whereas the mountains and foothills belonging to the
range of the Carpathians are located in the east. The genesis and geological evolution
of these mountains vary. The Sudetes were formed during the Variscan orogeny and
belong to the Palaeozoic tectonic platform of Western Europe. The Sudetes largely
consist of volcanic and metamorphic rocks, while the Carpathians are relatively
young mountains, belonging to the Alpines, which is the reason for the prevailing
occurrence of flysch in the massive layers of the sheets from the Jurassic period
to the Neogene. Only in the highest parts of the Tatras has the occurrence of hard
crystalline rocks been recorded.