The Impact of Mining on the Landscape: A Study of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in Poland

Introduction.- Human activity as a geomorphic factor.- Impact of mining on landscape.- Anthropogenic denudation as a research problem.- Research methods and data sources.- Environment of study area.- A brief history of mining in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin.- Iron ore mining.- Zinc and lead ores mining.- Hard coal mining.- Rocks resources mining.- Anthropogenic landforms in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin.- Excavations.- Waste heaps.- Subsidence troughs.- Sinkholes.- Fissures and thresholds.- Changes in morphometric parameters of terrain caused by mining.- Changes in altitude.- Changes in relative height.- Changes in slope angles.- Changes in circulation matter in drainage basins.- Sediment production zone.- Transfer zone.- Deposition zone.- Changes in circulation matter in land-locked basins.- Anthropogenic denudation rate in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin.- Anthropogenic denudation rates calculated from raw materials output.- Anthropogenic denudation rates calculated from morphometric analysis.- Forecasts of anthropogenic denudation.- Anthropogenic denudation rate in other mining areas.- Mining areas in Poland.- Ostrava-Karvina Coal Basin, Czech Republic.- Ruhr Coal Basin (Ruhr District), Germany.- Summary and conclusions.- References.