Discussing surface crack structures in the Schorfheide region, NE Germany

As a region characterized by intense glacial influence during the quaternary glaciations, the north-eastern part of Germany has a long geomorphologic research tradition. However, the chronology of ice-sheet dynamics and the interpretation of its related landforms is still a matter of discussion. The development of modern remote sensing technology provides new insights into, e.g., small scale landforms and enables a reassessment of landscape forming processes. Morphologic indications of local ice-advances southward of the Pomeranian (W2) ice-marginal position (IMP) during the W2-phase are still up to debate (Chrobok & Nitz 1987). The analysis of a high-resolution LiDAR (light detection and ranging) DEM (digital elevation model) revealed a multitude of east-west striking, curved negative landforms in the Schorfheide region. Situated 7–8 km in the foreland of the W2 IMP, the landforms’ formation was expected to be directly connected to glacial morphodynamics. This study aims to describe the investigated landscape feature and to evaluate several explanatory approaches.