20. Geomorphological Processes of Cuesta Scarps—Landslides at the Swabian Jurassic Escarpment

The southwest of Germany is characterised by cuesta scarps with different characteristics. This impressive scarpland area comprises the cuesta scarps of the Buntsandstein (Early Triassic), Muschelkalk (Middle Triassic), Keuper (Late Triassic), and the Jurassic escarpment (Lehmkuhl and Römer 2025, Chapter 1.​1, Fig. 1.​6). The latter is divided into the Swabian and Franconian Alb, separated by the Nördlinger Ries meteorite impact crater. The Swabian Alb is an exceptional example of a cuesta landscape with its numerous unique geomorphological and geological features, including gravitational mass movements, various karst phenomena, and volcanic structures. Primarily, the distinctive lithological (particularly the interbedding of permeable and impermeable bedrock) and morphological conditions are responsible for the occurrence of landslides, and thus they represent an important geomorphic feature in the landscape of the Swabian cuesta scarp (Swabian Alb). The Swabian escarpment (Albtrauf) hosts numerous landslides of different sizes and ages. Especially the reactivation of past slide masses plays an important role. These reactivation processes are closely connected to the present-day natural hazards, and they lead to the rejuvenation of landforms which significantly shape the landscape. Repeatedly, they can cause severe damage to settlements and infrastructures, and threaten the population in slope positions of the Swabian Alb. This study presents three remarkable landslide areas with varying ages, showing their different characteristics and their impact on the landscape of the Swabian Alb.