3. The Geomorphology of Rügen Island (NE Germany) as a Key to Understanding a Variety of Land Systems, Glacial and Coastal Processes

The Isle of Rügen provides challenges related to the sequence of glaciations and deglaciations across the entire island affected by the southern Scandinavian Ice Sheet margin during the late Weichselian glaciation. This includes the chronology of till and interbedded sediment deposition, as well as glacitectonic deformation, and the post-glacial landscape evolution. The geomorphology visible in the digital elevation model is an excellent geo-archive. The main feature of the striking terminal moraines on Rügen’s northeastern peninsula Jasmund is represented by two differently orientated composite ridge sets indicating a multi-stage glacitectonic deformation. For the first time, we describe megascale glacial lineations for the northwestern part of Rügen’s mainland. Their NE-SW orientation indicates an identically orientated glacier flow. In other parts of the island, glacier sliding and pushing, melt-out, and meltwater drainage had a strong geomorphic impact and created a system of ice-marginal moraines, cupola hills, drumlinized beds, and eskers. The coastline of Rügen represents a paraglacial setting, as of a barrier-lagoon system. Barrier spits cut off lagoons from the open sea. The Holocene evolution of such barrier systems along the southern Baltic Sea coast is a consequence of several factors. First and foremost, it is a direct function of the sea-level development.