29. The Variability and Uniqueness of Cirque Landscapes in the Schladminger Tauern

Geomorphologists celebrate the mountain group of the Schladminger Tauern for its superb landforms of glacial erosion. Hikers celebrate it for its scenic quality. This non-glacierized mountain group straddling the main divide of the Eastern Alps in Styria was analysed with the aid of a geomorphological map showing all glacial and periglacial features. The main focus of this chapter is the cirque landscape. A review of cirque development models is followed by analyses of a data base of 76 cirques in the Schladminger Tauern. Three prominent results are noted: (i) cirques of the study area are larger than elsewhere, but most conspicuous is their relatively deep incision; (ii) there has been an above average rate of glacial downcutting; and (iii) optimal Pleistocene conditions for cirque formation were determined from analysis of cirque aspects. The superb cirque development of the study area may be explained by its intermediate altitudinal position on the main divide of the Eastern Alps: during glacial maxima the mountain group was covered by the large Alpine complex of transection glaciers. Much longer durations of the glacial periods, however, were characterized by a local glaciation including intervals of separate cirque glaciers.