Tri-dimensional Model of the Radovna Glacier from the Last Glacial Period

Abstract

The Radovna River Valley is located in the northwest of Slovenia, in the Julian Alps, and bounded by two plateaus - Pokljuka in the south and Mežakla in the north. Typical geological and geomorphological shapes in the Valley indicate several glacial stages in the Pleistocene. As a result of glacial activity and river outflow, typical glacial and river terraces can be observed throughout the Valley, especially in its lower and middle regions. The paper deals with the Radovna Glacier from the last glacial period, the existence of which is evidenced by certain remaining geomorphological features in the Valley. Little investigative research on the Radovna Glacier, on its activity and extent, has been done in recent decades; the little that has been done has only featured the glacier as a secondary or incidental subject of research on the neighbouring Dolinka and Bohinj Glaciers. Both numerical modelling and field surveying were used for the reconstruction model, with work based on previous experiences and observations of hydrogeological conditions in the Radovna Valley. However, it must be emphasized that the model is only validated based on a few remaining traces of the glacier's activity.