The scars of war: A programme for the identification of the environmental effects of Word War II bombings for the purposes of spatial management in the Kozle Basin, Poland

Poland's Kozle Basin contains numerous craters created from the explosions of World War II aerial bombs as well as craters left by unexploded ordnance. The state of the local environment has been severely affected. This situation presents an obstacle to spatial management of the land to this day. This research programme studied the distribution of postmilitary anthropogenic geohazards in the area. It was intended to help to indicate the appropriate courses of action, including in the field of spatial planning, in the areas affected by former bombing. Desk studies focused on photo-interpretive analysis of archival aerial photographs and took advantage of the potential of high-resolution shaded relief rasters created from digital terrain models derived from LiDAR scanning. Field studies used classic geomorphological methods. Studies conducted so far in the bombed areas indicate the necessity of carrying out systematic, anticipatory, accurate surveys of the land and soil surface with the use of geophysical methods. Currently, the traces identified in the field suggest that the amount of unexploded ordnance remaining in the ground is very large.

Automated summary

The Kozle Basin in Poland has been severely affected by explosions from World War II aerial bombs and unexploded ordnance, posing obstacles to spatial management of the land. This research program aims to identify and understand the distribution of post-military anthropogenic geohazards in the area and propose appropriate courses of action. Desk studies using aerial photographs and high-resolution shaded relief rasters derived from LiDAR scanning, along with field studies using classic geomorphological methods, provide valuable insights. The presence of a large number of unexploded ordnance in the ground highlights the need for systematic and accurate surveys using geophysical methods.