HERITAGE OF WAR: ANALYSIS OF BOMB CRATERS USING LIDAR (KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE, POLAND)

One of the biggest areas in Europe with relief transformed as a result of area bombardment carried out in the 1940s is located near Kgdzierzyn-Kozle. Most craters can be observed on orthophotomaps and shaded relief rasters. In land subject to intense economic activity, the bomb craters were backfilled as early as in the 1940s and 50s, however, they have been preserved in forest and swampy areas. Owing to the analysis of digital elevation models and shaded relief rasters, it was found that a 5.9-hectare detailed research site included 282 bomb craters of various types, giving an average of 48 craters per ha. However, there are crater concentrations containing almost 75 items/ha The article presents the morphometric parameters of craters and the reconstruction of their emergence and transformation processes, which are stored in landform morphology. The usefulness and accuracy of digital elevation models and shaded relief rasters was tested for different resolutions in the analyses of craters occurring in a variety of environmental conditions. It was also suggested that this area should be protected as a terrain for interdisciplinary research into the effects of intensive WWII activities. It is significant owing to its historical value, as well as the contemporary spatial economy.

Automated summary

This article describes the morphological changes in the area near Kgdzierzyn-Kozle as a result of regional bombing, particularly focusing on the formation and transformation processes of bomb craters. By analyzing digital elevation models and shaded relief rasters, the study examines 282 bomb craters of various types in the area and suggests the protection of this region as a research site for studying the effects of WWII.