debris flow; dendrogeomorphology; P. mugo; the High Tatras Mountains

Debris flows are very frequent geomorphic agents that form relief of the High Tatras Mountains, which are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian arc. The knowledge of their history is based on lichenometric dating, historical orthophotos and incomplete archival records. Nevertheless, complete chronologies of debris flows at an annual resolution for the High Tatras Mountains have not yet been reconstructed. In this paper, we present results of dendrogeomorphic research in the southern region of the mountains (the Great Cold Valley and Small Cold Valley). The research was undertaken to reconstruct regional year-to-year chronologies of debris flows, which would present unique perspectives on the debris flow activity. A total of 474 scars on the stems and branches of 414 P. mugo were dated with a seasonal precision (the best tool for distinguishing debris flow scars from snow avalanche scars) in 12 debris flow tracks.