Quaternary research in Poland : selected achievements and prospects

During the last thirty years there were several turnouts in Quaternary studies that increasingly accelerated our understanding of natural processes and opened new research fields. Among others, they included complex reconstruction of palaeoclimatic phenomena, studies of deep-sea and long-term continental record, and extensive application of reliable dating methods. In Poland considerable progress was gained in studies of stratigraphy and palaeogeography of the Eemian Interglacial, last Pleistocene glaciation and Holocene, regional loess stratigraphy, key palynologic interglacial sections and standard varve chronology in Lake Gściąż, as well as in complex and systematic studies in polar areas. Priorities in Quaternary studies suggest that particularly quick progress is to be expected in studies of climate change, evolution of natural environment and in monitoring of natural hand human-induced hazards.