INQUA 2620 sy: International Field Symposium Glacials and interglacials of the Middle and Upper Pleistocene in central Poland (PWGM2026)
Abstract
The 2026 meeting of the INQUA Peribaltic Working Group will take place in Central Poland from 28 June to 3 July 2026, bringing together researchers working on Quaternary research of the Baltic region. The event continues a long-standing tradition of annual scientific meetings that integrate conference sessions with field-based discussions. The meeting will provide an interdisciplinary platform for presenting new research results and strengthening collaboration among specialists in Quaternary geology, geomorphology, sedimentology, palaeoecology, archaeology and related fields.
The indoor scientific session will be held at the University of Lodz, Faculty of Geographical Sciences. The programme will include keynote lectures, oral and poster presentations, and moderated scientific discussions. These sessions are designed to present the latest advances in Quaternary research and to encourage exchange of ideas between scientists representing different methodological approaches. Particular emphasis will be placed on the active participation of early-career researchers, providing them with opportunities to present their work and develop international research networks.
A distinctive element of the meeting will be the extensive field workshops across Central Poland, a region that has served as a classic area of Quaternary research. The field programme will introduce participants to a wide range of geological and geomorphological settings shaped by the activity of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet and subsequent processes. Study sites will include glacial, fluvial, lacustrine, and aeolian landforms, as well as areas influenced by periglacial processes. Excursions will also visit large open-cast lignite mines, offering exceptional exposures of Quaternary and pre-Quaternary deposits.
By combining conference presentations with field-based discussion, the meeting aims to enhance international cooperation, promote current Polish Quaternary research, and provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the complex environmental history of Central Poland.
Project leaders:
Dr. Małgorzata Frydrych – Faculty of Geographical Sciences, University of Łódź, Poland
Dr. Robert Sokołowski – Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdansk, Poland
