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Abstract Deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSDs) are significant geomorphological features that shape mountainous landscapes and pose considerable hazards to infrastructure and communities. While their evolution in sedimentary terrains has been widely studied, DSGSDs in volcanic rock massifs remain insufficiently explored. This study investigates the Biela Skala DSGSD in the Vtáčnik Mts., part of the Central Slovakia Volcanic Field, characterized by andesitic formations overlying softer, sedimentary coal-bearing units. The research focuses on the geological predispositions, kinematic mechanisms, and evolutionary processes influencing this complex mass movement. An integrated approach combining geomorphic field investigations, remote sensing and numerical modeling was employed to reconstruct the development of the DSGSD and assess its controlling factors. Finite element modeling identified critical shear zones, particularly along the contact between andesitic breccias and overlying pyroclastic-epiclastic layers, and quantified displacement magnitudes exceeding 2 m that correlate with mapped scarps. These findings confirm that tectonic uplift, the complex layering of volcanic units, and active neotectonic faulting collectively enhance slope instability by concentrating gravitational forces in zones of inherent weakness, especially within softer claystone and pyroclastic layers. This study refines the morphostructural framework of the Biela Skala DSGSD, advancing our understanding of slope deformation in neo-volcanic regions and providing a foundation for further kinematic analysis of DSGSDs in similar lithostratigraphic and structural settings.
Andrius Toločka (Fri,) studied this question.