Analysis of the terrain relief of localities containing the word-formation basis “gór” in their name within the Łódź Voivodeship using GIS

Abstract

The aim of this work is to analyse the terrain of localities containing the word base of “gór” in the Lodz province. The selected research area, the Łódź province, is located in central Poland and is characterised by a diverse landscape, including both urban and rural areas. A total of 98 villages containing the word base of “gór” were identified. Such names suggest a connection with the terrain and may reflect specific geographical features of the area. The work focuses on the analysis of the terrain within two buffers: 5 km and 2 km. It was expected that the terrain around these localities would be more diverse, with greater differences in height and slope. Conducting two analyses using GIS tools allowed for the visualisation of the results, which led to an easier understanding of the connections between the terrain and the word base of “gór”. Both the first and the second analyses highlighted the correlation of potential terrain variability in the southern part of the Łódź province. In the area where the upland belt begins, localities showing these correlations were revealed in both analyses. The spatial arrangement indicates that the relationships were demonstrated in both the southeastern and central parts of the province in both analyses, while in the northern part they were highlighted only in the second analysis. The study used data from Geoportal, Orthophotomaps, the National Register of Geographical Names, the Database of Geographical Objects and the Central Statistical Office.