A man as one of the sculptors of the Earth Bytom is located in the Silesian Upland Bytom lies on average at 280 – 290 m above the level. Natural resources in Bytom

Bytom is well-known for its natural resources, mainly . Apart from that, there are resources such as zinc, iron and lead. The waterways in Bytom

Bytom lies between two major Polish rivers: the Oder and the Vistula.

The main river of Bytom is the Bytomka River, which is 19,2 km long. Underwater from the local coal mines flows into the river. Changes in the Bytomka River valley

The valley of the Bytomka River has been changed because of the human activity – industry.

The landform has been changed and the flow of the river has been regulated.

The has also changed and spoil tips have appeared.

The Bytomka River

An artificial source of the river The Bytomka River

The river in one of Bytom’s districts

The Bytomka River

The river in one of Bytom’s districts

The Bytomka River

An estuary of the Bytomka River into the Kłodnica River

The characteristics of landform of Bytom due to human activity Spoil tips

A spoil tip is a pile built of waste rock and soil removed during .

Spoil tips used to have a shape of cones and became part of the local landscape.

Spoil tips

There are several ways of re-utilising the spoil tips.

The waste rock from spoil tips is used in road construction – as the basic layer under the motorways, railway embankments and car parks.

Spoil tips can also be recultivated where parks and green spaces can be created.

A spoil tip

Spoil tip created close to a zinc and lead mine on the border of Bytom A spoil tip

Spoil tip created close to a zinc and lead mine on the border of Bytom

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located behind a shopping center in Bytom, March 2010

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located by a busy road in Bytom, from which waste rock has been used to build motorways.

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located in the suburbs of Bytom, January 2018 A spoil tip

Spoil tip located in the suburbs of Bytom, January 2018

A spoil tip

Rock material from a spoil tip, January 2018 A spoil tip

Rock material from a spoil tip, January 2018

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located in the suburbs of Bytom, January 2018

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located in the suburbs of Bytom, January 2018

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located on the border of Bytom’s two districts, January 2018

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located on the border of Bytom’s two districts with a mine building in the background, January 2018

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located on the border of Bytom’s two districts with a power plant and a mine building in the background, January 2018

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located on the border of Bytom’s two districts, January 2018

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located on the border of Bytom’s two districts with the Bytomka River visible on the left, January 2018

A spoil tip

Spoil tip located on the border of Bytom’s two districts with a mine building in the background, January 2018

A spoil tip

A railway embankment built from the waste rock from a spoil tip.

A spoil tip

A motorway embankment built from the waste rock from a spoil tip.

Depressions (low-lying areas)

Depressions are deformations on the surface of the ground when the extraction of natural resources, especially coal makes the ground to sink. Depressions

Depressions are created in the places where coal was dug out.

There is an empty space under the earth’s crust and the ground starts to fall down slowly. Depressions

A street in Bytom as an example of depression

Depressions

A street in Bytom as an example of depression

Depressions

Another street in Bytom as an example of depression

Depressions

A street in town center as an example of depression

Depressions

A street in town center as an example of depression

Depressions

Depressions are often filled in water, sometimes naturally and sometimes on purpose. They become home to many plant and animal species, which is important in industrialised areas. Depressions

An artificial lake created in place of the depression Depressions

An artificial lake created in place of the depression

Sources:

Books: Zygmunt Konopka, “Bytom - geneza katastrofy ekologicznej. Analiza stanu środowiska naturalnego i jego wpływ na strukturę miejską”

Internet:

I. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bytom II. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyżyna_Śląska III. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bytomka IV. https://www.google.pl/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwif-- jR38HYAhVQCuwKHeEICq4QjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocplayer.pl%2F4407035-Prognoza-oddzialywania-na- srodowisko.html&psig=AOvVaw0NVZ3C-OFEr1ULFaEv97iJ&ust=1515273454431505 V. http://www.profesor.pl/mat/n10/n10_h_liczba_040429_2.php