Periglacial zones and key processes in the forefield of present ice sheets are strongly affected by global climate change. Micromorphological research of quartz grains enables the reconstruction of sedimentary and post-depositional processes forming recent and past periglacial zones. Present periglacial zones are dominantly located in recently deglaciated areas in the Arctic, in Antarctica, or sub-Arctic zones of north-east Asia and North America. The occurrence of former periglacial zones in the lower latitudes was caused by repeating advances of the ice sheets during the Pleistocene glacial stages. Quartz grains and thin sections may provide a large amount of data, which could be obtained by using the detailed analysis of the grain microstructures under scanning electron microscope and the analysis of sediment or regolith microtextures under polarizing microscope. Results obtained from such sedimentary sequences could provide the baseline for the future development of the Polar Regions. The applicant has already analysed quartz grains and sediment thin sections sampled for the purpose of his master’s thesis in Kolnovice sandpit in 2017, which represent the basis for further research. Future field should be directed towards sampling in present periglacial zones of Polar Regions, namely the James Ross Island in Antarctica and Svalbard in the Arctic and the localities in Czechia and Poland, where applicable past periglacial sedimentary sequences are known. The quartz grains and sedimentary mono-blocks for the thin sections for the micromorphological research of unconsolidated sediments will be sampled from selected representative sections and sediment types. The quartz grain microtextures will be analysed under SEM with the expert leadership of Dr hab Barbara Woronko. Thin sections will be analysed and scanned under Nikon Eclipse LV100 (POL)1. Travel expenses for the work in Polar Regions will be covered by Czech Antarctic Research Programme. The thesis will be compiled from 3–4 peer-reviewed papers published (or submitted for publication) in renown international journals. The first two papers will deal with the results of the quartz grain analysis sampled from recent aeolian sediments in Polar Regions, specifically from Svalbard and James Ross Island. One article will present palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of the sedimentary environment (focused on loess or loess-like sediments) from the glacial localities in Czechia and Poland. The concluding paper will provide a synthesis of the available results and the comparison of past and present periglacial zones. The applicant will be the first author of at least two papers. Results will be presented at relevant conferences (SPARC, Kvartér, or other international conferences). The applicant is expected to collaborate on other projects of the Polar-Geo-Lab team of the Department of Geography, Masaryk University, and to establish contacts with other Czech or international institutions specialised in Polar and/or Quaternary research.