Elements of Carpathians Geography in the old historic and cartographic documents. The article shows several aspects of how the network of mountain toponyms was formed in our mountain area and how this process is illustrated in Middle Age... more
Elements of Carpathians Geography in the old historic and cartographic documents. The article shows several aspects of how the network of mountain toponyms was formed in our mountain area and how this process is illustrated in Middle Age documents and cartographic sources. The way in which mediaeval documents reflect a certain way of perceiving the different characteristics of our mountains, (mountains with alpine aspect vs. other mountains) is also illustrated. The apparition and perpetuation of certain oronyms on various maps, especially on the maps of Transylvania is also illustrated, the other Romanian provinces being poorer in cartographic productions. After analyzing the above mentioned cartographic material we may conclude that the oronym Carpatus, Carpates, Carpathes, Carpazzi, never appears in the area of the Meridional Carpathians, but only in the area of the Oriental Carpathians. It most frequently appears in two areas of the Eastern Carpathians i.e. at the sources of Tis...
The Deliblato Sands is among the largest uniform dune fields of Europe, with a very pronounced topography reflecting extensive past aeolian events. Although lacking numerical age data, previous researchers have hypothesized various... more
The Deliblato Sands is among the largest uniform dune fields of Europe, with a very pronounced topography reflecting extensive past aeolian events. Although lacking numerical age data, previous researchers have hypothesized various periods of dune formation. Our research goals were to map the main morphological units of the Deliblato Sands, and to provide the first optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages for the major dune types. Mapping was carried out using digital elevation models, satellite images, and GPS profiles. Dune development was investigated using OSL. Several tests were performed concerning thermal treatment, signal characteristics, dose recovery, and dose distributions to assess the suitability of sediments for luminescence dating. Based on our results, two dune generations could be identified that differed in morphology and age. Older dune forms are primarily low sand-supply, hairpin-like parabolic dunes that developed from the last glacial maximum until the end ...
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This study aims to analyze one of the most dynamic sections in the lower part of the Mureș River, Lipova-Arad sector. The geological and tectonic context influenced the shifts of the watercourse at both a regional scale and a local one.... more
This study aims to analyze one of the most dynamic sections in the lower part of the Mureș River, Lipova-Arad sector. The geological and tectonic context influenced the shifts of the watercourse at both a regional scale and a local one. The channelization works have shortened the length of the channel by 1/3 of it. The flood events in the 70s and the mining activity have also influenced the evolution of the river in last decades. Accelerating the geomorphological processes, mostly after the great floods, have narrowed the channel by 35%, and have reduced the total islands surface by almost 80%. In this context, the Mureș River try to reach the dynamic equilibrium state had before the human interventions. Under the anthropic pressure the geomorphological processes have been accelerated and the landscape left behind in Lipova-Arad section, along the Mureș River suffered important changes.
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Mărghitaş Plateau is the name of a karstic plateau situated in the karstic area called Anina Mining Area, in Anina Mountains (Banat Mountains). This plateau is located in the North part of Anina Mining Area and it is characterized by... more
Mărghitaş Plateau is the name of a karstic plateau situated in the karstic area called Anina Mining Area, in Anina Mountains (Banat Mountains). This plateau is located in the North part of Anina Mining Area and it is characterized by sinkholes doline valleys and independent sinkholes, but also by the missing of surface water and springs. Anina Mining Area is defined by Vasile Sencu (1977) as the area that is surrounded Anina town and it may be exploited by mining activities. The studied area presents many landforms specific for karst terrains. These features belong to the exokarst forms (sinkholes, poljies, karrens, gorges, karstic springs), but also to the endokarst forms (caves, shafts). Because of the geomorphology and the absence of surface rivers, this plateau is very interesting to study, both surface and underground. Geophysical methods are an option to study the subsurface in connection with the surface landforms. One of these methods, which is also used in the analysis of t...
Application of cosmogenic nuclides in the study of Quaternary glaciations has increased rapidly during the last decade owing to the previous absence of direct dating methods of glacial landforms and sediments. Although several hundred... more
Application of cosmogenic nuclides in the study of Quaternary glaciations has increased rapidly during the last decade owing to the previous absence of direct dating methods of glacial landforms and sediments. Although several hundred publications have already been released on exposure age dating of glacial landforms worldwide, very few studies targeted the Carpathians so far (Kuhlemann et al, 2013a; Makos et al., 2014; Reuther et al, 2004, 2007; Rinterknecht et al. 2012). There are many unresolved or contradictory issues regarding the glacial chronology of the Romanian Carpathians. Recently, some attempts have been made to develop an improved temporal framework for the glaciations of the region using cosmogenic 10 Be dating (Reuther et al. 2004, 2007, Kuhlemann et al. 2013a). However, these studies made the picture even more confusing because the local last glacial maximum, for instance, apparently occurred in asynchronous timing compared to each other and also to other dated glaci...
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To understand the functioning of fluvial systems it is important to investigate dynamics of sediment transport and the source of sediments. In case of reconstructing past processes these studies must be accompanied by the numerical dating... more
To understand the functioning of fluvial systems it is important to investigate dynamics of sediment transport and the source of sediments. In case of reconstructing past processes these studies must be accompanied by the numerical dating of sediment samples. In this respect optically stimulated luminescence is a widely used technique, by which the time of sediment deposition can be directly dated. Recently, in various fluvial environments it has been shown that certain luminescence properties of minerals, and especially that of quartz, can be applied as indicators of fluvial erosion and/or sediment provenance. These properties are residual luminescence (or residual dose) and luminescence sensitivity of quartz grains. However, the values of the parameters above are affected by various factors, the importance of which is under debate. The present study therefore aims to assess these factors along a ~560 km long reach of River Mureş (Maros) a relatively large river with a compound sur...
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Nowadays DEMs are indispensable tools in studies and analysis regarding Earth’s surface. Generating DEMs closely to the true surfaces and with high accuracy represent a main issue. The aim of the study is to improve the geomorphometric... more
Nowadays DEMs are indispensable tools in studies and analysis regarding Earth’s surface. Generating DEMs closely to the true surfaces and with high accuracy represent a main issue. The aim of the study is to improve the geomorphometric analysis based on DEMs. In this study a statistical approach was used to assess various DEMs generated with different methods to compare their accuracy. DEMs were created on the base of a topographic map using classical interpolation methods (Spline, IDW, Kriging, Simple linear interpolation) and simulated surfaces. The results suggest that data source is more important in error propagation, followed by interpolation methods.
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This chapter reviews the existing knowledge concerning the current state of the main frost-driven processes in the Romanian Carpathians. Since permafrost has a patchy distribution and occurs in marginal conditions only in few massifs from... more
This chapter reviews the existing knowledge concerning the current state of the main frost-driven processes in the Romanian Carpathians. Since permafrost has a patchy distribution and occurs in marginal conditions only in few massifs from the Romanian Carpathians, the key periglacial processes are those associated with seasonal frost, which are widespread above the tree line. The present-day amplitude of solifluction, frost heaving or frost creep is generally lower than in other periglacial environments ranging from few mm to tens of centimetres/year. The results revealed that mass wasting and frost weathering in the alpine environment of the Romanian Carpathians are strongly controlled by ground freezing, which depends on several factors, such as ground materials, topography, vegetation cover, snow cover, water content and incoming solar radiation. Major progress has been achieved in the last few years, when comprehensive monitoring of several periglacial processes (e.g. solifluction, frost heaving, frost creep) has started. The outcomes improved the understanding of current periglaciation in the Romanian Carpathians, but many uncertainties still exist regarding several periglacial processes (e.g. frost weathering) and the role of the environmental controlling factors. The periglacial deposits have a central, but not a defining position within the alpine landscape, occupying a greater extent than glacial or fluvial deposits. Based on the estimated volume of sediments within the alpine sector of a small alpine catchment in the Southern Carpathians, a post-glacial mean denudation rate of 0.26 mm/year was calculated.
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The sporadic permafrost specific to the Southern Carpathians is accommodated in three main features at sites with commonly low solar radiation—(i) rock glaciers (>1950 m altitude), (ii) talus slopes, and (iii) shaded rock walls... more
The sporadic permafrost specific to the Southern Carpathians is accommodated in three main features at sites with commonly low solar radiation—(i) rock glaciers (>1950 m altitude), (ii) talus slopes, and (iii) shaded rock walls (>2400 m)—with a net prevalence of the former category. Due to its marginal character, the alpine permafrost in Southern Carpathians develops only in the most favorable conditions which consist in cold microclimates imposed by topography (low solar radiation, high altitude), but also in specific ground surface characteristics which promote ground overcooling. Among all, coarse openwork debris is the most favorable land cover type for permafrost development because of the cooling effect it exerts on the underground, especially via air ventilation during cold snow free interval (fall and early winter) and air stratification (low conductivity) under thick snow cover. Because of the large surfaces covered by coarse debris at high altitudes, the granitic massifs of Retezat and Parâng present the most extensive areas with probable permafrost from the Southern Carpathians. Instead, the fine debris specific to crystalline ranges of Făgăras and Iezer—Păpușa or the small and thin conglomeratic debris of Bucegi massif inhibit nowadays the permafrost formation with very few exceptions. Although most rock glaciers prove to be relict, the present-day climate supports the existence of permafrost into thick and coarse debris (intact rock glaciers and lower sectors of the talus slopes) especially at altitudes higher than 2000 m. The geophysical surveys from granitic rock glaciers situated at 1950–2100 m indicate a thin ( 10–20 m) and sometime supersaturated in ice.
Research Interests: Physical Geography, Geology, Geomorphology, Permafrost, Rock Glacier, and 5 moreSNOW, Glacier, Microclimate, Debris, and Rockfall
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The surface exposure dating with t,Be and 2uAr radionuclides opens new opportunities for the interpretation of the evolution of the geomorphologic landscape of mountains areas during Quatemary. The ages of some glacial landforms from... more
The surface exposure dating with t,Be and 2uAr radionuclides opens new opportunities for the interpretation of the evolution of the geomorphologic landscape of mountains areas during Quatemary. The ages of some glacial landforms from Retezat Mountains especially erratics resulted from cosmogenic dating are correlated with the results obtained by Schmidt hammer testing. This rnethod allows appreciating the weathering degree and the relative ages of the constitutive rocks of erratics, in the situation in which the degree of weathering is an indicator of the surface ages. we take into consideration the fact that the rock surface weathering is reflected by rock surface hardness, expressed by R values or rebound number related to the elastic properties ofthe surface and, therefore, its compressive strengih. Our results prove a sfrong relation betwcen absolute ages and relative ages, expressed by a preliminary linear calibration-age dating curve, basis on Schrnidt hammer testing.
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Research Interests: Geology and Quaternary
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Research Interests: Geology and Pleistocene
This paper is focused on the results of the application of 2D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) on glacial deposits from Bâlea-Valea Doamnei area (Făgăraş Mts.). In the application of ERT techniques different design, dipole-dipole,... more
This paper is focused on the results of the application of 2D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) on glacial deposits from Bâlea-Valea Doamnei area (Făgăraş Mts.). In the application of ERT techniques different design, dipole-dipole, Wenner and Wenner-Schlumberger.was used. Starting of this designs we can know and interpret the structure of glacial and post-glacial deposits from postglacial in-filled glacial depressions and, very important thing, the depth and configuration of the surface contact with bedrock. In all cases, the mottled aspect of all apparent resistivity profiles is a expression of heteregeneousity of deposits and, on the other hand, reveals typical structures, some of them connected with glacitectonic processes and deformations. The obtained results offer a set of informations about internal architecture of glacial deposits and a better understanding of the morainic formation processes. Also, the geophysical information can be base for a realistic models of late...
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The use of geophysical methods such as that of Spontaneous Potential (SP) to investigate areas where the geomorphological processes occur, has the role to identify less visible processes as for example subcutaneous erosion or piping,... more
The use of geophysical methods such as that of Spontaneous Potential (SP) to investigate areas where the geomorphological processes occur, has the role to identify less visible processes as for example subcutaneous erosion or piping, subsoil water drainage and finding specific spatial differences of these processes. Comparative study of these sites allows correlation between geomorphological factors, soil and climate, but also to observe the evolution of subsurface erosion or underground water infiltration over time. During this investigation a series of mesh grids have been made in areas with different characteristics (lithology, pedology, slope, exposition, etc.) at different time periods in order to spot and analyse the change in data in the chosen sites, various conditions given. Values expressed in millivolts (mV) obtained by the Spontaneous Potential method have been put into an algorithm for interpolation looking to yield a pattern of values of what is happening in the soil d...
A geophysical investigation was carried across the M3 burial mound from Silvașu de Jos —Dealu Țapului, a tumuli necropolis in western Romania, where the presence of the Yamnaya people was certified archaeologically. For characterizing the... more
A geophysical investigation was carried across the M3 burial mound from Silvașu de Jos —Dealu Țapului, a tumuli necropolis in western Romania, where the presence of the Yamnaya people was certified archaeologically. For characterizing the inner structure of the mound, two conventional geophysical methods have been used: a geomagnetic survey and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The results allowed the mapping of the central features of the mound and the establishment of the relative stratigraphy of the mantle, which indicated at least two chronological phases. Archaeological excavations performed in the central part of the mound accurately validated the non-invasive geophysical survey and offered a valuable chronological record of the long-forgotten archaeological monument. Geophysical approaches proved to be an invaluable instrument for the exploration of the monument and suggest a fast constructive tool for the investigation of the entire necropolis which currently has a nu...
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This study presents a new way to reconstruct the extent of medieval archaeological sites by using approaches from the field of geoinformatics. Hence, we propose a combined use of non-invasive methodologies which are used for the first... more
This study presents a new way to reconstruct the extent of medieval archaeological sites by using approaches from the field of geoinformatics. Hence, we propose a combined use of non-invasive methodologies which are used for the first time to study a medieval village in Romania. The focus here will be on ground-based and satellite remote-sensing techniques. The method relies on computing vegetation indices (proxies), which have been utilized for archaeological site detection in order to detect the layout of a deserted medieval town located in southwestern Romania. The data were produced by a group of small satellites (3U CubeSats) dispatched by Planet Labs which delivered high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface. The globe is encompassed by more than 150 satellites (dimensions: 10 × 10 × 30 cm) which catch different images for the same area at moderately short intervals at a spatial resolution of 3–4 m. The four-band Planet Scope satellite images were employed to calculate a nu...
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The water movement in the soil contributes to entrainment of particles of varying sizes, and over time, some tendency for the orientation of this flow may occur. In the areas with particular soil characteristics, an internal discrete... more
The water movement in the soil contributes to entrainment of particles of varying sizes, and over time, some tendency for the orientation of this flow may occur. In the areas with particular soil characteristics, an internal discrete drainage network appears, that manifests differently depending on the causative factors. The aim of the recording and monitoring of this concentrated water flow movement that contributes to soil erosion as a pipe network through a geophysical method is to understand its evolution. Using a method such as the Self Potential (SP) allows the study of the piping processes in a quantitative manner. In the peripheral area of the Dognecei Mountains, specifically near the Doclin village, it was analyzed one such area in which this process occurs.It was analyzed the evolution of a site in periods with different climatic parameters which are the ones that act as the active elements.The amplitude of the SP values (mV) differs based on the causative environmental fa...
<p>Permafrost exists in the highest mountains of SE Europe (South Carpathians, Rila, Pirin) in small isolated patches, where local topography and landforms provide conditions for winter ground cooling and for shading and... more
<p>Permafrost exists in the highest mountains of SE Europe (South Carpathians, Rila, Pirin) in small isolated patches, where local topography and landforms provide conditions for winter ground cooling and for shading and ground thermal isolation during summer.</p> <p>We present a summary of the present state of mountain permafrost in the study area by analyzing the results of ERT (electrical resistivity tomography) and GPR (ground penetrating radar) profiles together with thermal measurements of ground surface and air performed at the sites of documented permafrost occurrence. The results are put in context with recent climate evolution by a decade of thermal measurements in the South Carpathians and three years in the Rila and Pirin Mountains.</p> <p>Despite differences in air temperature and snow cover timing and thickness the permafrost extent remains constant at the study sites. The active layer is thick (between 5-10 m), whereas the permanently frozen layers vary in thickness even for the same study site, and are relatively thin compared to sites located in the Alps or the Andes, indicating that the existing permafrost is in imbalance with the current climate. Snow cover is probably the most important factor in seasonal evolution, controlling both the winter cooling and the summer thermal decupling of ground and air temperature. Recent evolution shows a tendency of shifting the snow cover period with later deposit and later thaw which favors permafrost conditions. We also observe a significant difference between Southern Carpathians and Rila and Pirin mountains, with snow patches lasting until late summer, August or September, in the later.</p> <p>However snow cover present strong local variations in terms of thickness and isolating proprieties which makes it the least study and least understood factor in mountain permafrost dynamics in SE Europe.</p>
Located in the Romanian Banat region, the Late Bronze Age (LBA) fortification Corneşti-Iarcuri is the largest known prehistoric settlement in Europe. Archaeobotanical and geoarchaeological investigations have targeted the reconstruction... more
Located in the Romanian Banat region, the Late Bronze Age (LBA) fortification Corneşti-Iarcuri is the largest known prehistoric settlement in Europe. Archaeobotanical and geoarchaeological investigations have targeted the reconstruction of vegetation, land use practices and subsistence strategies at the site, together with related human impact and environmental changes in the wider study area. Since colluvia constitute valuable archives in terms of landscape history and anthropogenic disturbance, one major focus was put on floodplain profiles. In the valleys, two generations of colluvium prevailed which were separated by fossil topsoils. Based on several radiocarbon datings, a chronology of events, including distinct phases of geomorphological activity and stability, has been established. Some of the buried palaeosurfaces contained pollen in sufficient concentrations to confirm off-site data from the Vinga area, where the regional vegetation during the Middle Copper Age consisted of Tilia-dominated woodlands with steppe elements. Following a major Late Copper Age deforestation phase that also led to considerable soil erosion, the gradual formation of a cultural landscape is documented by a progressive decline in tree cover in which Quercus gained relative importance, and a continuous presence of land use indicators. Plant macro-remains from archaeological excavations underpin both the openness of the semi-natural woodlands during the pre-fortification era and the increase of animal husbandry and farming in the LBA. Despite evident settlement pressure, it proved to be a geomorphologically stable phase. Towards the Early Iron Age, the values of anthropogenic markers in on-site pollen spectra rose to values comparable to those in surface samples.
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DOI: 10.1002/arp.1720 The medieval fortification of Mașloc, known as the 'Șanțul Turcilor' (Turkish ditch) is one of the best preserved archaeological sites in the Banat region, Romania. To reconstruct the subsurface... more
DOI: 10.1002/arp.1720 The medieval fortification of Mașloc, known as the 'Șanțul Turcilor' (Turkish ditch) is one of the best preserved archaeological sites in the Banat region, Romania. To reconstruct the subsurface archaeological features at the Mașloc site we combined three different geophysical methods: magnetometry, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and we used SfM (structure-from-motion) to achieve a detailed digital elevation model and an orthophoto mosaic also. Six hectares were investigated by magnetometry in order to define the basic outline of the medieval settlement, which gradually developed around the fortification. Several GPR and ERT profiles were constructed over the ramparts and ditches of the fortification to determine their extent and the internal structure of the ramparts, ditches and the houses within. The interpretation of these profiles shows for the first time the existence of a second ditch around the fortification: this is not visible in the field. The geophysical mapping precisely identifies the dwellings within the site, which shows the spatial organization of the village. Houses were developed along its main street, oriented northeast-southwest (NE-SW), which were constructed using well-established rules and must have been planned by a local administration. Such organization demonstrates the importance of the village in medieval times, due probably to its location near to the road between two important towns: Timișoara and Lipova. The geophysical results now allow us to associate this settlement with the lost Machalaka, an important village mentioned in the medieval documents. The geophysical investigation demonstrates how this method can delineate village boundaries and the planimetry of internal archaeological features.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Geomorphology, Geophysics, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Landscape Archaeology, and 15 moreMedieval Studies, Medieval Church History, Medieval Archaeology, Archaeological Prospection, Surveying, Magnetic field, Romania, ERT, ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY TOMOGRAPHY, Magnetometry, Medeival Studies, Geophysical Surveying(ERT), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Near surface gephysics, and Castles of Medieval Hungarian Kingdom
The study of sediment production, transport, storage and discharge in alpine drainage basins is an essential prerequisite for a better understanding of the postglacial evolution of the alpine landscape. To get an overview on sediment... more
The study of sediment production, transport, storage and discharge in alpine drainage basins is an essential prerequisite for a better understanding of the postglacial evolution of the alpine landscape. To get an overview on sediment production and alpine landscape evolution in Romania, the current study presents the first alpine sediment storage quantification in the Romanian Carpathians. Postglacial denudation was quantified within the small alpine catchment of the Doamnei Valley (3.62km(2)), located in the central part of the Făgăraș Mountains. The quantification of sediment volumes was performed through a combined approach consisting of: (i) detailed geomorphological mapping of sediment storage landforms, by means of high accuracy field and remote mapping of sediment storage landforms, (ii) shallow geophysical investigations and (iii) geographic information systems modeling techniques. A total of 64 ground penetrating radar profiles were conducted through the valley for sediment...
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Soil information covering regional, continental, or even global scales is needed for modelling, prediction, or estimation of environmental risks, crop yield estimation, carbon stock estimation, or research on climate change. This study... more
Soil information covering regional, continental, or even global scales is needed for modelling, prediction, or estimation of environmental risks, crop yield estimation, carbon stock estimation, or research on climate change. This study aims to evaluate the extent to which geographic object-based image analysis and expert-knowledge, using digital maps of climate, topography, vegetation, and geology as soil covariates (GEOBIA approach), might model and reproduce a conventional soil map at a scale 1:1000000 in the south-west of Romania. The environmental variables were segmented with a region-growing algorithm, the resulting objects being subsequently classified into soil types using expert-knowledge fuzzy classification rules. To assess the geographical support of classification for the modelling of a conventional soil map, we quantitatively evaluated a pixel-based soil map produced using the same expert-knowledge classification rules, as an alternative to an object-based approach. To...
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En Roumanie les formations de pente des Carpates Méridionales sont peu étudiées. Le présent article est consacré aux formations de pente des zones alpine et forestière des montagnes Fgraş, Retezat et Cǎndrel. Des analyses... more
En Roumanie les formations de pente des Carpates Méridionales sont peu étudiées. Le présent article est consacré aux formations de pente des zones alpine et forestière des montagnes Fgraş, Retezat et Cǎndrel. Des analyses morphographiques, morphométriques, granulométriques et minéralogiques mettent en évidence les particularités de ces formations. Celles-ci indiquent les processus génétiques permettant de différencier éboulis de gravité, éboulis à avalanches, bourrelets-protalus, éboulis fluants, éboulis ruisselés, cǒnes et talus d'avalanches, éboulis soliflués et dépǒts de solifluxion. Ces formes sont présentes surtout dans les régions alpines formées de schistes cristallins et largement développées dans les montagnes de Fǎgǎraş, et Cǎndrel. L'analyse minutieuse des éboulis stratifiés, et leurs rapports spatiaux avec les terrasses quaternaires apportent de nouvelles données permettant des conclusions paléoclimatiques pour cette partie de l'espace carpatique.This paper examines the nature of slope processes in the alpine and forested zones of the Fǎgǎraş, Retezat and Cǎndrel regions of the Carpathian Mountains. Use is made of maps, field observations, granulometry and mineralogy. On the crystalline schists in the Fagàràs and Cǎndrel regions we can recognize debris flows, avalanche boulder deposits, protalus ramparts, mudflows, debris torrents, avalanche cones and solifluction deposits. The detailed study of these deposits and their relationships to Quaternary age terraces provides new palaeoclimatic information for the region.