Assessing the vulnerability of transport network to flood hazard using GIS analysis. Case study along Orient-East Med TEN-T Corridor, on Timiș-Cerna Valley, Romania

In the context of current climate change, it is estimated that flood risk will increase significantly, with important consequences for the human habitat and transport networks. Research literature features a continuous concern both for the improvement of flood hazard modeling and for the quantification of economic costs specific to material and human damage caused by floods. In the present study, we intend to perform an analysis on the vulnerability of the transport network along the Orient-East Med (OEM) Corridor, part of the TEN-T Core network at European level. By integrating flood bands with high (10 years) and medium (100 years) probability of recurrence, as well as various typologies of the transport network in a GIS environment, we successfully identified and characterized road and railway sectors susceptible to flooding events. Vector overlay analysis and statistical methods were validated by means of local research literature, field observations and aerial imagery. Our results feature the geographic distribution and statistical characterization of transport infrastructure vulnerable to flood risk along Timiș-Cerna Valley, in south-western Romania. We also discuss the state of current flood risk mitigation measures for transport network in the study area, along with the importance of our research for regional and local spatial planning documents and investment prioritization activities. Similar spatially-enabled analysis could enable better protection for the current and proposed transport infrastructure and minimize the damaging effects of flash floods.

Implications of Philately in Promoting the Protected Natural Areas (IV): Domogled - Cerna Valley National Park

Romania is a blessed place with many areas of unique beauty, and with the most interesting species of flora and fauna for research - as part of the natural heritage - with places where the spectacle of nature delights your eyes and take your breath with every step. Constantly promoting philatelic themes that use natural wealth and the beauty of our country as subjects, the administrative entity (with various names over time) responsible for issuing postage stamps performs a series of postage stamps in whose images are found rarities of flora and fauna, a miracle of nature. To show that protected natural areas have a special beauty, and to make them known to everyone, in this paper, we bring to the discussion the most significant philatelic peculiarities in the Domogled - Cerna Valley National Park. Also, through this paper, we tried to highlight the main post-philatelic effects (postage stamps, first-day covers - FDCs, illustrated postcards, maximum postcards, occasional envelopes, and other postal circulations), which appeared at the level of Romanian thematic philately, concerning the studied area. Through their prism, we tried to show that besides the role of ambassador of beauties and national heritage, the thematic philately has implications in the protection of species of flora and fauna. About other areas of interest, where the philatelic products were not highlighted, it can be mentioned that in the considered area (Domogled - Cerna Valley National Park) the management of the protected area only had to gain.

New aspects of the interpretation of the loess magnetic fabric, Cérna Valley succession, Hungary

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) is a frequently applied method in sedimentology, especially in the determination of the orientation of transport processes. We present an analysis of magnetic fabric (MF) studies on loess. New aspects of fabric development reveal: i) The deposition of the aeolian sediments was controlled by gravity, low-energy transport and local geomorphology, hence no clarified wind direction can be defined. ii) The influence of phyllosilicates is also significant among the magnetic components. iii) While the primary MF is relatively well-defined, the secondary MF is influenced by several processes. The analysis of stereoplots combined with the q—β diagram and photostatistics showed encouraging results during the characterization of various secondary MF such as redeposited MF and pedogenic fabric. iv) Changes in processes from aeolian to water-lain deposition and the increasing transportation energy were reflected by the connection between AMS and observed micro-scale sedimentary features. v) A relationship was obvious between the degree of pedogenesis and the transformation of sedimentary MF into a vertical MF typical for paleosols. vi) The significant role of very fine grained magnetite on the formation of inverse MF could not be excluded.