ملخصات abstracts لجميع البحوث المقدمة لمؤتمر حماية البيئة الذي عقدته جامعة الاسكندرية (مصر) في نوفمب

Alexandria University Faculty of Arts, Damanhour Campus

Man and Earth

Living with Landscapes: Symposium and Workshop

Book of Abstracts Under the Patronage of

Sponsors

Cairo and Sinai,, Egypt 22-27, November 2008 1

Objectives 1. Exposure to a variety of academic experiences in many fields of concern, particularly the ways in which many research endeavors contextualize themselves within decidedly variable Geomorphic environments.

2. Exchange of academic information and methods in the field of applied Geomorphology.

3. Exploration of new proposed techniques for monitoring and recording prominent Geomorphologic features.

4. Reemphasizing the significance of Geomorphology in managing environments.

Topics This Symposium is primarily concerned with the relationship between Man and the Geomorphologic landscape. Our interests would naturally include:

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The impact of global climatic change on human life.

The Geomorphologic processes affecting local landscapes.

The influence of Geomorphologic changes on Man and his activities.

The impact of human activities on soil conditions.

Spotlighting the importance of Geomo-archeological analysis.

The effects of weathering and erosion on Geoarcheological sites.

Definition and analysis of the physical and Anthropogenetic hazards.

Geomorphology and land-use planning.

Monitoring landscapes through application of knowledge particularly relevant to: • • • •

• •

South Sinai’s Geomorphologic traits.

Ongoing Geomorphologic processes affecting South Sinai.

Maximization of economic potential for camping areas serving tourism.

Stressing the positive correlation between different aspects of the natural environment ( e.i Climogeomorphology, Hydrogeomorpholgy , Pedogeomorphogy…etc.)

Familiarizing delegates with the site's vulnerability to Geomorphologic hazards.

Inviting discussions regarding this site’s, and its surrounding regions’, Geomorphic characteristics in order to benefit from their different academic insights.

Languages English & Arabic

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Organization Team Chairperson: •

Prof. Dr. Magdy Torab (Alexandria University), Vice Dean for Postgraduate Studies & President of the Egyptian Society for Environmental Changes.

Members: • • • • • • • • • • •

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Dr. Nagy Rashwan (Alexandria University).

Dr. Ahmed Rekaby (Alexandria University).

Dr. Ibrahim Moustafa (Alexandria University).

Dr. Atef Abdel Hameed (Cairo University).

Miss Mena El Assal (Kafr El Sheikh Univ.).

Miss Hewayda Twfyk (Ain Shams University).

Mr. Hossam Esmael (Helwan University).

Miss Shahenaz El Gammal (Alexandria University)..

Mr. Kamal Darwish (El Menia University).

Mr. Mohamed Gomaa (Mansoura University) Miss Nourhan Nour (Alexandria University)

Academic Team •

Chairperson: Prof. Dr. Nabil S. Embabi (Ain Shams University), President of Egyptian Geomorphologic Group.

Members: • • • •

• • •

•

•

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Prof. Dr. Alfy M. Fanos. Ex-Director Coastal Research Institute, Alexandria, Egypt.

Prof. Dr. Cioaca Adrian (Bucharest University- Romania) Prof. of Geomorphology.

Prof. Dr. El-Sayed El Husseini (Cairo University-Egypt).

General Secretary of The Egyptian Geographical Society.

Prof. Dr. Eric Fouache, Department of Geography , University of Paris XII, France, Chairman of Geoarcheology work group of International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) and President of The French Group of Geomorphology.

Prof. Dr. Farouk El Baz (Boston University-USA) director of Remote Sensing Center.

Prof. Dr. Fathy Abu Rady (Alexandria University-Egypt) Ex-Dean of Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University.

Dr. Heba Aziz (Senior lecturer - faculty of tourism and hotels Alexandria University and Director of research Services Jumeirah group, UAE).

Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Mohamed Ashour (Ain Shams University-Egypt). Chair of Arid Lands Commission, International Geographical Union.

Prof. Dr. Morgan De Dapper (Ghent University-Belgium) Executive Secretary of International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG).

Venue Academic sessions will be held in

Cairo University Conference Centre

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Location Map Map

Address: Tharwat Street, Ben El Sarayat, Giza.

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Map Symbols: 1. Cairo University administration building.

2.A Cairo University guest house (New building).

2.B Cairo University guest house(Old building) .

3. Cairo University conference centre.

4. Faculty of Arts.

5. Metro station “Gamet El Qahera station”.

6. The Zoo. 7. “El Gamaa” bridge across the river Nile.

8. Cairo University playground.

9. Cairo University student housing.

10. Symposium restaurant “Mo’men” 11. Nile cruise marina.

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Agenda: Agenda: nd

22 to 27th of November, 2008.

Reception: November, 22nd (17.00-18.00): Reception registration in Cairo University’s Guest House.

and

Academic Sessions: November, 23th & 24th Delegate introductions and poster presentations in Cairo University’s Guest House.

Social events: November, 22nd (13.00-16.00) Giza Pyramids tour .

(20.00-22.00) Folk dance “El Tanora in Wekalet El Ghory”.

El Tanora folk dance 9

early

November, 23th (17.30-20.30) the Pharaonic Village tour: http://www.pharaonicvillage.com

November, 24th (18.00-20.00) Nile cruise with fruit dinner.

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Field Workshop and Excursion: Excursion: November, 25th, 26th and 27th: • Journey from Cairo across south Sinai for three days field workshop and excursion in traditional "Bedouin" camp. • Some selected guided stop points will be taken at Serabit El Khadem, St. Kathrine and Dahab, ending in Sharm El Sheikh. The journey back to Cairo will be by bus, arriving on the 28th early morning.

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Registration Full Package (includes the scientific sessions in Cairo, field workshop and field excursion across Sinai): Full package registration fees: Early Registration Fees Late Registration Fees

Full attendance 220 € 240 €

Student or accompanying Persons 200 € 220 €

Registration fee for scientific sessions only or the field workshop: Registration fees for the scientific sessions or the field workshop only: Early Registration Fees Late Registration Fees

Scientific sessions 50 € 60 €

3 days field workshop& excursion 180 € 210 €

Registration fees for Egyptian universities staff members: Registration Fees:

Full Package

Scientific Sessions with paper

Scientific Sessions without paper

Field workshop & excursion

Early Registration Fees

650 L.E.

150 L.E.

100 L.E.

600 L.E.

Late Registration Fees

750 L.E.

200 L.E.

120 L.E.

700L.E.

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Remarks: 1. Early Registration before January 31st 2008 2. Late Registration Fees Up to June 30th 2008

Academic session registration fees include: 1. Attending two days sessions in the conference centre of Cairo University.

1. The Symposium abstract volume and printed material.

2. Coffee breaks and 2 lunches.

A workshop and field trip registration fee includes: 1. Two nights/three days desert safari "Bedouin" Camping on full board basis "Bedouin meals" in South Sinai.

2. All visits include entrance fees include all taxes and services.

Registration fees not included: 1. International flights to Egypt Airports.

2. Visa Entry for Egypt.

3. Travel insurance.

4. Personal items.

5. Accommodation in Cairo during academic sessions.

6. Any other items not mentioned above.

How to pay: Contact the symposium organizer for confirmation of your payment: Prof. Magdy Torab: magdytorab@sinai2008.com Mobile No.: +20102603250 13

Abstracts English/Arabic Translation and Editing by Dr. Nagy Rashwan (English Dept., Faculty of Arts, Damanhour Campus, Alexandria University)

Academic Terminology and Textual Design by Prof. Dr. Magdy Torab (Geography Dept., Faculty of Arts, Damanhour Campus, Alexandria University)

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Opening Lecture:

GEO-ARCHAEOLOGY: LIVING WITH LANDSCAPES IN THE PAST Prof. Dr. Morgan De Dapper Secretary General of the International Association of Geomorphologists- Honorary President of the IAG-Working Group on Geo-Archaeology Department of Geography Research unit ‘Regional Geomorphology & Geo-Archaeology’ Ghent University – Belgium.e-mail:morgan.dedapper@ugent.be The Geomorphologic approach in Geoarchaeology deals with the physical components of a complex range of humanenvironmental relationships in past times. Geoarchaeology owes as much to Archaeology as it does to Earth Sciences.

It is related to a discipline called “Landscape Archaeology” which analyzes the “cultural landscape” through time. It has gained much momentum since the 1970s when Archaeological studies became increasingly imbedded into broader regional contexts. Archaeologists have, since then, become a lot more aware of the fact that the physical landscape inevitably exerts a considerable influence on its developmental potential at every stage and on every scale, specifically by offering a range of opportunities and imposing a range of constraints. Natural environments provide cultural landscapes with their physical underpinnings. However, they hardly ever determine the actual trajectory of such development. On the other hand, Earth scientists have also become increasingly aware of the important role Man plays as a Geomorphologic agent at present as well as in the past.

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The application of Geoarchaeology - more specifically the Geomorphologic approach – implies a close partnership between Archaeologists and Geomorphologists. In order to meet that goal, a working group on Geoarchaeology was proposed in at the Regional Conference of the International Association of Geomorphologists (www.geomorph.org) in Hungary (1996), and was subsequently confirmed at various other academic gatherings such as the IAG-International Conferences of Bologna in 1997, in Tokyo (2001) and in Zaragoza (2005). The main objective of the group has been to promote and strengthen the links between Geomorphology and Archaeology.

The Geomorphologic approach of Geoarchaeology is demonstrated by a few case-studies: - Rock art sites in Northeast Syria and Upper Egypt.

- Pre-dynastic settlement in the Nile Delta, Upper Egypt and the Kharga oasis.

- Early-dynastic to Roman settlement at the First Cataract of the Nile.

- Phrygian settlements in Turkish Anatolia.

- The Roman harbour town of Potentia in the mouth of the Potenza River in the Marches of Italy.

- Resources in the territory of the Roman town of Ammaia in the northern Alentejo of Portugal.

- Medieval irrigation systems along the Segura river in southern Spain and their modern counterparts in south Morocco, - The human occupation of Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean.

Key Words: geo-Archaeology, landscape Archaeology, cultural landscape.

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Keynote Lecture :

THE GEO-ARCHAEOLOGICAL APPROACH: A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT. Eric Fouache Professor, President of the French Group on Geomorphology, Chairman of the Working Group on Geoarchaeology (IAG), University of Paris 12, EA 435 Geonat and UMR 8591 CNRS, 38 rue Louis Ricard, 76000 Rouen, France. e-mail: eric.g.fouache@wanadoo.fr.

Geoarchaeology may be defined as the use of geo-science and Geographical methods applied to prehistory, Archaeology and history. It allows us to obtain significant results in the study of environmental and landscape dynamics associated with an Archaeological site on local, as well as regional, scales.

The main originality for these reconstructions is to take into account short term environmental dynamics —such as natural disasters—, as well as long term environnemental dynamics, particularly Geomorphologic, that interact with human action.

This permits us to establish a Geomorphologic map and a map of superficial formations that are helpful for Archaeological excavations and surveys. Eventually, with the help of laboratory analyses, a global environmental history can be proposed, in parallel with the history of the Archaeological site. It also makes it possible to understand the vulnerability of the sites, but also to

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integrate these results into an educational and sustainable touristic development scheme around the sites.

The international context seems very welcoming of these types of projects. The concept of a ÂŤ geosite Âť which includes more and more remarkable Geomorpho- and Archaeological sites, is increasingly gaining wider acceptance, under the leadership of UNESCO and its policy of World Heritage listing. There is also an increasing demand for ethical, or environmentally-friendly, tourism industry which develops due respect for local populations, their traditions and their heritage. This, in turn, leads to a better economic exploitation, by tourism industry, of new, sensitive sites where remarkable Geological , Biological and/or Archaeological sites are scattered on vast expanses of land.

Key Words : Geoarchaeology , Geomorphology, Geomorphosite, Archaeology, Environment.

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Session 1: Geoarchaeology ARCHAEOLOGY OF A ROMAN LANDSCAPE IN CENTRAL PORTUGAL. Cristina Corsi 1 and Frank Vermeulen 2 1 Università di Cassino, Department of Philology and History, Via Zamosch 43, 03043 – Cassino (FR), Italy 2 Universiteit Gent, Department of Archaeology, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium e-mails: c.corsi@unicas.it, frank.vermeulen@ugent.be During these past years an interdisciplinary team of the universities of Gent and Cassino has organized Geoarchaeological fieldwork in the area around the Roman-town site of Ammaia in Northern Alentejo (Portugal). These investigations aimed to better understand the town – countryside nexus in Antiquity, and the influences of Man on the landscape in Roman times. Particular Geo-archaeological questions that were dealt with concern the Romans’ topographic setting and locational choices as well as their water supply systems, and their exploitation of other important natural resources (e.g. granite, metal ore, quartz, rock crystal). This presentation will focus on the Geo-archaeological methodology used in these investigations, and on some of the results which highlight the influence of man on his environment in this south-European landscape.

Original fieldwork allowed the complete reconstruction of the water supply in this newly founded Roman city. Two aqueducts and an intra-mural distribution system for water were mapped, while excavations in the bath complex connected the new 19

Geomorphologic data with important chronological and Archaeological evidence. Particularly exciting, is an on-going site catchment analysis of the town and its territory, with surveys especially organized to detect, map and study important exploitation zones in Antiquity. Several granite quarries have been discovered, highlighting the importance of this material for the ancient economy and especially the building materials for the new city.

Other investigations aim at understanding the role and geographical setting of mining activities in this part of the Iberian Peninsula. A recently discovered gold mine is under study, while several possible exploitation zones for copper and iron were noted. Very peculiar for the territory of Ammaia is the historic attestation by Pliny the Elder of important exploitations of rock crystal, a material used in ancient times mainly for the fabrication of jewellery and luxury artefacts. Several quarries with ancient exploitation traces of this rare material are currently under investigation. Finally, also in the domain of ancient agriculture and land division, progress has been made, thanks to an integrated approach of fieldwork and remote sensing activity.

Key Words: Geoarchaeology, Roman towns, site catchment, landscape Archaeology, Iberian Peninsula.

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GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF A PREDYNASTIC AND EARLY DYNASTIC LANDSCAPE. A VIEW FROM THE EASTERN NILE DELTA (EGYPT) Yann Tristant ‫ ٭‬and Morgan De Dapper ‫٭٭‬

‫٭‬Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale, Cairo, Egypt ytristant@ifao.egnet.net ‫٭٭‬Department of Geography, Ghent University Research Unit 'Physical Geography Geomorphology & Geoarchaeology of Mediterranean and Tropical Areas' Gent, Belgium morgan.dedapper@UGent.be This study deals with the geomorphological and archaeological contexts of Predynastic and Early Dynastic sites in the Eastern Nile Delta. This area is an archaeologically important region for investigating the origins of the pharaonic civilisation.

Geoarchaeological investigation has provided significant insights into the early cultural history of the area by elucidating the impact of landscape evolution on the spatial and temporal pattern of archaeological sites. A current project led by the authors since 2002 aims to reconstruct the palaeogeography of several localities in the Nile Delta during the 4th millennium BC. The methodology employed includes a geomorphological mapping of the studied area, the collection and analysis of all subsurface data available and the recognition and interpretation of all the available archaeological markers. The morphological 21

features associated with changes in the Nile river’s course and the construction of its alluvial plain appear to be a dominant feature, testifying to the long-term evolution of this fluvial landscape. The study will help us understand the prominent environmental features of the region that are culturally relevant to settlement formation and evolution. It demonstrates the potential of geo-archaeology in archaeological investigations by focusing on landscape contexts as fundamental dimensions of the archaeological record.

Keywords: Nile Delta; predynastic and early dynastic periods; landscape evolution; geoarchaeology

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SPOTLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF GEOARCHAEOLOGIC ANALYSIS: LANDSCAPE ALTERATION FROM THE MEGALITHIC PERIOD TO PRESENT, TAMIL NADOU, INDIA. Smriti Haricharan and Hema Achyuthan Department of Geology, Anna University, Chennai, India.

Besides natural factors such as erosion, anthropogenic processes like mining, agriculture, we know that transportation and habitation affect the landscape formation and its Geomorphology. The evolution of a landscape depends both on human activities and natural factors. It is obvious that landscape and the human influence are interrelated. As such, to understand human motives through their physical actions, it is important to analyze how they change the landscape in question. “Landscape research in the last decade, in human Geography as well as in Anthropology and Archaeology, has often been polarized, either according to traditional Geographical methods or following the principles of a new, symbolically orientated, discipline.�

(Sahlqvist 2001).

Megalithic burials are marked by big stones; hence, the name Megalithic (Mega meaning big and lithic meaning stone). The megalithic burials of South India form an integral part of the Indian Megaliths. They are exclusive, with very individual characteristics, which make them very important to understand.

Unlike Northern India, South India leaped from the microlithic period onto the Iron Age, with no significant Chalcolithic intermediary. In Tamil Nadu the period into which these burials were performed, extend from 8th -9th centuries BC to the 3rd century AD. The megalithic period is an important phase that bridges the gap between when man was a hunter-gatherer, and 23

when he started leading a more settled life. Burials, as such, are a very important means of understanding human beings and their cultural, social and economic life styles and patterns. More importantly, it is one of the only ways to understand megalithic people as very few of their habitation sites have as yet been discovered.

The following study aims at understanding the Megalithic burials by understanding their relationship to the landscape in which these burials were built. “We have only the monuments themselves and a few artifacts to suggest the way they were used, but almost nothing to enable us to go beyond educated guesses about what they meant to those who built them.

Specifically, our temptation is to treat these works according to the model of our own symbolic activity and of what we think we know about the symbolic activity of our immediate predecessors. (Dixon 1982). By analyzing the spatial patterns of these burials, and the natural factors affecting them such as erosion, as well as the present day impact of the human activities surrounding them, this study hopes to achieve a better understanding of the cognition of the people behind these burials, while keeping in mind Dixon’s reservations.

Like many of the other megalithic sites in Tamil Nadu these burial sites are in various stages of destruction due to granite and sand mining. The rapid and large scale destruction of the site and the re-structuring once again of the landscape also need to be understood. Chennai, Tamilnadu is around 80 kms far from the city of Siruthavur. The rapid expansion of this city is also affecting this burial site and its surrounding megalithic counterparts.

The Geomorphology of Siruthavur shows a landscape that has 24

been altered over a considerable period of time. The site is such that its highest elevation is the isolated hill of Precambrian charnockite and slopes downwards to the east and southeast, which creates a catchments area. This Lacustrine formation acts as a source of water for irrigation and other purposes for the surrounding inhabitants. The Geomorphology of the Kanchipuram district, Chennai, India is such that it is marked by isolated hills, and seasonal catchments areas or Lasuctrine formations. It has been observed that the megalithic burials are often found in areas which have considerable hills and water bodies. This kind of selective use of specific landscapes also needs to be understood in order to achieve better understanding of these sites. They have to be individually investigated on the basis of both Geomorphology and Archaeology.

References: Dixon, J.W. 1982: Towards an Aesthetic of Early Earth Art. Art Journal, Earthworks: Past and Present. Vol. 42(3), pp. 195-199.

Sahlqvist, L. 2001: Territorial Behaviour and Communication in a Ritual Landscape Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography , Vol. 83(2). pp. 79-102.

Rajan, K.2000: South Indian Memorial Stones. Manoo Pathippakam, Thanjavur.

Banerjee, N.R. and Soundara Rajan, K.V 1952: Sanur 1950 & 1952: A Megalithic Site in the District Chingleput. AI 4-42 Ravi, Mohanty 2005: Some important Observations: Excavations at Mahurjhari (2001-2004) Man and Environment XXX (1): 106-107 Rao, K.P. 1988: Deccan Megaliths. Sundeep Prakash, New Delhi.

Key Words: Geoarchaeology , landscape, Tamil Nadou, India.

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GEOARCHAEOLOGY OF AVARIS AND TAPOSIRIS, TWO ANCIENT HARBOURS IN EGYPT Tronchère H. (1), Salomon F. (1), Goiran JP. (1), Schmitt L. (2), Callot Y. (1), Torab M. (3), Bietak M. (4), Fortsner-Mueller I. (4) , Boussac MF. (5) (1)

UMR 5133, (2) UMR 5600, (3) University of Alexandria, (4) Austrian Institute of Cairo, (5) UMR 5189

We present in this communication the first results of a palaeoenvironmental and Geo-archaeological program (collaboration between the Austrian Institute of Cairo and UMR CNRS 5133 Archeorient), as well as a study project of the Taposiris harbour in the Mariout lake (collaboration between University of Alexandria and University of Lyon).

The first studied site is the Hyksos capital city of Avaris, at Tell el Dab’a, on the eastern margin of the Nile Delta. The city was occupied for more than half a millennia, and several successive city centers have been excavated, dating from the 12th to the 18th dynasties. The relationship of this city to the neighboring Pelusiac Nile branch, active during the 2nd millennia BC, has still to be fully explained. This branch has since dried up, only the scarce remains appear in the landscape.

The goals of our research are to understand Avaris’ landscape during Hyksos times, the evolutions of the Nile branch that crossed the city, and to locate the position of the city’s potential harbours. We used sedimentary drillings as well as geomagnetic surveys to answer these questions. 35 corings were done all over 26

the site of Avaris, in order to have a global view on the various sedimentary facieses composing the palaeolandscape.

We were able to obtain a first stratigraphical reconstruction of the main Pelusiac branch. Several phases in the river behaviour were observed: a clean differentiation between the period of active flowing and the beginning of the river disparition was found. Amongst all the 35 corings, only a few have shown a specific kind of sediments, characterizing protected environments. Harbours are usually found in such protected areas, which led us to think that these places might have hosted basins. These clues are backed up by the results of the geomagnetic surveys: we observed some rectilinear structures that could have been warehouses.

Our second project aims at reconstructing the sedimentary behavior of the basins in the Taposiris harbour and of the Mariout Lake. Six corings have been done: in the Mariout lake, in the Harbour basin, on the levy between the lake and the harbour, and in the channel leading to the basin. We are thus able to compare four different environments and the relationships between them.

Key Words: Taposiris harbour, Avaris harbor, Mariout lake, Geoarchaeology .

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Session 2: Human Impacts on Landscapes (A)

DRY WALL-AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF KARST CULTURAL LANDSCAPE: AN EXAMPLE FROM DINARIC KARST. Andrej Kranjc Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, Titov trg 2, Si-6230 Postojna, Slovenia. e-mail: Kranjc@zrc-sazu.si The simplest and the oldest type of stone construction is dry wall; a mortarless construction of stone devoid of any cementation. Dinaric karst was settled early in prehistory and the eldest rests of dry wall bear witness to that time. On karst, one can follow all the phases of piling up the stone and constructing dry walls: from a simple mound to a construction similar to defensive walls including that of a room serving as a shelter against bad weather or as a store for farming tools. Dry walls are remains descending either from the ancient past or from more recent times. From more recent times there are known examples of quick construction of hundreds of kilometres of dry walls. In many cultural landscapes on the Dinaric karst dry wall is the most fundamental and noticeable element of the landscape. People constructed dry walls for various reasons. The most simple one was to to clear up loose stones in order to clean the land, or to use dry wall as an element of dividing, limiting or gathering herds of cattle. Some dry walls have been constructed for special purposes such as protection of railroads against snowdrifts or of young reforestation plantations. Although dry wall is such an important element of 28

karst cultural landscape, it is seldom protected and is often left to the process of disintegration. This process has different causes such as removal of dry walls for widening roads, usage of dry walls stones for buildings, crushing of stones to obtain construction material or simply neglecting them until they crumble. The paper is aimed to better evaluate and safeguard this extremely significant element of cultural landscape on the Dinaric karst.

Key Words: karst, dry wall, dinaric karst, stone weathering, cultural landscape.

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LIVING WITH CAVES IN DIFFERENT LANDSCAPES Magdy Torab Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts at Damanhour, Alexandria University, Egypt. e-mail: magdytorab@hotmail.com.

Generally speaking, caves are deep earth openings made, either naturally or artificially, to extend from the earth’s surface to beyond the zone of light. Four generic classes of caves can be identified according to their formation processes: (1) Caves formed by mechanical pressure or flow, including gaseous lava tunnels associated with volcanoes.

(2) Caves carved by erosion, including marine caves carved by the mechanical and/or the chemical actions of waves and sea water. This type also includes caves carved by wind denudation and others created under river waterfalls.

(3) Caves dissolved by solution including ice and karst caves.

(4) Man-made caves.

Man had been living and using caves for many purposes for a very long time. In fact, most of our knowledge regarding human cultural evolution for the past 10 000 years actually comes from cave dwellings. This paper deals with the significance of various cave-positions in different landscapes, depending upon field observations and available historic records.

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Caves were used for the following purposes: (1) Shelter against weather, animal or human-attack risks.

Examples of such uses include Cappadocia caves in Turkey, Matmata caves in Tunisia and Cave of Hercules in Morocco as well as modern home caves in Spain.

(2) Workships for various professions. Examples include Buddhist religious caves in Thailand, caves for Christian monks in Sinai Mountains.

(3) Garners for storage of crops such as wheat and Harley.

Examples include Sahara desert caves in Northern Africa.

(4) Warfare hide-outs and storage, keeping weapons and personnel. Examples include the caves of AndalucĂ­a in south Spain during Arab occupation, and the Hezb'allah karst caves in south Lebanon used to hide rocketlaunching operations from spy satellites during the third Lebanon/Israel War. (5) Jail-break places for organizations such as Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

(6) Cemeteries to entomb human remains such as the Dead mountain in Siwa depression and El Gara area in the North Western desert of Egypt.

The objective of this paper is to define the Geomorphologic conditions and the effects of Geomorphologic agents effected of living with caves and its hazards.

Key Words: Karst cave, Cappadocia, Matmata, Sinai.

LANDMINES DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES: 31

A COMPARATIVE STUDY.

H. Kasban a, O. Zahranb, M. El-Kordyb, Sayed M. S. Elaraby a and F. E. Abd El-Samieb a Atomic Energy Authority, Nuclear Research Center, Egypt b Menofia University, Faculty of Electronic Engineering, Menouf, Egypt. e-mails: Hany_kasban@yahoo.com, Fathi_sayed@yahoo.com There are many techniques that can be used in landmines detection. The performance of each technique depends on the nature of the contaminated soil and the type of the landmine buried. This paper presents an overview of recent advances in landmine detection techniques such as biological, electromagnetic, optical, nuclear, acoustic and mechanical. The biological detection techniques include using dogs, rats, bees, plants and bacteria.

The electromagnetic detection techniques include using a metal detector (MD), ground penetrating radar (GPR), microwave radiometry (MWR), millimeter wave radiometry (MMWR), electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and infrared (IR) technology. The optical detection techniques include using the visible light and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) mechanisms. The nuclear detection techniques include using nuclear quadruple resonance (NQR) and neutron based methods.

The acoustic detection techniques include using the ultrasound and acoustic to seismic (A/S) methods. The mechanical detection techniques include using the instrumented prodder and the mine clearing machines. These techniques are briefly described, and their relative merits and drawbacks are highlighted and compared.

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A comparison shows both the ideal conditions, and the challenges, surrounding the use of each technique. It will show that, concerning the nature of the contaminated soil; dogs, rodents, bees, bacteria, MD, MWR, IR, NQR, neutron method and prodders techniques can be used for all types of soils. Plants give good results in the wet clay soil and can’t be used in the rooks’ soil. GPR and MWR give good results in the dry soil but can’t be used in the wet soil. EIT and ultrasound give good results in the wet soil and can’t be used in dray soil. LIDAR and A/S can’t be used in the vegetations’ soil.

With respect to the mine case, most of the detection techniques can be used for all types of mines except for MD, which can be used only for metal case mines. Also NQR can’t be used for metal case mines.

With respect to the explosive material; most of the detection techniques can be used for all types of explosive material except plants and bacteria can be used only for TNT mines. Also NQR can be used only for RDX mines.

Furthermore, a comparison between these techniques in terms of coast, complexity, speed, safety, false alarms and the effects of the environmental conditions is presented.

Key Words: landmines detection, buried landmine, metal detector (MD), ground penetrating radar (GPR), microwave radiometry (MWR), millimeter wave radiometry (MMWR),

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ANTHROPOGENIC RELIEF HABITAT FOR ENDEMIC PLANT CONVOLVULUS PERSICUS Daniela Strat Faculty of Geography , Bucharest University, Romania.

On the marine field Sărăturile from Danube Delta, naturally grows on high beach and dunes, sand bindweed (Convolvulus Persicus); an endemic plant which has spread area of only the Black Sea and Caspian littoral. Until 1970 marine field Sărăturile was a natural landscape with mobile sands, dunes, ponds and marshes. Then, for protection of Sf. Gheorghe village against migration of sands to it, the field has deeply been transformed for afforestation. Immediately, the result of anthropogenic processes was a human made relief: leveled land, filled marsh, and draining channel, dredge deposit-shoal, changed internal arrangement of sediment packages, truncated soils. In time the clearly human impact has been attenuated by natural and planted vegetation through biogenic processes which have been changed processes which was predominant before.

Last summer we found on a dam, namely dredge deposit – shoal afforested with Eleagnus angustifolia and Hippophaë rhamnoides located at 1 km away from the active shore, a big and vigorous population of Convolvulus persicus. This paper offers a morphographical and morpholithological analysis of this anthrophogenic relief which is habitat for this rare plant of European flora.

Key Words: anthrophogenic relief, anthropogenic processes, Convolvulus persicus, Danube Delta.

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HUMAN IMPACT ON THE LANDSCAPE – EXAMPLES FROM SERBIA AND MACEDONIA Slavoljub Dragicevic1 and Ivica Milevski 2 1 Faculty of Geography , Belgrade University, Studentski trg 3/3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.

2 University “St. Cyril and Methodus”, Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics, Institute of Geography , Skopje, Macedonia.e-mails: slavoljubdragicevic@eunet.yu, ivica@iunona.pmf.ukim.edu.mk As a result of very fast demographic, socio-economic and technological changes, the level of landscape modification is expedientially increased. It is of particular importance, therefore, to determinate the intensity of the dominant Geomorphologic processes as well as the level of its modification in relation to anthropogenic factor.

The basic idea of this research is to define and specify landscape areas modified by anthropogenic factors, in the other words; the areas degraded by anthropogenic influence. It was clear that during analysis of the intensity of different processes (fluvial erosion, denudation) there were permanent difficulties concerning reliable separation of the degraded areas in relation to the dominant factors by which they were generated. This is understandable if we take into consideration that all above mentioned factors often interact with one another to modify natural processes.

The research areas are Serbia and Macedonia; two countries in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. Aside from their relatively small sizes (88.361 km2, and 25.713 km2 respectively) 35

and similar morphologies, the high human impact on the Geomorphologic processes in both countries are relatively high.

Examples of such impact are excessive denudation and deposition, changing of the fluvial process, open mining, building of numerous infrastructural objects by cutting into the slopes etc... The more intense the human influence is, the stronger the response from different Geomorphologic processes.

The methodology used in this research is comparison among field researches and documentation analyses with modern tools like GIS and satellite imagery. The latest techniques were used for better determination and quantification of the corresponding anthropogenic and Geomorphologic processes. It is shown that the extent of Geomorphologic processes (especially denudation and fluvial erosion) in Serbia and Macedonia is highly multiplied by the human impact which also has great negative consequences on land use.

Key Words: Geomorphology, denudation, deposition, human impact.

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Session 3: Human Impacts on Landscapes (B)

THE IMPACT OF ANTHROPIC ACTIVITIES ON DOHUK DAM WATERSHED AND ON THE FUTURE OF DOHUK DAM LAKE NORTHIRAQ. Ramadhan Hamza Mohammed Dept. of Scientific Affairs, University of Dohuk, Iraq.

Dohuk dam watershed is located on the north of Dohuk governorate, north Iraq and it is about of 1.5 km from the downtown of Dohuk city. It contains the Dohuk dam infrastructure, which started its operation in 1988. At the beginning, the dam was operated to meet the water-supply needs of Dohuk city and the irrigation needs of about 4600 ha of the surrounding agriculture area.

The catchments area is about of 135 km2 and most of its water yield goes to be stored behind the Dohuk dam. The watershed is divided into four sub-watersheds as follows: 1.Bajlor sub –watershed: which covers 9.4 km2 and contains two Villages (Greqasrok and Bajlor).

2.Sindor sub-watershed : which covers 26 km2 and contains four Villages (Ekmala,Qarqarava,Pahtagree and sindor).

3.Linava sub-watershed: which covers 52.6 km2 and contains seven villages (Bakhrnev, Botia, Peromera, Perafat, Khazyava, Bakoz and Linava).

4.Dolee Garmava sub-watershed: which covers 47 km2 and contains three villages (Zewa,Baski and Berjene).

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The watershed is surrounded by Chiya-Spires mountain on the east, Chiya-Kamaka mountain on the north, Baroshki mountain on the southeast, and Chiya-Bekher mountain and Chiya –Spi mountain on the west and southwest respectively. Because of this mountainous topography of the area, the watershed contents a high number of valleys four main streams can be identified which feed the lake at rainfall seasons (Bajlor steam,Sindor stream, Dolee Garmava stream and Lenava stream).There are other small streams which represent the branches of the above – mentioned main streams .

Key Words: Dohuk dam, soil erosion, Iraq.

Fig (1) shows the soil erosion in Dohuk dam watershed

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THE IMPACT OF HUMAN ENCROACHMENTS ON THE MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF THE LOWER PART OF ROSETTA BRANCH Maged Mohammed Shoala Geography Department, Faculty of Arts, Damanhour Branch, Alexandria University, Egypt.

Rosetta branch is one of the two branches of the River Nile. The lower part of Rosetta Branch which lies between the Coastal road bridge and the Rosetta promontory is exposed to many human encroachments. These encroachments caused many morphological changes, especially at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the present century. The five major groups of human encroachments are defined and ranked according to their area. These include: Ateliers of bricks, Settlements, Fishing agriculture, Ateliers of fishing boat and Anchorages of river transportation.

All available topographic, bathymetric maps and Remote Sensing techniques were used to access, analyze and interpret morphological changes which resulted from the human encroachments.

Two main sets of these changes occurred during the period of the study. The first has been in the behavior of the geomorphologiacl processes, where erosion were dominant. The second, was in the channel bottom roughness.

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The accuracy of the Remote Sensing results was checked using field samples. Eighty three samples were consistent with the results of Remote Sensing techniques.

Potentially, Remote Sensing techniques can be useful in determining the long, and the short- term morphological changes.

Key words: Rosetta branch, human encroachments, remote sensing, Applied Geomorphology.

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THE ANTHROPIC IMPACT ON GEOMORPHOLOGIC CHANGES IN THE COASTLINE OF HURGHADA IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: A STUDY IN APPLIED GEOMORPHOLOGY Mohamed Abdel Halim Helmy Nour El Din Lecturer of Geomorphology, Faculty of Education, Damanour Branch, Alexandria University, Egypt.

This research is concerned with the natural characteristics of the study area which include: surface, climate, waves, sea currents, ebb and flow, Geological structures as well as coral reefs and natural plant life. These characteristics contribute indirectly to the changes that happen in the area and, directly in facilitating human occupation in the area, particularly tourism.

The study also observes the anthropic impact on Geomorphologic changes in the coast line of Hurghada during the twentieth century, and the resulting effects from those changes. The Hurghada area is perhaps the most effected areas in this regard because of its importance as an international RedSea tourist destination. In addition, the study is concerned with observing the changes that occur to the coastline. It utilizes old and current topographic maps, aerial photos and modern satellite imagery in order to establish a development map of the coastline.

It is worth noting that this area was subjected to filling up the flow flats for expansion of the touristy resort areas; an intrusion 41

towards the sea, which may cause considerable morphological changes in those flats and consequently effect a decline in the plant and animals lives not to mention in the coastline direction which may, in its turn, change the behavior of the sea towards the coast in terms of waves, sea currents, ebb and flow.

The study area could be divided into several sub-areas according to the type and quantity of the occurred change: (A) Highly Changed Areas: It includes the middle sector between Dashet Abou Monkar in the north and Al Haloug anchorage in the south.

(B) Medium Changed Areas: It includes the northern sector between Abou Shaar valley in the north and Daset Abou Monkar in the south.

(C) Minimal Changed Areas: It includes the northern sector between Al Haloug anchorage in the north to Dashet Al Sadafa in the south.

- The study also observes the resulting effects of those changes which could be classified into the following categories: (A) Highly Dangerous Effects: They appear in the long-term represented by the destruction of the coral reefs by expanding touristy resorts into flow flats causing the death of those reefs which results in destroying the very attraction resources that brings tourism to the area. The filled up areas are particularly subjected to a changed see behavior (waves – sea currents – ebb and flow). Consequently, its buildings are particularly vulnerable to those changes and demand equally particular measures for their own protection.

(B) Medium Dangerous Effects: They appear in the middleterm, and are represented by the human behavior, especially 42

with regards to swage disposal in the sea and its obvious impacts on the natural characteristics of the water and the tourists' reactions particularly during diving.

(C) Minimal Dangerous Effects: Their harms could be recognized on the long-term which include disposal of waste, both liquid and hard, such as the water used in machine cooling systems, swimming pools, irrigation etc‌ as well as resorts' waste.

-

-

The research offers a collection of maps, shapes, photographs and charts.

It also shows its most important findings and presents the necessary suggestions and solutions for handling the problems of the anthropic impacts on the area and concludes with a collection of attachments, including Arabic and Foreign lists of references.

Key Words: anthropic impacts, coastal Geomorphology, applied Geomorphology, Hurghada.

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POPULATION OF THE GAZA STRIP AND METHODS OF COPING UNDER SIEGE AND DESTRUCTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. Yousif Kamel Ibrahim Geography department, Al Aqsa University, Gaza strip, Palestine.

The research will address the geographic characteristics of the Gaza Strip, as well as the current actions by the occupying Israeli forces to destroy its natural resources, including its agricultural land, wells, and industrial installations. Living under such comprehensive blockade, the inhabitants of the sector developed what is generally known as ‘resistance economy’. This involves looking at the ways in which the resilient Palestinian population manages to deal with problems like the scarcity of water and other supplies, the looting of their habitat’s natural resources, and the means to use their environment in conditions of constant military siege.

Key words: Gaza strip, natural resources, Palestine.

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Session 4: Mining Effects on Landscapes

THE ANTHROPIC RELIEF FROM ROMANIA AS A RESULT OF MINING ACTIVITIES Constantin Nistor Bucharest University, Romania In Romania, like in all east European countries, a large industry for coal extraction was developed during the socialist period.

After 1990, and as a result of low economical performance, most mines where closed. Not all the mines where included into a program for ecological reconstruction. As such, those mines have become a constant source for Geomorphologycal hazards: landslides, mud flows, rock falls, subsidence and floods. In this way, we now have a special kind of relief generated and influenced by humans; the anthropic relief. The largest area for coal extraction is located in the south-west of Romania between the river Olt and Danube, where over one million hectares are affected. If, in the past, the activities of coal extraction where concentrated underground, now it is being conducted in large open pits above ground. The main problem caused by underground mining is subsidence, which occurs after the pillars collapse. It is the main reason for Geomorphologic change such as landslides, rock falls, mud flows, etc.

The movement it is still present 20 years after the closured of the mines. The consequences of open cast mining is apparent in both the positive, and the negative, anthropic relief, represented by waste of sterile rocks and the land depression left after the rocks' extraction. Both kinds of relief are results of Geomorphologic processes sometimes unspecified for the area.

Because the region is characterized by a colinaire relief, the only 45

possibility to get red of the waste of sterile rocks was in the flood planes along the big rivers which cross the area, and to overlay it on the valley of small rivers located in that region. All wastes are affected by plastic mass movements associated with excess of humidity and presence of clay minerals, which, in turn, induces huge risks for human constructional activities like roads, houses, etc.

Key words: anthropic relief, open pit mines, sterile rocks waste, Geomorphologycal hazards.

References: 1. Bell F.G., Bullock S.E.T., Halbich T.F.J., Lindsay P. (2000), Environmental impacts associated with an abandoned mine in the Witbank Coalfield, South Africa, International Journal of Coal Geology 45 2001 195–216, www.elsevier.nlrlocaterijcoalgeo 2. Ielenicz Mihai (2005) Geomorfologie, Eidtura Universitară, Bucureşti 3. Grecu, Florina (1997) Fenomene naturale de risc.

Geologie şi geomorfologie, Ed. UniversităŃii Bucureşti,143p 4. Klukanova Alena, Rapant Stanislav (1999), Impact of mining activities upon the environment of theSlovak Republic: two case studies, Journal of Geochemical Exploration 66 (1999) 299–306, www.elsevier.com/locate/jgeoexp 5. Merad M.M., Verdel T., Roy B., Kouniali S. (2003), Use of multi-criteria decision-aids for risk zoning and management of large area subjected to mining-induced hazards, Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 19 (2004) 125–138, www.sciencedirect.com 46

THE QUARRY WASTE "RAVANETI" IN SCILY: GEOMORPHOLOGIC ASPECT Vincenzo Liguori, Savina Buscemi and Giorgio Manno.

Dipartimento di Ingegneria strutturale e Geotecnica, Facoltà di Ingegneria Palermo Sicilia - (Italia). e-mail:liguori@diseg.unipa.it In Sicily, the activity of extraction and workmanship represents an important productive sector that is substantially concentrated in the two poles; Catania (where the lava stone is worked) and Trapani (in the marble compartment of Custonaci) where over ten types of workable sedimentary and polished rocks are extracted. This area is Particularly characterized by the presence of mesozoic carbonatic rocks used as valuable stony materials "marbles" that are formed in environment of carbonatic and pelagic platforms (seamounts), during an active tectonic regime.

They were formed, therefore, in a geologic context which has encouraged their formation with a brecciate texture, of polycyclic origin and with extremely varying colours. In the quarries of the area of Custonaci (75% of the regional production), there are mainly extracted litho types clear ivory coloured, variegated with various veins of light brown, distinguished in “Perlato”, “Perlatino of Sicily”, “Avorio Venato”, “Botticino”, according to the more or less heterogeneous and fine grain. To these ones it must be added “Nerello” a dark grey coloured rock with yellow veins.

As a consequence of the intense quarrying protracted in time, the marble basin of Custonaci is characterized by enormous volumes of discarded deposits coming from cultivation (in some 47

cases they can reach dozens of hectares), called quarry waste (“ravaneti”) which are flowed into the slopes next to the areas of quarrying. The quarries cause dangers to the integrity of the Geomorphology in the area of Custonaci. This happens not only in terms of deep and superficial water pollution, or even in terms of atmospheric contamination due to dust dispersion, but, more significantly, the intense quarrying and the constant removal of rocky materials naturally provoke irreversible alterations of the morphology of the mountain profiles and its plains.

Standing on the quarrying areas, quarry waste (“ravaneti”), in addition, represents one of the principal sources of Hydrogeological instability, provoking rock-falls and debris flow. In the past few years, many quarry waste have provoked events of landslide in terms of mass transports of detrital deposit. During the accumulation of the quarry waste, the deposits are initially placed according to its own angle of repose, generally elevated with values up to 40-45° and granulometric percentages of: rubble 30%, grit 25% and sand 45%. Their disposition, during their accumulation, is a consequence of their surface roughness irregular shapes and dimensions.

The continuous feed from the top leads to the modification of the scarp dimensions and steepness, so the angle of repose of the quarry waste is often overcome. What is said involves the partial gravitative mobilization along the slope of quarry waste, with the tendency to have the coarsest elements towards the groin of the slope, as it happens for the strata of the debris cones. These sudden gravitative events are more frequent in the periods of great rainfall and when thinner materials are brought inside the quarry waste. There are conditions of insecurity, therefore, for

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the infrastructures surrounding the areas of mining and a continuous change of the Geomorphology of the places.

Such a huge quantity of quarry waste represents a primary resource of good quality loose stony materials. They could be separated and charted according to the following five parameters: typology, granulometry, permeability, activity and drawing areas. Drawing these materials could represent an environmental and Geomorphologic redevelopment of the sites and it represents a partial management of the marble fields. The results of the investigations made on this quarry waste suggested the possibility of exploitation as inert materials for road and railway construction and other infrastructural projects, as also shown by the analytical data of the laboratory experiments.

Moreover, "ravaneti" are also suitable to be used as material for the reclamation of disused and abandoned quarries. All of this represents a favourable result from an environmental point of view as it would get the advantage to reduce the demand of cultivation of new loan quarries and it would be possible to reemploy some quarry waste, avoiding their deposition in areas next to the site of quarrying and modifying the morphological configuration of the territory.

Key words: quarry waste, Geomorphology, environment geology, quarry, Sicily - Custonaci, environment management.

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MINE SINKHOLE IN SICILY: GEOMORPHOLOGIC AND ENVIRONMENT HAZARD. Vincenzo Liguori & Giorgio Manno Dipartimento di Ingegneria strutturale e Geotecnica, Facoltà di Ingegneria Palermo Sicilia, Italia. e-mail:liguori@diseg.unipa.it The most complete Messinian evaporitic successions present in the Mediterranean can be found in Sicily. They are known as “Gessoso Solfifera Formation” and they widely emerge on the surface in the Sicilian central basin, Geologically known as " Caltanissetta Basin ", extending in direction NE-SW for around 140 Km, with a width of around 80 Km. Inside this area there are the Sicilian salty formations. The salt in these layers is white coloured and normally has an average grade in NaCl superior to 98%, which is comparable to the best of such layers in the whole world. In some mines KCl salts are extracted. However, NaCl remains the mineral more abundant with stratigraphic thickness of several hundred meters.

Given the remarkable mining importance of the products of the “Gessoso Solfifera Formation”, in the central-southern Sicily, since the antiquity, different mining centres for the extraction of potassic salts and/or of rock salt have been developed and the greatest of them falls into the provinces of Enna, Caltanissetta and Agrigento. Among the many existing mines in the Sicilian territory at the moment, only two are active. All the others are disused and abandoned, sometimes without any control. For this reason and for the great solubility of this salt, the most feared 50

events in these sites are: sinkholes and environmental pollution linked to the extraction procedures of the mineral.

The mining basin of Racalmuto, classified as one of the greatest in Sicily, is a concrete example of the geomorphologic modifications of the territory linked with the presence of the mines that are now abandoned. In this area both halite and sylvite were extracted and the whole mining layer, given its dimensions, was separated in three sectors: a western (Mine of Racalmuto) a central, and an oriental (Mine of Montedoro).

The mines, built on more levels than one, had the typical structure of a gallery; chambers and pillars. The alkaline chlorides as sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium chloride (KCl), suffer processes of dissolution because of the circulating waters which infiltrate the subsoil. The salts solubilisation has created a weakening of the hollow vaults of the mining tunnels producing, in extreme cases, sudden and local collapses that have involved the topographical surface (sinkholes), including in some cases, road and housing structures. The sinkholes, occurring in these areas, are often situated in correspondence with the meeting points of the mining galleries. They have almost always sub-circular shapes and diameters varying in depth.

At the moment, the mine of Racalmuto (western sector of the basin) in the layer of sub-emerging rock salt, shows an abyss of approximately 200 m in width and 40 m in depth. The mine was disused and finally abandoned because of the elevated depths of cultivation reached. The sinkhole occurred suddenly, swallowing the whole headgear of the well with some neighbouring buildings. The mine of Montedoro rises in an area 51

where the covering grounds are clays that found the roof of the salty layer. The mining collapse in this case is produced by the missed covering of the well that has allowed the infiltration of the rainy waters inside the mine, destabilizing also the surrounding territory. Finally, in the central sector of the basin of Racalmuto there is another mine, disused for many years, and has in surface a large number of sinkholes resulting in critical instability of the area. The dimensions of the greatest sinkhole are approximately of 100 m in width and of 200 m in depth.

The sinkholes currently individualized can be found in anthropic areas with road infrastructures and residences, and in sites used by man for cultivation and/or pasture. In many cases they are reasons for damages to houses and the activities that develop in the near areas. For this reason, the need for an accurate evaluation of the risk caused by this phenomenon, and a correct management programme of the territory are born.

Key Words: sinkhole, mines, Sicily-Italy.

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Session5: Paleo-Living with Landscapes

SUNKEN FIELDS IN THE PERUVIAN DESERT Inge Schjellerup Nationalmuseet-The National Museum of Denmark e-mail: Inge.Schjellerup@natmus.dk Access to water for cultivation and crops has always been a critical factor along the rainless coast of South America, along the coastline of Peru and Chile caused by the cold north running Humboldt Current. Water canals' Irrigation from the Western running rivers of the Andean mountain range has been of great importance during normal conditions. However, other solutions to the scarcity of water are known by the discovery of sunken fields. Along the western coast of Peru, sunken fields to the level of the ground water, has thus been an alternative cultivation method beyond the grand scale irrigation systems.

By analysing aerial photographs, several of the original field systems have been located. Excavations took place in ChanChan, the capital of the Chimu Empire (800-1470 AD), and in newly discovered sunken fields where the construction technique was analysed. Sunken fields are still being used for cultivation of totora reeds among other products.

Key Words: agriculture, desert, groundwater, sunken fields, Peru.

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THE MYTHS OF THE ENVIRONMENT: MAGICAL PLACES IN PORTUGAL AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO GEOMORPHOLOGY Teresa Azevêdo, Elisabete Nunes Centro de Geologia, Departamento de Geologia, Faculdade de Ciências de Lisboa, Ed. C6 - 4º Piso. Campo Grande. 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal. e-mails: terazeve@fc.ul.pt , elisabete.nunes@fc.ul.pt This presentation takes a journey into the past. It explains the distribution of some Archaeological landscapes connected to some heritage features in Portugal as a function of various factors, including cultural activities and landform development.

All Archaeological findings are, in some sense, related to the way man identifies with, and even attaches himself to, the surrounding landscape and as such, ascribes value to landscape for intangible spiritual reasons.

Landscapes in Portugal have been stamped with a huge variety of influences, from the paleolithic to the fore. These monuments have since always been an enigma: their religious meanings, the rituals of early man, and the manner in which they seem to have enigmatically interacted with their surroundings?

There are thousands of megalithic monuments in Portugal, dolmens, antas, menhirs and cromlechs, from which the best preserved is located in the southern part of the country, and almost all are built of granitic rocks and on granitic hills. Many 54

of them were converted into Christian temples by the Christianization of the territory, such as the antas of Pavia and Arronches, which are nowadays located in the midst of these villages. Out of several Cromlechs and Menhirs, the Cromlech of Almendres is the most impressive. It is composed of 95 individual monoliths that blend into the surrounding trees and vegetation. The Menhir do Outeiro, a huge granite bulk reaching approximately 6 m in height, is just another example.

The question, however, remains: What did these megalithic monuments represent in the life of the early Man and what is their relationship to the landform morphology and lithology of their respective sites? How did rocks, landforms and Geological faults, as lines of telluric forces, condition the selection of these sites?

Key Words: Portugal, Archaeology, geology, pre-historic monuments, landform morphology.

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THE PREHISTORIC ARTIFACTS CHARACTERIZATION AND THE GEOMORPHOLOGIC CONTEXT OF MONTE ACUTO (NORTHERN SARDINIA, ITALY) Paola Basoli1 , Sergio Ginesu2, Fiammetta Russo2, Francesco Secchi2 & Stefania Sias2 (1) Soprintendenza Archeologica per le province di Sassari e Nuoro.

(2) Ist. Sc. Geol. Mineral, UniversitĂ degli Studi di Sassari.

Corso Angioy 10, 07100, Sassari. e-mail::ginesu@uniss.it; frusso@uniss.it (1) Soprintendenza Archeologica per le province di Sassari e Nuoro.

(2) Ist. Sc. Geol. Mineral, UniversitĂ degli Studi di Sassari.

Corso Angioy 10, 07100, Sassari. e-mail::ginesu@uniss.it; frusso@uniss.it The present research focuses on the petrographic characterizations of raw materials belonging to the prehistoric cultures of Monte Acuto region taking into account the Geological and Geomorphologic contexts. This approach assumes a key-role for understanding the economic intensification and the expansion factors in prehistoric settlements.

From a Geological view point, the Monte Acuto region is made up by Oligo-Miocene tectonic thoughts connected to the main Oligo-Miocene Sardinia rift system. These tectonic thoughts, are infilled with sedimentary and orogenic Oligo-Miocene volcanic covers and with orogenic basaltic rocks during Plio-Pleistocene times. The landscape of the volcano-sedimentary areas are 56

characterized by wide fluvial valleys, separated by mesas and cuestas. Thoughs are bordered by shoulders made up of Palaeozoic basement dominated by smooth forms.

The sardinian pre-nuragic cultures, referable to Neolithic and Aeneolithic age, show a wide range of used rock–materials. The collection of culture materials investigated in this paper is mainly represented by bracelets, axes, precursors and polished tools. Analysed samples are collected at the Ozieri museum.

Almost all of the obtained information is carried out by comparing lithic artefacts with Geological samples mainly by optical and polarizing microscope. All of analysed raw materials are siliceous rock-types; except for obsidians and flints (not investigated in this paper) for which there are several available published papers. They refer to outcropping areas located not far from the Archaeological findings.

However, rare samples are made up of spotted hornfelsed schists coming from outcrops located about 50 km from the Archaeological findings, outside the hydrographic basin of the investigated area. The preliminary petrographic analyses of the lithics reveals a wide range of raw materials. It should be noted that the choice of raw materials depends on tool type and its functionality. In general, the choice of rock-types is mainly influenced by textural characters, density and hardness. In detail, medium to fine-grained rocks as gabbroic or aplogranitic rocktypes belonging to satellite bodies and dikes of Palaeozoic basement, are mainly used for axes; percussors are made up of andesites and welded ignimbrites of orogenic volcanic covers.

Querns are made up of coarse-grained granites of Buddusò region.

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As commonly reported in relevant literature, the raw materials of prehistoric lithics manufacturing, were pick ups from secondary deposits, constituted, in our case, by pebbles of alluvial and detritic fan. Rare spotted schists samples, however, come from outside the hydrographic basin of the investigated area. It must be underlined that these raw materials show rocktextures that may assume symbolic meanings.

Key Words: Sardinia, prehistory; petrography; Geomorphology, lithic tools.

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HOLOCENE HYDROLOGICAL SYSTEM OF MARYUT LAKE, NORTH WESTERN NILE DELTA, EGYPT: INITIAL GEOCHEMICAL RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR LAND USE. ClĂŠment Flaux 1 , Mena El Assal 2, Magdy Torab 3, Christophe Morhange4 & Jean-Yves Empereur 5.

Aix-Marseille I Univ.1, Kafr El Shaekh Univ. 2, Alexandria Univ.-Damanhour branch3, CEREGE 4, CeAlex 5. e-mail: flaux@cerege.fr Geomorphologic studies were carried out on the north western area of the Nile Delta particularly on the Maryut lake; a water coastal body. Archaeological and historical evidence revealed some lake shoreline changes during the last 2000 years.

Recent Holocene environmental history of the Maryut lake was investigated by twelve drillings and core radiocarbon dating.

Sedimentological and palaeo-ecological data indicated that the Maryut depression was a lagoon with a fluvial component, recently partially dryed up.

Maryut lake hydrological sources (sea, Nile water and groundwater) were studied using shells and geochemical marker analyses in order to quantify changes at recent Holocene timescale. Here, we present the methodology and initial results of this palaeo-water geochemical investigation in sedimentary records. Implications for land use in the NW Nile delta area are then discussed.

Key Words: Marut Lake, Nile Delta, Paleo-hydrology, Holocene.

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"THE TWO LANDS" "TAWY" BETWEEN THE TRUTH AND GEOGRAPHICAL SIGNIFICANCE DUALIST. Faiza Sakr Associate prof. of Ancient Civilization of Egypt, Deprtment of history, Faculty of Arts at Damanhour, Alexandria University, Egypt. e-mail: sakr_art@yahoo.com Egypt lies at the end of the longest river in the world: The Nile, which starts in the East African highlands and flows into the Mediterranean more than four thousand miles away (65400 Km). The rhythm of the river’s movements was the most important feature of life in ancient Egypt.

The Nile in Egypt has two main parts: the Valley and the Delta, corresponding to the ancient division of the country into Upper and Lower Egypt.

It divides the eastern margin of the Sahara into Western and Eastern Deserts.

The Western Desert, which was not always as dry as it is today, has yielded the eldest evidence of humankind in Egypt.

Ancient Egyptians called their "land" a term that reflects the geographical reality. The Nile actually divides Egypt into two main parts. The first is the long narrow valley located in the south and is called Upper Egypt while the second, the Delta; is called Lower Egypt. ‘Neb-Tawy’ is the eldest title of Egyptians Kings since the late fourth millennium BC. It literally means ‘he of the sedge and the bee’, and is usually translated as "King of Upper and Lower Egypt". However, its 60

true meaning is quite different, and considerably more complex.

‘Nesw’ appears to mean the unchanging divine king (almost the kingship itself), while ‘bit’ seems to be a more ephemeral reference to the individual holder of this kingship. Each king was, therefore, a combination of both the divine and the mortal, the same way that living kings were then associated with Horus while dead kings, their royal ancestors, with Osiris.

This paper will shed light on the different views to identify the term "two lands" in ancient Egyptian texts and its Geographical significance.

Key Words: Neb-Tawy, Nesw-Bit, Osiris, upper Egypt, Lower Egypt.

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THE RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GODDESS HATHOR IN SARABIT EL-KHADEM IN SINAI. Dr. Wafdy Abo-El-Nadar Ph.D. holder in history, Faculty of Arts at Damanhour, Alexandria University, Egypt.

The Goddess Hathor is one of the most ancient Egyptian Gods whose widespread worship left monumental evidence dating back to the pre-dynasty age. This Goddess was introduced to Sarabit El-Khadem in the age of the middle Kingdom when her temple was built. That’s because of the strategic nature of the area of Sarabit El-Khadim which demanded a Goddess with appropriate qualities to its particular natural features. In this temple, some other Gods were worshiped too such as; Btah and Sobid. Some important kings of the New Kingdom such as Amonhotob 1st, Hatshibsout, Tohotmos 3rd, Tohotmos 4th, Amonhotob 2nd, Amonhotob 3rd, Sity 1st, Ramsis 2nd, Hourbtah, Ramsis 4th and Ramsis 6th, were concerned with adding their architectural signatures to this temple.

Hathor had introduced new characteristics to this hot area as the protector of the miners and sailors. This guaranteed a safe environment for their endeavors and expeditions. This is confirmed by the fact that most of drawings and engravings on the walls of these areas represent kings worshipping, mostly, these Gods, by offering sacrifices and prayers.

In addition to its religious role, the temple of Hathor was used for protective purposes to defend the area against outside attacks.

Key Words: Goddess Hathor, Sarabit El-Khadem, Sinai.

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Session 6: Living with Arid and Semi Arid Landscapes (A)

GEOMORPHIC SETTING OF SERABIT ELKHADIM AREA (WESTERN SINAI) Atef M. Abdel-Hamid Geography Department, Cairo Univ.,Egypt.

Serabit El-Khadim area has unique landforms and geomorphic processes. It consists of various rock formations (sedimentary & metamorphic) and consists of prominent geomorphic subunits.

In order to introduce the Geomorphologic map of the Serabit ElKhadim area and its surrounding region, this study depends on integrated remote sensing data of TM and ETM images (1984 ,2001 & 2004) and GIS data (DEM). Two field checks (spring summer 2008) were crucial to verify the mapping technique.

The area of study extends from the Red Rea coast (Gulf of Suez) at Abu Znema northeastward to the Teih escarpment for about 38 km, and has a northwest-southeast axis of 44 km. It is dissected by two main fluvial systems (wadi Sidr and Wadi ElGarf). The geomorphic subunits are a result of geologicgeomorphic settings and comprise the following: - Coastal (Coastline, shores, beaches, shoals, cliffs, Sebkhas, tidal flats) - Fluvial ( Wadis, gorge-like valleys, Alluvial fans) - Aeolian ( Sand sheets, dunes) - Slopes (Badlands, slope forms, rock falls / mass wasting, Chemical/mechanical weathering) - Anthropogenic (Mining, settlement sites, Oil industry, ecotourism).

Key Words: Serabit El-Khadim , Red Sea, Sinai, Geomorphologic map , wadis.

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SOME GEOMORPHOLOGIC FEATURES FROM WADI EL-NATROUN, EGYPT: ORIGIN AND MAN USE Saad K.M.A Kamel Chairman, Geography Department, High Institute of Arts, King Mariout, Alexandria, Egypt.

Wadi El-Natroun (Lat. 30°15´N - 30° 30´N and Long.30°10´E 30° 30´E) is famous for its salt lakes with their madicinal benefits. Such lakes reflect the dual effect of both seepage of the Nile’s fresh water, and evaporation of such waters in an arid climate. Aiming to use these waters for cultivation purposes; people of Wadi El-Natroun trap the fresh waters of the Nile seepage in an artificial canal before reaching the salt lakes. They also extract salts from sabkhas resulting from evaporation. The NW-SE trending low escarpments parallel to the direction of the Wadi are known to be composed of two formations: a basal shale unit of Gebel el-Khashab Formation (Middle Miocene) and an upper sandstone unit of El- Hagif Formation (Upper Pliocene). Both are quarried as local sources for shale and sand.

It is believed that the lower shales represent an ancient delta front of the Miocene Paleo-Nile, while the upper shallow marine cross–bedded sands, reflect a later period of dryer climate.

Notable effect of volcanicity is clear in the area of Wadi ElNatroun in two aspects: petrified forests and sand solidification.

It is thought that hydrothermal solutions accompanying volcanic activities led to the silicification of wood remains left from the Miocene forests, and also cemented the loose sands selectively in some of the hills in the area. Intensive modernized farming in 64

flat plains of the wadi led to almost complete destruction of the Petrified Forest remains, as farmers collect such tree trunks aside from the cultivated lands where such a treasure is lost.

Efforts are now going on for finding a suitable location for the establishment of a natural protectorate for such petrified forests.

Meanwhile; the black, silicified, very hard, cross–bedded, pebbly sandstones in the area are not subjected as yet to any suitable human use.

Key Words: Wadi El-Natroun, salt lakes, petrified forests, sand solidification.

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SIWA OASIS LAKES, HYDRO GEOMORPHOLOGIC STUDY Gehan Mostafa EL Bayomi, Department of Geog. Faculty of Arts, Helwan University, Egypt.

Siwa Oasis Lakes, is located in the north Western Desert of Egypt. The most important lakes in Siwa depression are Birket al-Maraqi, Siwa lakes, Birket Zaytun, covering an area of about 9,32 and 16 square kilometers respectively. A great number of other smaller lakes such as Al-Maasir, Tamira, Aghormi, are also found. Each of these lakes covers an area of not more than a few hundreds of square meters.

The main problem of the lake areas is the rise of the water table level. The basic sources of data in this research are field observation (to determine Geomorphologic characteristics), laboratory analyses (for chemical, physical and hydrological readings), GPS techniques (for recording lakes’ depths which reach approximately 18, 19, 21, and 22 ms for Maraqi, Siwa, Zaitun, and Massir, respectively) as well as (GIS) methodology (for assessing visual attributes of the landscape). Four land sat TM/ETM+ satellite images are taken over a span of 20 years (1987–2007). Change detection techniques were also applied to determine changes between the available images. Changes were analyzed in conjunction with the land surface characteristics, such as slope and land degradation.

The present work was carried out to identify and assess the hydrological, Geological and Geomorphologic characteristics of, and the human impacts on, the Siwa oasis lakes.

Key Words: Soil salinity; Change monitoring, Geographic information system, Geomorphology, and hydrology.

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STUDY AND ANALYSE OF LANDSLIDE IN CHERCHELL AREA, ALGERIA. Ait Ouali Abdel Kader Assistant researcher in national center of applied research in earthquake engineering, Algeria.

The study area is located at the northwest of Algeria in excess of 100 km far from Algiers. Half of the city of Cherchell is constructed on a former unsteady stream. The development choices are, thus, dictated by the size of this area in relation to the human presence and its infrastructural development.

Landslides count among the most frequent natural risks in the Algerian north area. Interior geodynamic factors such as new tectonic, seismicity, as well as exterior factors such as steep relief, fear lands, contrasted climate, work to over-complicate the problem. The rising population in this region of the country increasingly exposes even more people to such risks.

This is how many investments in various domains (Habitat, Public and Hydraulic Works) have been compromised, for a very long time. Examples of land-slips causing such investments to flee are numerous. To illustrate our point, we will mention the landslide of the Cherchell city.

In this case, the natural instability of the sites can be sensed by the bad geotechnical quality of the lands found and by their fleecy morphologic characteristic of the unsteady sides. The reactivation of these unsuspected slips had dire financial consequences, due to attempts of stabilization, and to subsequent delays in time tables.

Key Words: Risk, Geology, Geotechnics, Stability, Cherchell.

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LIVING WITH THE MUSANDAM'S KHORES Naglaa Tawfik Oref PhD. student, faculty of Arts at Damanhour, Alexandria University, Egypt. e-mail: naglaa_tawfik@hotmail.com Musandam peninsula is located at the far north of the Sultanate of Oman, at the entrance of the Arabian Gulf. It is located between 56° 05 - 56° 30 N and 25° 40 - 26° 30 E. The area look like a triangle, over-looking the Hormuze Strait. Limestones of different ages and formations constitute the bulk of the peninsula. Tectonic effects are shown in the area in the form of the tilting subsidence movements.

Khores are the main feature in the area varying both in shape and size; hence named 'the Norway of Arabia''. Topographical maps and satellite imagery have been analyzed using " ERDAS IMAGINE 4.8 ". Fieldwork shows that Khores are used for several purposes such as local harbours (Khor Khasab, Khor Qadah and Khor Kumzar). Tourism is an important human activity in other Khores such as Khor Ash Sham, Khor Najd and Khor Hablein where swimming, snorkeling and diving are quite famous. Suitable locations on some of the Khores are used for human settlements with approximately 50:150 inhabitants such as Qanaha and Nadifi in Khor Ash Sham. These villages live in imposed exclusivity because of the absence of land access. Most of the villagers are fishermen. Houses are made of stone. The government provides water to the villagers free of charge.

Children travel to school by boat in Khasab every Saturday and return back on Wednesday. Musandam's Khores give us a good example of living with landscape.

Key Words: Musandam, Oman, Khores, applied Geomorphology, remote sensing.

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Session 7: Living with Arid and Semi Arid Landscapes (B)

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY OF MARSA ALAM Gihan El Sawy Faculty of Education at Damanhour, Alexandria University, Egypt.

The city of Marsa Alam is regarded as one of the most important tourist attractions on the map of Egypt, because of the distinctive geographical characteristics it enjoys.

Marsa Alam is 790 km south of Cairo, 250 km from Luxor and about 200 km from the ancient city of Aswan in the south.

Hotels in Marsa Alam organise excursions to different monumental sites such as the Great Pyramids and the Valley of the Kings. Holiday visitors could also enjoy a jeep safari into the desert, camel trekking, and an authentic Bedouin evening.

However Marsa Alam is a relatively new tourist destination, and so can offer keen scuba divers quiet un-spoilt reefs to explore.

Marsa Alam is being developed to offer international holiday makers a wide choice of three, four or five star hotel accommodation, and most memorable diving experiences. A newly constructed international airport is now located a few kilometres away from the Marsa Alam city.

Marsa Alam city is built around the small fishing village it once was. There is a small harbour and stone quay, with many restaurants, bars and shops along the palm-fringed seafront.

Divers staying at Marsa Alam have access to almost 100 km of 69

stunning coastal reefs, some of which can now be reached by beach jetties, while the majority require organised boat excursions. The spectacular Elphinstone Reef is legendary in southern Egypt. This reef features underwater walls that plunge over 70 metres in depth, decorated with amazing white, red, pink and brown sponges, corals and fans. Sha’ab Samadai, otherwise known as ‘Dolphin House’, is another popular site on the dive itinerary. Marsa Alam is also the perfect spot for deep sea fishing with reef sharks, snappers, lobsters and tuna among the catches. A marine nature reserve stretches from Marsa Alam to Gebel Elba in the south.

A holiday in Marsa Alam will benefit from an ideal sunny climate all year round with deep blue cloudless skies, hot summer temperatures and extremely low rainfall. In all seasons visitors will see virtual guaranteed sunshine perfect for diving trips and water sports and idyllic afternoons of sunbathing.

Marsa Alam weather is reasonably low on humidity and enjoys pleasant coastal breezes yet evenings can be surprisingly chilly.

Spring is an ideal time for a holiday with a low chance of rainfall and continuing fine dry weather.

Marsa Alam is home to the finest onshore diving in the Red Sea with an impressive range of dive sites fringing the whole length of the resort's coastline. The most vivid colours and unique coral formations are a feast for the eyes and marine life such as hammerhead sharks and morays will leave unaccustomed divers in awe. The immense underwater coral gardens are in pristine condition, enjoying superb visibility for most of the year.

Key Words: Marsa Alam, tourism development, Red sea.

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THE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF SOME DOLINES IN THE AREA EXTENDING BETWEEN THE VILLAGES OF RAS EL HELAL AND BATA IN EL GABAL EL AKDAR AREA - NORTH-EAST OF LIBYA, BY USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS Mohamed Fouad Abd El Aziz Lecturer of physical Geography , Faculty of Education, ElArish campus, Suez Canal University, Egypt. ‘Dolines’ is one of the most apparent and widespread Geomorphologic Karst phenomena in El Gabal EL Akdar region in general, and in the study area in particular. The reason for this is simply the Geological nature of the area where limestone rocks are both widespread and vulnerable to dissolution processes due to its high permeability nature featuring deep penetration levels which cause the formation of such dolines.

Other factors also contribute to this phenomenon such as the climate with an average rainfall quantity of about 600 mm per year in addition to the particularly high humidity levels.

The study has already surveyed 10 of such Karst dolines in terms of its structures, morphometric measurements (Relief and Elongation ratioes), statistical analysis of its collected data, and the Geomorphologic process they have undergone (weathering and disintegration processes). Notably, most Karst Dolines offer different structural measurements due to the variable dissolution mechanisms they have undergone. As such, this study is concerned with their evolution and classification. Some of them were formed as a result of gradual dissolution processes, and 71

others were direct results of subterranean degradation and collapsing processes due to internal dissolution which causes the collapse of surface limestone and, sometimes, the interconnection between them to form complex Dolines. Some of them are actually quite near the sea; about 300 meters, which leads to the filling of those holes with sea water as a result of seepage. This is particularly true because of the fact that most such holes keep approximately the same sea level confirmed by the use of programs such as (Arc Gis, Map Info, server, Erdas Imagine, type Garman 276c). The study has also used GBS in order to determine the locations of these Dolines.

Key Words: Dolines, GIS, Karst, El Gabal EL Akdar, Lybia.

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GEOMORPHOLOGY OF TAFONI CAVES IN DAHAB AREA SOUTH TO THE SINAI PENINSULA Mohamed. M. Ali El Sharkawy (Ph.D.) Lecturer of Physical Geography , Faculty of Arts, Damanhour Campus,University of Alexandria, Egypt.email:elsharqawy@hotmail.com Tafoni refers to small size caves resulting form weathering.

They generally occur in rough granular rocks, sandstone, and limestone. Tafoni are circular-shape holes, hollow with smooth concave internal walls. The dimensions of these caves range between decimeters to more than a meter in some cases.

This phenomenon is found to be wide-spread in those areas that are characterized by wide range seasonal and daily temperatures.

Usually such areas experience strong wind that leads to removal of residuals from those holes.

This paper intends to investigate the origins and development of Tafoni caves in granular rocks in Dahab area. This is done through analysis of the dimensions of a wide range of Tafoni caves and analysis of weathering residuals to identify the main factors and processes responsible for the generation and development of these caves.

The research is based on an empirical work and a field survey in Dahab area, located in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula at the Western coast of Aqaba Gulf. Geologically speaking, the Dahab area consists mainly of igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granular rocks in which Tafoni caves are wide-spread.

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The field survey was conducted through a field trip to the study area for five days, during which, the dimensions of about 125 Tafoni caves were measured and these caves’ sediments were subsequently sampled.

The study indicated that the climate conditions dominant in its area contribute largely to the generation and development of the Tafoni caves as the high temperature range promotes and accelerates weathering processes. The prevailing wind in the area also has a considerable impact on the development of the Tafoni caves as it transfers weathering residuals. Moreover, it was found that the structure of the area plays a significant role in the development of Tafoni caves. On the other hand, it was found that these caves play a crucial role in changing the topography of the study area as such caves contribute to the development of the slopes, where the development of a number of adjacent caves lead to their adherence, which, in turn, leads to the eventual collapse of their surfaces and causes sediments to fall into the piedmont areas. This, in its turn, contributes to changes in the topography of the slops, which leads eventually to their retreat, particularly with the continuation of the weathering processes.

Key Words: Tafoni caves, Dahab, weathering.

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THE EFFECT GEOMORPHOLOGIC PROCESS' DIRECTION IN FORGING AND ORIGINATING THE LONGITUDINAL AND SYMPTOMATIC SYLLABLE IN TIGRIS RIVER, IRAQ. Ali A. K. Alwaily, Aiad A. Altaiy, Ussama K. Al sharefy Department of Geography , Education Collage Ibn Rushad, University of Baghdad, Iraq The aim of this search is to study the effects of Geomorphologic processes in longitude and width sections of the river, specially the dominant river forms in the study area, their dimensions and spread.

Key Words: geomorphologic processes, Tigris river, Iraq.

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Session 8: Living with Humid Landscapes

AVERSATILE PUBLIC OPINION SPEAKS ABOUT AMOBILE COAST LINE: A CASE STUDY IN WESTERN FRANCE Herve Regnauld and Soazig Pian Geography Dpt, Laboratory Costel UMR 6554 CNRS UniversitĂŠ EuropĂŠenne de Bretagne, Rennes 2, France e-mail: herve.regnauld@uhb.fr ; soazig.pian@uhb.fr The coastline in France is controlled by a set of laws (dating back to 1986). Building within a hundred of meters of the actual coastline is strictly limited. The French policy is to avoid any new building within this 100m zone due to the mobility of the coastline which provides no solid grounds for building.

At the same time, most of the coastline is used as beaches for tourism (either sandy or gravelly) and are considered as resources for many local communities (communes, which are the smallest governing body in France). In the French touristy culture a large sandy beach is a better resource than a small gravel one.

These two points of view build up a paradox: any local government accepts the idea that the coast line may change but no local government may accept that a beach is depleted. This means that some morphological changes are thought of as natural processes while others are said to be natural catastrophes. We argue that this is a cultural issue irrelevant to actual morphological facts.

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This study deals with some examples in Brittany and presents various situations. On the northern coast beaches there are, often, pocket beaches that may display a high morphological variability. Neighbouring cliffs often show high rates of retreat.

Their eroded material is quickly recycled within a short distance. Sedimentary cells are small and their behaviour is, most often, obvious. The mobility of landscape is not an important political issue as it has been included for long inside of the local cultural representations of coastlines. One detailled example is described in Anse du Verger, near Saint Malo.

On many isolated parts of the coastline, the landscape is devoid of any buildings and is considered as natural, even if it is not any longer because of the newly introduced species. These types of sites are most often cliffs with rocky offshore platforms.

Sediment accumulations have very variable morphology but in some sites rocky outcrops provide the visitors with fixed beacons and help to build the idea that the landscape has some sort of permanence. Therefore the sediment movements are not considered as a problem. One example is described in Talbert, close to Paimpol.

On the southern coast there are large extends of dunes with few buildings. They are south west facing and the dominant wind/waves feature comes from the west. These dune fields are set along the beach which, from a sedimentary point of view, is a transitory site, being neither a source, nor a sink site. The sand supply is, therefore, highly irregular. In other words, the windblown sand is delivered to the dune in a very irregular way. The down drift part of the coast has a positive sedimentary budget but many local erosive pockets do exist, most of which are linked with over frequentation. This part of the coast is seen as 77

an endangered place and every tiny movement of the dune toe is used by various people as bases for endless arguments regarding coastal management. When an important issue (such as offshore sand mining) is at stake, these talks change into an organised discourse. Local people build their own knowledge of the coast and try to confront scientific experts’ views. One example is discussed along the Quiberon peninsula.

In these cases, the idea of a mobile landscape is used to gloss over inappropriate management claims dealing with the territory and to support some kind of local spatial identity.

Bibliography : Pian S., Regnauld H., Menier D., 2008 : Interactions nature/société et vulnérabilité du littoral : quelques exemples en Bretagne Sud. Actes du colloque international pluridisciplinaire « le littoral : subir, dire, agir » http://www.ifresi.univlille1.fr/Littoral2008/Themes/Theme_4/Seance1/Pian.pdf Key Words: coastline, mobile lanscape, natural catastrophs, France.

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TERRAIN MORPHOMETRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE LAND USE Blagoja Markoski, Ivica Milevski, and Svemir Gorin University “St. Cyril and Methodius” Skopje, Republic of Macedonia e-mail: ivica@iunona.pmf.ukim.edu.mk The Republic of Macedonia is one of the smaller countries in the south-east Europe, covering an area of 25.713 km2. As a result of local and regional geotectonic movements in the past, the landscape in the country is characterized by permanent changes of mountains and depressions, having chess-like shape.

Yet, in such small area, we have about 40 mountains, divided by low depressions filled with deposits. Because of such morphology, there are large spatial differences of the landscape clearly evident by such morphometric elements as hypsometry, slopes and other aspects. Thus, the lowest point in the Republic of Macedonia is only 45 m a.s.l., whereas the highest is on 2753 m a.s.l. making a vertical difference of nearly 2710 m. Large areas has very steep slopes (above 30°), but there are also significant flat areas. But, because of great terrain dissections, aspects vary constantly across the country despite the general prevalence of the south-west aspects.

Such landscape morphology of the Republic of Macedonia, from the past to the present, highly influenced human activities in the space, especially land use. For that reason, this paper has a double purpose. Firstly, it is concerned with determining some morphometric characteristics of the landscape.

Here, hypsometry, slopes and other aspects are taken into account.

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The second purpose is rating of country areas according to the means of land use, and establishing the correlation between land use and landscape morphometry.

The research methodology is based on geographic, geomorphic, cartographic, statistic and modern GIS approaches. The relevance of the results is verified by comparing previous classic cartographic measurements from topographic maps, with modern GIS-based ones. In general, land use is relevant to landscape morphometry, particularly with its slopes and hypsometry.

Key Words: morphometry, cartometry, GIS, satellite imagery, land use.

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LANDSCAPE CHANGE OF ROMANIAN SUBCARPATHIAN REGION. CASE STUDY: OLĂNEŞTI DRAINAGE BASIN. Laura Tirla Assistant, doctorate attendant, University of Bucharest, Romania. e-mail:laurastumbea@yahoo.com Sub-Carpathian region is Geomorphologically known to be the most sensitive landunit of Romania. The landscape changes radically accross the different geologic eras, but significant transformations can be noticed and studied within decades or less. While first changes are mainly determined by natural factors, the second, are particularly determined by anthropic factors.

During this study we have tried to point out the landscape change in the last 200 years, in the context of the continuous anthropization of sub-Carpathian area as a reflection of the general evolution of the Romanian society. Although geomorphic change has a leading part in the evolution of a drainage basin, this is not the aim of this study. Rather, our aim is to mark the impact of current communities on a landscape that has already been naturally changing for ages.

The diversity of natural elements is typical for a contact landunit; in this case between Southern Carpathians and Getic Plateau. The Olăneşti drainage basin is most like the other Carpathian/sub-Carpathian basins in the south, following a general NW-SE direction to the confluence with the river Olt, perpendicular to the development of geologic formations.

Landforms are varied due to the different types of rocks, having 81

different properties and a different response to the modelling agents, from the upper sector to the confluence.

The valley of the river Olăneşti has been a penetration axe for humans since the ancient times. Although the existence of settlements was attested in the 14th and the 15th centuries, they are thought to have been set up long before, maybe in the early Middle Ages. For a long time they were small settlements, as statistical data from the end of the 19th century indicate. The landscape was slowly anthropized in the terms of a traditional agricultural economy, based only on the revaluation of natural resources. During the 20th century and mainly after the ‘50s, technological progress brought by the communist era affected the landscape. The land use has changed, some spaces have altered their functionality and geomorphic processes were influenced by building dams on river Olăneşti and its tributaries.

A set of old geographic maps, topographic maps, LANDSAT images, orthophotoplanes, statistical data and indicators come to complete the study and give a visual estimation as well as a numerical analysis of the landscape transformation.

Key Words: landscape, change, sub-Carpathian, anthropization, land use.

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Session 9: Environmental Changes and Human Life

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL CLIMATIC CHANGES ON HUMAN LIFE IN INDIA. K. Shadananan Nair Centre for Earth Research and Environment Management, Kerala, India. e-mail: nair59@yahoo.com Changes in global climate are reflected in all sectors of life in India. They are serious challenges to the securities in food, water and energy, because of the large and still growing population, fast degrading land and water resources, inadequate finance and the lack of a proper mitigation strategy and adaptation mechanism. India is included in the list of countries potentially threatened by desertification. One-sixth of the country is already drought-prone. Climate change is already evident in many parts of India. With large areas under cultivation still rain-fed, extremes in rainfall and temperature lead to the food crisis. As the life of the majority of the population, especially the rural poor, and the national economy has been linked to agriculture and related industries, setbacks in agriculture create several social issues. Impact of climate extremes on forest affects the tribal poor who depend solely on forest products for livelihood. Water availability in certain states has been falling sharply due to the changes in the amount as well as the seasonality of rainfall, affecting food production and power generation. Retreat of the Himalayan glaciers will add to the severity of hydrological extremes in the entire north India in the coming years. If the current trend continues, most of the glaciers will vanish in 50 years.

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Changes in the frequency and intensity of severe weather systems and the possible sea level rise are of serious concern in the thickly populated 7500Km long coastal zones. Decreasing trend in fish catch in the southern coasts may be linked to the changes in coastal circulation and upwelling patterns. Perhaps the most significant impact of extremes may be on the health conditions. Cold waves and heat waves are becoming severe and casualties are reported in places where it never occurred before.

Children and the aged suffer more from respiratory problems associated with high humidity. New viruses and vectors spread fatal deceases. Almost one-fourth of the population in the southern State of Kerala was affected with such deceases in the year 2007. However, procedure for the implementation of the strategies to mitigate the climate change impact and of the policy for the adaptation to climate change is slow. This paper is a review of climate change and their impact on different facets of life and of the current strategies and polices to face such challenges in India. Guidelines for an appropriate policy and strategy have been provided.

Key Words: Climate change, India, adaptation, policy.

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ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES OF RAS MUHAMAD NATIONAL PARK SOUTH OF SINAI, EGYPT (1988-2008) Ibrahim Badawi Faculty of Arts at Damietta, Mansoura University, Egypt. e-mail: badawi56@hotmail.com.

This area occupies the junction between three basins, the red sea, Aqaba Gulf and Suez gulf. The erosion and sedimentary processes are the result of a combination of five main agents: tectonic movements, Geological agents, volcanic eruptions, climate changes, and eustatic sea levels changes.

Ras Muhammad coastal plain is divided into two geomorphologic subunits: • Eastern- cliffed coast. • South-west coast.

The eastern coastal plain along the area is boarded by high mountains consisting mostly of crystalline rocks. Along the shore lines, there are continuous banks of emergent reef terraces, sharms, marine cliffs and a sand gravel surface which is linked towards the sea. The second coast is mainly made up of depositional features, beach, sand dunes, spits and lagoons and recent reefs. Sedimentary materials are also transported from different sources.

The main objective of this study is to assess and monitor the environmental conditions in Ras Muhammad and identify the 85

troubled areas and trends of environmental change by integrating field work, remote sensing and geographic information systems. It is, therefore, clear that human and natural influences play key roles in changing the morphologic features of Ras Muhammad’s national park.

Key Words: Red Sea, Ras Mohammad national park.

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PLANKTONIC PROTIST COMMUNITIES IN A SEMI-ENCLOSED MARICULTURE POND: STRUCTURAL VARIATION AND CORRELATION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. Henglong xu1,2, Weibo song1, Alan warren3, Khaled a. s. alRasheid4, Saleh a. Al-Farraj4, Jun gong5 and Xiaozhong hu1.

1The Laboratory of Protozoology, KLM, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China, 2The Laboratory of Protozoology, College of Oceanography, Huaihai Institute of Technology, Lianyungang, 222005, China, 3Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd London, SW 7 5BD, UK, 4Zoology Department, King Saud University, P. O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia, 5Laboratory of Protozoology, College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631,China.

In order to evaluate the environmental status within a mariculture pond, temporal variations of physico-chemical factors, protist community structure and interaction between biota and environmental conditions were investigated during a complete cycle in semi-enclosed shrimp-farming waters near Qingdao, north China. Results revealed that: (1) A total of 54 protist taxa with ten dominant species was present, comprising 4 chlorophyceans , 2 chrysophyceans, 5 cryptophyceans, 10 dinoflagellates, 3 87

euglenophyceans, 10 ditoms, 18 ciliates and 2 sarcodines; (2) a single peak of protist abundance occurred in October, mainly due to the chlorophyceans, diatoms and chrysophyceans, while the bimodal peaks of biomass in July and October were mainly due to the ciliates, dinoflagellates and diatoms; (3) the succession of protist community significantly correlated with the changes of nutrients, salinity and temperature, especially phosphate, either alone or in combination with NO3; and (4) special diversity and evenness indices were found to be relatively independent of physico-chemical factors, whereas species richness and the ratio of biomass to abundance were strongly correlated with water temperature and abundances of bacteria. It was concluded that planktonic protist are potentially useful bioindicators of water quality in semi-enclosed mariculture system.

Key Words : Environmental, Protest, Chlorophyceans, Chrysophyceans, Cryptophyceans, Dinoflagellates, Euglenophyceans, Ditoms, Ciliates and Sarcodines

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LIVING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN FISHING VILLAGES IN THE REGION OF RASHID OUTELT: A CASE STUDY IN BURG MOGHALZE VILLAGE Saida Gaber Diab Faculty of Arts, University of Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt. e-mail: saidagd@yahoo.com The study of environmental changes has gained the attention of geographers and specialists in other sciences. The region of this study is of a particular importance in terms of environmental, economic and geographic sides because it enjoys a geographical location and natural resources that can lead to ongoing development.

The village of Burg Moghalze is one of the eldest fishing communities on the Mediterranean coast, and seems as a Peninsula surrounded by the Mediterranean waters from the east and the River Nile from the west. It belongs administratively to Motbus in the governorate of Kafr EL- Sheikh.

The research discusses three main points. Firstly, it studies the natural and human factors that affect and interpret environmental change represented in the erosion of the shores of the Mediterranean sea. This erosion is due to climatic changes, the rising of the sea level, the effects of constructions such as spans and dams along the course of the Nile and its two branches in the beginning of the twentieth century, the high proportion of water salinity in the Rosetta Branch in the north of Idfina span and the impact of this decline in the productivity of 89

agricultural lands. This research also attempts to study the reasons for the high level of ground water.

Secondly, this research tries to register the consequences of environmental changes and their impact on the village's economy and environment.

Thirdly, it investigates the conditions of living with the environment and exploiting its resources in the developing villages, especially in Berket Ghlion, which may be one of the most important natural hunting areas for various migratory birds. This is a new area which has not been distorted by random settlements. It can be used for tourist resorts at the confluence the Mediterranean with the River Nile. To achieve this study’s objectives, we have used several informational resources including topographic maps, satellite images and field work at different intervals.

Key Words: environmental changes, natural resources, Rosetta.

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Poster Session

THE RELATION BETWEEN THE HUMAN ACTIVITIES – THE TERRITORY, THROUGH HISTORIC CARTOGRAPHY IN THE SUBCARPATHIAN BASIN OF SÂMNIC, ROMANIA. Mioara Clius and Gabriela Osaci Costache University of Bucharest, Romania. emails:ghinceamioara@yahoo.com, gabrielaosaci68@yahoo.com The analysed basin is situated in the Southern part of Romania, in the Getic Subcarpathians, Sâmnic being a left side affluent of Olt River. This study aims at identifying the Geomorphologic changes of the landscape resulting from human development activities during the past three centuries.

To accomplish our objective we have used written resources (statistical data, historic documents), but especially big scale cartographic documents realised in the period 1790-1997, such as: Specht Map (1790-1791), Meridian Romania Map (1864), Romania Topographic Map (1897-1907), The Gunnery Directive Plans (1940) etc. The historic maps have been exploited through retrospective cartography. The dynamics of the Geomorphologic landscape has also been analysed with the help of calculating human pressure values utilizing the naturalist index.

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At the end of the 18th century, the analysed hydrographical basin was almost totality afforested. Between 1790 (the first year of our analyses) and 1997 the forest ecosystems was systematically cleared up. But we can identify three periods with different characteristics of the phenomena.

The first concerns the period between 1855-1929, during which the most intense geomorphologic modifications to the landscape has been produced. Following this, were the periods between the years 1790-1855 and 1929-1971 with much lower modifying intensities. Therefore, there is a direct correlation between the reduction of the forest proportion and the appearance, the extension and even the acceleration of the slopes’ linear erosion and landslides.

In the Sâmnic basin the slopes with medium and intense inclinations are dominant, formed on friable rocks. The increase of the human pressure through grazing fields and hayfields generated the extension of the surfaces affected by superficial sliding and surface erosion. In the 20th century, a series of legislative measures have determined the replacement of grazing fields and hayfields, which are presently located on slopes less affected by landslides. Another modification of the last century is represented by the increase of the human pressure upon the arable surfaces, roads and civil buildings in the localities from Sâmnic basin (Linia, Aldeşti, Blidari, Popeşti, Opăteşti, Vătăşeşti, Goleşti, Giurgiuveni, Tulei-Câmpeni, Coasta etc.).

The utilisation of retrospective cartography based on the superposition and the comparison of the big scale maps from the last centuries, but also the analyses of the index of human pressure upon the natural landscape have permitted the realisation of this qualitative and quantitative evaluation.

Key Words: human activities, deforestation, geomorphologic landscape, surface erosion, landslides.

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ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES ON THE ROMANIAN SHORE OF THE BLACK SEA– BETWEEN PROTECTION AND TOURISTIC DEVELOPMENT Laura Comănescu, Florina Grecu, Robert Dobre Dept. Geomorphology-Pedology, Faculty of Geography , University of Bucharest,Romania. e-mail: lauracomanescu@yahoo.com The present paper is part of the research programme IGCP 534/ UNESCO (director Florina Grecu and Marta Pappalardo). It aims at studying the relationship between the human activities' impact, and the Archaeological sites protection within the area situated in the southern part of the Romanian seashore.

Romania has got a shore of 225 km long, made up by two distinct sectors: the low coastline, situated to the north of Cape Midia, with a deltaic character, with beaches and lacustrine basins, and the high coastline, with sea fronts sculptured in loessoid deposits and in the limestone plate, fragmented by valleys tributary to the sea and changed into firths.

Two Archaeological sites will be considered, namely Tomis and Callatis, which actually represent the core of the present towns Mangalia and ConstanŃa respectively, situated in the southern part of the coastline. These sites have got great Archaeological and historical values, being the result of the continuous inhabitance of these territories, since ancient times.

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Tomis was an Ionian emporium, and during the Hellenic age (centuries IV窶的 AD), the walled city gained the attributes of a polis. During this time interval, the importance of the city grew, public and private buildings were erected, a defense wall was built too, and the inhabitants organized their social and political lives around the Ionian model. From the well-preserved Archaeological objects found there, we can mention: the mosaic Roman edifice, the thermal baths as well as coins, ceramics, inscriptions, architectonic and sculptural fragments. Such findings make up the promise of an intense tourist development.

As such, the site's excavation must be accomplished very carefully, to achieve good preservation of its contents which might be affected by a series of actual Geomorphologic processes (collapses).

Callatis was founded on the place of a Getic settlement known as Acevertis, on close grounds to the sea and the lake Mangalia.

In the 4th century BC, the walled city recorded a great economic and socio-political development, shown by many Archaeological discoveries and written sources. New strong walls were erected, defending it from the ground, harbour installations were put in place, temples, civil edifices as well as monuments were all built.

Callatis is affected by collapsing processes endangering its integrity. The accentuation of the anthropic impact, especially its tourist dimension, may lead to degradation and irremediable deterioration of the site.

Key Words: Archaeological site, the Black Sea, Callatis, Tomis, touristic development, protection.

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LOESS - RELATED LANDFORMS IN CENTRAL DOBROGEA, ROMANIA Laura Comanescu, Mihai Ielenicz and Alexandru Nedelea Dept. Geomorphology-Pedology, Faculty of Geography , University of Bucharest, Romania. e-mail: lauracomanescu@yahoo.com Loess and loessoid deposits are very extended in this SW part of Romania, covering mainly the landforms individualised before the Upper Pleistocene. In the southern and in central parts of Dobrogea, these deposits stretch out almost in a row from the Danube to the Black Sea. In the north of the province they are discontinuous alongside the TaiŃa and TeliŃa valleys and in depressions. Deposit thickness runs between 10 and 30 m. The regional make up of loessoid horizons shows some differentiations.

Mineralogical assayings have revealed that light minerals (80– 90%) are more numerous than the heavy ones (under 20 %). The first group contains mainly quartz (30 – 40 %, depending on the source of origin), feldspats (around 30 %) and muskovite (under 30 %). The second group shows greater variation, listing in principal the rocks that build up the summits, consisting of weathered materials that had been washed away high they have a share in northern Dobrogea rich in eruptive and crystalline rocks. Variation is found also on the vertical, from one horizon to the other. All these characteristics are mirrored in the development of morphodynamic processes, on these formations, especially processes involving water circulation.

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Present-day processes are governed by some factors, influencing their genesis and evolution. In what follows we shall outline only the major ones: the make–up and succesion of loess and fossil soil, the system of slopes individualised by these formations, the land use pattern, the climate feature, the base of deposit is eroded by high floodwaves, or lake- water waves.

Detachment steps are simple forms developed in the neighbourhood of the slope edge or of the loessoid bank. In parallel with the edge, dryness- induced cracks would evolve along one or several alignments, a few decimeters long, 1-3 cm wide and under 1 m deep. Their merging is accelerated by rain water seepage and flow on the vertical overlandflow, in this way the cracks become increasingly larger.

Pipping sinkholes and peaks form either the vicinity of the slopes' edge or at a small distance from it, where rain water gathers on the semi - horizontal surfaces above the slopes.The water penetrates the loessoid deposit, washes the carbonates and widens the voids between sand particles, creating empty spaces with tabular aspects (1-3 cm in diameter) on the vertical.

Subsequent evolutions depend on the action of the water flowing through these spaces, wrenching and dislodging sand and silt particles. As a result, empty spaces will grow both in diameter and in length. When reaching a low permeability layer (fossil soil), progression on the vertical is halted (especially if the layer is over 0.5m thick); in exchange there is an increase in diameter and formation of lateral discharge in the fossil soil in the direction of the vertical slope surface (where intermittent pipping springs will emerge). Pits are usually 1.5-2.5 m deep and 0.3-1m in diameter.

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In either case pits unfold along one alignment alone, so that water penetration through the upper horn will gradually seep to the others, establishing an evolutive link. Pits on piping steps are frequently found on surfaces with collapsed loess packages.

When pits are neighbouring the edge of steps, they would intersect, through widening, their steep step surface, which collapses. The margin of the pit is broken, the pit itself becoming visible nearly throught out its length.

Pipping caves and tunnels, originaly piping pits located a few meters away from the slope edge, are landforms of big size and peculiar shape. They would develop in over 2 m-thick loess layers situated above a fossil soil horizon or a clay deposit. As precipitation water erodes the pit walls, they widen their diameter to get 1.5 m, engendering caves. But for the sector where water is seeping, which often step- like, walls remain steep. The bottom of the cave is covered with sunken material, yet there are also holes facilitating comunication between these caves and the underground water discharge trajectories, representing galleries of diameters between a few decimeter and 1.5 m, developing in clay and loess horizons. The product of the erosion of loess materials by the water flowing on the impervious bed, these galleries, go from a few meters to several tens of meters long.

Pipping valleys vary in size and aspect with the stage of evolution as pipping, sinking and gullying combined in a distinctively different manner. Pipping generated a network of underground caves and tunnels along the main directions of underground water drain. Concomitantly, on the surface, a part of precipitation water would build some shallow U-shaped transversal fixed valleys. In a later phase, as tunnels become 97

bigger, the overlying formations lose stability and collapse. This gives rise to complex pipping valleys. Some contain sectors that escape collapsing (the valley stands above, while the tunnel deepened below it); and others, suffer the copmlete process (the tunnel becoming part of the valley), while a third group have partial completion of this process leaving apparent natural bridges. Piping valleys have a long evolution, and occupy most of the slope. They are very big, occasionally over 500 m long and more than 50 m deep, having an upper basin formed of a system of simple pipping valleys, extending to the interfluve by piping pits, steps and alignments of cracks, all of which indicate that the process is ongoing. The median sector is a deepened pipping valley displaying steep sometimes vertical and through gullying. The end sector of the valley is very large due to the erosion of loessoid slopes by silted water.

Torrential valleys show distinctive features in terms of slope declivity and thickness of the loessoid deposits. Gentle slopes, covered with a thin loess layer are affected by rill– induced gullies which, merging togehther, yield typical ravenes deepened into the bed rock. The areas sheltering a thick loessoid deposit, witness the later development of torrential valleys, after intense pipping processes had reached the bed rock resistant to linear erosion. As a result, evolution will shift to the slopes which will retreat sideways due to pipping and soil falls, on the one hand, and water torrents formed by heavy rainfall in particular, on the other. This engenders two situations, namely the extreme widening of the valley through slope retreat, followed by the accumulation of a thick layer of sediment (up to 5 m in some cases). As the whole of the valley is widenig, it comes to look like a corridor extending from source to outlet. In some such valleys, the rapid deepening of torrents has cut a new 98

channel-bed deepened by 1-3 m in the sediment sheet (in the upper basins of the Casimcea valleys).

Key Words: loess, loessoid deposits, morphodynamics, deposit thickness, Dobrogea.

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GULLY EROSION IN THE OLTEł PLATEAU, ROMANIA. Ene M. and Tirla L. Faculty of Geography , University of Bucharest, Romania. e-mails:ene2466@yahoo.com, laurastumbea@yahoo.com The case studies concern Olt, OlteŃ and Jiu drainage basins.

Target: gully erosion in the OlteŃ Plateau. Methods: calculation of eroded volumes (as a basis for specific erosion, rate of erosion and global geomorphic balance in different morphostructural conditions). Conditions: controlled by the time – dependent factors (climate, vegetal cover) and by regional factors (rock, structure, neo-tectonics, vegetation). Lithology (sedimentary rocks) and neo-tectonics are the sources of different intensity of erosion. Results: gully erosion had a baselevel governed evolution in all the analyzed catchment areas, shaped by the plane (subsidence) area. Neo-tectonics is positive and has a different intensity in various areas of the OlteŃ Plateau.

The present-day intensity of gully erosion is the main effect of the significant deep valley network. Using the method of quantitative evaluation, the type and intensity of erosion processes during the Pleistocene and Holocene (under distinct climatic and vegetal cover conditions) and the different regional intensity of the present-day geomorphic processes and of morpho-genesis could be calculated (by using size parameters).

Key Words: gully erosion, drainage basins, specific erosion, rate of erosion, geomorphic balance.

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THE INTENSIFICATION OF THE ANTROPIC PRESSURE THROUGH THE EXPANSION OF THE CONSTRUCTED AREA IN THE SUBCARPATHIAN SECTOR OF THE PRAHOVA VALLEY/ROMANIA (1800-2008) Florin Vartolomei 1, Armas Iuliana 2 and Cojocaru Ionut 2.

1- Faculty of Geography , Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania.

2- Faculty of Geography , University of Bucharest, Romania. e-mails: fvartolomei@yahoo.com, iuliaarmas@yahoo.com, beckion@yahoo.com The Prahova Valley emerges from the mountains through the Posada gorge and forms a succession of tectono-erosive depressions with an accentuated development of the fluvial terrain on a surface length of 20 km in the hill area, until it reaches the plain, near the town of Campina.

The expansion of the living space is favored by: - The clement Subcarpathian climate, with an Annual average Temperature of 10oC and an insolation degree similar to that of the plain side; - Average heights reach app. 500 m with mild slopes, directed N-S. Additionally, the bridge of the second terrace is 2 km wide in the depressions.

These elements have been the basis for structural development of space since 1990, when many holiday houses appeared as a

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consequence of the accessibility and proximity of this area to the capital (app. 100 km north of Bucharest).

The present research focuses on the evolution of the antropic pressure on the environment through the continuous development of the constructed space, in a diacronic comparative analysis of the urban environment-rural environment, detailed on the basis of two characteristic examples: Breaza city and Cornu town.

The information resulted from historic maps was completed by mapping from ortophotoplans and GPS land surveys.

The data base went through statistic differential processes and corelational analysis with the conditions of the physical support, highly important limitations and favorabilities in the assessment of the vulnerabilty of the Subcarpathian space being revealed.

Key Words: antropic pressure, constructed area, Prahova Valley, GPS survey.

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ASSESSING THE QUALITY IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DRILLING EXPLOITATION AND MINING-SITE ABANDONMENT PHENOMENA. THE IALOMITA SUBCARPAHIAN AREA, ROMANIA. Florin Vartolomei 1, Damian R. 2, Armas Iuliana.2 And Gherasim Cezar 1 1- Faculty of Geography , “Spiru Haret� University, Bucharest, Romania.

2- Faculty of Geology and Geophysic, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania. e-mails:fvartolomei@yahoo.com, d.rasvan@yahoo.com, iuliaarmas@yahoo.com, cezar_gh@yahoo.com As a consequence of the rapid industrial development, the quality of the environment was significantly reduced, exceeding, by far, its natural self-regulation capabilities. The environment of the sub-Carpathian landscapes has undergone many major transformations, particularly in mining and drilling areas, where intense morphological fragmentation with potential slope instability took place.

In the sector that was proposed for research, the occasional coal exploitation began over 100 years ago. The greatest petrol exploitation was made in the Moreni area. The energetic need for coal made it so that the coalmine in Filipestii de Padure is continually extended through research and geologic exploitation. Several mines were successively started within this parameter that was organized on different levels. Evidently, through diminishing the reserves, some sectors were closed 103

down or abandoned, through flooding or accidental crashing of the subterranean. Such fortuitous abandonment did not allow proper control and management of the surface and subterranean environmental processes. After proper legislation and functioning regulations, the mining exploitation gave back the surfaces to the environment.

The sub-Carpathian area between the Cricov and Provita valleys comes forth as particularly significant with available geologic information from the second half of the 19th century. This area's research significance was amplified after 1900 when information relating to importance of the area in terms of the presence of both petrol and energetic coal were made clear.

The repeated reorganizations in this field, after 1979, and the department reorganizations after 1992 made it so that the geologic research activity declined. This activity was to a certain point the only one in this area that offered a cartographic support for deciphering environment elements. Worth noting is the fact that the exploitation for petrol always represented a type of privileged activity, in which case any environment approach was performed discretely.

On the general background of the transition to the market economy, the mine abandon phenomenon gave the environment a particular quality, perturbed by the presence of some specific industrial constructions, extraction devices, abandoned quarries and access roads to the abandoned economic objectives and so on. These new elements are affected within the natural circuits and generate, through their physical-chemical nocivity, processes with a continual development, such as sliding. On important areas, the respective processes are unmonitored and uncontrolled, affecting transportation networks (roads, pipes, 104

etc), the slopes’ stability, the protection of the construction and of the water sources, and disorganizes the ecologic and sociodemographic systems.

The research focuses on understanding the causes and mechanisms of environmental deterioration under the human impact, based on an evaluation of the landscape transformations in the last decades, in parallel with mining and drilling activities.

The research utilizes modern methodologies such as the use of dynamic terrain analysis and database integration of large scale aerophotogramms, alongside probability calculations in the establishment of slope system vulnerability levels (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Methodological approach Key Words: drilling exploitation, mining-site, Ialomita Valley, environment.

References: Armas I., Damian, R., Sandric, I., Marin M., 2005, Slope Vulnerability to Landslides within the CâmpiniŃa Basin, Prahova, in: Lucrări şi rapoarte de cercetare, 1, DTDG, Ed. Univ., Bucureşti.

Armas I., Sandric, I., Damian R., 2005, Assessing Slopes Vulnerability to Landslides in Tectonic Active Areas using The 105

Bayesian and Dempster-Shafery Probability Models / Prahova Valley / Romania, Proceedings: European Geosciences Union, General Assembly 2005, 24-29 Apr., Vienna.

Damian R., 2003, Geologia depozitelor neogen superioare dintre Dambovita si Prahova. Interpretari geochimice, Ed. Univ.

Bucuresti, referenti: Prof. univ. dr. S. Pauliuc, Prof. univ. dr. O. Dragastan (117 p. A4, 50 fig., IX planse, 6 anexe).

Damian R., 2002, Paleoecology of Pliocene mollusks from MoreniOcnita zone, al III-lea Simpozion de Paleontologie, Acta Paleontologica Romaniae, III (p. 97-109).

Damian R., 2004, Geology of the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary deposits from the Ruda Valley syncline (north of Moreni), in Analele Universitatii Bucuresti, Geology, Special Publication, 1, editori: O. Dragastan, R. Damian, Ed. Cartea Universitara, Bucuresti (p. 145–166, 3 fig., IV planse).

Hoek E., Bray J. W., 1997, Rock slope engineering, The 3rd Edition, IMM and E&FN Spon., London.

Luzi, L., Pergalani, F., 1996, A methodology for slope instability zonation using a probabilistic method, Actas VI Congreso Nacional y Conferencia Internacional de Geología Ambiental y Ordenación del Territorio, Vol. 1, Granada, pp. 537–556.

Pyykonen, M. , 2001, Geographical Information Systems and Digital Elevation Models in Environmental Studies. Case studies on show avalances and noise in northern Sweden, Uppsala University, 61p.

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MORPHOMETRICAL ANALYSIS OF ONE REPRESENTATIVE TRANS-BORDERS BASIN: PRUT/ROMANIA-UKRAINE-MOLDAVIA REPUBLIC. Florin Vartolomei Faculty of Geography , Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania. e-mail:fvartolomei@yahoo.com Prut River emerges from North Carpati mountain, in Ukraine, under the Hoverla peak from Cernahora ridge, on 2200 m, and its basin is about 27450 kmq surface. This area is distributed almost equally between those three countries: Ukraine (30%), Moldavia Republic (30%) and Romania (40%).

The present research focuses on morphometrical analysis of one the most representative trans-borders basins in Romania which is Prut, extending on the eastern border of EU and NATO. This geographical and geopolitical situation causes many difficulties in data acquisition processes.

The analysis of the entire basin show new aspects which hasn’t been seen before, since only partial studies had been conducted in this area in the past.

The morphometrical analysis provide new information based on GIS analysis with topographycal data base (different levels for curve, altimetric points, river network), based on 1:25000 scale.

The information resulted from preliminary interpretations of the interpolated terrain modelling number was veryfied in some key points in the field.

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Hypsometrical classes, the depth of landscape’ fragmentation, density of river network (horisontal fragmentation), versants orientation and slope will be presented in maps, graphycal reperesentations and statistical analysis.

Each part of this morphometrical analysis will conclude the task in water management politics in these three countries and will contribute in sustainable development of landscape in this basin.

Key Words: basin, trans-borders, morphometry, Prut, GIS.

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LANDSLIDES HAZARDS IN THE HARTIBACIU TABLELAND (TRANSYLVANIAN DEPRESSION)ROMANIA. Florina Grecu Dep. of Geomorphology, Faculty of Geography , University of Bucharest, Romania. e-mail: grecu@geo.unibuc.ro The Hartibaciu Tableland (4,000 sqkm, about 80 km long and 50 km wide) lies in the south-east of the Transylvanian Tableland, between the Tarnava Mare Valley in the north, the Visa Valley and the lower course of the Cibin in Sibiu depression in the west, the Olt Valley in the south and the Transylvanian Subcarpathians in the east. Structurallithological, morphographical-morphometrical and hydrographical particularities, as well as human activities join in individualising the tableland from a Geomorphologic viewpoint.

The Hartibaciu Tableland shows a great variety and density of landslides, due to the extended areas occupied by sarmatian rocks with typical granulometry.

Landslides, gullying and sheet washing, here and there, have the highest incidence on the Hartibaciu Tableland. Present-day prediction models depend on precipitation systems (600 – 700 mm/year), variety of rocks, types of slope and vegetation coverage. There are various types of landslide-triggered mechanisms, depth and size of discharged material, forms, age and degree of stability in the area (Garbacea, 1964; Garbacea, Grecu, 1981; Grecu, 1982, 1983, 1992, 1997, 2003; Grecu,Sandu, 1999).

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The massive glimee-type landslides (dislodging a material cover thickness of 5 – 20 m and over) are particularly severe at Saes (1,550 ha), Movile (900 ha), and Saschiz (615 ha) (Grecu, 1983, and Garbacea, 1964). Smaller glimee-affected areas can be seen on either bank of the Hartibaciu River, where they cover the whole of the usually deforested slope (at Movile and Cornatel), hang over it (Teline), or affect the watershed (Apold) (Grecu, 1992). Deep slides, in their turn, cover wide areas everywhere on the Hartibaciu Tableland, the material moved being 2 – 5 m thick. However, their incidence is higher in the southern part of the tableland where the substrate consists of clay-marly rocks.

Lanslides are associated with gullying. The latter occur mainly in the north of the Hartibaciu River and in the NW of the homonymous tableland (at Seica Mare, Axinte Sever), where deep erosion is precipitated by the sandy-clay substrate.

Aggressive gully and ravine occurrences are recorded with a higher frequency in the upper drainage basins or in the case of torrential organisms developed on cuestas.

Beginning from the Pleistocene to the present-day, landslides represent the major modelling processes (Garbacea, Grecu, 1994). Deep erosion is rather a recent process, triggered by human activity (forest logging, farming, etc). The relief modelling process is particularly severe in March, May, June and July (Grecu, 1992, 2003).

Key Words: landslides, gully erosion, sheet washing, Hartibaciu Tableland, Romania.

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THE ROLE OF THE LANDSCAPE IN BRIDGINE THE GAP BETWEEN HUMAN DEMNDS AND NATURAL RESOURCES IN EL-MINIA GOVERNORATE, EGYPT. Hany Ahmed Kassem Ibrahim Master Degree Student, faculty of arts, Alexandria University – Damanhour branch, department of Geography , Egypt. e-mail: hany_kassem2003@yahoo.com The problem of this research is simply the increase of population throughout the twentieth century in Egypt, which naturally affects all aspects of life, because of the unbalance it creates between natural resources and human demand in ElMinia Governorate.

Geomorphologic studies are very important in solving this problem. By studying the Western uninhabited margin of the Nile (the old alluvial), defining its Geomorphologic characteristics including the nature of soil and ground water, this study aims to re-evaluate this unbalance, by determining the locations most suitable for serious settlement expansion.

Thus, this research utilizes many methodological tools such as analyses of satellites images using (ERDAS IMAGINE Software), 3 D. analyses of the aerial photos, as well as analyses of the topographical maps scale 1: 50000 using the Geomorphologic information system (GIS). Analysis of soil samples in terms of size and composition (the size of the grains and the empty parts), mineral and organic content (fertility degree), penetration levels will also help in classifying the types 111

of soil involved in relation to their locations, and the different problems associated with them.

This research also discusses ground water in terms of specimen distribution, quality of carrier layers and the relationship between porosity and penetration. It also examines distance to surface, tank depth and production possibilities, as well as chemical qualities such as salinity and acidity. It will also evaluate underground water in terms of the decay rate and the safety consumption levels of its tanks.

As the Western desert margin has not been the subject of specific Geomorphologic studies before, this research will generally concentrate on the river Nile and its flood plain (the young alluvial). Previous Geological studies revealed many aspects of the area such as ground-water (Ata and Mousa 1992, Mokhtar 1995), sand dunes (El-Gindy 1998), results of pedogenic evaluation of some Geomorphologic units (Kassem and Abdel- Rahman 1989), as well as the results of general geophysical studies (El- Hemaly 1991).

Key Words: El-Menia Governorate, natural resources, Nile valley.

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SAND DUNES MOVEMENTS AND THEIR HAZARDS OF MUT AREA, DAKHLA DEPRESSION, WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT. Kamal Srogy Darwish Master degree student, department of Geography , El-Menia University, Egypt. e-mail: d_kamal_2006@yahoo.com.

Located at 120 m high in Al Dakhla oasis, in the Western desert of Egypt, the Mut area is one of the North African areas most affected by the migration of sand dunes which threaten human interests in many fields such as (agriculture, irrigatation channels, houses, roads and, particularly, the wells of Dakhla).

This research aims to define the geomorphic dune types, Sedimentomorphic characterizations and sand sources. It will build 3d models for some of these dunes using DEM. It will also study the changing natures of those dunes, the nature of inter-dune areas and their sediments. Additionally, it will attempt to understand the relationships between Paleoclimte and fixed dunes, and the role of climate change affecting the increase of those dunes’ movement-rates and their surrounding environmental change.

The research will depend on multiple data resources such as topographic maps scales 1:10000 ,1:25000, multi-dates land sat images, field surveyings, and Google earth. The methodology used in this research will integrate all such data using Remote Sensing Techniques(RS) and geographic 113

information system(GIS) building personal geo-data-base detailing several representative layers of the area in terms of (geology –hydrology – roads – settlements – wells archeological sites – agriculture – soils – dunes’ structure and dates and other geomorphologic features. All of this will help build various highly accurate maps of the study area using integration data software (Arcgis v9.2) such as: Geomorphologicl Map, Morphological map, classification of dune hazards map depending on movements rates and sand drift potential(DP).

Key Words: sand dunes, DEM, GIS, Dakhla depression.

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TERRITORIAL COHESION AND REGIONAL DISPARITIES IN ROMANIA, IN EUROPEAN UNION INTEGRATION CONTEXT AND ITS EFFECT ON SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE EVOLUTION Mădălina Andrei and Florin Vartolomei.

Faculty of Geography , “Spiru Haret” University, Bucharest, Romania. e-mails: madalinaa71@yahoo.com, fvartolomei@yahoo.com The development regions of Romania refer to the eight regional divisions created in Romania in 1998 in order to better coordinate regional development as Romania progressed towards accession to the European Union. The development regions correspond to NUTS II-level divisions in European Union member states. Despite becoming increasingly significant in regional development projects, Romania's development regions do not actually have an administrative status and do not have a legislative or executive council or government. Rather, they serve a function for allocating European Union PHARE funds for regional development, as well as for collection of regional statistics. They also co-ordinate a range of regional development projects and became members of the Committee of the Regions when Romania joined the EU on January 1st, 2007. Romania was the first country of Central and Eastern Europe to have official relations with the European Community. In 1974, a treaty included Romania in the Community's Generalized System of Preferences.

By joining the European Union, Romania must de-alienate its politics to reduce developmental differences among its inner regions. So, the principle of cohesion follows the main target to promote the harmonious progress of European Union as a 115

whole, for it must evolve actions for strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion.

The concept of territorial cohesion is over the aspect of economic and social cohesion, and those two are getting improvement and enhancement. In political terms, the main objective is to get an equilibrate development by diminution the existing disparities, by prevention the territorial discrepancy and to contribute to sectorial politics cohesion with territorial impact or regional politics.

The territorial cohesion politics contribute in a sustainable way in development, especially, for those regions with their own economic potential and useful resources. Yet, such development is not active in the area of consumption though this too can be realized by supervising cohesion politics in their economic, social and territorial aspects, all of which work to improve economic growth of Romania and European Union as well, as single unit.

Territorial cohesion must lead to evolution, communion and integrity, to restructuring and the creation of new jobs, to professional evolution and the promotion of cooperation and networking for achievement, but above all to the improvement of administration method’s benefits.

By all its characteristics and attributions, the territorial cohesion constitute as the easiest way to reduce or to eliminate differences between Economic Development Regions of Romania, according to unionist European politics.

Keywords: territorial cohesion, disparities, Romania, landscape.

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WEATHERING EFFECTS OF SOME ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES BETWEEN ALEXANDRIA AND ROSETTA, EGYPT. Mena El Assal Post Graduate Student, Kafr El Sheikh University, Egypt. e-mail: menaelassal_83@yahoo.com There are some Archaeological sites eastern of Alexandria city.

They are located between longitudes 30º 10´ & 30º 20´ and latitudes 31º 17´ & 31º 25´. The monuments were built of limestone during Islamic period (between 965 and 1400 AC).

This study has chosen three castles located on the coastal plain of Abu Quir bay in the western portion of the Nile Delta coast near the mouth of Rosetta branch. The chosen castles are not renovated and never enjoyed enough conservation efforts. This study aims to recognize the rate of weathering on these castles during their life span, and accordingly suggest the most suitable ways of preserving them against such effects. The field study shows that some parts of these castles; the northern walls, were destroyed during the past few years as a result of chemical weathering emanating from sea water.

The study depends upon field micro-feature surveying, detailed Geomorphologic mapping and morphometric analysis to calculate rate of both mechanical and chemical weathering on all castles walls, to define the most weathered parts of them.

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Fig.1. Location of the chosen studied castle "C1, C2 and C3" (Satellite image source: www.wikimapia.org) Key Words: Achaeology, Geoachaeology , Weathering , Alexandria, Rosetta.

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EVALUATION OF THE ANTHROPIC IMPACT TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS IN THE MOUNTAINOUS SECTOR OF ARGES VALLEY. STUDIES OF CASE: TRANSFAGARASAN HIGHWAY AND VIDRARU DAM, ROMANIA. Alexandru Nedelea Dept. Geomorphology-Pedology, , Faculty of Geography , University of Bucharest, Romania. e-mail: alexnedelea10@yahoo.com Human activity has produced changes on Arges Valley in the mountainous and sub-mountainous sector, especially beginning with the XIXth century, by forest’s burning and cleaning, in order to extend pasture, excessive pasture, forest’s exploitation, minerals extraction, uncontrolled turism, there were appeared new elements of infrastructure (Transfagarasan), construction of accumulation dames (Vidraru).

Clearing and exploitation of the forests, represents the main anthropical action which led to the bursting of the slope’s balance and to an active morphodynamic too. This one was made first of all for the extension of the pasture surfaces on the high peaks of Fagaras Mountains, but also on the affluent/tributary stream valleys of Arges, beginning with the middle of the XVIIIth century and then, caused by the extensive exploitation of the wood for sale begging with the second behalf of the XIXth century.

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The irrational exploitation of the degraded lands to which the delay of the reforest and amelioration measures was added, generated conditions for the intense manifestation of the slope processes with repercussions till today. The exploitation has continued in the last decades too (particularly after 1990, when a part of forests were given back to the right owners).

The system of cutting practiced in some regions, led to a complete removing of the forest from great surfaces in the basins of the following valleys: Modrogazu, Cumpăna, CumpeniĹƒa, Oticul, Valea cu PeĹ&#x;ti, Valea Lupului, Calugarita, only if we mention some affluent valleys of Arges. In relation with this one, frequently it led to the apparition/starting of some various ranges of processes, among which: landslides, rainwash, gully erosion etc. An ample pastoral process with a transhumant character was developed on Arges Valley with repercussions towards the medium. Between the XIXth and XXth centuries (especially in its first part) it was produced the extension of the pasture surfaces, by cuttings, clearings and arsons.

The construction of Transfagarasan highway between 19711974 has determined considerable anthropic changes towards the medium components.

Key Words: anhtropic impact, envcomponents, irrational exploitation, overgrazing, deforests.

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RECONSTRUCTION OF THE GENESIS OF THE TERRACE PLAIN OF OLTENIA BASED ON GIS Boengiu Sandu, Avram Sorin, VlăduŃ Alina Faculty of Geography , University of Bucharest, Romania. e-mail:avram_sorin@central.ucv.ro

This paper aims at rendering the evolution of the morphological, climatic, and hydrographical events registered from the end of the Romanian to the Holocene. By the end of the Romanian, the Oltenia Plain underwent a continental phase, which led to the formation of the present relief, the sculpturing of the plain being realized on certain piedmont-like structures that went along the Carpathian-Balkan curvature. The beginning of the deterioration of the piedmont started together with the development of the Danube River course and of its hydrographic system. The erosion of the piedmont structures and the formation of a terrace plain that functioned as a depression occurred on the background of the Pleistocene climatic oscillations, of the Danube deviation leftwards and of the lowering of the base level. Thus, it appeared the Danube Valley the width of which reached 30 km, while the mean depth reached 180 m; there also developed a system of terraces that renders the main paleogeographical coordinates.

All these events and transformations that were analyzed and rendered by GIS means lead to the reconstruction of the formation stages and allow a synchronization of the morphometrical, climatic, and hydrological events.

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Key words: terraces, GIS, the Oltenia Plain References Badea L. (2000), Morfogeneza villafranchiană, Editura FundaŃiei România de Mâine, Analele UniversităŃii ,,Spiru Haret”, Seria geografie, nr. 3, Bucureşti.

Badea, L., Mac, I. (1969), Câmpia dunăreană de terase a Olteniei, în ,,Geografia Dunării Româneşti”, Editura Academiei Române, Bucureşti.

Boengiu, S., (2000), Morphostructural and morphocronological considerations concerning the BălăciŃa Piedmont and the BlahniŃa – DesnăŃui Plain, Analele UniversităŃii din Craiova, vol. III, Seria Geografie, Editura Universitaria, Craiova.

Coteh P. (1957), Câmpia Olteniei, Editura htiinhifică, Bucurehti.

Enciu, P. (2007), Pliocenului şi Cuaternarului din vestul Bazinului Dacic, Editura Academiei Române, Bucureşti.

Saulea, Emilia (1967), Geologie istorică, Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică, Bucureşti. *** (1969), Geografia văii Dunării româneşti. Acad. Rom. Inst.

Geograf. Ed. Academiei, Bucureşti.

All these events and transformations that were analyzed and rendered by GIS means lead to the reconstruction of the formation stages and allow a synchronization of the morphometrical, climatic, and hydrological events.

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LAND USE-SOIL COVER DYNAMICS IN THE DANUBE RIVER FLOODPLAIN (THE LAND BETWEEN THE ARMS MACIN AND CRAVIA), ROMANIA. Ionut Savulescu (1), Traian DEMETER (1), Bogdan Mihal (1), Petru Ignat (2) (1) Faculty of Geography , University of Bucharest, Romania.

(2) Institute for Soil Research and Agrochemistry, Bucharest, Romania. e-mails: savulescu@geo.unibuc.ro, traiandemeter@yahoo.com, bogdan@geo.unibuc.ro, petrucana2004@yahoo.com The Danube River Floodplain showed during the last four decades dramatic environmental transformations. The natural flooded areas were reduced for agricultural purposes after important hydrotechnical works like dissication, diking and rice plots arrangement were carried out. Water level and the floodplain morphodynamics have almost completely changed and the land started to be an agricultural one. Resutantly, winter pastures and flooded channels rich in fish fauna all but disappeared. After 1990, the area started to be of a low interest, rice production ceased and pasturers used to recover the former cereal cultivated areas.

Our analysis’ main target is the identification of the morphological soil features. These are the effects of the anthropogenic transformations in the context of the introduction of these lands within the agricultural system. Another issue, 123

appeared since 1990, is the tendency for restoring these lands' primary ecosystems, because of the reduced interest its agricultural potentials.

This study starts from the data supplied in the Research Institute for Pedology and Agrochemistry’ reports, since the 80s. Since 2005, we started our field researches in parallel with the satellite and aerial multitemporal imagery analysis.

Key Words: Danube River Floodplain, morphology soil propertys, chemical soil propertys, land use, dynamics .

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THE EFFECTS OF DYKES AND FAULTS ON GROUNDWATER FLOW AND STORAGE IN SAINT KATHERINE AREA, SINAI, EGYPT. Shahenaz El Gammal Postgraduate student, Department of Geography , Faculty of Arts, Damanhour Compus, Alexandria University, Egypt. e-mail: shahenaz_elgammal@yahoo.com Saint Katherine area is situated in the central part of the Sinai Peninsula. It is characterized by higher flashing precipitation (62 mm/year) due to confrontation of moist air masses in higher altitudes. The study area is part of the Precambrian Arab-Nubian Massif rocks. This bedrock is, however, dissected by numerous lineaments, mostly faults and basaltic dykes, some of which transport groundwater to the surface in springs and wells. Many of these dykes consist of dense, low-permeability basalt reaching thicknesses of up to 10 ms, and lengths', of up to several kilometers. They also have some faults, fractures and shear zones, many of which meet with the dykes at nearly right angles. Groundwater is, thus, collected by dykes and transported towards the topographic depressions occupied by the highpermeability fault zones.

This study aims to detect and recognize the effects of distribution, orientation and petrography of dykes and faults on groundwater flow and storage. It is based on field observation, Landsat TM satellite images and aerial photos interpretation, digital elevation model as well as analyses of data by GIS technique.

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The primary results of this study show that The NNW-trending dykes, particularly the long and thick low-permeability dykes, act as barriers for much of the topography-driven groundwater flow. It predicts that water wells and springs would form at dyke-fault intersections (Fig.1).

Fig.1: Symbol of Suitable Well Locations in the Southern Eastern Portion of Saint Katherine Area (image source: www.googleearth.com) Key Words: Saint Katherine, Sinai, Dykes, Dikes, Groundwater flow, Groundwater damming.

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THE ECOTOURISTIC EXPLOITATION OF THE MORPHOLOGIC RESOURCES IN SOME PROTECTED AREAS. CASE STUDIES: HĂŞMAŞ-CHEILE BICAZULUI NATIONAL PARK AND DOMOGLED-VALEA CERNEI NATIONAL PARK (THE ROMANIAN CARPATHIANS) Mihaela Verga and Mioara Clius Faculty of Geography ,University of Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: mihaela_verga@yahoo.com, ghinceamioara@yahoo.com The great economic development from the late decades resulted in the rise of the human impact upon areas with rich natural resources; a process which is also present in Romania – a country which has just entered the European Union. This affiliation has obligated the central and local authorities to confer a bigger importance and financing to the durable management projects from the natural protected areas. The ecotourism, through its components: protection, education and durable economic development, represents a solution. But this kind of exploitation has to be made only after qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the natural resources and after ensuring the non taxing impact of such activities on the species and the structures of the protected areas.

The morphologic evaluation of the resources from the two national parks has been made on the basis of the field observations (the identification and analyses of the forms, the correlation with the geologic substratum, the identification of 127

the degradation risks of the representative forms). In the second stage the digital model of the land has been realised and it has been superposed over aerial images. This way, the morphologic areas with eco-tourism potential have been traced, and classified on categories of interest.

The National Parks HăĹ&#x;maĹ&#x;-Cheile Bicazului and DomogledValea Cernei are somehow similar because of their exclusive display of the area of the Romanian Carpathians and because of the presence in their area of vast karst surfaces. In theses surfaces, at a detailed level, a series of exo-karstic mezzo and micro forms were identified: a large scale of clines and depressions with a karstic origin (doline, megadoline, karst valleys), karst contact depressions and gorges. Related to the presence of calcareous stones, or because of tectonics (in the case of Cerna Valley) we can notice, in the case of steep valleys, lithologic and structural rapids, which generate spectacular water-falls. The endo-karstic forms are also present on Cerna Valley, with small dimensions, but with a specific peculiarity due to the subterranean circulation of the thermal waters present in the region. The suspended position related to the actual hydrographical system of certain subterranean richly concretized holes, most of who are closed to the tourist circulation because of their scientific significance, complete the series of karstic forms which form the high morphologic potential of the two territorial unities.

In a complementary way, on the calcareous stones, but also on other rock types (sedimentary, ancient volcanic rocks) desegregation relief appear, with erosion witnesses, peaks, funnels, huge detritus accumulations which look like cones, rock rivers or even trains of detritus.

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The high eco-tourist potential is completed in the two national parks by eco-systems with a great scientific value where the climatic characteristics are relatively mild for the mountain space, and where their rural population are small in number– and especially – where the landscapes are highly attractive.

Key Words: ecotouristic exploitation, morphologic resources, national parks, karst relief, sustainable development.

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THE ROLE OF GEOMORPHOLOGY AND OF THE MAN-MADE STRUCTURES ON FLOODS GENESIS AND ITS EFFECTS. THE CASE OF TECUCI CITY DURING THE FLOOD OF SEPTEMBER 2007 ON THE TECUCEL RIVER (ROMANIA) Liliana Zaharia (1), Simona Catana (2), Gabriela IoanaToroimac (1,3), Eugen Craciun (4) (1)

Faculty of Geography , Bucharest University, zaharialil@yahoo.com; (2) National Meteorological Administration, simona.catana@meteo.inmh.ro; (3) University of Lille 1, gabriela_toroimac@yahoo.com, (4) Romanian Waters National Administration, Prut Water Directorate, eugen.craciun@dap.rowater.ro.

The aim of the present paper is to analyze the role of the morphological conditions and the man-made structures on the genesis and the effects of a flood which, in September, 2007, affected strongly the city of Tecuci, a settlement lying in the Eastern part of Romania, at the contact between the Romanian Plain and the Barlad Plateau (the latter being a sub-unit of the Moldavian Plateau).

The interest of this case lies in the great damages engendered in the city of Tecuci (approximately 46,000 inhabitants), flooded about in its totality by the overflowing of the small river Tecucel (28 km in length and 112 km2 surface of its catchment) which crosses it and which drains a relatively dry region (the annual amount of precipitation is lower than 500 mm), with small 130

altitudes and gentle slopes (the highest elevation of its catchment is 307 m while the average slope of the thalweg is 5‰).

After some considerations on the genesis of the flood and its hydrological features (based on the analysis of the hydropluviometric data), our study focuses on aspects concerning the Geomorphology and the man-made works which played an important role in the increase of the damages of the flood. The Geomorphology is analyzed on the scale of the Tecucel River’s catchment and of the city of Tecuci, by using GIS techniques and the field observations. The serious effects of the flood are explained by the geographical position of the Tecuci City in the flood plain of the Barlad River, at the confluence with the Tecucel River. The low heights (30-60 m) and the morphology of the flood plain facilitated the extension and the stagnation of the water overflowed from the Tecucel. The presence of the protection dikes along the Bârlad River blocked the drainage of the water overflowed from the Tecucel and facilitated its accumulation behind these dikes. A strong effect of blocking also occurred because of road work and railroad infrastructure, which filled in several places the section of the Tecucel River channel by provoking the accumulation of water and increase of the pressure. All these aspects amplified the effects of the floods, and the result was catastrophic: more than 200 houses were completely destroyed, whereas the number of affected private properties exceeded 1000; more than 120 streets were damaged, as well as the networks of public utilities. Three people lost their lives. The total cost of the damages was estimated at 6 million Euro.

Key Words: Geomorphology, man-made structures, flood, Tecuci, Tecucel River, Romania.

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE GEOMORPHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ON THE SETTLEMENTS SYSTEM IN SOUTHERN BANAT Costela Iordache Craiova University, Romania The present structure of settlement system from Southern Banat is the result of a long evolution, of some important contributions to increase the region`s process of population of a permanent territorial expansion on valleys, slopes, small depressions etc.

We can add a gradually expansion on altitude which has contributed to the presence of the high altitude settlements. Due to the relief, very old activities have developed and are still present in people`s lives. Along with the other components of the environment, the relief has contributed to the perpetuation of the native element. In the process of its historical evolution, the village appears to be the result of the interaction between the geographical factor and the social-historical ones. People chose to settle on low regions- small depressions, valleys and regions of contact between two forms of relief, where the interaction of these two categories of factors helped their future development.

The altitude and the degree of fragmentation of the relief influenced the localization of settlements and roads on high altitude regions and valleys. The relief degree of fragmentation and its energy, quit high, influenced the way in which villages are organized depending on altitude.

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ECOMETRIC INDEXES WITHIN THE OLTENIA PLAIN, ROMANIA. VlăduŃ Alina, Marinescu Emil, Curcan Gheorghe Craiova University, Romania.

E-mail: vladut_alina2005@yahoo.com The Oltenia Plain represents an important agricultural region of Romania, which displays vast surfaces that can be properly cultivated if one takes into account the climatic restrictions that generates a series of dysfunctions. In order to underline the problems related to the aridization tendency within the region, as well as to determine the most suitable plants, there were many indexes used in different agroclimatic and biogeographical studies: Mayr’s tetrathermal, hydrothermal index, “de Martonne” aridity index, Lang rain index, the sum of precipitation in the months when the mean temperature is higher than 10ºC, the sum of precipitation during the cold season of the year, the sum of the precipitation during the maximum consumption period. The obtained results are merely decisive as the study covers a period of 23 years, which does not allow generalizations.

Thus, according to the processed data, the Oltenia Plain generally belongs to the steppe and forest steppe domain.

Regarding cultivatable plants, it was recommended that thermophilous and xerothermophilous types be used for their particular productive properties even in the pluvial-thermal 133

conditions characteristic to the region. The thermal regime imposes itself through a slight increasing tendency because of the extremely high values registered in summer, while the pluviometric regime registers obvious fluctuations and a decreasing tendency. Thus, the issue related to the aridization of the southern part of the Oltenia Plain is confirmed, an issue that is presently stressed by other factors, such as massive deforestation, destruction of the irrigation systems etc., which led to the reactivation of certain areas covered by sands. However, the partial results of the study do not sustain the idea of desertification in the area.

Key Words: the Oltenia Plain, ecometric indexes, pluvialthermal regime, aridization, thermophilous plants, xerothermophilous plants

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GEOMORPHOLOGIC CRITERIA FOR DEGRADED ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT. CASE STUDIES IN THE SUBCARPATHIANS (ROMANIA) Adrian Cioaca1, Mihaela Dinu2

1

Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Geography, 58, Timisoara Bd. sect.6, cp:061333; phone: 0040214442086; cellular: 0040740 977 942, e-mail: acioaca@gmail.com 2

Romanian-America University, 1, Expozitiei Bd.sec.1; cp.012101; phone: 0040212235930; Cell. 0040744480176; e-mail: mihaeladinu2003@yahoo.com

The relationships between geomorphology and life science are lesser known than its relation to Earth sciences, hence the important part played by geomorphologic processes in undermining the complex network of inter-relations between living organisms and the environment, as well as ecosystem degradation. As part of these relationships, the determining part played by the relief in the spread of living organisms is wellknown, hence the overwhelming need for a cross-disciplinary study of the role of relief in the degradation of environmental factors.

The Subcarpathians, as a major unit of the Romanian relief, are comparable with the French Pre-Alps in several respects. The 135

Subcarpathians are a collection of low peaks, with an average altitude under 800 m, with a dense network of valleys and depressions, cutting deeply at the peak level by 200-300 m. Yet there are structural distinctions that need to be considered in terms of the relief: the crumbly formations outside the Carpathians have suffered strong tectonism and, therefore, the recent and current geomorphologic processes are still particularly active. The Subcarpathians relief, unlike the PreAlpine one, is younger and evinces an emphasized instability on the slopes, even though it is still to a great extent covered by woods (45%), which would suggest a natural protection against erosion. Under these circumstances, the exchanges between biological communities (biocenoses) and their living environment (biotope) are both controlled and conditioned by a series of abiotic factors, among which the relief is prominent.

As opposed to the Pre-Alps, this hill area undergoes the strongest anthropic pressure in Romania (over 10% of the population lives on 7% of the territory) with countless areas of degraded ecosystems, which our conducted research has focused on.

In order to assess the degraded ecosystems in the Subcarpathians based on geomorphologic criteria, we have used the instability coefficient method (which we’ve estimated through morphometric, geological, hydric, phytogeographical and anthropogenous indicators) applied on a series of areas selected as case studies: Jitia and Dumitreşti on the Râmnicu Sărat valley, Câlnău, Slănic and Telega on their respective valleys, Cepari and Tigveni on the Topolog, Pausesti Otasau on BistriŃa Vâlcii.

Finally, the evaluation also has an application component, since the research conducted based on geomorphologic criteria also aims at the way in which the population’s food-supply needs are 136

covered, through the intensive and limited use of farm land, ensuring a rational exploitation of natural resources which would decrease the environmental degradation factors in this geographical area.

Key words: degraded ecosystems, instability coefficient, Subcarpathians (Romania).

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