Geomorphological observations on the Valea Oilor catchment

Abstract

The Valea Oilor catchment, located in the Moldavian Plateau, at the contact between the Suceava Plateau in the west and the Jijia Rolling Plain in the east, has 9.723 hectares in size. The present study required both a Geographical Information System (G.I.S.) approach by using topographic maps at a scale of 1:5.000 in order to analyse the geomorphometric parameters, and field mapping. The general monoclinal structure of the surface geological layers resulted in development of a cuesta landscape. The sculptural landforms, represented by hilltops and especially slopes, with the average altitude of 150 - 200 meters, are prevailing. Valea Oilor valley highlights the first structural asymmetry, where the left valleyside is a south-looking cuesta backslope, while the right valleyside is a cuesta front with northern orientation. Land degradation processes are very active through soil erosion, gully erosion, landslides and sedimentation. Landslides are the most characteristic geomorphologic process, while gully erosion has a reduced incidence.