Geological Study of Husi – Murgeni – Bârlad – Vaslui – Muntenii De Sus Area
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”ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA” UNIVERSITY IAŞI FACULTY OF GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY DOCTORAL SCHOOL GEOLOGICAL STUDY OF HUSI – MURGENI – BÂRLAD – VASLUI – MUNTENII DE SUS AREA SUMMARY -DOCTORATE THESIS- Scientific Coordinator: Prof. univ. dr. Mihai BRÂNZILĂ PhD student: BEJAN Daniel IAŞI 2012 "ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA" UNIVERSITY IAŞI RECTORATE Mr./Mrs. ………………………………………. On the 29th of September 2012, at 10 o’clock, in the amphitheater B6, at the Faculty of Geography and Geology, the Geology Department, Mr. Bejan Daniel will give a presentation, in open session, of his doctorate thesis entitled ”GEOLOGICAL STUDY OF HUȘI – MURGENI – BÂRLAD – VASLUI – MUNTENII DE SUS AREA” for obtaining the scientific title of doctor in Geology. The doctorate committee is made up of: President: Associate Professor, PhD Traian GAVRILOAIEI – deputy dean of the Faculty of Geography and Geology,”Al. I. Cuza” University, Iaşi. Scientific coordinator: University Professor, PhD Mihai BRÂNZILĂ - the Faculty of Geography and Geology, Al. I. Cuza” University, Iaşi. Reviewers: University Professor, PhD Vlad A. CODREA, Faculty of Biology and Geology, The Geology Department, ”Babeş-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca PhD Titus BRUSTUR, Scientific researcher 1st degree, The National Marine Geology and Geo-ecology Institute (GEOECOMAR), Bucharest. Associate Professor PhD Paul ŢIBULEAC, Faculty of Geography and Geology, The Geology Department, ”Al. I. Cuza” University, Iaşi. You are invited to attend the session for the presentation of the thesis. The thesis can be read at the Library of the Faculty of Geography and Geology. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................1 CHAPTER I OBJECTIVES OF THE THESIS................................................................2 CHAPTER II ANALYSIS OF THE PHYSICAL – GEOGRAPHICAL NATURAL ENVIRONMENT............................................................................................3 CHAPTER III BACKGROUND OF THE GEOLOGIC RESEARCH IN THE AREA ..........................................................................................................................5 CHAPTER IV GEOLOGY OF THE REGION ..................................................................7 IV.1. Geological aspects of the foreland basins of the Oriental Carpathians ..........................................................................................................................8 IV.2. Stratigraphy ...........................................................................................8 IV.2.1. Sedimentary laye.......................................................8 IV.2.1.1. The Chersonian......................................................9 IV.2.1.2. The Maeotian.........................................................9 IV.2.1.3. The Pontian .........................................................11 IV.2.1.4. The Dacian ..........................................................11 IV.2.1.5. The Romanian. ....................................................12 IV.2.1.6. The Pleistocene ...................................................13 IV.3. Tectonics ...........................................................................................15 CHAPTER V PALEONTOLOGY ..........................................................................16 Class Reptilia ...............................................................................16 Order Testudines ...........................................................16 Class Mammalia ..........................................................................16 Order Lagomorpha ….…………………………………17 Order Carnivora ………………………………………..18 Order Perissodactyla....................................................... 19 Order Artiodactyla ..........................................................22 Order Proboscidea ..........................................................25 CHAPTER VI TAPHONOMY ....................................................................................28 VI.1. Sedimentary context .................................................................28 VI.2. Quantitative and descriptive analisys........................................28 CHAPTER VII PALEOGEOGRAPHIC CONSIDERATIONS ....................................29 CONCLUSIONS .........................................................................................30 SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY ...............................................................33 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this work is to deepen the geological awareness over the formations from the Chersonian – Pleistocene stratigraphic interval, from the Southern part of the Moldavian Platform and partially of the northern and central part of the Scythian Platform. Geographically, the researched area covers the central – eastern part of the Central Moldavian Plateau, the interfluves Vasluieţ – Bârlad – Prut. The drafting of the works, the professional context and the development of the entire research was made under the guidance of the scientific coordinator, university professor doctor Mihai Brânzilă, being the one who suggested this theme. Through this PhD thesis, I wish to thank my coordinator who accepted me as a PhD student, for the trust given and for including me in the research project PN-II-IDEI No. 975/2008. This study was performed with the financial support from the Sectorial Operational Program for the Development of Human Resources 2007 – 2013, Contract POSDRU 88/1.5/S/47646 – „Doctoral studies: the gate to an excellent career in research and the society of knowledge.” I wish to thank the entire management team of the POSDRU scholarships who supported us logistically throughout this period. 1 Chapter I. OBJECTIVES OF THE THESIS The objectives of this thesis were: - the overall geological research of the sedimentary formations in the area; - deciphering the sedimentary deposits in the research area; - the taxonomic categorization of the fossil remains collected during the activity on the field at the main vertebrates sites in the studied area; - the taphonomic interpretation of the fossil remains based on the morphologic characteristics; Research materials and methods In the case of the vertebrates’ remains, the preparation of the material was performed by removing the sediment attached, through the traditional method with the chisel and hammer. The preservation of as more details as possible was in view for a better identification, the processing being made very carefully due to the fragility of the material. In order to prevent the destruction of the fossil remains, the material was reinforced by brushing with a solution of mowillit, rodopast diluted glue during the preparation. 2 Chapter II. ANALYSIS OF THE PHYSICAL – GEOGRAPHICAL NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The studied region overlays geomorphologically the Hills of Falciu, the Depression of Elan and the Lohan Coast. Morphologically, this region is at the contact between the Central Moldavian Plateau and the Hills of Falciu from the Plateau of Barlad and the Hilly Plain of Falciu (Ionesi et al. 2005), both being divisions of the Moldavian Plateau from the North-East of Romania. The eastern and western limit of the researched region is given by the rivers Prut and respectively Bârlad. The northern part stretches up to a line which connects the locality Muntenii de Sus with the town Huşi. The southern part stretches between Bârlad and Murgeni. The hills of Fălciu (Picture 1) are situated between the Valleys of Barlad and Elan, from the Cuestas of Lohan and Draslavat in the north and up to the Cuestas of Jeravat and Horinca, in the south. The maximum altitude does not exceed 350 m, being characteristic of the tops with the direction NE-SW. In our research area, the high tops are represented by Dobrina Hill, Popii Hill and Recea Hill (307.2 m alt.). 3 Picture 1. The physical map of the study area modified from the Global Mapper 11 into Surfer 8.0 This geographic subunit is characterized by a erosive – accumulative relief, whose sculptural origin is due first of all to the direct tributaries of Prut, Sarata and Elan, but also to the existence of more friable deposits dominated by the presence of clays and sands alternating with sandstones. The present relief derives from the sculpture of a Maeotian – Pliocene dry land, epigenetically erected , fragmented and turned into a region of plateaus, hillocks and hills whose average altitudes vary around 150-300 m. Thus, the relief forms, the plateaus, hillocks and hills, are present on the Bârlad - Vasluie – Prut interfluves, they have a main orientation and a slight inclination from the north-west towards the south –east, according to ț the monocline structure of the plateau. 4 Chapter III. BACKGROUND OF THE GEOLOGIC RESEARCH IN THE AREA The results of the scientific studies over the geologic deposits on the Vasluieţ – Bârlad – Prut interfluves are found in a small number of works. However, concerning the geology of the studied region some analogies can be made with the neighboring areas which have been studied in more detail. Stefănescu in 1897, in his doctorate thesis, describes the non-fossil deposits in the proximity of Barlad town (which he attributes to the Sarmatian, which actually belong to the Maeotian) in the profile from Câlcea Hill, where oolitic limestone appears. Simionescu establishes in 1904 the paleontological material from Zorleni, considered to be of Pontian age. The mastodon teeth discovered near Barlad could have the same age. In 1920, 1932, he studies the tortoises