The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2019
Historical cartography is an important source of geographic information for diachronic studies. T... more Historical cartography is an important source of geographic information for diachronic studies. The Italian geodetic datum from the second half of the 20th century are well known and used, while the reference systems used previously do not have a certain documentation also because they were developed by the military geographical institute, which at the time was a uniquely military body with the related problems of confidentiality. The reconstruction of the datum of each single historical map is a fundamental process, in order to be able to correctly compare historical information with the current ones, but it is complex because of the scarce information available on the type of datum and cartographic projection used for the production of the map. The reconstruction of the ancient morphology of an area, such as that of 1893 Forma urbis map or the pre-reclamation maps of Agro Pontino, is of fundamental importance for various studies on geomorphological changes of the territory, including, for example, the reconstruction of diverted and/or covered watercourses. Many of the Italian historical maps have been referred to the ellipsoid of Bessel with different orientations that in many cases are the same used previously or simultaneously for public purposes including, in particular, the drafting of the cadastral cartography.
Terrace ages deduced from diverse geochronological records yielded inconsistent data in the Danub... more Terrace ages deduced from diverse geochronological records yielded inconsistent data in the Danube valley in Hungary. The problem of discrepancies in the different chronological datasets has to be resolved before the Quaternary tectonic and climatic processes leading to valley incision and terrace formation may be properly evaluated. To establish a more robust chronology of the Danube valley in Hungary, new cosmogenic nuclide-(10 Be depth profiles, 26 Al/ 10 Be burial durations and burial depth profile) and luminescence-based (pIRIR 290) terrace ages were acquired and compared to revised paleontological and published U/Th and magnetostratigraphic data. All the applied geo-chronometers led to concordant terrace ages, with the exception of the U/Th method applied on travertine deposits covering terraces. U/Th ages predating the last interglacial manifest a bias towards younger ages, and so they were ignored in relation to the quantification of terrace ages. As a result, terrace ages from the Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene were settled. With regard to data from the Middle Pleistocene onwards, the combination of diverse methodologies led to a tighter bracketing of terrace ages than would be possible using a single dating method. The modelling of cosmogenic 26 Al and 10 Be concentrations enabled to derive surface denudation rates and their combination with paleontological data also allowed us to decide between diverse landscape evolution scenarios.
The transition zone between the subsiding western Pannonian Basin and the uplifting Eastern Alps ... more The transition zone between the subsiding western Pannonian Basin and the uplifting Eastern Alps is a slightly undulating hilly realm, consisting of large plateaus, pediment surfaces and locally steep scarps. These rectilinear slopes are considered as being controlled by structural elements as suggested by the digital elevation model (DEM), although a simple denudation origin cannot be ruled out from surface data only. One of the steep slopes, the Torony scarp is situated E from the Eisenberg-Vas Hill and was investigated with diverse methods: 2D electric tomography, 1D electric resistivity data, correlation of borehole data and fault-slip analysis. The dense network of shallow boreholes and the applied geophysical methods constraints well the structural geometry of the Upper Miocene (Pannonian) lignite layers. While Miocene layers were only very slightly tilted away from the Torony scarp, they are faulted and folded just below the scarp. Correlation of layers on both sides of the scarp is not unequivocal, thus the exact total vertical displacement can only be estimated between 25-50 meters. Observations are in agreement with the assumptions based on the DEM: the Torony segment of the Arany creek is controlled by a fault system. The fault system is composed of two sets: a NE-SW and one (W)NW-(E)SE striking. The former can be interpreted as en echelon faults, while the latter set as connecting fault splays between the main en echelon segments. Outcrop-scale observations revealed partly syn-sedimentary Late Miocene and partly younger normal faulting. Based on the age of the underlying sedimentary units the Torony fault system could not start earlier than 8.7 Ma, most probably at 8.3 Ma. On the other hand, the deformation partly postdates the Late Miocene layers. Depending on correlation of lignite strata across the fault zone and on the concept on the denudation process, the post-sedimentary part of faulting could be pre-Quaternary or Quaternary. Presence of active mass movements and deeply eroded gullies suggest that the slope is still unstable; this may be an indirect indication of fault-controlled slope development. The Torony fault is part of a system of Late Miocene or younger faults which partly reactivated, partly dissected the earlier syn-rift (late Early to Mid-Miocene) faults of the western Pannonian Basin. Besides the structural results, this paper emphasizes the advantage and necessity of simultaneous usage of geophysical measurements, field observations, morphological investigations and borehole data.
A multidisciplinary approach to understand landsliding at catchment scale: a case study for landsliding at Pinka flat, Western Pannonian Alpine Foothill, Hungary
The northern scarp of the Pinka flat – situated in the western part of the Pannonian Basin – is l... more The northern scarp of the Pinka flat – situated in the western part of the Pannonian Basin – is largely characterized by landslides and gullies. This area is a transition zone between the uplifting Eastern Alps and the subsiding Little Hungarian Plain. The interaction of the juxtaposed units results in neotectonically induced features, such as unstable slopes, gullies and landslides. These mass movements represented economical and social hazard in the 20th century. Earlier studies of this area (eg. Kecskés, 1968; Szilágyi, 1989) concentrated on regional scale, but the real nature of mass movements is still unclear. Therefore our goal was to study the landslides on smaller scales. This contribution presents an individual landslide (in the vicinity of Olad, outskirt of Szombathely) that has been examined in detail, using different geophysical and geomorphological methods. Field surveys and geomorphological measurements have been achieved several times (from 2006) to have a better view...
We introduced a new evaluation method, the classification of multiple window-size based sinuosity... more We introduced a new evaluation method, the classification of multiple window-size based sinuosity spectrum. If the river is long enough for the analysis, the classification could be as useful, as the sinuosity spectrum, but sometimes it is more straightforward. Furthermore, for the classification, we did not need the main parameters of the river, e.g. the bankfull discharge. Each sinuosity calculation that was performed for a given window size, has been considered as one band (one channel) of a multichannel "image". Then, the sinuosity spectrums became multichannel images are of size 1 X N where N represents the length of the actual river in pixels. Using this multichannel input unsupervised ISOCLASS classification was carried out on these data, using ER Mapper software. The requested number of classes was set to 5. The results of the sinuosity calculations are scalars. Earlier, it was a subjective decision to divide the sinuosity values into the categories (low, medium-lo...
River Sinuosity Classification – Case study in the Pannonian Basin
A new evaluation method is proposed to classify the multiple window-size based sinuosity spectrum... more A new evaluation method is proposed to classify the multiple window-size based sinuosity spectrum, in order to minimize the possible human interpretation error. If the river is long enough for the analysis, the classification could be similarly useful as the sinuosity spectrum is, but sometimes it is more straightforward. Furthermore, for the classification, we did not need the main parameters of the river, e.g. the bankfull discharge. The river sinuosity values were studied in the Pannonian Basin in order to reveal neotectonic influence on their abrupt changes. The map sheets of the Second Military Survey of the Habsburg Empire were used to digitize the natural, pre-regulation meandering river thalwegs. 28 rivers were studied, and the connection between the known fault lines and the river sinuosity changes was detected in 36 points, along 26 structural lines. An unsupervised ISOCLASS classification was carried out on these data, and the sinuosity values were divided into 5 classes....
The crustal thickness of the Earth’s crust/mantle boundary beneath central-southwestern Europe is... more The crustal thickness of the Earth’s crust/mantle boundary beneath central-southwestern Europe is strikingly similar to a meteorological cyclone: the crustal depth pattern forms two steeply dipping, arcuate zones separated by sudden horizontal changes appearing as warm and cold fronts. Considering the two systems analogous, the dynamic behaviour explains several phenomena and fits to plate tectonic reconstructions. Using this analogy, several arcuate systems are recognised as analogues of meteorological fronts termed as geovortices. By studying the geological setting from this point of view, several less understood problems become clear. With further applications of this analogy a number of tectonic situations can be revealed with a previously unavailable accuracy and provides new insights into the arcuate orogens worldwide. This similarity in the arcuate shapes of mountain chains has already attracted the attention of some researchers in the mid-1930’s. Later the idea (hereafter re...
Meander traces and Late Quaternary subsidence on the Great Hungarian Plain
The present watercourse and the relict meander system of the Tisza, the main river of the Great H... more The present watercourse and the relict meander system of the Tisza, the main river of the Great Hungarian Plain, were analyzed to draw conclusions about the vertical movements in the late Quaternary. Since the relief of the study area is extremely low (20 m in 200 km) river meander geometry bears geological information about the relative uplift and subsidence along the rivercourse (Burnett and Schumm, 1983), in addition to the climate influence (Vandenberghe et al.; 1994, Gábris, 1995). The present riverline is mostly a result of the river regulation works carried out in the second part of the 19th century. The last-original, pre-regulation rivercourse was reconstructed by transforming the content of the historical maps to the modern coordinate systems. Sinuosity (Schumm, 1963) sequence with different window lengths was calculated along the original riverline and compared to the Quaternary sediment thickness, to the results of repeated precise levelling (Joó, 1992) and to the known ...
Danger doesn’t vanish with the dikes: Comparison of the inundation pattern of the 2006 Danube floods and the historical topographic map of 1864 of South Romania
Some sheets of the 1864 topographic map of South Romania were geo‐referred in order to be co‐anal... more Some sheets of the 1864 topographic map of South Romania were geo‐referred in order to be co‐analyzed with satellite‐based 2006 flood inundation map of the Bechet area (Dolj County, Romania). The rectification was based on the corners of the old map sheets as control points, using the previously gathered metadata (geodetic datum and map projection parameters, map sheet structure and labelling) of the historical cartographic material. The horizontal accuracy of the geo‐reference of the old map was well below the pixel size of the MODIS imagery. The historical map reveals that a considerable part of the croplands along the Danube River was a regularly inundated area and the result gave a hint that an old village was forced to move to a new place after 1864 because of the floods.
A preliminary source-to-sink sediment budget for aeolian sands
Source-to-sink sediment budgets are being intensively studied in fluvial systems. In contrast, se... more Source-to-sink sediment budgets are being intensively studied in fluvial systems. In contrast, sediment budget calculations are very rare for wind-transported material. This may be attributed to the fact that the exact delineation of both source and sink areas in aeolian systems can pose difficulties. In the Pannonian Basin, aeolian action by northwesterly to northerly winds exerted a thorough impact on landscape evolution during the Quaternary, testified among others by yardangs, wind corridors and numerous ventifacts as well as extensive blown sand fields. Wind erosion has been dated to be important since at least 1.5 Ma ago. Considering the sand fraction, the Pleistocene Pannonian Basin seems to be a nearly complete aeolian sedimentary system from source to sink, thus it provides a good opportunity to carry out sediment budget calculations. The largest blown sand accumulation occupies ∼10 000 km2 in the central part of the Pannonian Basin, in the area called Kiskunság, and contai...
Verification of structural control on landforms in the transition zone between Pannonian Basin and Eastern Alps
Steep, rectilinear slopes are frequently considered as being controlled by structural elements. A... more Steep, rectilinear slopes are frequently considered as being controlled by structural elements. A number of studies automatically take the linearity of landforms as prove for structural, most frequently fault control. However, this logical but not unequivocal conclusion needs careful verification, because divers geomorphic process alone can also result in straight valley sides, river stretches etc. Structural control on such landforms can be difficult to prove, because of poor outcrop conditions, and the lack of adequate surface and subsurface data sets. It is particularly true for landforms within the Pannonian Basin, central Europe, which offers poor outcrops for both geological and geomorphological analyses, landforms are vegetated and sometimes anthropogenetically modified. Structural control can be derived from either inherited elements or active deformation. In the former case, the controlling structural element was formed somewhat before the time of landscape evolution steps. Di...
A simple solution for georeferencing the Cassini map series of France
The Cassini map series of the 18th century France was geo-referred by other sci-entists several t... more The Cassini map series of the 18th century France was geo-referred by other sci-entists several time. Their approach was to define as many control points (GCPs) as possible, to achieve an affordable fit to the modern cartographic products and coordinate systems, however this method claims a huge amount of work during the GCP selection. Here we suggest a different solution. The sheets have their own grid system, which is sup-posed to be a Cassini projection grid, centered at the Observatory of Paris (origin of projec-tion: φ=48d 50m 10s ; λ=2d 20m 13.95s from Greenwich), which is based on a triangulation network (Ancienne Triangulation Francaise; ATF). Instead of an ellipsoid, a spheric base sur-face was used. Length of one degree along a meridian was set to 57,060 toises (cca. 111,213 meters), therefore the radius is 6,372,056 meters. Using the original and modern (WGS84) coordinates of the Paris Observatory, combined with the geoid undulation value of Paris, the datum shift coordin...
The 2006 Danube flood inundation patterns and the 1864 topographic map of South Romania: How the present hydrological processes are determined by the original landscape?
The satellite-based inundation maps of the 2006 Danube floods in Romania were fit geometrically t... more The satellite-based inundation maps of the 2006 Danube floods in Romania were fit geometrically to the 1864 topographic map sheets covering the Romanian regions of Oltenia and Muntenia. The old maps were systematically geo-referenced using the data of the original geodetic control and cartographic details; their Cassini-Soldner projection was properly parametrized and completed by the data of the original geodetic datum. The sheets were geo-referred using ground control points only at their four corners, knowing their coordinates in their own projection. The coupled satellite data was provided by the Landsat and MODIS data, all transformed to the modern grid system of Romania. The inundation patterns in the Danube embayments of Ghidici, Bechet and Calara¸si were analyzed on the historical map content layer. The comparison was made in two aspects: (1) how the low floodplain, inundated by the recent big flood was marked in the historical sheets, reflecting its old, almost original env...
ABSTRACT: Wetlands are valuable habitats under considerable threat from human activity. Lake shor... more ABSTRACT: Wetlands are valuable habitats under considerable threat from human activity. Lake shore wetlands are especially suitable for aerial surveys, and aerial photogrammetry, hyperspectral imaging or airborne laser scanning are the usual methods applied. Lake Balaton is a large shallow lake with wetlands in decline since the 1970's. In August 2010, a full photogrammetric, hyperspectral and ALS survey of the shores of Lake Balaton was completed. This initial report summarizes rationale, methodology, planned processing and ...
Estimation of abridging Molodensky parameters to transform from old Italian reference systems to modern ones
Geophysical Research Abstracts, 2011
The history of geodetic systems used in Italy from the end of the 19th century to the beginning o... more The history of geodetic systems used in Italy from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century is complex and, in the past, this has led some researchers to misinterpretations. For this a bibliographic research on geodetic systems used in Italy in this period was executed and explained in the present work. Towards the end of the 19th century, after the unification of the country, the" Ufficio Tecnico del Corpo di Stato Maggiore"(first nucleus of the future IGM) was entrusted to unify the geodetic reference ...
A new methodology to manage Italian geodetic datums of the cadastral systems and of the historic ... more A new methodology to manage Italian geodetic datums of the cadastral systems and of the historic maps G. Timár, V. Baiocchi & K. Lelo Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Società Italiana di Fotogrammetria e Topografia (SIFET). This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be self-archived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your work, please use the accepted author's version for posting to your own website or your institution's repository. You may further deposit the accepted author's version on a funder's repository at a funder's request, provided it is not made publicly available until 12 months after publication.
Digitizing and georeferencing of the historical cadastral maps (1856-60) of Hungary Summary: In t... more Digitizing and georeferencing of the historical cadastral maps (1856-60) of Hungary Summary: In the historical Hungary, as a part of the Habsburg Empire, the first preserved and systematic cadastral survey was carried out between 1856 and 1859. Interestingly enough, this cadastral mapping, which was called in Hungary as 'Provisional' was sur-veyed simultaneously with the Stable Cadastre in the Austrian regions of the Empire. By the commission of the State Archives of Hungary, the Hungarian company Arcanum Ltd. scanned over 46,000 cadastral sheets of the Provisional Cadastre, mostly covering the pre-sent-day Hungary but also some copies covering parts of the present-day Croatia, Slovakia and Austria. The sheets were rectified by the calculated coordinates at the corner points. With the correct projection and datum parameters, the cadastral mosaic, based on the indi-vidual sheets and the digitized borders of the administrative units, is presented in any modern coordinate syste...
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