PN-23-39-01-01

Description

The project aims to continue the national geological mapping program to decipher the geological structure of Romania’s territory. A detailed understanding of the national territory’s geological structure has major implications for both the academic community and society at large. The results of geological mapping (geological maps) serve a wide range of sectors, such as major infrastructure projects, the mineral resource extraction industry, environmental studies, natural hazard analysis, emergency management, and more. The project’s objectives include producing geological and geo-thematic maps at various scales, while also tangentially addressing related issues such as geological heritage (geo-heritage) and landslides: (1) editing and publishing at least 15 sheets of the Geological Map of Romania at a 1:50,000 scale; (2) editing sheets for the Geological Map of Romania at a 1:200,000 scale; (3) compiling a map of Romania’s natural reserves (geological, paleontological, geomorphological, and speleological); and (4) drafting a methodology for landslide mapping at both local and regional/national scales.

The research methodology involves both office-based and fieldwork activities. Field data will be collected using professional applications running on Android mobile operating systems (e.g., ArcGIS Field Maps, LocusMap, ClinoMove, FieldMove). Field data integration will be carried out using dedicated GIS and mapping software (e.g., ArcGIS Pro 3, OCAD Mapping Solutions). Topographic support will be provided through the interpretation of high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery, while very high-resolution photogrammetric products (orthophotomaps, digital terrain models) obtained via drone flights will be used for case studies. Cartographic products will rely exclusively on proprietary data, ensuring that the Geological Institute of Romania holds full ownership rights. Subsurface data (boreholes, seismic profiles) will be analyzed using dedicated applications and subsequently integrated into the standard geological map model employed by the Geological Institute of Romania.

Objectives

• Geological mapping outside the areas already covered by 1:50,000 scale map sheets, as well as the updating of data on previously published geological maps;
• Editing and publishing map sheets at a scale of 1:200,000;
• Creation of a map of protected natural areas with geological, paleontological, geomorphological, and speleological features.
• Development of a guide on landslide mapping methodology;
• Converting geological data into shapefile (.shp) format.

Results PN-23-39-01-01

Articles indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection

Ilinca V., Șandric I., Gheuca I.(2025) Landslide susceptibility analysis using machine learning: Insights from the Bend Subcarpathians-Carpathians, Romania. Geomorphology, 486, 109872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109872

Șandric I., Chițu Z., Ilinca V., Irimia R. Using high-resolution UAV imagery and artificial intelligence to detect and map landslide cracks automatically, Landslides, 21, 2535-2543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-024-02295-9

Articles indexed in international databases

Macovei M., Rusu S., Săsăran L. (2024) Geoheritage-geosites and museum collections: the fossil site from Globu Craiovei. Oltenia – Studii și comunicări. Științele naturii, vol. 40-2, 27-36. http://olteniastudiisicomunicaristiintelenaturii.ro/cont/40_2/I.%20GEOLOGY/4.%20Macovei.pdf

Rusu S., Grigore D., Popa M.E. (2024) The Brădet Quarry in Anina and its paleontological heritage. Oltenia – Studii și comunicări. Științele naturii, vol. 40-2, 37-47.

http://olteniastudiisicomunicaristiintelenaturii.ro/cont/40_2/I.%20GEOLOGY/5.%20Rusu%20et%20al..pdf

Grigore D. (2024) Aspidoceratidae (Physodoceras, Benetticeras, Orthaspidoceras) species from the Upper Jurassic deposits of the Hăghimaş Mts. (East Carpathians – Romania). Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii, 40-1, 13-24.

http://olteniastudiisicomunicaristiintelenaturii.ro/cont/40_1/I.%20GEOLOGY/2.%20Grigore.pdf

Crușoveanu S., Macovei M., Grigore D. (2023) A new fossiliferous site in the Sibiciu Valley (Buzău County). Muzeul Olteniei Craiova. Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii, 39-1, 75-81.

http://olteniastudiisicomunicaristiintelenaturii.ro/cont/39_1/I.%20GEOLOGY/9.%20Crusoveanu.pdf

Grigore D. (2023) Aspidoceras and Pseudowaagenia species (aspidoceratidae, ammonoidea) from the Upper Jurassic of the Hăghimaş Mts. (Eastern Carpathians – Romania). Muzeul Olteniei Craiova. Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii, 39-2, 16-27.

http://olteniastudiisicomunicaristiintelenaturii.ro/cont/39_2/I.%20GEOLOGY/3.%20Grigore.pdf

Paraschiv V. (2023) The Pliocene leaf flora from Podari, Dolj County. Muzeul Olteniei Craiova. Oltenia. Studii şi comunicări. Ştiinţele Naturii, 39-1, 30-38. http://olteniastudiisicomunicaristiintelenaturii.ro/cont/39_1/I.%20GEOLOGY/3.%20Paraschiv.pdf

International Conferences

Șandric I., Ilinca V., Chițu Z., Irimia R., Gheuca I. (2023) Using UAV time series to estimate landslide’s surface deformation uncertainties. Case study: Chirlești Earthflow. 6th World Landslide Forum, 14-17 November 2023, Florence, Italy.

Șandric I., Ilinca V., Chițu Z., Irimia R., Gheuca I. (2023) UAV Applications to assess short-term dynamics of slow-moving landslides under dense forest cover. Forest science for people and societal challenges
The 90th “Marin Drăcea” INCDS Anniversary, 2-5 October, Bucharest, Romania.

Șandric I., Ilinca V., Chițu Z., Irimia R. (2023) Mapping active slow-moving landslides using Persistent Scatters Interferometry in Romania. 42nd EARSeL Symposium, 3-6 July 2023, Bucharest, Romania.

Geological maps

Drafting of geological map sheets at 1:50,000 scale: Sfântu Gheorghe, Berca, Grădina, Ceamurlia, Histria, Budești, Petreanu, Godeanu, Stânceni, and Toplița.