New glaciated area in Rodna mountains-Tarnița la Cruce cirque

Marcel MÎNDRESCU

Abstract


Even though we refer just to one former glacial site in the Rodna mountain area, this is important from several points of view, firstly, this one was missed by previous researchers because of its lateral position from the axis of glaciation, the main ridge of the Rodna Mountains. Secondly, the cirque, with its altitude and shape,
completes a population of cirques less represented in the Eastern Carpathians, compared with the Alps of Transylvania. These are called alpine cirques in the world literature, but we prefer this term of ‘Carpathian’ to fit better with the geomorphologic reality of the Romanian Carpathians. These alpine cirques have small dimensions, with apron floors where there were cold glaciers (in the ablation
and accumulation areas situated inside the cirque) but short ones, which ended immediately after the floor, without being continued by glacier tongues. Nowadays, after the disappearance of Quaternary glaciers, these appear hanging on the high mountain ridges (being also valley-side cirques), far from the bottom of the valleys,
and have a clean aspect. Finally, this mountainous site is important and interesting, at the same time, because it is a natural mountainous environment, untouched by pollution and human influence, and very sensitive to the environmental changes. It is a ‘fresh’ glaciated site which undergoes changes because of the ending of glaciation,
so any change of the environment will be sensed by its ecosystem. Therefore, this area represents a potential site for scientific research to evaluate the impact of present changes in the environment.


Keywords


glacial landforms, alpine cirque, morphometry, Carpathian environment, Rodna

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