Assessment of recent tectonic evolution and geomorphic response in SE Carpathians (Romania) using hypsometric analysis

Abstract

The study investigates correlations between the recent tectonic evolution of the external South-Eastern Carpathians and the characteristics of the hypsometric curves, derived for various Horton-Strahler basin orders. The analysis focuses on an area of about 8000 km², delineated by the Trotuş Fault in the north, the southern limit of the Buzău River catchment, Braşov and Focşani Basins in the west, respectively, east, known to conserve the youngest topography in the Romanian Carpathians. Considering the effects of the Quaternary uplift, these limits include the less elevated region of Subcarpathians. Spatial distribution of the hypsometrical integrals (HI) values was evaluated taking into account basin order, main lithological features and distance from major structural lines as well as some local indices of spatial autocorrelation. The results show that HI reflects both the specificity of regional tectonic evolution and denudation. However this is better sustained for the higher order basins (>3).