Geomorphological mapping is an important tool in geomorphology and related disciplines, yet it depends on the expertise and experience of the practitioner. The reliability of the technique and its products has not been subject to sufficient quantitative evaluation. In this study, we evaluated the magnitudes of differences in mapping glacial cirques between five maps in a mountainous area in the Southern Carpathians in Romania and attempted to identify the causes of the differences observed and possible solutions for obtaining more objective geomorphological mapping. We found notable differences between maps (in paired sample comparisons in all cases for the total values in each dataset) in the number of cirques, the total area and in headwall crest lengths. Statistically significant differences were found between datasets based on different semantic models of glacial cirques. Differences in mapping arise mainly from differences in conceptualising glacial cirques. When mapping relied on an explicit semantic model (a geomorphometric approach), differences were significantly smaller. Therefore, explicit semantic models of landforms based on land surface variables can result in more similar maps and further facilitate the transition from manual delineation to automated recognition of landforms from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). Figure 3 Examples of significant differences in mapping: number of cirques (a, b) and area (c, d). Comparison between datasets A2 and A4 for the Ţ arcu Mountains study areaVariations in landform definition 355

Snow avalanches are a common geomorphic process and natural hazard in the Southern Carpathians (Romanian Carpathians). The spatial distribution of avalanches is controlled by topographical factors, meteorological variables and human factors. This study examines the occurrence of avalanches in two glacial areas in the Făgăraş massif, Bâlea (on the northern slope) and Capra (on the southern slope). During the period from 1963 to 2015 a total of 27 serious avalanche accidents were recorded in the months November-June in the Făgăraş massif resulting in 76 fatalities and 50 burials/injuries. From these avalanches, we examined five major avalanche accidents: the avalanche of June, 1974 which caused 6 fatalities and 8 burials/injuries; the avalanche of April 17, 1977 which caused 23 fatalities; the avalanche of December 23, 1988 which caused 3 fatalities; the avalanche of December 28, 2002 which caused 4 fatalities and the avalanche of February 20, 2010 which caused one fatality and 2 burials/injuries. Our results indicate a good correlation between some topographical factors. On the other hand, an increase in snowfall and snowstorms in particular are factors responsible for one avalanche event; early snowfall and a sudden increase in temperature are factors responsible for two avalanche events and snowfall and a sudden increase in temperature are factors responsible for one avalanche event. Using the weather scenarios we found high snowstorm frequency in one case, early-season weak layers of faceted crystals and depth hoar in two cases and well above-average total snowfall for one case.

Abstract. This paper deals with some human geomorphological aspects concerning the impact in the alpine area of the Southern Carpathians (Transylvanian Alps). After fi eld investigations and taking into account the major effects of road building, military and mining activities, pasture and tourism activities in the geomorphological landscape we have the possibilities to present a distinct image of some relevant detailed situations. In our opinion the building of roads in the alpine area is by far the most dangerous way of intervention in the geomorphological landscape of the alpine area of the Southern Carpathians. The construction of these roads has altered the profi le of the slope and new scarps have appeared. This situation associated with the vibrations induced by the traffi c favours frost weathering, rock falling and rolling, coupled with the emergence of specifi c deposits and landforms (talus cones and scree) and, of course, with vertical and gully erosion, which is very typical of the area of soft rocks and soils.Key words: human impact, geomorphological processes, gullying, land degradation, Southern Carpathians, Romania. Geomorfološki aspekt antropogenih utjecaja u gorskom području Južnih Karpata (Rumunjska)U članku se analiziraju geomorfološki aspekti antropogenog utjecaja u planinskom području Južnih Karpata (Transilvanske Alpe). Nakon terenskih istraživanja i razmatranja glavnih učinaka gradnje prometnica, vojnih i rudarskih djelatnosti, stočarstva i turizma u krajoliku, iscrpno su opisani konkretni slučajevi. Prema autorovu mišljenju, gradnja prometnica u planinskim područjima daleko je najopasnija intervencija za planinski geomorfološki krajolik Južnih Karpata. Ona je izmijenila profi l padina i stvorila nove strmce. Takvo stanje, povezano s vibracijama od prometa, mehaničkim trošenjem stijena, osipanjem i odronima na padinama, dovelo je do akumulacije specifi čnih taloga i nastanka reljefnih oblika te pojačane erozije tipične za područja mekog tla i stijena.

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Grazing was the main activity of the inhabitants of the region, so that on an area of only 750 hectares, 16 sheepfolds existed simultaneously. In the last 20 years, mountain pastures were gradually abandoned a fact which led to some changes in land cover, mainly close to timberline. The aim of this paper is to identify general trend of land cover change using changedetection methods based on Landsat TM imagery for 1988 -2011 time interval. Detailed analysis based on field research and high resolution air photos was also made for the areas with highest land cover changes. The analysis of the historical maps allowed a better understanding of the land cover transformations in the last 70 years. The results showed that the general trend in pastures area for the last 23 years is the biomass gain. Even if this phenomenon has a low and medium magnitude, it is a dominant one, appearing on more than 88% of the pastures area. Moderate intensity changes are explained due to the relatively short time interval since pastures were abandoned. Major changes occurred in some areas: on the southern slopes, because of the specific topoclimate, in areas where the anthropogenic timberline was lowered at very low altitudes and in the areas near the spruce timberline. There are also areas where there are no obvious changes of the timberline. These occur more frequently on the northern and western slopes, near the beech forest timberline. In the study area, the timberline is still anthropogenic, but if the current trend of forest regeneration continues, the timberline will change to a climatic one.