Image description
The image shows the map of Vrancea county, located in the southeastern part of the country, delimited by the neighboring counties by a thickened, irregular and closed line.
The neighboring counties are: in the north – Bacău, in the northeast – Vaslui, in the east – Galați, in the southeast – Brăila, in the south – Buzău, in the west – Covasna.
In the south-eastern part is illustrated the county seat, respectively Focșani, marked by an embossed square.
The map presents the dominant relief forms on the surface of Vrancea county, respectively the plain area, at the eastern and southern limit of the county, marked by Câmpia Râmnicului, a high plain at the foot of the subcarpathians and Lunca Siretului or Siret Valley on the eastern border with Galați county.
Next comes the hill and plateau area, in the central part, represented by the internal subcarpathians, which are formed on hard rocks right at the contact with mountains, with high altitudes and the external subcarpathians, meaning hills higher than usual but lower than subcarpathians, that represent the second alignment of synclines, meaning depressions or valleys, and anticlines, meaning hills or peaks, formed on rocks softer than the internal ones, at their external contact with the plain. This external contact with the low plain leads to their fall or inclination to the southeast, that is to a monoclinal structure. This type of slope relief, at relatively high altitudes, near the mountains, is favorable for the cultivation of vines, as in the case of the cuesta relief of Iași and Vaslui (consult the pages of the respective counties for more information).
These hills over nine hundred meters high form the Vrancea Subcarpathians, located at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, more precisely at the foot of the Curvature Carpathians consisting of the Vrancea Mountains subunit. Among the inner Vrancea Subcarpathians, from the west and center, right at the contact with the mountains, we mention the subdivisions: Răiuțu Hill in the north central, with a maximum altitude of nine hundred and fifty-seven meters and Răchitaș Hill in the north-central part, to the left of Mărășești city. Near Dealul Răiuțu, on the banks of the Milcov River, in Andreiașu de Jos commune, in the south central part, to the left of Focșani, the natural phenomenon “Living Fires” is manifested due to the spontaneous ignition on the surface of natural gas emanating from great depths, among the cracks of sandstones which this hill is made up of. These, once lit, burn on their own. The area where the living fires are manifested is declared a natural reserve. (2)
The outer subcarpathians have altitudes between seven hundred and five hundred meters and are made up of the subdivisions of Căpățâna Hill in the extreme south, at the contact with the plain, with altitudes of over five hundred meters and the Vrancea Depression which is similar to a corridor between high hills, located in the center, then comes Deleanu Hill in the center of almost seven hundred meters high, followed above by Măgura Odobești being the highest hill in the Curvature Subcarpathians, although it is located at the contact with the plain, it has an altitude of nine hundred and ninety-six meters. This high unusual hill is followed above, in the extreme north by Momâia Hill of six hundred and thirty meters high. Măgura Odobești is a very high ridge, rounded and wooded, which was sharply raised by the shrinking of the crust, in the Quaternary. It has been declared a protected natural avifauna area. Among the protected species here we mention: the middle spotted woodpecker, the Syrian woodpecker, the merlin, the booted eagle and the woodlark. These ones and the rest of the migratory birds make their nests and feed on what the rich deciduous forests, pastures and rivers offer them. (1)
The mountain area is marked by the Vrancea Mountains, a subunit of the Curvature Carpathians. They are located on the western edge of the county and have a maximum altitude of one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven meters at the top of Lăcăuți, located on the central-western border with Covasna county. The eastern part of these mountains falls in the epicentral area of Vrancea, which corresponds to the most intense seismicity in the country. The Vrancea area is located at the intersection of intercontinental tectonic plates, one of them subdues, meaning it sinks under the other, because it is older and heavier. (2) Statistically, earthquakes with Richter magnitude six and over occur in Vrancea (approximately) every ten years, earthquakes with Richter magnitude seven every thirty-three years, while those with Richter magnitude over seven point five every eighty years. (3)
In the Vrancea Mountains it is a geological natural reserve called Putna Waterfall, from where the Purna River, a tributary of Siret River, springs. The waterfall runs through very hard layers of sandstone that allowed the formation of the waterfall without being eroded by the watercourse and form a valley. The height of the waterfall is about twelve meters. Putna Waterfall is part of the Putna-Vrancea Natural Park. (2)
The plain and meadow area is marked blank, the hill and plateau area is rendered by dotted texture, and the mountain area is represented by grid texture.
In the lower right corner of the page is an arrow pointing upwards, indicating the geographical North.
Additional data
Bibliography
- https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%83gura_Odobe%C8%99ti_(sit_SPA) accessed on July 21, 2021.
- Ielenicz, M., Pătru Ileana, Clius Mioara, 2005, Subcarpaţii României, Editura Universitară, Bucureşti.
- https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seismicitatea_Rom%C3%A2niei#Zona_subcrustal%C4%83_Vrancea accessed on July 21, 2021.
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