ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Mapping and Monitoring of Landforms
Evolution. Case study: Breasta Landslide
(Southwestern Romania)
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1
Department of Geography, Faculty of Sciences, University of Craiova, 13 A.I Cuza, 200585, Craiova, Romania
2
Dolj Territorial Service, National Agency for Protected Natural Areas, Craiova, Romania
3
Department of Geology and Geoinformatics, University of Mining and Geology, Sofia, Bulgaria
4
Department of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Horticulture, University of Craiova,
13 A.I Cuza, 200585, Craiova, Romania
Submission date: 2023-12-25
Final revision date: 2024-04-19
Acceptance date: 2024-04-27
Online publication date: 2024-08-05
Corresponding author
Simona Mariana Popescu
Department of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Horticulture, University of Craiova,
13 A.I Cuza, 200585, Craiova, Romania
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ABSTRACT
The steep right slope of the Jiu River (a tributary of the Danube River in the Romanian Plain)
in its lower course is one of the hotspots for landslides in Southwestern Romania, constantly facing
instability issues due to landslide reactivations and slope-related active deformations. In our
study, we aimed to analyze the behavior of the Breasta landslide. The 16-year monitoring data set
(2006-2022) contributes to a better understanding of the movement mechanisms associated with
triggering factors. Following GNSS monitoring of the profile line since 2006, it became obvious that the
most significant morphological changes occurred in the median and final sectors of the landslide, where
the slope retreated by 6 to 19 meters. In terms of results, a digital terrain model of the central sector of
the Breasta landslide was generated using 5000 GPS-measured points. Using the Kriging method, this
sector was enclosed within a rectangle covering an area of 313.40 square meters, with an average height
of 108 meters. This sector emphasizes the morphology of the landslide from 2022 in one of
the ‘amphitheaters’ that developed after the 2006 reactivation. This paper provides insights into
the dynamics of the landslide, helping to discover possible triggering factors of mass movement
and periodic changes in the landslide morphology.