Repedea Hill Fossil Site

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Repedea Hill Fossil Site (Romanian : Locul fosilifer Dealul Repedea) is a nature reserve located 9 km south of Iași, in the historical region of Moldavia, Romania. Repedea Hill is part of the Iași Ridge (Romanian : Coasta Iașilor), at the contact between the Central Moldavian Plateau and the Jijia Plain.

Romanian language Romance language

Romanian is an Eastern Romance language spoken by approximately 24–26 million people as a native language, primarily in Romania and Moldova, and by another 4 million people as a second language. It is an official and national language of Romania and Moldova. In addition, it is also one of the official languages of the European Union.

Nature reserve protected area for flora, fauna or features of geological interest

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. Nature reserves may be designated by government institutions in some countries, or by private landowners, such as charities and research institutions, regardless of nationality. Nature reserves fall into different IUCN categories depending on the level of protection afforded by local laws. Normally it is more strictly protected than a nature park.

Iași County Seat in Romania

Iași is the second largest city in Romania, and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1564 to 1859, then of the United Principalities from 1859 to 1862, and the capital of Romania from 1916 to 1918.

Contents

History

First studies of the zone were in 1862, when Grigore Cobălcescu, professor at the University of Iași, published the "Repedea's Limestone" (Romanian: Calcariul de la Răpidea) research article. These scientific studies, describing the fossil fauna, are considered to be the birth document of the Romanian geology. [1]

Grigore Cobălcescu

Grigore Cobălcescu was a Moldavian, later Romanian geologist and paleontologist who is credited with introducing both fields into his country.

Geology The study of the composition, structure, physical properties, and history of Earths components, and the processes by which they are shaped.

Geology is an earth science concerned with the solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Geology can also include the study of the solid features of any terrestrial planet or natural satellite such as Mars or the Moon. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other earth sciences, including hydrology and the atmospheric sciences, and so is treated as one major aspect of integrated earth system science and planetary science.

In 1953, the perimeter was declared a reserve, being the first geological reserve in Romania. The total area of 44.3 ha consists of the proper scientific area of 5.8 ha (western and north-western slopes of Repedea Hill), and a buffer zone of 38.5 ha.

Hectare metric unit of area

The hectare is an SI accepted metric system unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides, or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is about 0.405 hectare and one hectare contains about 2.47 acres.

Geology

The fossils and the limestone discovered in the area were part of the former Paratethys (Sarmatic) Sea. [1] The scientific area includes the limestone walls, the former quarries (oolitic limestone), the caves and an area of the structural plateau. Many Basarabian lithological outcrops are protected within the scientific reserve and contain a rich and important Sarmatian fossil deposit, representative for the Moldavian Platform. The buffer zone is largely located on the Repedea structural plateau, which represents a reversed cuesta.

Paratethys A large shallow sea that stretched from the region north of the Alps over Central Europe to the Aral Sea in Central Asia

The Paratethys ocean, Paratethys sea or just Paratethys was a large shallow inland sea that stretched from the region north of the Alps over Central Europe to the Aral Sea in Central Asia. The sea was formed during the Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic as an extension of the rift that formed the Central Atlantic Ocean and was isolated during the Oligocene epoch. It was separated from the Tethys Ocean to the south by the formation of the Alps, Carpathians, Dinarides, Taurus and Elburz mountains. During its long existence the Paratethys was at times reconnected with the Tethys or its successors, the Mediterranean Sea or Indian Ocean. From the Pliocene epoch onward, the Paratethys became progressively shallower. Today's Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Lake Urmia, Namak Lake and others are remnants of the Paratethys Sea.

Cuesta A hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other

A cuesta is a hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side, and a steep slope on the other. In geology the term is more specifically applied to a ridge where a harder sedimentary rock overlies a softer layer, the whole being tilted somewhat from the horizontal. This results in a long and gentle backslope called a dip slope that conforms with the dip of resistant strata, called caprock. Where erosion has exposed the frontslope of this, a steep slope or escarpment occurs. The resulting terrain may be called scarpland.

See also

Iași, Romania, is claimed to have been built on seven hills. Many other cities of the world have similar traditions, Rome and Constantinople, for instance, were said to have been built on seven hills.

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References

  1. 1 2 The Palaeonthological Reservation Repedea

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Coordinates: 47°05′19″N27°38′37″E / 47.08861°N 27.64361°E / 47.08861; 27.64361

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