The evolution of the Great Hungarian Plain fluvial system – Fluvial processes in a subsiding area from the beginning of the Weichselian

Abstract

a b s t r a c tIn the Great Hungarian Plain (GHP), one of the most complex fluvial systems of Europe developed through tectonic and climatic factors and vegetation change. The aim of the present study is to summarise these controlling factors and to describe the evolution of the GHP. Special attention is paid to the latest results on late Weichselian and Holocene development in the Tisza River and their effects on the river's largest tributary: the Maros River.Several tectonically active subsiding basins existing in the GHP have determined the direction of river courses and erosionaleaccumulational fluvial processes. As a result of uneven subsidence, the river's flow routes have shifted frequently. For example, the Danube and the Tisza shifted 80e100 km, abandoning their alluvial fans where extensive aeolian processes started. Upstream from the subsiding areas, incision propagated headward, which resulted in the development of floodplain levels and terraces. Though climate and vegetation changes also simultaneously influenced the rivers' hydro-morphology, channel pattern changes were found just along the margin of the plain, and only meandering paleo-channels remained in the center of the GHP. During dry and cold periods, braided patterns appeared in the alluvial fans, most likely the result of abundant sediment supply and due to the inability of sparse riparian vegetation to stabilise the banks effectively. Based on paleo-discharge calculations, by the end of the Pleistocene the rivers of the GHP produced three to eight times more discharge than they do currently, and discharge levels continuously decreased during the Holocene. However, due to the long length of the rivers, there is a considerable time lag between the response rates of the different river sections, which makes creating paleo-hydrological reconstructions even more difficult.

Confirmation of a theory: reconstruction of an alluvial plain development in a flume experiment

“…8/2 proved). At the end of the second stage in Scenario #1, we performed the vertical tectonic processes which resulted in surface conditions similar to those described previously demeter et al 2010, 2011GáBris 2002;timár et al 2005;Lóki and FéLeGyházi 2008;kiss et al 2014). The comparison between the theoretical avulsion process of the Tisza River assumed by timár et al (2005) and the result of the experimental approach showed several similarities ( Fig.…”

“…The surface and fluvial system development of the Great Hungarian Plain (GHP), which is an intramountain basin in Hungary, has detailed theoretical description (Borsy and FéLeGyházi 1983;Borsy et al 1989;Borsy 1995; GáBris 1995 GáBris , 2002FéLeGyházi et al 2004;timár et al 2005;Vass et al 2010;GáBris and nádor 2007;demeter et al 2010, 2011GáBris et al 2012;szaBó et al 2012;kiss et al 2014).…”

Dating the Holocene Incision of the Danube in Southern Hungary

“…The significance of tectonic control on fluvial processes has been indicated by several earlier research (e.g. Somogyi, 1961;Borsy, 1992;Gábris and Nádor, 2007;Kiss et al, 2015). The temporal variation of subsidence rates at different areas lead to the time-to-time avulsion and shifting of the main rivers and related tributaries.…”

Reflection of climatic changes during interpleniglacial in the geoecosystems of South-Eastern Poland

“…In the frame of the last INTIMATE programme (COST action ES0907) many synthetic papers were born (see e.g. Blockley et al, 2014;Feurdean et al, 2014;Rassmussen et al, 2014;Birks et al, 2015;Gębica et al, 2015;Kiss et al, 2015;Starkel et al, 2015).…”