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Source: Geopolitics, History, and International Relations

Geopolitics, History, and International Relations

Location: United States

Author(s): Florina Petre, Ctlina erban
Title: THE LANDSCAPE AND ITS TURISTIC IMPORTANCE IN LOPTARIBERCACOLI
AREA, BUZU COUNTY
THE LANDSCAPE AND ITS TURISTIC IMPORTANCE IN LOPTARIBERCACOLI
AREA, BUZU COUNTY
Issue: 2/2012
Citation Florina Petre, Ctlina erban. "THE LANDSCAPE AND ITS TURISTIC IMPORTANCE IN
style: LOPTARIBERCACOLI AREA, BUZU COUNTY". Geopolitics, History, and
International Relations 2:340-347.
https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=61574
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Geopolitics, History, and International Relations

Volume 4(2), 2012, pp. 340347, ISSN 1948-9145

THE LANDSCAPE AND ITS TURISTIC IMPORTANCE IN

LOPTARIBERCACOLI AREA, BUZU COUNTY

FLORINA PETRE
florinica_petre@yahoo.com
School No. 2 Sf. Maria, Bucharest
CTLINA ERBAN
catalinaserban10@yahoo.com
National College Gh. Lazr, Bucharest

ABSTRACT. The selected theme emphasizes the diversity of the geographic and
geological elements, many of them have been declared reservations or monuments
of nature. The area Loptari-Berca-Coli is characterized by an extremely varied
landscape (especially geomorphological and geological). It is situated in the Bent
(Curvature) Sub Carpathians, where there is an active tectonics, complicated by the
on-going earth movements. Within a restricted area, there are many natural
resources; the most important being: oil, salt and amber and connected to the
presence of oil there is also a natural phenomenon known as Muddy Volcanoes.
The presence of salt has conducted to a karst micro relief. The intense degradation
of ground (soil) due to many factors (inclination of the layers to vertical,
lithological variation, seismic movements, heavy rains, deforestations) has
produced a natural landscape which has to be explored and protected, mainly for
promoting the tourism in this particular area.

Keywords: Coli, amber, Loptari, salt, Berca, oil, Muddy Volcanoes

The region of Loptari-Berca-Coli, is situated in the Buzu County and it

belongs to the Buzu Sub Carpathian formation. The region is bordered by
the Slnic River Valley (East and North-East side), Buzu River Valley
(South and West side) and Pintenul Ivneu Mountain (North and North-
West side).
In the vicinity of the mountain range (NW side), the division between
Sub Carpathian formation and the mountains themselves, appears as a
lower level of about 200 meters, very well marked between Sibiciu and
Loptari.

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Tectonically extremely complicated, characteristic for Sub Carpathian

curvature, Loptari-Berca-Coli area is changed by intense processes of
alteration, that have generated the formation of important structural elements.
There are three areas within this region, each with its own
characteristics (Fig. 1.):
A. the Loptari-Mnzleti area with salt;
B. the Berca area with oil;
C. the Coli area with amber

Fig.1. Geographical location of Loptari-Berca-Coli area.

Salt blocks buried in silt appear on the surface of the valleys of the
Jgheab, Meledic, Prul Srat rivers, as salt diapir structures. Reddish
argillite and siltic interbeds can be found as imprinting a parallel
lamination-type structure (Fig. 2. and 3.).

Fig. 2. Flower-shaped
Fig. 3. Clints
crystallization

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The diapirism of Loptari-Mnzleti area is due to both tectonic and

density variation. The blocks of salt, with a clay foundation, developed
numerous clints (traces of dissolution). The whiteish colored mountain
slope beautiful flower shaped salt crystallization indicates the
presence of sodium chlorine springs.
Loptari-Mnzleti area is mostly characterized by the presence of
salt, upon which various geological and geomorphic formations are
developed. As part of Loptari-Mnzleti, on an area of 67.5 ha the
Meledic Karstic Plateau is a typical salty karst represented by geomorphic
formations such as: caves, sinkholes, polje, clints, avens. Since 1973 the
plateau has been declared a geological, speological, zoological and
botanical Complex Nature Reserve. The vegetation of the Meledinc
Karstic Plateau is characteristic for the salty soil (Fig. 4.).

Fig.4. The Meledic Carstic Plateau: Lakes with sweet whater and Sinkhole

Loptari-Mnzleti area is also mentioned for its white-grayish pyramidal

formation of dacitic tuffs, shaped by water-wind erosion, known as La
Grunj (at Mnzleti, from the bed of the river Slnic) and a geological
phenomenon, caused by the natural gas given off by the earth, called The
Live Fire (at Terca village) (Fig. 5. and 6.).

Fig.5. La Grunj a pyramidal formation

Fig.6. The Live Fire
of dacitic tuffs

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Moreover, the Loptari-Mnzleti area stands out for its distinctive

landscape: the wind-shaped sandstone at Butea Sphynx and the pine
trees and beech woods on Mociarului Lake shore.

Fig.7. The Butea Sphynx Fig. 8. The Mociarului Lake

The area suffered intense erosion which impacted the geomorphic

formations such as: cuestas, ravines, hogbacks, torrent ditches, pyramid-
shaped structures. Molded rock structures, presenting frequent changes of
layer inclination: tilted layers, folded layers or vertical layers are
everywhere you look.
The Berca Area is characterized by the presence of oil which has been
exploited for 100 years. The Berca-Arbanasi structure consists of an
anticlinal fold, having over 18 km. long, on the N S direction, longi-
tudinally and transversally tectonized through a fault system which makes
that the relation between the structure flanks differs from one zone to
another. It represents the most exterior geological structure of the Sub
Carpathian Nappe, is situated between Slnic Valley and Srelului
Valley.
The axial zone of the anticlinal fold is represented by Pliocen sed-
imentary deposits outcrop, arranged almost symmetrically to the axe. Its
central part has a lower saddle-like level where only Meotian marls
appear.
The longitudinal and transversal fault system created pathways of
hydrocarbon (especially gas) migration to the surface leading to a
spectacular phenomenon: The Muddy Volcanoes. At the intersection of the
anticline axis with the crosswise faults there apear the two great areas of
mud volcanoes: Pclele Mari (altitude 322 m) and Pclele Mici (altitude
341 m ); the first being situated at 2 km south of the second. It is one of
the most interesting oil rich regions in the country, trough the fact that
inside this territory are enclosed the Muddy Volcanoes Berca Policiori
Arbanasi (Fig. 9.).

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The scientific importance of

the region is given not only by
the muddy volcanoes, but also
by the presence of endemic*
shrub (Nitraria schoberi dis-
covered here by D. Brndz) and
by the halophile plant: Obione
verrucifera, Salsola soda.
Other particularities of the
zone are the landscape and also
Fig. 9. Cones shaped formation and the erosion formed on the
mud slides BercaBeciuArbanai
anticline structure. This area has been included in the list of the protected
areas in Romania, like the Geological and Floristic Reservation, since
1924. Initially covering a surface of 5 ha, now this surface extends on
aprox. 30 ha. (26 ha as Geo-Eco-Marina no. 14/2008), from the Scoroasa
to Berca, being added, in 2007,
on the National List proposed
for the Nature Sites 2000 (Fig.
10. and 11.).
The Muddy Volcanoes
represent the surface exit
points of the natural gases
(methane) trough out the
dislocation lines. Along their
way to the surface, the gas
raise the water from the
groundwater which mixes with
the material it meets on the Fig.10. The aspect of badland relief

way up (clay, gyps, marl, oil) forming

the mud that comes out at the surface.
The mud accumulates forming nume-
rous cones of different dimensions,
from small cones that barely rise
above ground level, to cones that are
7-8 meters in height, or it flows in
slow rivers, which add to the deposit
already set. The aspect of the muddy
plains is particular due to its total
absence of vegetation, of the whitish
Fig.11. Nitraria schoeberi
yellow and violet color of the dried

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mud, of the polygonal forms of the cracks, but foremost of the cones that
dominate the plains and from which the rhythmic dripping of mud
brought on by the eruptions that are accompanied by noises and
babbling. In the drier summer the volcanoes activity is weaker and the
mud is thicker; in the rainy periods their activity intensifies. In the muddy
plains, the torrential erosion has created a chaotic landscape with increase,
ravines, ogase, meandering courses and rounded grits, a landscape likened
to the one from the moon.
Not far from Berca, on the valley of the Buzau river, between Prscov
and Bdila, there can be found two monuments of nature of geologic and
paleontological interest: The Salt of Buzau (0.8 ha.) and the Limestone
Blocks from Bdila (1.5 ha.) (Fig. 12).
The Limestone Blocks,
over 40 in number, can be
seen in the riverbed and on the
lower level of the river, and
are curiosity for this region
since there is not any calcar-
eous massif in this area.
The place known as The
Salt of Buzu, represents a
slope of the Buzu valley with
springs and saline efflores-
cence, a tectonic window, also
Fig.12. Large limestone rocks
from the Jurassic, is of geological and botanical
in the bad of river Buzu interest. Of the forest species,
only the Sea Buckthorn shrub
(Hippophare rhamnoides), vegetates on the saline excess and on the
excessive mineral soil.
The Coli Area is highlighted by the existence of the most important
amber deposit from our country.
The Coli amber is a distinctive variety, named rumanit, since 1891 by
the geologist Oscar Helm, who, thus, showed the differences between the
Romanian variety and the Baltic one, which he named succinit. It has been
declared monument of nature of geologic and paleontological interest that
extends on a 2.5 ha surface. It represents a fossil resin that came from
some pine tree species (Pinus succinifera). In the resin of these trees there
were often caught and perfectly preserved insects and other tiny animals
from the Oligocene period. The characteristic color is honey yellow or a
wax, yet having a color palette which varies from brown red to green
black. The local inhabitants of Coli have named it The Flower of Coli
(Fig. 13. and 14.).

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Fig.13. The Amber Museum of Coli Fig.14. Amber nuggets and jewelry
The amber collection, the only one of its kind in the country, is found in a
country style house specific to the area. Next to the beautiful jewelry and
unprocessed amber resin exhibits, the museum hosts as well a collection of
ethnographic objects: towels, pil-
lows, hemp and wool processing
objects, wooden household items
(flasks, spoons, scissors, bells).
At the Amber Museum from
Coli, you can see a nugget that
weighs 1785 grams.
The Rupestrial Complex
Aluni Nucu Fisici. The cave
settlements, skits and churches
from the Nucu Fisici Rugi-
noasa Aluni area, represent the
biggest concentration of skits and
monarchal housing in the Ro-
Fig. 15. Rupestrial Complex Aluni manian land. Situated at altitudes
between 650 m and 1100 m, in
the area of the municipalities mentioned above, they are well hidden in the
woods, being had to reach (Fig. 15).
From the Amber Museum following the valley of the Coli creek,
before the road ends we cross to the Rupestrial Aluni Complex, situated
at about 665 m altitude, it includes the church and the three skits dug in
stone (sandstone). Through the spruce forest, a small church can be seen,
made out of wood, painted blue, and it hides the entrance to the skit carved
in sandstone around the year 1274, by two shepherds, Vlad and Simon.
Attested in 1351, the Aluni Church, has functioned as a skit for monks,

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having its cells dug into stone, till 1871, since then, it has been the village
church.
The Loptari Berca Coli area has an important touristic potential,
due to the richness of its landscapes and the variety of its geological sites,
unfortunately, not sufficiently capitalized.
The poor management of the reservations and of the monuments of
nature (with the exception of the Muddy Volcanoes) but also the poor
condition of the roads, determines a weak touristic interest in this area.

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* * * www.tinutulbuzaului.ro.pdf.

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