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Publications in Scientific Journals:

B. Székely:
"Rediscovering the old treasures of cartography - What an almost 500-year-old map can tell to a geoscientist";
Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica Hungarica, 44 (2009), 1; 3 - 16.



English abstract:
Tabula Hungariae (1528), created by Lazarus (Secretarius), is an almost 500
year-old map depicting the whole Pannonian Basin. It has been used for several
geographic and regional science studies because of its highly valued information context.
From geoscientific point of view this information can also be evaluated. In this
contribution an attempt is made to analyse in some extent the paleo-hydrogeography
presented in the map, reconsidering the approach of previous authors, assuming that
the mapmaker did not make large, intolerable errors and the known problems of the
cartographic implementation are rather exceptional.
According to the map the major lakes had larger extents in the 16th century
than today, even a large lake (Lake Becskerek) ceased to exist. Concerning the
fluvial pattern, a detailed analysis is possible for the Danube. Important changes
can be implied at the Danube Bend, and there was a stronger tendency of island
formation (i.e., tendency towards braided style) downstream from the present day
Budapest. In most of the cases the assumption of the depicted islands is feasible.
The existence of a few paleo-islands not present today can be validated by historical
sources as well. Furthermore, the river Sīarvīız, today a less important watercourse,
might have had more importance in the transport at that time, probably due to its
larger water discharge.
Summarizing the observations it seems that these are indications of larger discharge
values and/or a wetter climate in the Central Pannonian Basin in the 16th
century.

Keywords:
Danube; environmental change; historical maps; palaeohydrography; Pannonian Basin; river avulsion


"Official" electronic version of the publication (accessed through its Digital Object Identifier - DOI)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1556/AGeod.44.2009.1.2

Electronic version of the publication:
http://www.akademiai.com/content/423r445257530547/fulltext.pdf


Created from the Publication Database of the Vienna University of Technology.