Spatial loess distribution in the eastern Carpathian Basin: a novel approach based on geoscientific maps and data

Geo- and palaeoecological studies in the Carpathian Basin require a detailed knowledge of the distribution of aeolian sediments. Existing maps are not detailed enough and erroneous as a result of the basic input data and scale used. Here we present a map showing the detailed distribution of loess sediments in the Carpathian Basin at the border of Hungary and Romania using a Geographic Information System and the vectorized, statistically analysed geological map of Hungary (scale 1:300,000) and the Romanian pedological map (scale 1:500,000). Both, the Hungarian and the Romanian data sets were combined and transferred into a common loess sediment classification system resulting in a seamless cross-border map showing the loess distribution in the Carpathian Basin at a scale of about 1:500,000.