TRANSLATIONS AND NOTICES 



OF 



GEOLOGICAL MEMOIRS. 



On the Pleistocene and Recent Phenomena in the South-east of 

 Europe. By Dr. Joseph Szabo. 



[Egy eontinentalis emelkedes 6s siilyedesrol Europa delkeleti reszen. Szabo Jozsef, 

 &c. Magyar Tudom. Akad. Evkonyrei, Tizedik Kotet, 6 Darab.] 



Introduction. — In this paper the author endeavours to show that in 

 the South-east of Europe, and especially on the northern and western 

 parts of the basin of the Black Sea, the elevation and submergence 

 of that part of the continent, and the subsequently modified action of 

 the denuding agents, were forces competent to effect the changes 

 which distinguish the present geological conditions from those imme- 

 diately preceding, and, especially, to produce the present physical 

 configuration of the surface of the diluvial and alluvial deposits. 



Recent Geological Phenomena. — His researches were first based on 

 the present conditions of the river-system of the area now drained 

 by the middle and lower portions of the Danube ; and he afterwards 

 considered in succession the physical history of geological periods of 

 a gradually increasing age, until finally a period was reached when 

 the geological phenomena were essentially different from the present. 



By the first series of observations which he recounts, it is proved 

 that the beds of the great majority of the existing rivers have been 

 excavated out of pleistocene deposits, and that, more especially in 

 Hungary, the Danube and all its tributaries, as well as the Russian 

 rivers which empty themselves into the Euxine, have very deeply 

 excavated the diluvial strata ; while the Theiss and its confluents flow 

 between lower banks, and have not cut so deeply into the mass of 

 the pleistocene formation. 



The author then brings forward data to show that the present 

 areas of inundation are surrounded by older ones, which are in all 

 respects similar, but lie higher and are more extensive ; they are, 

 therefore, indications of a former period when the beds of the rivers 

 were not so deeply excavated as they are now — that is, when the 

 water flowed nearer to the level of the surface of the adjacent plains, 



VOL. XIX. PART. II. B 



