Monitoring gully erosion in the Moldavian Plateau, Romania: advanced methods to safeguard cultural heritage

Gully erosion is a primary processes of global soil degradation, occurring in all climatic regions worldwide. The consequences of this phenomenon are twofold, affecting both agricultural lands and cultural heritage sites of national and international importance. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on precise monitoring efforts. In comparison with previous studies of the same gully, the present study extends the monitoring period to 81 years. For the first time, the study utilised repeated ALS/TLS surveys and geophysics to quantify 3D changes in gully morphology and the specific geomorphic effects of excavations and mitigation works. The archival plans of the past excavations were used to outline a possible limit of the initial extent of the settlement. Past excavations were also confirmed by the geophysical surveys. The mitigation measures are demonstrative of a good-practice model for gully erosion control and land and cultural heritage protection in the Moldavian Plateau. The objective of the present study is twofold: (1) methodological innovation through multi-sensor and multi-temporal monitoring; (2) to determine the impact of gully erosion on two archaeological sites and the effectiveness of protective measures.