The cadastral survey of Earth scientific values in the protected Hegyes-kő Hill situated in Demjén and questions of its buffer zone in concept of the “Thermal valley” Tourist Development Plan (North Hungary)

The Hegyes-kő Hill (220 m) is situated in North Hungary, in the Heves County, 7 kilometres far away from Eger, in the northeastern part of Demjén. This territory lies next to the “Thermal valley” (wellness) tourist development area. The territory is a part of the Egri-Bükkalja Foothill Microregion. This area was declared as a Local Nature Conservation Area (as the cultural heritage) by the local government in 1979, because of the hivestones and different anthropogenic niches, which were carved into the rock surface. Lots of geological and geomorphological values can be found in this territory, but these values did not mentioned before. The “Thermal valley” touristic wellness development began in 2007 and new apartments, park places, swimming pools and swimming caves under the surface were built up. The buffer zone and the Earth scientific and cultural values of the study area can be endangered by this building and development activities.
   Our research aim is to survey geological and geomorphological fundamentals of the Hegyes-kő Hill, to do the cadastral survey of geological and geomorphological unique values and to reveal anthropogenic factors endangered the buffer zone of the protected area. At the first stage of our investigation we gathered the geological, geomorphological and topographical maps and bibliography of the study area. We have done the research work on the field, where we have surveyed the unique geological and geomorphological values of the Hegyes-kő Hill, we have filled in the form of the Cadastre data sheet of unique landscape features (Hungarian Standard No. 20381/1999), we have made detailed description of different objects, we have taken photographs of them and gathered sedimentological samples for the laboratory investigation. The geological maps and DDM were created by the Golden Software SURFER 8.0 and the CorellDRAW 12. programs.
   The main geological value of the Hegyes-kő Hill is the Miocene Gyulakeszi Rhyolite Tuff Formation: non-welded rhyolite tuff layers and its special geological structure. Somewhere, we can found Pleistocene slope clays at the top of the rhyolite tuff surface. Holocene fluvial sediments build up the alluvium of the Stream Laskó. Non-welded rhyolite tuffs build up the hivestones too and their environments were investigated in details. We have categorised as a geological value the rhyolite tuff layers appeared in the surface, thin and thick layers of the rhyiolite tuffs, its special geological structure and the special (bio)crust appeared on the surface of stones (8 pieces). We have gathered 10 sedimentological samples on the barren rock surfaces or rhyolite tuff surface covered by soils. Therefore these samples were few centimetres thick only; their appearance and genetical development were diversified. The physical parameter and granulometric investigation of the sediment samples can show strongly mechanical and chemical weathering processes. The frost weathering was strong here, but the formation of soil has begun at the top of the hill and environments of cliffs.
   In the Hegyes-kő Hill, the most frequently geomorphological values (27 pieces) are periglacial landforms/cryoplanation walls (23%), special cliff forms (15%), derasional valleys (12%) and erosional rills (12%) here. The forms of gelisolifluction and rock-falls are as different types of mass-movement processes (8%). Water cuts (8%), dissected surface with microvalleys appeared on the rhyolite tuffs (4%) and eroded rhyolite tuff surfaces (4%) are in the hill. Different Pleistocene fluvial terraces (4%) can be investigated in the environs of the hill. After the cadastral survey of the unique natural values, we could find that this territory is rich in geological and geomorphological values and the protected status could be reached into these value categories too.
   Next to the study area, significant landscape changes appeared because of the buildings and the development of „Thermal valley”. The original landscape, the buffer zone and natural values are in danger of buildings, human impacts, illegal dumping of waste and trample
erosion.