Geosciences and Engineering

Integrated transport service development through interregional cooperation between Miskolc and Košice

2026-03-03T05:11:01+01:00

The study examines the development opportunities of cross-border public transport services between Miskolc and Košice. Despite the strengthening of economic, educational and labor market relations in the Košice–Miskolc Euroregion in recent years, the public transport offer has only partially adapted to the changed mobility needs. The article reviews the current rail and bus services and then outlines realistic service development directions (adapting to travel needs and considering infrastructure constraints), based on interregional cooperation. The expansion of the offer and intermodal developments can contribute to the transport integration and sustainable development not only of the border region, but also of the entire Euroregion.

Robust MFV analysis of geoelectrical data in heterogeneous subsurface media

2026-03-31T13:54:42+02:00

Geoelectrical datasets in heterogeneous environments often show non-Gaussian distributions and outliers, limiting conventional averaging. This study evaluates the Most Frequent Value (MFV) method for robust characterization of vertically structured geophysical data. Results show that the fixed ε parameter, the scale parameter of the weighting function, provides stable representations, while the conventional iterative ε method enhances locally dominant structures. Quantitative comparison confirms that method performance depends on data variability and sampling density. The method offers a flexible alternative for interpreting complex subsurface conditions.

Renewable and geothermal energy potential in Syria toward 2035

2026-02-02T10:45:37+01:00

Syria’s energy sector faces rising demand, depleted resources, and infrastructure damage. This paper evaluates the country’s renewable and geothermal potential within Energy Vision 2035 using national energy data and geothermal field tests. Findings indicate strong solar irradiation (>6.5 kWh/m²/day), significant wind potential (~490 TWh/year), and favorable geothermal conditions in Hama (thermal conductivity 2.011 W/m·K), supporting GSHP use. Expanding solar, wind, and geothermal systems would enhance energy security, reduce emissions, and support post-conflict recovery through a diversified renewable strategy.

Petrophysical response of sandstone and tuff to water and freeze–thaw

2026-02-18T10:12:33+01:00

This study evaluates the durability of 11 Hungarian lithotypes (sandstone and volcanic tuff) from the Eger region under water saturation and 100 freeze–thaw (F–T) cycles. Utilizing 468 specimens, physical degradation was quantified via ultrasonic wave velocities and dynamic moduli. Results indicate that while saturation initially increases P-wave velocity through pore-filling, cyclic freezing induces progressive microstructural attenuation, primarily within the first 50 cycles. Tuff varieties exhibited high frost sensitivity and significant stiffness loss due to high open porosity and zeolitic alteration. Conversely, sandstone maintained superior structural integrity. Strong correlations between acoustic parameters and elastic moduli confirm that non-destructive testing effectively characterizes stone durability.

Reference-based measurement of stress-dependent ultrasonic velocity and seismic quality factor

2026-03-30T08:21:36+02:00

We report ultrasonic laboratory measurements of P-wave velocity and quality factor (Q) in a sandstone sample under stepwise uniaxial loading (0–90 kN). Full ultrasonic waveforms were recorded at each load increment. Because Q estimation is more sensitive than velocity to coupling conditions, instrumental response, and spectral processing, particular emphasis was placed on amplitude-consistent acquisition and reference-based attenuation analysis. An aluminum specimen of identical geometry was measured under the same protocol to characterize system-related attenuation and to enable spectral-ratio-based estimation of effective Q relative to a high-Q reference. The sandstone exhibits pronounced stress dependence in both velocity and Q, indicating path-dependent anelastic dissipation associated with microcrack closure and frictional grain-contact losses.