Relief
Zlatni Pyasatsi Nature Park is situated in the northeastern part of Frangensko plateau, over the resorts Golden Sands [Zlatni Pyasatsi] and Chaika. The relief is hilly, with a typical landslide and step-like character. Sheer cliff rings mark the boundary between the landslide terrains and the plateau. Several steep ridges slope down from the cliff rings towards the sea. The most known among them are Aladja Monastery – Gorno Germe, Chiplak Tepe – Zlatni Pyasatsi and Kaleto – Bialata Stena. The ravines Smelly Water, Gyurgenlaka and Bati Bunar that cross the park are waterless during most of the year.
Territories with altitude between 100 and 200 m a.s.l. are predominant in the park. The average altitude is 110 m and the highest point is 269,3 m. There are no extremely steep slopes which makes all parts of the park accessible. Despite its small territory of 13.2 sq.km, the park has exteremely diverse relief – hilly and broken ground, landslide and difficult to pass, with typical microlandscapes and steep ridges.
In geological aspect Nature Park Zlatni Pasatsi is situated in the Frangensko plateau and is part of a structure of the Danube plane. During the Quarternary the repeatedly elevations of the plateau were accompanied by sinkings within the boundaries of the Black Sea basin. Limestones form the surface and the cliff ring of the Frangensko plateau. The rock layers are loosely connected by clay, which is the reason for the instability of the whole structure. As a result there are conditions for the formation of faults, fractures and slides of the earth layers.
The alternation of permeable karstic limestones and sandstones with watertight clays and marls determines the existence of several water-carrying horizons and of active landslides on the east slope of the Frangensko plateau. The waters of the horizons are drained in the landslide terrains and the main underground water deposits are concentrated at depth between 50 and 125 m. The present-day landslide processes are influenced by the level of underground water at a depth of 10 m. This level depends on the climatic factor – it is highest in spring and lowest in autumn.
Soil
The territory of the park is covered with carbonated chernozem (black soil) and humus-carbonate soils. The carbonated chernozem soils prevail, covering 98% of the territory of the park. They have formed under mixed oak forest formations. The soils are deep and very deep, rich in humus. The base rocks are limestones. The carbonated black soil is very favourable to the development of tree and shrub vegetation.
