The Sedimentary record of Pleistocene aeolian – alluvial deposits on Vrgada Island (eastern Adriatic coast, Croatia)

Vrgada Island is situated in the central part of the eastern Adriatic coast. Upper Cretaceous limestones crop out on the surface and Pleistocene sediments cover them in some parts of the island. This study focused on a coastal cliff trending N – S on the northern part of the island. Aeolian-alluvial deposits, which are 12.5 m thick were analysed and three different facies in this succession described. The lowermost facies A highlights a strong aeolian influence marked by an increased silt percentage and was deposited during colder climate conditions. Sand and gravel in facies B were deposited by streams of dense, cold water formed by melting snow and ice from the nearby Dinaric mountains. The bioturbated sandy facies C was probably formed during a warmer climate. An unusually high percentage of augite in the lowermost part of facies A can be explained by the input of volcanic dust, most likely from the Roman or Campanian volcanoes in Italy. This, combined with the surface textures on quartz grains detected from SEM photographs indicates a short distance transport for the sediment, no matter which mechanism was dominant. The sediments from Vrgada Island represent a transitional zone between the north Adriatic islands, where aeolian sediments dominate and the South - Eastern Adriatic archipelago, where mixed alluvial and aeolian sediments were observed

Spatial Data Performance Test of Mid-cost UAS with Direct Georeferencing

Recent development of lightweight and small size multi-frequency GNSS receivers allows determination of the precise position of the moving platform and spatial data acquisition without the need for setting up and measuring of ground control points. The main advantage of this approach is a higher operational capacity with reduced time and cost of field measurement. This relates to fieldwork in inaccessible areas with demanding terrain configuration. In this paper development and use of a UAS with direct georeferencing of camera sensor for spatial data acquisition is described, and the possibility of 3D scene reconstruction based on the precise position of the camera with predetermined interior parameters is examined. Modern computer vision-based SfM photogrammetry algorithms are used for determining attitude parameters and reconstruction of the scene. For that purpose, several tests on two different test fields were performed using various system parameters for collecting and analysis of several spatial data sets. The presented results demonstrate a satisfactory accuracy (3.1 cm planar and 6.4 cm spatial) of the system for various applications in geodesy

Integration of Terrestrial Laser Scanning and UAS Photogrammetry in Geological Studies: Examples from Croatia

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) in combination with Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and modern computer based photogrammetry is currently the best approach for the acquisition of high-resolution 3D spatial information. Highly realistic 3D spatial data sets are becoming the basis for detailed geological studies, providing a multidisciplinary approach in the study and research of both underground and above ground sites. To emphasize the variety of possible implementations of these state-of-the-art methodologies, four characteristic and yet quite different case studies are presented where such geodetic techniques are successfully employed. The presented case studies demonstrate that TLS and UAS photogrammetry, as non-contact surveying methods, are able to reduce survey time and total project costs. As added value, they provide high-resolution data that can be analyzed in a virtual environment from a sedimentological or structural aspect. Stored digital documentation also allows future multi-temporal spatial data comparison at any timeframe and scale, thus enhancing any target geological data gathering and analyses at the studied sites

Climatic Cycles Recorded in the Middle Eocene Hemipelagites from a Dinaric Foreland Basin of Istria (Croatia)

Middle Eocene hemipelagic marls from the Pazin-Trieste Basin, a foreland basin of the Croatian Dinarides, display repetitive alternations of two types of marls with different resistance to weathering. This study focuses on the chemical composition, stable isotopes, and palynomorph content of these marls in order to better understand the nature of their cyclic deposition and to identify possible paleoenvironmental drivers responsible for their formation. The less resistant marls (LRM) have consistently lower carbonate content, lower δ18O and δ13C values, and more abundant dinoflagellate cysts than the more resistant marls (MRM). We interpret these differences between the two marl types to be a result of climatic variations, likely related to Milankovitch oscillations. Periods with wetter climate, associated with increased continental runoff, detrital and nutrient influx produced the LRM. Higher nutrient supply sparked higher dinoflagellate productivity during these times, while reduced salinity and stratification of the water column may have hampered the productivity of calcareous nannoplankton and/or planktonic foraminifera. In contrast, the MRM formed during dryer periods which favoured higher carbonate accumulation rates. This study provides new information about the sedimentary record of short-scale climate variations reflected in wet-dry cycles during an overall warm, greenhouse Earth

Provenance of Paleozoic very low- to low-grade metasedimentary rocks of South Tisia (Slavonian Mountains, Radlovac Complex, Croatia)

Monazite age dating, detrital heavy mineral content and whole-rock geochemistry provided insight into the provenance, depositional history and paleogeological setting of the Radlovac Complex very low- to low-grade metasedimentary rocks (South Tisia, Slavonian Mountains, Croatia). Electron microprobe based Th-U-Pb dating of detrital monazite indicates a Variscan age of the protolith (330 10 Ma). The detrital heavy mineral assemblages of representative metasedimentary rocks are dominated by apatite, zircon, tourmaline and rutile accompanied by minor quantity of epidote/zoisite, monazite and titanite. Judging from the heavy mineral assemblage, felsic igneous rocks served as the source material. This is consistent with the major and trace element spectrum of studied metasedimentary rocks characterized by high concentration of Th, high L + MREEs and high ratios of La/Sc, Th/Sc, La/Co, Th/Co and Th/Cr. The occurrence of magmatic monazite, zircon and xenotime and the absence of metamorphic heavy minerals suggest that granitoids, migmatites and migmatitic gneisses served as one major source for the metapsammites. Such rock types are commonly exposed in the Papuk Complex of the older surrounding complexes, while the Psunj Complex also contains metamorphic rocks. This is in good correlation with the monazite ages presented here which fits better with ages of Papuk Complex representative rocks than with those of the Psunj Complex known from the literature. Overall, data show that the Radlovac Complex represents the detritus of the local Variscan crust characterized by granitoid bodies, migmatites and migmatitic gneisses typical for the Papuk Complex.(VLID)223446

Selenium, Sulphur, Trace Metal, and BTEX Levels in Soil, Water, and Lettuce from the Croatian Raša Bay Contaminated by Superhigh-Organic- Sulphur Coal

This paper elaborates soil, water, and lettuce contamination status with respect to selenium, sulphur, trace metals, and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) in a coal- based area (Raša Bay, Adriatic Sea, Croatia). A local coal-fired power plant polluted soil with S, Se, Cd, and PAHs due to the combustion of domestic superhigh-organic-sulphur coal. The locality is dotted with waste from coal mining/separation, coal combustion, former metal factories, untreated municipal and coal mine effluents, along with various harbour activities, which contribute to environmental contamination. The methodology involved ICP-MS and GC-MS for the measurement of trace elements and BTEX, respectively, while soil sulphur was determined with Eschka’s mixture. The max values of the analysed trace elements in soil (mg/kg) are reported: Hg 1.14, Cd 3.29, V 624, Se 10.3, Pb 872, Cr 1860, Zn 6580, Cu 1850, and U 25.2. According to ecological indices, these values fall into the category of an extremely high level of soil pollution. Elevated total Se values in surface water are ascribed to leaching of seleniferous coal, ash, and coal- polluted soil. Levels of BTEX in water samples were very low (0–0.83 g/L). The data provide basic information on the inorganic and organic contamination status of the Raša Bay area

Selenium, Sulphur, Trace Metal, and BTEX Levels in Soil, Water, and Lettuce from the Croatian Raša Bay Contaminated by Superhigh-Organic- Sulphur Coal

This paper elaborates soil, water, and lettuce contamination status with respect to selenium, sulphur, trace metals, and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) in a coal- based area (Raša Bay, Adriatic Sea, Croatia). A local coal-fired power plant polluted soil with S, Se, Cd, and PAHs due to the combustion of domestic superhigh-organic-sulphur coal. The locality is dotted with waste from coal mining/separation, coal combustion, former metal factories, untreated municipal and coal mine effluents, along with various harbour activities, which contribute to environmental contamination. The methodology involved ICP-MS and GC-MS for the measurement of trace elements and BTEX, respectively, while soil sulphur was determined with Eschka’s mixture. The max values of the analysed trace elements in soil (mg/kg) are reported: Hg 1.14, Cd 3.29, V 624, Se 10.3, Pb 872, Cr 1860, Zn 6580, Cu 1850, and U 25.2. According to ecological indices, these values fall into the category of an extremely high level of soil pollution. Elevated total Se values in surface water are ascribed to leaching of seleniferous coal, ash, and coal- polluted soil. Levels of BTEX in water samples were very low (0–0.83 g/L). The data provide basic information on the inorganic and organic contamination status of the Raša Bay area

MIDDLE MIOCENE DROWNED RAMP IN THE VICINITY OF MARIJA BISTRICA (NORTHERN CROATIA)

Uz cestu Marija Bistrica - Adamovec, nedaleko od raskrižja prema Lazu, može se na izdancima pratiti slijed srednjomiocenskih naslaga. U bazi slijeda vide se polimiktni, klastpotporni do matrikspotporni konglomerati. Valutice uglavnom odgovaraju sastavu okolnih stijena, a vezivo predstavlja koralinacejski bioklastični vekston. Sekundarni nalazi velikih oštriga upućuju na moguća ostrižišta, vjerojatno nedaleko od riječnoga ušća. U zaštićenim lagunama stvarali su se rodoliti malih dimenzija, živjele su halimede i nježni, razgranjeni mahovnjaci i puževi. U oligotrofnim uvjetima alge su učestalije od mahovnjaka. Zbog isparavanja povećana je koncentracija i kristalizacija kalcijeva karbonata, koji je cementirao bioklaste. Oko nekih su bioklasta vidljive kortoidne ovojnice, a sediment je tipa grejnston. Rodolitno-briozojske biokonstrukcije nastajale su najviše u plitkoj potplimnoj zoni, najvjerojatnije na dubinama od 20 do 30 m. Mjestimice su izgrađivale barijere između laguna i otvorenoga mora. One se nisu uspjele sačuvati in situ, već kao fragmenti u bioklastičnim taložinama padine. Na strmijim padinama pokazuju mikrostrukturu floutstona. Sadržavaju velike briozojske kolonije i bioerodirane solitarne koralje, kakvi su mogli živjeti u nešto dubljemu okolišu, vjerojatno između 30 i 75 m, uz nešto veću količinu nutrijenata. U vrhu slijeda, samo desetak metara iznad konglomerata, leže lapori s pučinskim organizmima (kalcitičnim nanoplanktonom, planktonskim i malim bentičkim foraminiferama i planktonskim puževima, pteropodima), kakvi su obično taloženi na distalnim padinama. Morska je razina brzo rasla, što je dovelo do naglih promjena u istraženome taložnom prostoru. Planktonski organizmi iz lapora upućuju na NN5 nanoplanktonsku zonu srednjega badena, pa se tonjenje rampe može povezati s početkom transgresivno-regresivnoga ciklusa TB 2.4.Fossiliferous Middle Miocene deposits from the surroundings of Marija Bistrica (north-east of Zagreb) transgressively overly older pre-Cenozoic bedrocks. Fossils from shallow marine environments are in most cases preserved as bioclasts, while deep marine calcareous oozes characterize the pelagic marls. The age of the transgressive sequence is estimated on the basis of planktic biota from marls (foraminifera, nannoplankton and pteropods) as the Badenian NN5 Nannozone. The following palaeoenvironments can be distinguished or presumed on the basis of biota and sedimentary features: (1) beach characterized by polymictic conglomerates with rhodolith-rich carbonate matrix; (2) oyster banks, recognized from secondarily found oyster clusters; (3) lagoons marked with compact bioclastic deposits and rhodolith-halimeda assemblage; (4) patch-reefs recognized from the surrounding bioclastic deposits; (5) shallow subtidal mäerl beds preserved as loose bioclastic deposits and (6) distal slope argillaceous marls with pelagic biota. Palaeoenvironmental analyses indicate rapid drowning, most probably corresponding to the transgression during the Middle Badenian TB 2.4 3rd order transgressive-regressive sequence

Variable sources of beach sands of north Adriatic islands: examples from Rab and Susak

The composition of beach sands from the Islands of Rab and Susak (northern Adriatic) has been studied in order to determine how individual beaches are supplied with detritus. The beaches on both islands are composed of quartz dominated siliciclastic sand, with subordinate carbonate content. Three end-member heavy mineral assemblages have been identified among the studied beach sands, each one associated with a specifi c source rock: (1) a garnet dominated assemblage and (2) a zircon, rutile and tourmaline dominated assemblage on Rab Island, as well as (3) an assemblage dominated by unstable minerals on Susak Island. Sands from individual beaches contain one of these specific assemblages or display a mixing of two varieties. The end-member assemblages are very comparable with those of Eocene and Pleistocene sediments which crop out on the two islands, identifying them as the principal sources of detritus. Cretaceous and Eocene carbonate rocks, although present to a considerable extent in the study area, have shown to be a negligible source of sandy material. Thus, the supply of detritus to the beaches is primarily controlled by erosion of siliciclastic rocks in the immediate or nearby hinterland