New data on pre-Eocene karst in the Tatra Mountains, Central Carpathians, Poland

Sparry limestone, ferruginous muddy limestone and limestone breccia have been found in the Western Tatra Mts. They occur within Jurassic rocks of the Choč Nappe just below red conglomerates of probable Eocene age. The deposits found bear strong resemblance to the infill of subterranean karst forms. They differ significantly from Quaternary karst deposits of the Tatra Mts. The δ18O values of spelean carbonates suggest crystallisation at relatively high temperatures (over 20°C) whereas their relatively negative δ13C values imply the presence of soil-derived CO_2 linked with vegetation dominated by C3 pathway plants. The karst forms and their infill were formed before the Eocene transgression, which shows unequivocally that the Tatra Mts. were subjected to karstification at that time

Age of black coloured laminae within speleothems from Domica cave and its significance for dating of prehistoric human settlement

The paper deals with the black coloured laminae which occur within speleothems in Domica cave (Slovakia). The laminae are composed of non completely carbonized organic compounds and charcoal particles. The components were formed during combustion of plant material, mainly wood, inside the cave. Thus, they are a by-product of human activity inside the cave. The radiocarbon ages of organic fraction of these laminae fall between 6460 and 6640 cal BP and 7160 and 7330 cal BP. These dates indicate that the origin of the laminae is connected with two episodes of prehistoric occupation of the cave. The first one should be related either to later part of Gemer Linear Pottery or to early Bükk culture populations. The second episode refers to the youngest phase of human occupation in Domica cave reflecting the last period of Bükk populations' existence in the Slovak Karst

High-Reesolution Magnetostratigraphy of Speleothems from Snežna jama, Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Slovenia

Snežna jama je velika vodoravna fosilna epifreatična jama. Leži v grebenu Raduhe, V delu Kamniško Savinjskih Alp v SV Sloveniji. V bližini vhoda je v jami v okrog 3 m visok prerezu razgaljeno zaporedje plasti sig s številnimi prekinitvami rasti in izdatno terigeno komponento v spodnjem delu. V 2,4 m dolgem zveznem profilu smo vzeli zaporedne vzorce , ki smo jih proučili z termalno demagnetizacijsko metodo in metodo spreminjajočega magnetnega polja. Magnetostratigrafske analize so pokazale 7 normalnih in 6 reverznih magnetocon. Magnetne lastnosti se dobro ujemajo z litološko mejo v profilu sige. Spodnji del profila kaže večjo magnetno susceptibilnost in močnejšo remanentno magnetizacijo. Sprememba lastnosti v profilu nakazuje pomembno paleogeografsko spremembo v času nastajanja sige. Starost sige sega izven dosega datacijske metode alfa spektrometrične analize U razpadne vrste; ravnotežje U izotopov pa nakazuje starost večjo od 1,2 Ma. Najbolj verjetna starost sige, ki jo dobimo z korelacijo s primerjavo z geomagnetno časovno skalo je bodisi 3,0 do 5,0 ali 1.8 do 3.6 Ma. Starost jame lahko primerjamo z nekaterimi brezstropimi jamami na krasu v JZ Sloveniji, kjer sedimentacijo v jamah postavljamo v mesinsko obdobje. Snežna jama je bila dvignjena v sedanjo višino z mlajšimi (plio-pleistocenskimi) dvigovanji Alpskega loka.The Snežna jama Cave is located in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, NE Slovenia, in a Raduha Ridge. The cave is a huge, more or less horizontal fossil phreatic/epiphreatic conduit. It is penetrated by vertical shafts – invasion vadose (proglacial) caves. Close to the cave entrance, there is about 3 m high wall composed of speleothems - a complex sequence of flowstone with numerous breaks in deposition, six of them are principal. The lower part of the profile (about 85 cm) contains abundant terrigenous component (terra rossa-derived clay). Stalagmites developed in several periods are completely buried by nearly horizontal younger sequences of flowstone. Continuous speleothem log was recovered from the profile in a total length of about 2.4 m. The rock column was cut to cubes in the laboratory (2x2x2 cm) and studied both by thermal demagnetisation (23 samples, 12 steps - 20 to 620 ¡C) and alternating field method (98 samples, 14 steps - 1 to 100 mT). Magnetic properties identified the lithological boundary. In contrast to the upper part, the lower one shows both higher magnetic susceptibility and higher remanent magnetisation. The turn point can indicate important palaeogeographical change. Magnetostratigraphic log is composed of 7 normal and 6 reverse polarised magnetozones. The age of speleothems detected by the U-series alpha-counting spectrometry falls outside the method range, i.e. over 350 ka. Uranium isotopic equilibria indicate the age over 1.2 Ma. The age of the fill is pre-Quaternary, clearly older than 1.77 Ma. The most probable age from correlation with geomagnetic polarity timescales is about 3.0 to 5.0 or 1.8 to 3.6 Ma. Both possibilities can indicate the growth rate of speleothems of about 1.1 to 1.3 m per 1 Ma. The age of speleogenesis can be compared to some of unroofed caves in the area of the Classical Karst (SW Slovenia) connected with the Messinian period. Snežna jama was uplifted to high altitudes by younger (Plio-Pleistocene) uplift of the Alpine chain

Holocene tufa in the Slovak Karst : facies, sedimentary environments and depositional history

Several tufa complexes are known in the Slovak Karst which is a typical karst area of a temperate climate. This area is built of Mesozoic carbonates, mainly Triassic in age. The karst systems drain carbonate plateaux and lead water to resurgences located in valleys which are up to 300 m deep. Below the resurgences there are Holocene fossil tufa deposits that exceed 12 m in thickness. The tufas include stromatolite, moss, phytoclastic, oncoidal, and intraclastic facies. Extensive barrages which once dammed the upper reaches of the streams were formed in narrow valleys. They are composed predominantly of moss facies and stromatolites, with subordinate oncoidal and phytoclastic facies. Phytoclastic, oncoidal and intraclastic facies are dominant in dammed segments of streams, and include gastropod shells and charcoal fragments. Some small moss cushions are also developed. Barrages and dammed areas formed in a longitudinal fluvial depositional system. Conversely, below resurgences located on plateau slopes tufas of a perched springline depositional system were formed. These comprise deposits of prograding cascades constructed by moss, phytoclastic and stromatolitic facies. Presently, the tufas analysed are inactive. They stopped growing in the Late Holocene time, after which there was abrupt incision of the streams. This caused downcutting into Holocene tufas, in some places reaching Mesozoic bedrock. At present tufa is being precipitated from streams in all the sites studied

Peculiar calcite speleothems filling fissures in calcareous sandstones and their palaeohydrological and palaeoclimatic significance : an example from the Polish Carpathians

Peculiar calcite speleothems developed in fissures in the Cergowa Sandstones were found in the Klęczany Quarry (Polish Western Carpathians). They represent flowstone and stalactites, rafts and various sparry crusts. Such speleothems, especially phreatic ones, are uncommon in the Outer Carpathians that are composed mainly of siliciclastic rocks of flysch type, with only limited calcium carbonate content. The speleothems analysed grew in vadose and phreatic conditions as well as at the air-water interface. Phreatic speleothems and thin rafts comprise calcite crystals of eccentric morphology. Based on their stable isotope composition the majority of the speleothems form two clusters. The first is characterized by d18O values between -9.8 and -8.5‰ and of d13C values between -5.7 and -0.6‰ whereas the second cluster of samples yields d18O values between -9.4 and -7.3‰ and d13C values from -11.5 to -9.7‰. Speleothems grew between 230+14-13 ka and Holocene time. Phreatic speleothems, including massive rafts, precipitated from ascending water of deep circulation whereas vadose and water table speleothems crystallized from local infiltration water charged with soil CO2. Mixing of both waters in the shallow phreatic zone is plausible

Palaeomagnetic and U-series Dating of Cave Sediments in Baradla Cave, Hungary

Drobnozrnati siliklastični sedimenti glavne galerije in gornjega nivoja jame Baradla, izkazujejo veliko homogenost v zgradbi in sedimentnih teksturah. Paleomagnetne analize kažejo normalno polarizacijo vseh vzorcev, kar pomeni starost, ki je mlajša od meje Brunhes/Matuyama pri 780 ka. Siga oz. stalagmiti, ki pokrivajo siliklaste v gornjem jamskem nivoju, vsebujejo tudi reverzno polarizirane vzorce, katerih datacije z uran torijevo metodo kažejo na starost 114-115 ka, kar nakazuje na dogodek Blake. Homogenost sedimentov lahko razložimo z enkratnim dogodkom, kjer je zapolnitev s sedimentom povzročil zastoj pretoka. Temu so lahko botrovali geološki (npr. podor) ali paleoklimatski vzroki pred približno 130-150 ka, kolikor je tudi najvišja starost sedientov v sistemu Domica-Baradla izmerjena z metodo uran-torij. Fine-grained siliciclastic sediments from the main gallery and upper cave level show nearly uniform composition and sedimentary textures. Palaeomagnetic analysis indicates normal magnetic polarisation of all samples, i.e. the age younger than Brunhes/Matuyama boundary at 780 ka. Flowstone/stalagmite covering siliciclastics in the upper cave level contains reverse polarised samples dated by U-series method to about 114–115 ka, which can be identified as the Blake Event. The uniform composition of sediments can indicate the infill of the cave during a single event caused by the blockage of drainage routes due to geological (collapse) or palaeoclimatic (ice) changes, which took part before ca 130 to 150 ka as indicating by the oldest U-series data from the whole Domica–Baradla Cave System.

Ascending speleogenesis of Sokola Hill : a step towards a speleogenetic model of the Polish Jura

The paper deals with the origin of caves in Sokola Hill (Polish Jura). The caves abound ill solution cavities hi the walls and ceilings, many of them arranged hierarchically, some others arranged in rising sets. Blind chimneys and ceiling half-tubes are also present. These features collectively indicate that the caves originated under plireatic conditions by an ascending flow of water, probably of elevated temperature. Plireatic calcite spar, crystallized from water of elevated temperature, lines the cave walls. During the formation of die caves the Jurassic limestone aquifer was confined by impermeable cover. Three possible scenarios for the origin of the caves are suggested. The first scenario points to formation of the caves during the Palaeogene prior to the removal of the confining Cretaceous marls. The second connects the origin of the caves with regional palaeoflow driven by tectonic loading by Carpathian nappes to the south, while die diird refers to local topographically driven palaeoflow. Bodi die second and diird scenarios assume diat die Polish Jura had a cover of Miocene impermeable elastics. All die scenarios account for die origin of die caves in Sokola Hill and explain die common occurrence of ascending caves throughout die Polish Jura. hi die subsequent stages of evolution die caves were partly filled widi various deposits. Conglomerates composed of Jurassic limestone clasts, quartz sands and sandstones are preserved as erosional remnants, locally covered by or interfmgered widi calcite flowstones. The clastic deposits were laid down by surface streams diat invaded die caves earlier dian 1.2 Ma. The caves were not invaded by water from Pleistocene glaciers, which is proved by die assemblage of heavy minerals in die cave elastics

Križna jama (SW Slovenia): Numerical-and correlated-ages from cave bear-bearing sediments

Križna jama is a large river cave located between Loško and Cerkniško poljes under Križna gora Mount in southern Slo­venia. It has been known since the mid-19thcentury due to numerous cave bear finds. The cave is filled by complicated sequences of cave fluvial and lacustrine sediments, whichare recently partly eroded. We studied two paleontological exca­vations and profiles in the Medvedji rov to contribute to the solution of dating of bone-bearing lithological horizons. The Križna jama I profile consists of alternation of speleothem lay­ers (flowstone sheets withsmall stalagmites, sometimes within situ cemented Ursus gr. spelaeus bones) and fine-grained silici­clastics often withbones of cave bear. It can be correlated withthe upper part of the Križna jama II profile, but witha slightly less preserved stratigraphic record. Radiocarbon and U-series dates clearly indicate two different ages of cave bear thanato­cenoses in the Križna jama I profile: those above flowstone crusts were dated to ca. 47–45 ka by radiocarbon dating; those included in speleothem layers and clay interbeds are older than 94 ka (U-series date). The details of internal lithology, low thicknesses of layers and the state of bone preservation exclude expected sandwiching of younger layers into eroded/washed spaces among flowstones. Numerical dating excludes re-depo­sition of bear bones from older assemblage to sediments above flowstones. According to the paleomagnetic parameters (pre­vailing normal polarization), the deposition took place within the Brunhes Chron (< 780 ka). There were discovered in total four short-lived reverse excursions of the magnetic field. Ac­cording to U-series data, the upper one (profile I) might be correlated withthe Blake excursion. The lower ones are older than ca 190 ka and can be correlated withsome of the Jamaica-Pringle Falls, Namaku, Calabrian Ridge, Portuguese margin or Calabrian Ridge 1 excursions. Sediments in studied profiles were deposited during the Last Glacial (Weichselian), Eemian interglacial, Saalian glacial and Holsteinian interglacial

A cave response to environmental changes in the Late Pleistocene: a study of Budimirica Cave sediments, Macedonia

Budimirica Cave is a small cave located in the southern part of the Republic of Macedonia, inthe Kamenica Valley, a tributary to the Crna Reka and part of the Vardar river drainage network.The response of the cave to Late Pleistocene environmental changes is interpreted based on adetailed study of cave sediments, with previous data being supplemented, reinterpreted andcompared to the Ohrid Lake palaeoclimate record. The oldest exposed speleothems in the Budimiricasediment profile were deposited during the MIS 5a (radiometric age of ca 83 ka). Sandsto clays in the overburden are characterized by cycles separated by short-lived interruptions indeposition. They were deposited from a number of repeated flood events likely during the MIS4 stage, the Weichselian (Wurmian) Glaciation, correlating to aggradation in the Kamenica Valley.The top flowstone is correlated with a warmer climate excursion at 45–50 ka (MIS 3) recordedfrom the Ohrid Lake deposits. The whole section was extensively eroded during the MIS 2stage, due to strong incision in the Kamenica Valley, indicated by knickpoint retreat. The erosionsurface is overlain by a fossil-bearing breccia (with Ursus spelaeus) derived from frost shatteringof the cave walls close to the entrance due to climate deterioration and enlargement of theentrance by slope retreat during the MIS 2 stage. Budimirica Cave sediments reflect changes inthe Kamenica Valley, as well as the environmental changes during the last glacial-interglacialcycle, with clastic cave sediments deposited during glacial stadials, and erosion and flowstonedeposition characteristic of the interstadials. They also allow reconstruction of the evolution ofthe Kamenica Valley during the Late Pleistocene, with a general trend of valley incision hinderedby climate influenced river aggradation, but reinforced by river knickpoint retreat.</p

Low to middle Pleistocene paleoclimatic record from the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (Poland) based on isotopic and calcite fabrics analyses

The quality of paleoenvironmental reconstruction based on speleothem records depends on the accuracy of the used proxies and the chronology of the studied record. As far as the dating method is concerned, in most cases, the best solution is the use of the U-series method to obtain a precise chronology. However, for older periods (i.e., over 0.5 Ma), dating has become a serious challenge. Theoretically, older materials could be dated with the U-Pb dating method. However, that method re-quires a relatively high uranium content (minimum of several ppm), whereas typical speleothems from Poland (and all of Central Europe) have uranium concentrations below 0.1 ppm. Because the materials in Polish caves are problematic, we applied oxygen isotope stratigraphy (OIS) as a tool for speleothem dating. By using OIS as an alternative tool to create a chronology of our flowstone, it was found that the studied flowstone crystallized from 975 to 470 ka with three major discontinuities, so obtained isotopic record can be correlated with oxygen isotopic stages from MIS 24 to MIS 12. The observed isotopic variability was also consistent and confirmed with the petrographic observations of the flowstone