Do benthic diatom assemblages reflect abiotic typology: a case study of Croatian streams and rivers

Benthic diatoms are widely used in Europe and worldwide to access ecological status of running waters. One of key goals of Water Framework Directive is to classify rivers and streams using biological quality elements and type specific reference conditions. According to system B which incorporates additional abiotic descriptors, there are 24 water types in Croatia. For biological analyses 92 rivers and streams with 140 sampling points were chosen and sampled for benthic diatoms and water chemistry simultaneously. Self organizing map (SOM) analysis was used to define biotypes from species composition and abundance of benthic diatoms. Grouping of samples in SOM resulted in 10 distinctive groups. Based on their geographical position and site characteristics, groups represent sites with similar properties (as waterbed, catchment size, altitude, size of stream) belonging to different ecoregions in Croatia. Analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences (p<0.05) among SOM groups concerning ammonia, nitrates and total phosphorus. Indicator species analysis (IndVal) singled out species that were significantly characteristic (p<0.05) for SOM and abiotic types. Compared to abiotic groups, in which 7 out of 24 have no indicator species, all SOM groups have one or several characteristic diatom species, thus indicating diatom assemblages as valuable site descriptors. Canonical analysis of principal coordinates analysis also indicated that SOM grouping of samples is statistically reliable. Grouping of similar sites, although placed into different abiotic types, makes SOM groups with its corresponding representative species an easy tool for water quality assessment and description of reference assemblage

Divergent drift of Adriatic-Dinaridic and Moesian carbonate platforms during the rifting phase witnessed by triassic MVT Pb-Zn and SEDEX deposits; a metallogenic approach

Early-intracontinental rifting of Pangea is result of thermal doming in Uppermost Permian time giving rise to the formation of horst-graben  structures, followed by slow subsidence, marine transgression and evaporate deposition. Consequence of incipient magmatism are numerous geothermal fields and subterrestrial hydrothermal siderite-barite-polysulfide deposits (PALINKAŠ et al, this issue). Advanced rifting magmatism as a successive stage in Middle Triassic brought intensive submarine volcanism, accompanied by coeval sedimentation of chert and siliciclastics, building up volcanogenic-sedimentary formations. Volcanic activity with explosive phases and generation of large volumes of pyroclastic rocks in the rifts produced concomitant mineralization with numerous SEDEX deposits of Fe-Mn-Ba-polysulfides. Passive continental margins flanked by the Adria-Dinaridic carbonate platform as passive continental margin of the northern Gondwanaland and Moesian carbonate platform, as a counterpart on the European passive continental margin, were divergently drifted in the coarse of the advanced rifting. A fast growing carbonate platforms, developing gradually, covered  evidences of the earlier intracontinental rifting and their ore formations. On the other hand, the carbonate platforms themselves host specific Pb-Zn deposit, well known as Mississippi valley type, (MVT) or Bleiberg-Mežica type according the traditional european terminology. Triassic MVT and SEDEX deposits are symmetrically situated on the both sides of the divergent passive margins in this early history of the Tethyan ocean.</p

Carbon stable isotope composition of modern and archaeological Cornelian cherry fruit stones: a pilot study

The carbon stable isotope content of Cornelian cherry stones collected from wild tree stands in Serbia, SE Europe, was measured using elemental analyser-isotope ratio mass spectrometry, with the aim of recording natural carbon isotope composition of the fruit stones and its possible variation. The results show a significant variation in the carbon isotope values; we identified several environmental factors that, along with a number of other possible determinants, likely contributed to this variation. The obtained data are compared with the measurement of carbon isotope content of an archaeological specimen of Cornelian cherry stone discovered at the Neolithic site of Vina (ca. 5600-4500 BC) in Serbia. Notwithstanding the limitedness of the data and the complexity surrounding carbon fractionation and the isotopic variation, it is suggested that the differences/similarities in carbon isotope ratios between modern and archaeological Cornelian cherry stones, when measured for much larger assemblages, could potentially offer a glimpse into growing conditions of Cornelian cherry trees in the past

The tectonic evolution of a critical segment of the Dinarides‐Alps connection: Kinematic and geochronological inferences from the Medvednica Mountains, NE Croatia

The transition zone between the Alps and Dinarides is a key area to investigate kinematic interactions of neighboring orogens with different subduction polarities. A study combining field kinematic and sedimentary data, microstructural observations, thermochronological data (Rb‐Sr and fission track), and regional structures in the area of Medvednica Mountains has revealed a complex polyphase tectonic evolution. We document two novel stages of extensional exhumation. The first stage of extension took place along a Late Cretaceous detachment following the late Early Cretaceous nappe stacking, burial, and greenschist facies metamorphism. Two other shortening events that occurred during the latest Cretaceous‐Oligocene were followed by a second event of extensional exhumation, characterized by asymmetric top‐NE extension during the Miocene. Top‐NW thrusting took place subsequently during the Pliocene inversion of the Pannonian Basin. The Cretaceous nappe burial, Late Cretaceous extension, and the Oligocene(‐Earliest Miocene) contraction are events driven by the Alps evolution. In contrast, the latest Cretaceous‐Eocene deformation reflects phases of Dinaridic contraction. Furthermore, the Miocene extension and subsequent inversion display kinematics similar with observations elsewhere in the Dinarides and Eastern Alps. All these processes demonstrate that the Medvednica Mountains were affected by Alpine phases of deformations to a much higher degree than previously thought. Similarly with what has been observed in other areas of contractional polarity changes, such as the Mediterranean, Black Sea, or New Guinea systems, the respective tectonic events are triggered by rheological weak zones which are critical for localizing the deformation created by both orogens