Stratigraphy and geological structure of the Magura Nappe in the south-western part of the Gorce Mountains, Outer Carpathians, Poland

The south-western part of the Gorce Mts (Outer Carpathians) is composed of flysch deposits of the Krynica and Bystrica subunits of the Magura Nappe. The Krynica Subunit includes the Late Cretaceous–Paleocene Ropianka Fm, the Early Eocene Beloveža Fm, the Early Eocene–Oligocene Magura Fm and the Oligocene–Early Miocene Malcov Fm, while the Bystrica Subunit includes the Middle Eocene–?Oligocene Magura Fm, represented mainly by the thick-bedded Magura Sandstone. Thin- and medium-bedded sandstone-shale turbidites predominate in the other formations. The lithostratigraphic units are dated on the basis of foraminifers. The studied deposits accumulated in the southern part of the Magura Basin. Their detrital material was derived from a ridge, bounding the basin in the south. In the study area, the Krynica Subunit overthrusts the Bystrica Subunit. The studied deposits are folded, thrust and cut by numerous faults. The Turbacz Thrust Sheet and the newly identified Kudłoń Thrust Sheet were distinguished in the Krynica Subunit. Faults of different lengths and throws are transverse or oblique. Some of them form complex dislocation zones with lengths of up to several km. In general, the high-resolution digital elevation model DEM contributed significantly to progress in the geological and geomorphological research

Selected geoinformation analyses in the study of relation between geology and morphology of the Chabówka-Jordanów Depression

W pracy przedstawiono wyniki badań związków budowy geologicznej z rzeźbą terenu na obszarze Obniżenia Chabówki-Jordanowa. W badaniach tych wykorzystano oprogramowanie GIS oraz narzędzia, jakie ono oferuje, a także metody teledetekcyjne. Zastosowano również metodę lineamentów na bazie interpretacji zapisu cyfrowego modelu wysokościowego. Badany teren mający pogórską morfologię jest wyraźnie obniżony w stosunku do otaczających go pasm Beskidów, czego dowodzą mniejsze wysokości wzniesień oraz wartości wysokości względnych. Jest to związane z tektoniką podłoża. Decyduje ona o tym, że w obrębie Obniżenia Chabówki-Jordanowa mamy do czynienia z zapadliskiem śródgórskim. Przeprowadzone analizy pozwoliły na stwierdzenie, że grzbiety na tym terenie uformowane są przede wszystkim w gruboławicowych piaskowcach formacji magurskiej, a obniżenia i doliny w utworach starszych reprezentowanych przez łupki i kompleksy piaskowcowo-łupkowe. Kierunek przebiegu głównych grzbietów oraz części dolin w większości dowiązuje do kierunków głównych struktur fałdowych. Wyznaczone lineamenty na ogół pokrywały się z uskokami w terenie. Metoda ta pozwoliła na stwierdzenie, że część dolin rzecznych wykorzystuje uskoki poprzeczneThis study presents the results of researches on correlation between geological structure and terrain morphology of the Orawa-Jordanów Depression. GIS tools and software, as well as remote sensing methods were used in the investigations. Lineaments method basing on DEM data was applied too. The research area bearing foothill morphology is distinctly depressed from the surrounding it Beskidy ranges. The foothills are characterized by lower high peek and relative highs than the Beskids Morphology of the Chabówka-Jordanów. Depression is associated with tectonic structure. The tectonics determines that Chabówka-Jordanów Depression is intermountain tectonic trough. Completed analysis allowed to conclude, that ridges on this terrain are mainly formed of the thick-bedded sandstones of the Magura Formation, and depressions and valleys are dissected in older rocks represented by shale and sandstone-shale complexes. Directions of the main ridges and valleys are parallel to extensions of the main fold structures. Lineaments marked in studied terrain correlate mainly with faults. The lineaments method allowed to conclude that some of valleys exploit the transverse faults

Geology of the Magura Nappe in the Osielec area with emphasis on an Eocene olistostrome with metabasite olistoliths (Outer Carpathians, Poland)

The Magura Nappe in the Polish sector of the Outer Carpathians consists of four tectonic subunits characterized by differing development of facies. From the south to the north, they include the Siary, Rača, Bystrica and Krynica subunits. The sedimentary succession in the Rača Subunit in the vicinity of the village of Osielec is composed of Campanian Palaeogene flysch deposited in the Magura Basin. In this succession, the Middle Eocene Pasierbiec Sandstone Fm consists of thick-bedded sandstones and conglomerates with occasional intercalations of thin-bedded shale-sandstone flysch. Within the Pasierbiec Sandstone Fm at Osielec there is an olistostrome, rich in pebbles and cobbles of exotic rocks. In addition, large blocks of Neoproterozoic metabasites and boulders of Palaeogene organogenic limestones were found. The discovery of metabasites raised the possibility that the rocks in question could be evidence of supposed oceanic crust in the basement of the Magura sedimentary basin, because of the suggestion that they represent the Alpine orogenic cycle. This concept was abandoned when investigations of the absolute age of the metabasites gave a date of ca. 600 Ma. In the Osielec area, there are two tectonic thrust sheets in the Rača Subunit, namely the Osielczyk Thrust Sheet in the north and the Bystra Thrust Sheet in the south; they are folded and cut by a transverse system of strike-slip and oblique faults. The Osielczyk Thrust Sheet was overthrust northwards on to the Siary Subunit

Geoturystyczne walory Gorczańskiego Parku Narodowego i jego otoczenia (Karpaty Zewnętrzne, Polska)

The Gorce Mountains are a picturesque range in the Polish sector of the Outer Carpathians. They are built with turbiditic deposits, representing sedimentary successions of the Krynica and Bystrica Subunits of the Magura Nappe, Late Cretaceous- Paleogene in age. In the Gorce Mts. the majority of lithostratigraphic divisions representing discussed subunits are very well exposed in numerous outcrops. The deposits of the Magura Nappe are folded, locally thrust, and cut by the strike-slip and oblique fault system. This nappe in the Gorce Mts. covers tectonically units of the Foremagura Group of Nappes, which crop out in two tectonic windows. From Rabka-Zdrój and Szczawa mineral waters are well known. Morphology of the Gorces Mts. is varied. A lot of rock tors occur there, as well as landslides, often extensive. Good localizations, varied geology, great land relief and rich live nature, as well as the highlander culture and monuments make the Gorce Mts. an area of high geotouristic potential.Gorce są malowniczym pasmem w polskiej części Zachodnich Karpat Zewnętrznych. Są one zbudowane z turbidytowych, późnokredowo-paleogeńskich utworów reprezentujących osadowe sukcesje krynickiej i bystrzyckiej podjednostki płaszczowiny magurskiej. W Gorcach większość wydzieleń litostratygraficznych reprezentujących wspomniane podjednostki jest bardzo dobrze eksponowana w licznych odsłonięciach. Utwory płaszczowiny magurskiej są sfałdowane, lokalnie złuskowane i pocięte systemem poprzecznych i ukośnych uskoków. Płaszczowina magurska w Gorcach przykrywa tektonicznie jednostki przedmagurskiej grupy płaszczowin, które odsłaniają się w dwu tektonicznych oknach. W Rabce-Zdroju i w Szczawie wykorzystywane są wody mineralne. Rzeźba Gorców jest zróżnicowana. Występują tu liczne skałki oraz osuwiska, często rozległe. Dogodna lokalizacja, interesująca budowa geologiczna, wspaniała rzeźba tego pasma, bogata fauna i fora oraz dziedzictwo kulturalne miejscowej ludności wpływają na duży potencjał geoturystyczny Gorców

The Ropianka Formation of the Bystrica Zone (Magura Nappe, Outer Carpathians) : proposal for a new reference section in northwestern Orava

The thin- and medium-bedded, turbiditic deposits that are exposed in the Bystrica Zone of the Magura Nappe in the Slovak Orava region are the subject of this study. On the basis of lithological features as well as age and stratigraphic position, they are assigned to the Ropianka Formation. The very well exposed rocks of this formation, recognized in the Biela Farma profile in the Slovak part of the northwestern Orava region, are compared with analogous deposits in the Polish Orava and the Beskid Wysoki Mountains. Lithological and biostratigraphical documentation of the Ropianka Formation is presented. This documentation allowed the determination of the age of the rocks studied. Abundant and taxonomically diverse foraminiferal assemblages of agglutinated, benthonic and occasional planktonic forms indicate a Middle Paleocene age for the upper part of the Ropianka Fm. A new stratigraphic position for the Szczawina Sandstone, considered to be a member of the Ropianka Fm, is proposed. The lithostratigraphy of the Ropianka Fm in the Magura Nappe in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic requires further investigation, including the establishment of new type and reference sections. The large outcrop at Biela Farma should be taken into consideration as a potential reference section. Studies of the new sections will lead to a new monographic elaboration of the Ropianka Fm in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic

Mapping grasslands’ preservation potential : a case study from the northern Carpathians

The grasslands which are an important part of an ecosystem are endangered due to abandonment of traditional forms of land use. Preservation of biodiversity of semi-natural grassland communities is of great importance, therefore it is important to identify threats and prepare a sustainable plan for their protection The goal of this study was to develop an approach to predict threatened grasslands hotspots, basing on multi-factor machine learning analyses. The Gorce Mountains in the Polish Carpathians were chosen as a study area, as it is region partially protected by National Park, surrounded by villages with different socio-economic conditions (agriculture or touristic oriented). The grasslands were identified and classified on Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery. As lack of regular mowing of grasslands was found as main factor promoting forest succession. Therefore, in order to find endangered grasslands areas, support vector machines' algorithm was used to classify them in mowed and unmowed categories. Then the preservation potential of grasslands was modeled with the random forest method, based on the grasslands' mowing classification, digital terrain model, land-use and population statistical data, and the historical forest extent. We found the grasslands above 750 m above sea level to be the most endangered. Also, the tourism activity and ongoing changes in employment structure from agriculture to services has had a negative influence on the grasslands preservation potential. On the other hand, the Gorce National Park's active grassland conservation by mowing and grazing was shown as a positive element in keeping with the high biodiversity of the area

Geotouristic values of the Gorce National Park and its surroundings (The Outer Carpathians, Poland) // Geoturystyczne walory Gorczańskiego Parku Narodowego i jego otoczenia (Karpaty Zewnętrzne, Polska)

The Gorce Mountains are a picturesque range in the Polish sector of the Outer Carpathians. They are built with turbiditic deposits, representing sedimentary successions of the Krynica and Bystrica Subunits of the Magura Nappe, Late Cretaceous-Paleogene in age. In the Gorce Mts. the majority of lithostratigraphic divisions representing discussed subunits are very well exposed in numerous outcrops. The deposits of the Magura Nappe are folded, locally thrust, and cut by the strike-slip and oblique fault system. This nappe in the Gorce Mts. covers tectonically units of the Foremagura Group of Nappes, which crop out in two tectonic windows. From Rabka-Zdrój and Szczawa mineral waters are well known. Morphology of the Gorces Mts. is varied. A lot of rock tors occur there, as well as landslides, often extensive. Good localizations, varied geology, great land relief and rich live nature, as well as the highlander culture and monuments make the Gorce Mts. an area of high geotouristic potential. //Gorce są malowniczym pasmem w polskiej części Zachodnich Karpat Zewnętrznych. Są one zbudowane z turbidytowych, późnokredowo-paleogeńskich utworów reprezentujących osadowesukcesje krynickiej i bystrzyckiej podjednostki płaszczowiny magurskiej. W Gorcach większość wydzieleń litostratygraficznych reprezentujących wspomniane podjednostki jest bardzo dobrzeeksponowana w licznych odsłonięciach. Utwory płaszczowiny magurskiej są sfałdowane, lokalnie złuskowane i pocięte systemem poprzecznych i ukośnych uskoków. Płaszczowina magurskaw Gorcach przykrywa tektonicznie jednostki przedmagurskiej grupy płaszczowin, które odsłaniają się w dwu tektonicznych oknach. W Rabce-Zdroju i w Szczawie wykorzystywane są wody mineralne. Rzeźba Gorców jest zróżnicowana. Występują tu liczne skałki oraz osuwiska, często rozległe. Dogodna lokalizacja, interesująca budowa geologiczna, wspaniała rzeźba tego pasma, bogata fauna i fora oraz dziedzictwo kulturalne miejscowej ludności wpływają na duży potencjał geoturystyczny Gorców