Chronology of heterogeneous deposits in the side entrance of Postojna Cave, Slovenia

Mateja Ferk; Matej Lipar; Andrej Šmuc; Russell N. Drysdale; Jian Zhao

doi:10.3986/AGS.7059

Authors

Mateja Ferk Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Matej Lipar Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Andrej Šmuc Department of Geology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana
Russell N. Drysdale School of Geography, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne
Jian Zhao School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.7059

Keywords:

Geography, geoscience, geology, karst, stratigraphy, dating, <SUP>14</SUP>C, U/Th

Abstract

The development of the tourist trail in the side passage Rov Novih Podpisov of Postojna Cave in 2002 exposed an over four metres thick sedimentary succession characterised by horizontal flowstone layers intercalated between fine-grained fluvial sediments, and gravel deposits that record past environmental changes. The time of the flowstone deposition was determined by radiocarbon and uranium-thorium dating techniques. The results yielded three distinctive age groups of flowstone facies of 33 ka, 103 ka and 153 ka. These results also indicate that flowstone deposition has not been limited solely to periods of warm climate, which suggests that environmental conditions during glacial periods in south-western Slovenia supported flowstone deposition.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Brodar, S. 1966: Pleistocenski sediment in paleolitska najdišča v Postojnski jami. Acta Carsologica 4.

Brodar, S. 1969: Latest Palaeolithic discoveries in the Postojna Caves. Acta Archaeologica 20.

Buser, S., Grad, K., Pleničar, M. 1967: Osnovna geološka karta SFRJ 1:100.000, list Postojna. Savezni geološki zavod. Beograd.

Cave Register 2018. Speleological Association of Slovenia. Ljubljana.

Domínguez-Villar, D., Lojen, S., Krklec, K., Kozdon, R., Edwards, R. L., Cheng, H. 2018: Ion microprobe δ18O analyses to calibrate slow growth rate speleothem records with regional δ18O records of precipitation. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 482. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.11.012

Drysdale, R. N., Hellstrom, J. C., Zanchetta, G., Fallick, A. E., Sánchez Goñi, M. F., Couchoud, I., McDonald, J., Maas, R., Lohmann, G., Isola, I. 2009: Evidence for obliquity forcing of glacial termination II. Science 325-5947. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1170371

Farrant, A. R., Smart, P. L. 2011: Role of sediment in speleogenesis; sedimentation and paragenesis. Geomorphology 134, 1-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.06.006

Ferk, M. 2016. Paleopoplave v porečju kraške Ljubljanice. Geografija Slovenije 33. Ljubljana.

Friedrich, T., Timmermann, A., Tigchelaar, M., Timm, O. E., Ganopolski, A. 2016: Nonlinear climate sensitivity and its implications for future greenhouse warming. Science Advances 2-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1501923

Gabrovšek, F., Mihevc, A. 2009: Cave Climate: Guide-booklet for the excursions and abstracts of presentations at the 17th International Karstological School “Classical Karst”. Postojna.

Gams, I. 1966: K hidrologiji ozemlja med Postojnskim, Planinskim in Cerkniškim poljem. Acta Carsologica 4.

Gams, I. 1968: Prispevek k vprašanju starosti Postojnske jame. Naše jame 9.

Gillies, S. L. 2011: CO2 levels and Plants. What’s So Wrong with a Greenhouse? Biology on the Cutting Edge: Concepts, Issues, and Canadian Research around the Globe. Canada.

Gospodarič, R. 1969: Speleološki procesi v Postojnski jami iz mlajšega pleistocena. Naše jame 10.

Gospodarič, R. 1971: Prvi podatki o absolutni starosti sige v Postojnski jami na podlagi 14C. Naše jame 13.

Gospodarič, R. 1976: Razvoj jam med Pivško kotlino in Planinskim poljem v kvartarju. Acta Carsologica 7.

Gospodarič, R., Habič, P. 1966: Črni potok in Lekinka v sistemu podzemeljskega odtoka iz Pivške kotline. Naše jame 8.

Haldorsen, S., Jorensen, P., Rappol, M., Riezebos, P. A. 1989: Composition and source of the clay-sized fraction of Saalian till in the Netherlands. Boreas 18-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.1989.tb00377.x

Hellstrom, J. 2003: Rapid and accurate U/Th dating using parallel ion-counting multi-collector ICP-MS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/B308781F

Hellstrom, J. 2006: U–Th dating of speleothems with high initial 230Th using stratigraphical constraint. Quaternary Geochronology 1-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2007.01.004

Hohenwart, F. 1830: Wegweiser für die Wanderer in der berühmten Adelsberger und Kronprinz Ferdinands-Grotte bey Adelsberg in Krain. Laibach.

Ikeya, M., Miki, T., Gospodarič, R. 1983: ESR Dating of Postojna Cave Stalactite. Acta carsologica 11.

Lisiecki, L. E., Raymo, M. E. 2005: A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic δ18O records. Paleoceanography 20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2004PA001071

Mihevc, A. 2002: U-Th datation of the collapse processes on Velika Gora. Evolution of karst: from prekarst to cessation: programme and guide booklet for the excursions. Postojna.

Mihevc, A., Gabrovšek, F. 2012: Karst forms and processes: Guide-booklet for the excursions and abstracts of presentations at the 20th International Karstological School “Classical Karst”. Postojna.

Mihevc, A., Zupan Hajna, N. (eds.) 2004: Dating of Cave Sediments: Gu – guide-booklet for the excursions and abstracts of presentations at the 12th International Karstological School “Classical Karst”. Postojna.

Mücher, H. J., De Ploey, J. 1984: Formation of afterflow silt loam deposits and structural modification due to drying under warm conditions: an experimental and micromorphological approach. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290090606

Orehek, S. 1970: Eocenski fliš Slovenije: II. faza – Pivška kotlina in Brkini. Ljubljana.

Perko, G. A. 1910: Die Adelsberger Grotte in Wort und Bild. Adelsberg.

Pipan, T., Petrič, M., Šebela, S., Culver, D. C. 2018: Analyzing climate change and surface-subsurface interactions using the Postojna Planina Cave System (Slovenia) as a model system. Regional Environmental Change 19-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1349-z

Plaster, E. J. 1992: Soil Science and Management. New York.

Pleničar, M., Ogorelec, B., Novak, M. 2009: Geologija Slovenije/The Geology of Slovenia. Ljubljana.

Rakovec, I. 1954: Povodnji konj iz Pivške kotline. Razprave IV. razreda SAZU 2.

Schmidl, A. 1854: Die Grotten und Höhlen von Adelsberg, Lueg, Planina und Laas. Wien.

Shaw, T., Čuk, A. 2015: Slovene Karst and Caves in the Past. Ljubljana.

Sperazza, M., Moore, J. N., Hendrix, M. S. 2004: High-resolution particle size analysis of naturally occurring very fine-grained sediment through laser diffractometry. Journal of Sedimentary Research 74-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1306/031104740736

Stanley, D. J., Nir, Y., Galili, E. 1998: Clay mineral distributions to interpret Nile cell provenance and dispersal: III. Offshore margin between Nile delta and northern Israel. Journal of Coastal Research 14-1.

Stepišnik, U. 2004: The origin of sediments inside collapse dolines of Postojna karst (Slovenia). Acta Carsologica 33-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/ac.v33i1.326

Stepišnik, U. 2017: Dinarski kras: plitvi kras Zgornje Pivke. E-GeograFF 10. Ljubljana.

Šebela, S. 1998: Tektonska zgradba sistema Postojnskih jam. Ljubljana.

Šebela, S., Sasowsky, I. D. 1999: Age and magnetism of cave sediments from Postojnska jama cave system and Planinska jama cave, Slovenia. Acta Carsologica 28-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/ac.v28i2.498

Valvasor, J. W. 1689: Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain. Laybach.

Wentworth, C. K. 1922: A scale of grade and class terms for clastic sediments. Journal of Geology 30-5.

Zupan Hajna, N., Pruner, P., Mihevc, A., Bosák, P. 2008: Cave sediments from the Postojnska-Planinska cave system (Slovenia): Evidence of multi-phase evolution in epiphreatic zone. Acta Carsologica 37-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/ac.v37i1.160