engleski

Some observations of the speleomorphology and speleogenesis on the exhumed karst plain (on the example of the Slunj karst plain, Dinaric karst, Croatia)

The Slunj karst plain is built of the Mesozoic carbonate rocks. On some locations there are the Neogene clastic lacustrine sediments, usually occurring as denudational remains. Primarily, the Neogene sediments covered the biggest part of the plain with well developed surface hydrographic net. Because of the Neogene sediments denudation, the Mesozoic carbonate rocks were exhumed and karstification led to disorganization of the surface hydrographic net. In such conditions a lot of ponor zones and associated caves were developed. Primary, the cave genesis was mainly lateral, in phreatic (tube morphology) and/or in vadose (canyon morphology) zone. Change of the stress direction in the neotectonic phase led to the genesis of pull-apart basins and hills with pop-up structure. Because of the neotectonic rising of pop-up structures some of lateral cave channels became dry and new vertical shafts started to develop. These shafts represent the youngest speleogenesis phase. This paper deals with the comparison between the underground and surface forms development.

Speleomorphology; speleogenesis; karst plateau; Dinaric karst; Croatia

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