Open AccessChronology of heterogeneous deposits in the side entrance of Postojna Cave, Slovenia
Author(s) -
Mateja Ferk,
Matej Lipar,
Andrej Šmuc,
Russell N. Drysdale,
Jie Zhao
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
acta geographica slovenica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.473
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1581-8314
pISSN - 1581-6613
DOI - 10.3986/ags.7059
Subject(s) - geology , radiocarbon dating , chronology , cave , deposition (geology) , facies , glacial period , paleontology , fluvial , sedimentary rock , geochemistry , archaeology , structural basin , geography
The development of the tourist trail in the side passage Rov Novih Podpisov of Postojna Cave in 2001 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.