The production of platform carbonates of the Manín Unit (Manín Straits, Central Western Carpathia... more The production of platform carbonates of the Manín Unit (Manín Straits, Central Western Carpathians) belonging to the Podhorie and Manín formations and formed by remains of rudists and benthic foraminifers (Urgonian-type carbonates), was previously assumed to terminate during the Aptian. First, we show that these deposits were primarily formed on the upper slope (Podhorie Formation) and in a fore-reef environment (Manín Formation). Second, biostratigraphic data indicate that the shallow-water production persisted up to the Albian, just as it did in another succession of the Manín Unit. The Podhorie Fm contains colomiellids (Colomiella recta, C. mexicana) and calcareous dinoflagellates (Calcisphaerula innominata) that indicate the Albian age. It also contains planktonic foraminifers (Ticinella roberti, Ticinella cf. primula, Ticinella cf. madecassiana, Ticinella cf. praeticinensis) of the Albian Ticinella primula Zone. The Podhorie Formation passes upwards into peri-reefal facies of ...
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 16, 2022
The current practice of the translation of names of chronostratigraphic units from the Internatio... more The current practice of the translation of names of chronostratigraphic units from the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (v2021/10) to Slovak language is described. Slovak version of the table contains 50 new Slovak terms. • The word origin of the new Slovak terms, inflection and derivation of adjectives are explained. • Recommended changes in Paratethys regional chronostratigraphic scale are introduced.
The Tomanová For ma tion, of Rhaetian age, over ly ing the Norian Carpathian Keuper in the Tatra ... more The Tomanová For ma tion, of Rhaetian age, over ly ing the Norian Carpathian Keuper in the Tatra Mts. is built of cy clic parasequences of mudstones and sand stones. Quartz (15 to 70 wt.%), kaolinite (13 to 46 wt.%) and 2:1 Al dioctahedral phyllosilicates (dioct 2:1: mus co vite, illite, illite/smectite: 5 to 39 wt.%) rep re sent the ma jor min eral phase. The kaolinite/dioct 2:1 ra tio de creases up wards in the sec tion (from 4.3 to 0.5) and sig nals vari abil ity in weath er ing/ero sion in ten sity and changing wa ter sa lin ity. Ma jor and trace el e ments (LILE, HSFS, REE) in di cate a uni form source-fel sic rocks lo cated prob a bly in the Vindelician High lands. The sed i men ta tion rate (83 mm/ky) was con trolled by cli mate. Al ter na tion of dry and hu mid pe riods is refered by sed i men tary tex tures and by ma tu rity of quartz (ae olian vs. flu vial grains), and or ganic mat ter con tent and com po si tion (C org and d 13 C org). Authigenic sid er ite or bethierine doc u ments wet and re duced con di tions in the up per part of the Tomanová For ma tion. The sedimention rate of the ma rine Dudzinec For ma tion at tained 25 mm/ka and the char ac ter of cy cles pre served in the se quence is sim i lar as that of the Tomanová For ma tion (fin ing up wards parasequences). How ever, the dif fer ent clay min er al ogy, the re cy cled char ac ter of the sil i cates, the dif fer ent d 13 C org and el e vated imput of car bon ate detri tus with spe cific C and O iso to pic pat terns doc u ment a dis con ti nu ity in the sec tion. The transgressive char ac ter of the Dudzinec Fm. was de duced from the strati graphic dis tri bu tion and en vi ron men tal char ac ter is tics of the ben thic foraminifera pres ent. Involutinids and spirillinids dom i nate in the lower part, endothyrinids gov ern the mid dle part, and in the up per part nodosariids and Ammodiscus-type micro fauna oc cur. These age-di ag nos tic microfossils in di cate a late Rhaetian age. Sea level rise in the Tatric Zone trig gered by ther mal ex pan sion of the Cen tral At lan tic Rift was grad ual, be ing af fected by in put of ter res trial clastic sed i ment both by fresh wa ter and by wind. The Tatric Tri as sic se quence in the West ern Carpathians helps un der stand ing of the de vel op ment of sed i men ta tion, palaeoclimate (kaolinite weath er ing), and palaeo ge ogra phy of the north ern most Tethyan Do main.
Triassic/jurassic (T/J) boundary of approximately 201 million years ago is known as a stratigraph... more Triassic/jurassic (T/J) boundary of approximately 201 million years ago is known as a stratigraphic boundary recorded one of the big five Phanerozoic mass extinctions. Catastrophic processes such as widespread eruption of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) flood basalts and extraterrestrial impacts have been proposed to account for the mass extinction event. Here we show the results of our analysis of enigmatic spherules in the Upper Rhaetian of the Kardolina section, Slovakia. The Kardolina section is situated on a steep western slope of the Mt Palenica in the Belianske Tatry Mts as the most continuous section of the uppermost Triassic (Rhaetian) Fatra Formation. The Fatra Formation is shallow marine carbonate sequence and is overlain with a sharp contact by marine shale of the lowermost Jurassic (Hettangian) Kopieniec Formation. The Kopieniec Formation consists of a sequence of brown claystone with sandtone and limestone intercalations. The position of the T/J boundary ...
. The Jurassic / Lower Cretaceous sequence of the Strážovce section has been deposited in the cen... more . The Jurassic / Lower Cretaceous sequence of the Strážovce section has been deposited in the central, axial part of the Zliechov Basin. Its most characteristic part – the Ždiar Formation consists of bedded siliceous radiolarian limestones and radiolarites. The radiolarian assemblage typical of the North Tethyan Bioprovince lived during mid Oxfordian – Early Kimmeridgian in a warm upper part of the well stratified water column, partially near to the thermocline. Radiolarian abundance decreases upwards. Productivity decrease is quantified by the share of biogenic SiO2 as well as by high EFSi values during sedimentation of both the Ždiar and Jasenina formations. The geochemical data indicate relatively stable volume of the siliciclastic component of the rocks and a felsic character comparable to the Average Shale. The chemically homogeneous sedimentary signal indicates values of both CPA and EF ≤ 1 of Ti, Zr, Fe, Na, K, Rb, V and U. The values of EF > 1 signal enrichment of elements with affinity to carbonate minerals (Sr, Mn, P, Y, and Mg). Metal enrichment (Cu, Zn and Ni) indicates metal mobilization from other sources or due to carbonate diagenesis. In comparison to the Average Shale, decreased ΣREE´s and negative Cech and Euch anomalies could be regarded as a typical deep sea water signal. The differentiated REE record of higher calcareous beds of the Jasenina Fm suggests basinal dysoxic conditions. The “bell-shape” of curves (normalized to shale) indicate that REEs were slightly affected by carbonate diagenesis. The Oxfordian / Kimmeridgian siliceous sedimentation in the Zliechov Basin was influenced probably more by monsoon-controlled input of land derived weathered material than by hydrothermal fluids from the bottom rifts.
Sedimentological, palynological, clay mineralogical and carbon isotope studies were carried out o... more Sedimentological, palynological, clay mineralogical and carbon isotope studies were carried out on the Triassic/Jurassic (T/J) boundary interval in the NW Tethyan realm. The analyses are based on two sections in the Slovakian Tatra Mountains (western Carpathians): the Široký Žľab section in the Meďodoly Valley and the Furkaska section above the Juráňova Valley. Clay mineralogical analysis suggests an increasing intensity of chemical weathering in the hinterland due to increasing humidity. The palynological data do not allow the inference of a major T/J boundary mass extinction event. The observed striking increase in spores points instead to sudden climatic change, interpreted as a result of distant volcanic activity associated with the onset of rifting of Pangea. The δ13Corg excursion across the T/J boundary follows the globally documented perturbation of the carbon cycle during this period. it may be used for a more precise regional and global correlation.
During the early Mesozoic, the Western Carpathians belonged to two separate domains. The Central ... more During the early Mesozoic, the Western Carpathians belonged to two separate domains. The Central Western Carpathians were situated on the easternmost part of the Alpine-Carpathian microcontinent. During the early Jurassic it has been splitted off from the European shelf by the arising Penninic Rift. Then, until the late Early Cretaceous, this microcontinent moved eastwards. During the early Tertiary this block collided with the Outer Carpathian part of the Paleoeuropean margin, which forms the second domain. This paper discusses several indications of this development since the very beginning (or heralding) stage in the middle Triassic until the Neo-Cimmerian disturbances.
New Aspects on Tethyan Cretaceous Fossil Assemblages, 1992
The Cretaceous was a time of decline for brachiopods, which tried unsuccessfully to re-occupy los... more The Cretaceous was a time of decline for brachiopods, which tried unsuccessfully to re-occupy lost niches in the neritic communities. The structure of the Cretaceous brachiopod assemblages was much simpler than that of the Paleozoic ones. Nevertheless, the analysis of the quantitative composition of these assemblages provides an instructive view of their development, which is characterized by frequent opportunism and interruptions of the evolution of assemblages. Fluctuations in distribution are also typical for Cretaceous brachiopod paleobiogeography, making the exact delimitation of the mutual boundaries between a Tethyan, a Jura and a Boreal realm problematic, if not speculative in detail.
Investigation of paleoecological successions in the shallow-marine Fatra Formation of the Western... more Investigation of paleoecological successions in the shallow-marine Fatra Formation of the Western Carpathians reveals their tendency to grow into bioherms. However, this development was repeatedly interrupted at various stages; biostromes were destroyed by fluctuations in bathymetry and salinity, storms, subaerial exposure etc. Fatra Formation communities consist of a relatively variable spectrum of organisms, including also little known borers, etc. Organism communities only rarely reached the early mature stages of organization. The short-lived, interrupted successions within the early bioherms of the Fatra Formation may serve as a useful model for a biohermal development within ecologically restricted environments different from the optimal environments of many other Upper Triassic reefs. Die palökologische Untersuchung der flachmarinen Organismen-Assoziationen der Fatra-Formation (oberste Trias) in den Westkarpaten zeigt, daß die Entwicklung von Biohermen wiederholt unterbrochen wurde, wobei der Aufbau von Biostromen durch Schwankungen in der Bathymetrie und Salinität, durch Stürme oder durch Trockenfallen gestört wurde. Die in den Korallenkalken der Fatra-Formation auftretenden Kommunitäten umfassen ein relativ weites Organismenspektrum, in dem auch bohrende Organismen vorkommen. Die Kommunitäten erreichen jedoch in ihrer Organisation nur selten ein Reifestadium. Die im allgemeinen nur kurzlebigen ökologischen Sukzessionen innerhalb der Fatra-Formation stellen ein brauchbares Modell einer Bioherm-Entwicklung innerhalb von flachmarinen Bereichen mit eingeschränkten Umweltbedingungen dar. Die Abb. 3 und 4 zeigen die Lithologie und die ökologischen Sukzessionen sowie die durch unterschiedliche Assoziationen ausgedrückten Stabilisations- und Kolonisierungsstadien in der Entwicklung der benthonischen Kommunitäten in den Biostromen bzw. Biohermen. Abb. 5 zeigt die Assoziationsfolge in einer flachen Lagune.
Laminated sequences are extremely interesting from point of view of paleoclimatic reconstructions... more Laminated sequences are extremely interesting from point of view of paleoclimatic reconstructions, as they indicate range of seasonal changes. Although the interpretation is often complicated by interference of sediment supplying mechanisms, biogenic factors, or syntectonic processes, this method offers new, little evolved way of sedimentologic and paleoenvironmental research.
During the Cretaceous (145.5-65.5 Ma; Gradstein et al. 2004). Central Europe was part of the Euro... more During the Cretaceous (145.5-65.5 Ma; Gradstein et al. 2004). Central Europe was part of the European continental plate, which was bordered by the North Atlantic ocean and the Arctic Sea to the NW and north, the Bay of Biscay to the SW, the northern branch of the Tethys Ocean to the south, and by the East European Platform to the east (Fig. 15.1). The evolution of sedimentary basins was influenced by the interplay of two main global processes: plate tectonics and eustatic sea-level change. Plate tectonic reconfigurations resulted in the widening of the Central Atlantic, and the opening of the Bay of Biscay. The South Atlantic opening caused a counter-clockwise rotation of Africa, which was coeval with the closure of the Tethys Ocean. Both motions terminated the Permian-Early Cretaceous North Sea rifting and placed Europe in a transtensional stress field. The long-term eustatic sea-level rise resulted in the highest sea level during Phanerozoic times (haq et al. 1988;Hardenbol et al....
The high variability of rocks is one of the basic values of the nature in the Tatra Mountains. Pa... more The high variability of rocks is one of the basic values of the nature in the Tatra Mountains. Part of them includes the sedimentary rocks, which originated in environmental and geographic conditions different than today, on land, in shallow or deep sea, mainly in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. These rocks build the lower (regle) and higher (wierchy) part of the Western Tatra Mountains and the Belianske Tatry Mountains. Many of them can be observed along tourist trail. The content of this book is adjusted to the reader having the basic knowledge of geology. Every chapter contains a general introduction and the part describing rocks in detail. The reader can find photographs of outcrops, rocks samples and thin sections along with comments in Polish and English. The rocks in main tectonic units are ordered in the stratigraphic order, from the oldest to the youngest. The book Sedimentary Rocks of the Tatra Mountains is prepared by a team of specialists working on geology of the Tatra ...
The production of platform carbonates of the Manín Unit (Manín Straits, Central Western Carpathia... more The production of platform carbonates of the Manín Unit (Manín Straits, Central Western Carpathians) belonging to the Podhorie and Manín formations and formed by remains of rudists and benthic foraminifers (Urgonian-type carbonates), was previously assumed to terminate during the Aptian. First, we show that these deposits were primarily formed on the upper slope (Podhorie Formation) and in a fore-reef environment (Manín Formation). Second, biostratigraphic data indicate that the shallow-water production persisted up to the Albian, just as it did in another succession of the Manín Unit. The Podhorie Fm contains colomiellids (Colomiella recta, C. mexicana) and calcareous dinoflagellates (Calcisphaerula innominata) that indicate the Albian age. It also contains planktonic foraminifers (Ticinella roberti, Ticinella cf. primula, Ticinella cf. madecassiana, Ticinella cf. praeticinensis) of the Albian Ticinella primula Zone. The Podhorie Formation passes upwards into peri-reefal facies of ...
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 16, 2022
The current practice of the translation of names of chronostratigraphic units from the Internatio... more The current practice of the translation of names of chronostratigraphic units from the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (v2021/10) to Slovak language is described. Slovak version of the table contains 50 new Slovak terms. • The word origin of the new Slovak terms, inflection and derivation of adjectives are explained. • Recommended changes in Paratethys regional chronostratigraphic scale are introduced.
The Tomanová For ma tion, of Rhaetian age, over ly ing the Norian Carpathian Keuper in the Tatra ... more The Tomanová For ma tion, of Rhaetian age, over ly ing the Norian Carpathian Keuper in the Tatra Mts. is built of cy clic parasequences of mudstones and sand stones. Quartz (15 to 70 wt.%), kaolinite (13 to 46 wt.%) and 2:1 Al dioctahedral phyllosilicates (dioct 2:1: mus co vite, illite, illite/smectite: 5 to 39 wt.%) rep re sent the ma jor min eral phase. The kaolinite/dioct 2:1 ra tio de creases up wards in the sec tion (from 4.3 to 0.5) and sig nals vari abil ity in weath er ing/ero sion in ten sity and changing wa ter sa lin ity. Ma jor and trace el e ments (LILE, HSFS, REE) in di cate a uni form source-fel sic rocks lo cated prob a bly in the Vindelician High lands. The sed i men ta tion rate (83 mm/ky) was con trolled by cli mate. Al ter na tion of dry and hu mid pe riods is refered by sed i men tary tex tures and by ma tu rity of quartz (ae olian vs. flu vial grains), and or ganic mat ter con tent and com po si tion (C org and d 13 C org). Authigenic sid er ite or bethierine doc u ments wet and re duced con di tions in the up per part of the Tomanová For ma tion. The sedimention rate of the ma rine Dudzinec For ma tion at tained 25 mm/ka and the char ac ter of cy cles pre served in the se quence is sim i lar as that of the Tomanová For ma tion (fin ing up wards parasequences). How ever, the dif fer ent clay min er al ogy, the re cy cled char ac ter of the sil i cates, the dif fer ent d 13 C org and el e vated imput of car bon ate detri tus with spe cific C and O iso to pic pat terns doc u ment a dis con ti nu ity in the sec tion. The transgressive char ac ter of the Dudzinec Fm. was de duced from the strati graphic dis tri bu tion and en vi ron men tal char ac ter is tics of the ben thic foraminifera pres ent. Involutinids and spirillinids dom i nate in the lower part, endothyrinids gov ern the mid dle part, and in the up per part nodosariids and Ammodiscus-type micro fauna oc cur. These age-di ag nos tic microfossils in di cate a late Rhaetian age. Sea level rise in the Tatric Zone trig gered by ther mal ex pan sion of the Cen tral At lan tic Rift was grad ual, be ing af fected by in put of ter res trial clastic sed i ment both by fresh wa ter and by wind. The Tatric Tri as sic se quence in the West ern Carpathians helps un der stand ing of the de vel op ment of sed i men ta tion, palaeoclimate (kaolinite weath er ing), and palaeo ge ogra phy of the north ern most Tethyan Do main.
Triassic/jurassic (T/J) boundary of approximately 201 million years ago is known as a stratigraph... more Triassic/jurassic (T/J) boundary of approximately 201 million years ago is known as a stratigraphic boundary recorded one of the big five Phanerozoic mass extinctions. Catastrophic processes such as widespread eruption of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) flood basalts and extraterrestrial impacts have been proposed to account for the mass extinction event. Here we show the results of our analysis of enigmatic spherules in the Upper Rhaetian of the Kardolina section, Slovakia. The Kardolina section is situated on a steep western slope of the Mt Palenica in the Belianske Tatry Mts as the most continuous section of the uppermost Triassic (Rhaetian) Fatra Formation. The Fatra Formation is shallow marine carbonate sequence and is overlain with a sharp contact by marine shale of the lowermost Jurassic (Hettangian) Kopieniec Formation. The Kopieniec Formation consists of a sequence of brown claystone with sandtone and limestone intercalations. The position of the T/J boundary ...
. The Jurassic / Lower Cretaceous sequence of the Strážovce section has been deposited in the cen... more . The Jurassic / Lower Cretaceous sequence of the Strážovce section has been deposited in the central, axial part of the Zliechov Basin. Its most characteristic part – the Ždiar Formation consists of bedded siliceous radiolarian limestones and radiolarites. The radiolarian assemblage typical of the North Tethyan Bioprovince lived during mid Oxfordian – Early Kimmeridgian in a warm upper part of the well stratified water column, partially near to the thermocline. Radiolarian abundance decreases upwards. Productivity decrease is quantified by the share of biogenic SiO2 as well as by high EFSi values during sedimentation of both the Ždiar and Jasenina formations. The geochemical data indicate relatively stable volume of the siliciclastic component of the rocks and a felsic character comparable to the Average Shale. The chemically homogeneous sedimentary signal indicates values of both CPA and EF ≤ 1 of Ti, Zr, Fe, Na, K, Rb, V and U. The values of EF > 1 signal enrichment of elements with affinity to carbonate minerals (Sr, Mn, P, Y, and Mg). Metal enrichment (Cu, Zn and Ni) indicates metal mobilization from other sources or due to carbonate diagenesis. In comparison to the Average Shale, decreased ΣREE´s and negative Cech and Euch anomalies could be regarded as a typical deep sea water signal. The differentiated REE record of higher calcareous beds of the Jasenina Fm suggests basinal dysoxic conditions. The “bell-shape” of curves (normalized to shale) indicate that REEs were slightly affected by carbonate diagenesis. The Oxfordian / Kimmeridgian siliceous sedimentation in the Zliechov Basin was influenced probably more by monsoon-controlled input of land derived weathered material than by hydrothermal fluids from the bottom rifts.
Sedimentological, palynological, clay mineralogical and carbon isotope studies were carried out o... more Sedimentological, palynological, clay mineralogical and carbon isotope studies were carried out on the Triassic/Jurassic (T/J) boundary interval in the NW Tethyan realm. The analyses are based on two sections in the Slovakian Tatra Mountains (western Carpathians): the Široký Žľab section in the Meďodoly Valley and the Furkaska section above the Juráňova Valley. Clay mineralogical analysis suggests an increasing intensity of chemical weathering in the hinterland due to increasing humidity. The palynological data do not allow the inference of a major T/J boundary mass extinction event. The observed striking increase in spores points instead to sudden climatic change, interpreted as a result of distant volcanic activity associated with the onset of rifting of Pangea. The δ13Corg excursion across the T/J boundary follows the globally documented perturbation of the carbon cycle during this period. it may be used for a more precise regional and global correlation.
During the early Mesozoic, the Western Carpathians belonged to two separate domains. The Central ... more During the early Mesozoic, the Western Carpathians belonged to two separate domains. The Central Western Carpathians were situated on the easternmost part of the Alpine-Carpathian microcontinent. During the early Jurassic it has been splitted off from the European shelf by the arising Penninic Rift. Then, until the late Early Cretaceous, this microcontinent moved eastwards. During the early Tertiary this block collided with the Outer Carpathian part of the Paleoeuropean margin, which forms the second domain. This paper discusses several indications of this development since the very beginning (or heralding) stage in the middle Triassic until the Neo-Cimmerian disturbances.
New Aspects on Tethyan Cretaceous Fossil Assemblages, 1992
The Cretaceous was a time of decline for brachiopods, which tried unsuccessfully to re-occupy los... more The Cretaceous was a time of decline for brachiopods, which tried unsuccessfully to re-occupy lost niches in the neritic communities. The structure of the Cretaceous brachiopod assemblages was much simpler than that of the Paleozoic ones. Nevertheless, the analysis of the quantitative composition of these assemblages provides an instructive view of their development, which is characterized by frequent opportunism and interruptions of the evolution of assemblages. Fluctuations in distribution are also typical for Cretaceous brachiopod paleobiogeography, making the exact delimitation of the mutual boundaries between a Tethyan, a Jura and a Boreal realm problematic, if not speculative in detail.
Investigation of paleoecological successions in the shallow-marine Fatra Formation of the Western... more Investigation of paleoecological successions in the shallow-marine Fatra Formation of the Western Carpathians reveals their tendency to grow into bioherms. However, this development was repeatedly interrupted at various stages; biostromes were destroyed by fluctuations in bathymetry and salinity, storms, subaerial exposure etc. Fatra Formation communities consist of a relatively variable spectrum of organisms, including also little known borers, etc. Organism communities only rarely reached the early mature stages of organization. The short-lived, interrupted successions within the early bioherms of the Fatra Formation may serve as a useful model for a biohermal development within ecologically restricted environments different from the optimal environments of many other Upper Triassic reefs. Die palökologische Untersuchung der flachmarinen Organismen-Assoziationen der Fatra-Formation (oberste Trias) in den Westkarpaten zeigt, daß die Entwicklung von Biohermen wiederholt unterbrochen wurde, wobei der Aufbau von Biostromen durch Schwankungen in der Bathymetrie und Salinität, durch Stürme oder durch Trockenfallen gestört wurde. Die in den Korallenkalken der Fatra-Formation auftretenden Kommunitäten umfassen ein relativ weites Organismenspektrum, in dem auch bohrende Organismen vorkommen. Die Kommunitäten erreichen jedoch in ihrer Organisation nur selten ein Reifestadium. Die im allgemeinen nur kurzlebigen ökologischen Sukzessionen innerhalb der Fatra-Formation stellen ein brauchbares Modell einer Bioherm-Entwicklung innerhalb von flachmarinen Bereichen mit eingeschränkten Umweltbedingungen dar. Die Abb. 3 und 4 zeigen die Lithologie und die ökologischen Sukzessionen sowie die durch unterschiedliche Assoziationen ausgedrückten Stabilisations- und Kolonisierungsstadien in der Entwicklung der benthonischen Kommunitäten in den Biostromen bzw. Biohermen. Abb. 5 zeigt die Assoziationsfolge in einer flachen Lagune.
Laminated sequences are extremely interesting from point of view of paleoclimatic reconstructions... more Laminated sequences are extremely interesting from point of view of paleoclimatic reconstructions, as they indicate range of seasonal changes. Although the interpretation is often complicated by interference of sediment supplying mechanisms, biogenic factors, or syntectonic processes, this method offers new, little evolved way of sedimentologic and paleoenvironmental research.
During the Cretaceous (145.5-65.5 Ma; Gradstein et al. 2004). Central Europe was part of the Euro... more During the Cretaceous (145.5-65.5 Ma; Gradstein et al. 2004). Central Europe was part of the European continental plate, which was bordered by the North Atlantic ocean and the Arctic Sea to the NW and north, the Bay of Biscay to the SW, the northern branch of the Tethys Ocean to the south, and by the East European Platform to the east (Fig. 15.1). The evolution of sedimentary basins was influenced by the interplay of two main global processes: plate tectonics and eustatic sea-level change. Plate tectonic reconfigurations resulted in the widening of the Central Atlantic, and the opening of the Bay of Biscay. The South Atlantic opening caused a counter-clockwise rotation of Africa, which was coeval with the closure of the Tethys Ocean. Both motions terminated the Permian-Early Cretaceous North Sea rifting and placed Europe in a transtensional stress field. The long-term eustatic sea-level rise resulted in the highest sea level during Phanerozoic times (haq et al. 1988;Hardenbol et al....
The high variability of rocks is one of the basic values of the nature in the Tatra Mountains. Pa... more The high variability of rocks is one of the basic values of the nature in the Tatra Mountains. Part of them includes the sedimentary rocks, which originated in environmental and geographic conditions different than today, on land, in shallow or deep sea, mainly in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. These rocks build the lower (regle) and higher (wierchy) part of the Western Tatra Mountains and the Belianske Tatry Mountains. Many of them can be observed along tourist trail. The content of this book is adjusted to the reader having the basic knowledge of geology. Every chapter contains a general introduction and the part describing rocks in detail. The reader can find photographs of outcrops, rocks samples and thin sections along with comments in Polish and English. The rocks in main tectonic units are ordered in the stratigraphic order, from the oldest to the youngest. The book Sedimentary Rocks of the Tatra Mountains is prepared by a team of specialists working on geology of the Tatra ...
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