A combination of four thermochronometers [zircon fission track (ZFT), zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe), apatite fission track (AFT) and apatite (U-Th-[Sm])/He (AHe) dating methods] applied to a valley to ridge transect is used to resolve the issues of metamorphic, exhumation and topographic evolution of the Nízke Tatry Mts. in the Western Carpathians. The ZFT ages of 132.1 ± 8.3, 155.1 ± 12.9, 146.8 ± 8.6 and 144.9 ± 11.0 Ma show that Variscan crystalline basement of the Nízke Tatry Mts. was heated to temperatures [210°C during the Mesozoic and experienced a low-grade Alpine metamorphic overprint. ZHe and AFT ages, clustering at *55-40 and *45-40 Ma, respectively, revealed a rapid Eocene cooling event, documenting erosional and/or tectonic exhumation related to the collapse of the Carpathian orogenic wedge. This is the first evidence that exhumation of crystalline cores in the Western Carpathians took place in the Eocene and not in the Cretaceous as traditionally believed. Bimodal AFT length distributions, Early Miocene AHe ages and thermal modelling results suggest that the samples were heated to temperatures of *55-90°C during OligoceneMiocene times. This thermal event may be related either to the Oligocene/Miocene sedimentary burial, or Miocene magmatic activity and increased heat flow. This finding supports the concept of thermal instability of the Carpathian crystalline bodies during the post-Eocene period.
Coarse crystalline cryogenic cave carbonate (CCC) forms during the slow freezing of standing water pools and represents indirect proof of freezing temperature in the past. The dating by U‐series of CCC deposits from nine caves in the Western Carpathians Mountains of Slovakia suggests that freezing conditions, and possible permafrost conditions, occurred during the Last Permafrost Maximum (LPM, c. 20–18 ka BP). The CCC deposits occur in caves at elevations of between 800 and 1800 m a.s.l. They point to widespread alpine permafrost, the lower limit of discontinuous/sporadic permafrost being approximately 800 m a.s.l. The thickness of permafrost probably varied between 30 and 180 m. In the Vysoké Tatry Mountains at altitudes of ∼1800 m a.s.l., one occurrence of CCC suggests that subzero temperatures may have penetrated to a depth of over 285 m.
Cold Wind Cave, located at elevations ranging between 1,600 and 1,700 m a. s. l. in the main range of the Nízke Tatry Mountains (Slovakia), is linked in origin with the adjacent Dead Bats Cave. Together, these caves form a major cave system located within a narrow tectonic slice of Triassic sediments. Both caves have undergone complex multiphase development. A system of sub-horizontal cave levels characterized by large, tunnel-like corridors was formed during the Tertiary, when elevation differences surrounding the cave were less pronounced than today. The central part of the Nízke Tatry Mountains, together with the cave systems, was uplifted during the Neogene and Lower Pleistocene, which changed the drainage pattern of the area completely. The formation of numerous steep-sloped vadose channels and widespread cave roof frost shattering characterized cave development throughout the Quaternary. In the Cold Wind Cave, extensive accumulations of loose, morphologically variable crystal aggregates of secondary cave carbonate ranging in size between less than 1 mm to about 35 mm was found on the surface of fallen limestone blocks. Based on the C and O stable isotope compositions of the carbonate (δ 13 C: 0.72 to 6.34 ‰, δ 18 O:-22.61 to-13.68 ‰ V-PDB) and the negative relation between δ 13 C and δ 18 O, the carbonate crystal aggregates are interpreted as being cryogenic cave carbonate (CCC). Published models suggest the formation of CCC in slowly freezing water pools, probably on the surface of cave ice, most probably during transitions from stadials to interstadials. Though the formation of these carbonates is likely one of the youngest events in the sequence of formation of cave sediments of the studied caves, the 230 Th/ 234 U ages of three samples (79.7±2.3, 104.0±2.9, and 180.0±6.3 ka) are the oldest so far obtained for CCC in Central Europe. This is the first description of CCC formation in one cave during two glacial periods (Saalian and Weichselian).
As so ci ate ed i tor: Tadeusz M. Peryt A new lo cal ity of coarse-grained cryo genic cave car bon ates has been found in the Za Hájovnou Cave in Javoøíèko Karst in Cen tral Moravia, Czech Re pub lic. Crys tals and crys tal ag gre gates, usu ally up to 15 mm in size, form typ i cal loose ac cu mu lations on the sur face of large fallen lime stone blocks and clays cov er ing the bot toms of sev eral cave cham bers dis tant from the cave en trance. The cryo genic or i gin of the car bon ates is sup ported by their mode of oc cur rence, spe cific crys tal and aggre gate mor phol ogy, and C and O sta ble iso tope data. Use ries dat ing of one sam ple of cryo genic car bon ate (age 29.5 ±0.1 ka) in di cated that a pe riod of karst wa ter freez ing oc curred in ma rine iso tope stage (MIS) 3, within the Weichselian. The cave also hosts nu mer ous ex am ples of speleothem dam age. As shown in this pa per, some of these are clearly con nected with freez ing con di tions and cave ice ac tion.
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