Quaternary faulting in the Western Carpathians: Insights into paleoseismology from cave deformations and damaged speleothems (Demänová Cave System, Low Tatra Mts)

Szczygieł, Jacek; Gradziński, Michał; Bella, Pavel; Hercman, Helena; Littva, Juraj; Mendecki, Maciej J.; Sala, Przemysław

doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2021.229111

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…A similar observation has been recorded in Obir Cave 17 (Fig. 1 ) or in the Demänovská Cave in the Carpathians 16 . This would indicate repeated activation of the same faults to accommodate stressdrop and abrupt displacements rather than creep.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Styrian Basin 47 , 48 or Vienna Basin [ 32 and references there]. In the wider framework, Pliocene deformations driven by the Adria indentation as the far-field effect have been found in Pannonian Basin 49 and the Western Carpathians 16 , 50 . Yet, in NCA Plio-Quaternary has been linked with N-S extension, and driven by topographic readjustment 2 , 3 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous Alps

Szczygieł

Baroň

Melichar

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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The Late Cretaceous orogeny followed by the Eocene collision of the Adriatic with the European plate dissected the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) by a number of well-studied strike-slip fault systems accommodating N-S shortening and E-W stretching. However, the post-Miocene fault activity is poorly constrained due to lack of Neogene faulted sediments, and glacial erosion of geomorphic indicators. Using the protected environment of caves, we fill the knowledge gap in the post-Miocene evolution of the NCA by paleostress analysis of 172 reactivated faults that offset passages in 28 caves near major faults. Constrained maximum age of caves, our results indicate that the NCA have been subjected to N to NE trending compression since Pliocene. Faulted speleothems dated with 230Th/U method, indicate that the recorded present-day stress state did not significantly change during the last 0.5 Ma. In contrast to the previously proposed post-Miocene N-S extension of NCA, but in agreement with what was observed in Vienna and Pannonian basins, we conclude that the eastward extrusion resulting from N-S convergence has continued despite a distinct slowdown of plate tectonic velocities in the late Miocene. The N-S extension affected only the Alpine front during Pliocene Molasse basin inversion, while at the scale of the Alpine orogen the NCA underwent successive N-S shortening and E-W stretching.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous Alps

Szczygieł

Baroň

Melichar

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…Dating the youngest calcite of a seismically fractured speleothem provides a maximum age constraint for the seismic event. Combining this with a date for calcite healing these fractures and/or growing on top of such a fallen formation offers a way to bracket the age of the suggested earthquake in the past 7 , 9 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermoelasticity of ice explains widespread damage in dripstone caves during glacial periods

Spötl

Jarosch²,

Saxer

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Damage to speleothems is a common phenomenon in mid-latitude caves, and multiple causes have been proposed. Here we report on one of such type of damage, namely stalagmites that are broken and partially sheared near their base but are still in upright position. Such stalagmites occur in the Obir Caves (Austria) associated with cryogenic cave carbonates, demonstrating the former presence of cave ice. 230Th dating suggests damage to the speleothems during the Last Glacial Maximum. Numerical modelling combined with laboratory measurements demonstrates that internal deformation within a cave ice body cannot fracture stalagmites, even on a steep slope. Instead, temperature changes lead to thermoelastic stresses within an ice body that reach values equaling to and exceeding the tensile strength of even large stalagmites. Differences in thermal expansion coefficients cause a sharp vertical jump in stress between the stalagmite and the surrounding ice body, and the ice lifts the stalagmite as it expands with increasing temperature. This study refutes the previously accepted model that flow of ice breaks stalagmites, and suggests a link between glacial climate variability and corresponding cooling and warming cycles in the subsurface that weaken and eventually fracture stalagmites due to the opposing thermoelastic properties of calcite and ice.

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