Content uploaded by Andrej Mihevc
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Andrej Mihevc on Jun 12, 2016
Content may be subject to copyright.
THE AGE OF KARST RELIEF IN WEST SLOVENIA
STAROST KRAŠKEGA RELIEFA V ZAHODNI SLOVENIJI
Andrej MIHEVC1
Izvleček UDK 551.435.8 (497.4 Kras)
Andrej Mihevc: Starost kraškega reliefa v zahodni Sloveniji
Starost krasa lahko določimo s trenutkom, ko so bile kraške
kamnine dvignjene iz morja. Drugi način opredelitve starosti
krasa je z datiranjem reliefnih oblik ali skupin reliefnih oblik.
Planoto Kras sestavlja vrsta zelo različnih reliefnih oblik, ki so
nastale v različnem času, vendar so se zaradi posebnosti razvoja
krasa ohranile in sobivajo v sedanjem reliefu. Na planoti, ki se
počasi dviguje se hidrološke cone in kraško površje pomikajo
navzdol. Vodotoki s strani so prenehali dotekati na kras in nek-
danje v višini talne vode nastalo uravnano površje so razčlenile
številne vrtače. Na robu krasa so vrezane slepe doline, nekat-
ere od njih kažejo sledove tudi recentnih tektonskih premikov.
Zniževanje reliefa zaradi korozije je razgalilo jame, ki so se ob-
likovale globoko pod površjem in ustvarilo brezstrope jame,
ki so postale del današnje topograje površja. Z morfološko
primerjavo brezstropih jam, slepih dolin in uravnav in datiran-
jem sedimentov ter upoštevanjem starosti tektonskih faz lahko
rekonstruiramo razvoj reliefa in ocenimo starost kraške pokra-
jine.
Ključne besede: kras, morfologija, starost, Kras, Slovenija.
1 Karst Research Institute, ZRC SAZU, Titov trg 2, Sl – 6230 Postojna, Fax: +386 5 7001999, Andrej.Mihevc@guest.arnes.si
Received/Prejeto: 01.02.2007
COBISS: 1.01
TIME in KARST, POSTOJNA 2007, 35–44
Abstract UDC 551.435.8 (497.4 Kras)
Andrej Mihevc: e age of Karst relief in west Slovenia
e age of a karst can be dened as the time when the karst
rocks were uplied out of the sea. e other view of the age
of karst is to dene the age of certain karst features or assem-
blages of karst features. On the Kras plateau there is a variety
of forms that were formed at quite dierent times, but due to
karst evolution, they coexist in today’s relief. On the plateau,
that is slowly rising, the hydrological zones in karst surface are
moving downwards. Streams from the side ceased to ow on
the karst and former leveled surface that was formed in condi-
tions of high ground water is dissected by numerous dolines.
Blind valleys are incised at the side and some of them show the
inuence of recent tectonics. e lowering of relief by corro-
sion exposes caves that have formed deep beneath the surface
and creates unroofed caves that become a part of the surface
topography. From the morphological comparison of the un-
roofed caves, blind valleys and levelled surfaces and by dating
of the sediment and considering the age of tectonic phases we
can reconstruct the evolution and estimate the age of the karst
landscape.
Key words: karst, morphology, age, Kras, Slovenia.
INTRODUCTION
e question about time, like velocity of processes or age
of karst surfaces and caves is a very important issue in
karst studies. e age and evolution of karst is also im-
portant when we study karst as a specic ecosystem. It
can tell us when karst and especially the caves start to
form in a given area and how the landscape is changing.
The first explanation of geomorphic evolution
and the age of the karst in W Slovenia were made by
geologists. To estimate the age they used geologic data
– the age of last marine sedimentation and the tectonic
evolution of Dinaric mountains and the Alps (Grund
1914).
TIME in KARST – 2007
36
At rst karstologists were focused on understand-
ing karst processes and the evolution of karst features
like dolines, poljes and corrosion plains. ey were much
inuenced by the ideas of a geographic cycle promoted
by Cvijić (1924). Karst evolution was divided into similar
steps in the cycle but they also added a pre-karst phase
of relief evolution with which they explained some mor-
phological elements in karst.
e cyclic explanation of the karst evolution was lat-
er modied with climatic geomorphology (Roglič 1957,
Radinja 1972). It emphasised the importance of climate
on the morphological processes. is meant that some
forms of relief, like conical hills and levelled surfaces
were explained as a relicts from tropical climate. Because
such a climate was present at the end of the Tertiary, these
forms were determining the age of that relief features.
Another important climatic signal in the morphol-
ogy of the Kras they estimate were the cold Pleistocene
climates with periglacial processes in lower positions.
Scree slopes, collapses in caves, uvial deposits in con-
tact karst areas and some ner sediment were explained
as extremes of climate control and not normal karst phe-
nomena. ey were also used for determination of the
age of features (Melik 1955, Gospodarič 1985).
Fig. 1: e location of the Kras plateau and the study areas.
Geomorphologists have abandoned the cyclic mod-
el of relief and are now paying more attention to struc-
tural elements in karst morphology like recent tectonic
(Habič, 1982), eld measurements and observations on
karst denudation (Gams 1963), comparative studies of
dierent karst features or types of karst, like contact karst
(Gams 1962, Mihevc 1994), the study of dolines and col-
lapsed dolines (Mihevc 2001) and new geomorphologic
features like unroofed caves (Mihevc 1996, 2001, Slabe
1997) as an important remnants of former landscapes
and a source of sediments. Flowstones in the caves were
dated (Hajna 1991, Mihevc 2001) and paleomagnetic
methods were used in cave and karst sediments (Bosak
& al. 1999, 2004).
Very important data were provided by latest research
on the plate tectonics. e tectonic evolution of the area
is characterized since late Tertiary rst by northward
motion of Adria micro plate which caused contraction
deformations. e contraction was exhausted at about 6
Ma ago and was followed by rotation accompanied with
uplis, folding and strike-slip basins formation. ese
events take place in two distinct phases (Vrabec & al.
2006, Fodor & al. 1998).
ANDREJ MIHEVC
TIME in KARST – 2007 37
GEOMORPHIC EVIDENCES ON THE AGE OF KRAS
Kras is a low NW – SE trending longitudinal plateau
along Trieste Bay (Adriatic Sea) between ysch Brkini
hills on SE, Vipava Valley in NE, and the Soča River low-
lands in NW. e plateau is about 45 km long and 14 km
wide. e surface of the plateau is slightly tilted from 500
m a.s.l on SE towards NE where it ends at about 100 m
above the Soča river.
e central part of Kras is built from highly per-
meable Cretaceous carbonate platform shallow marine
limestone and less permeable dolomite. Eocene ysch
that acts as an important impermeable barrier surrounds
the carbonate massif.
e age of the karst of Kras plateau can be dened as
the time when the karst rocks were uplied out of the sea.
For the most of Dinaric karst in Slovenia this occurred aer
the Eocene, since aer that there is there is no evidence of
younger marine sediments. As soon as the carbonate rocks
were exposed, we can expect that the karst was formed,
but there are no remnants of karst features from that time.
Most likely denudation has destroyed them.
e other view on the age of karst is to dene the age
of those karst features for which we know how and when
they were formed and which evolution was stopped long
time ago. Such features are levelled surfaces, which evolve
at the level of the karst water and blind valleys that were
formed by alogenic rivers. We can compare them with
evolution of uvial relief and unroofed caves, which are
caves exposed to surface by denudation.
On the Kras plateau there is a variety of forms that
were formed at quite dierent conditions and time but
due to peculiarities of karst evolution they coexist in to-
day’s relief. is can make the determination of the one
age of a karst landscape dicult or impossible, but it tells
us about the genesis of the landscape trough dierent
phases.
Here we present the study of the part of the Kras,
Divaški kras and Matarsko podolje and the edge of Pod-
gorski kras from which there are some evidences about
the evolution and age of Kras.
THE UNROOFED CAVES OF DIVAŠKI KRAS
e Divaški kras is tilted slightly towards NW at eleva-
tions between 450 and 400 m a.s.l, on the SE part of
the Kras plateau. It is built up mostly by Cretaceous
and Paleogene limestone. e karst features here are
exceptional; there are the sinking of the Reka river into
Škocjanske jame cave via large collapse dolines with and
hundreds of dolines. e largest caves of the area are the
12,500 m long and 275 m deep Kačna jama and the 5800
m long and 250 m deep Škocjanske jame. e caves
were formed by the Reka river which can be reached at
a depth of 195 m in Škocjanske jame and 156 m a.s.l. in
Kačna jama.
e main morphologic features of the area are col-
lapsed dolines and dolines which together cover about
12% of the area. e collapsed dolines are connected
with active water caves. e solution dolines cover less
than 4% of the area. e rest of the surface (88%) is level.
ese points out the prevailing surface leveling process
in the present conditions
In this levelled surface there are several large un-
roofed caves (Mihevc 1996). As such caves appear on
the surface due to denudation, and we may call their
remains denuded caves. A cave ceiling will be the rst
to be removed by denudation, which is why they are
also called unroofed caves. ey were rst found and
described in the Divača Karst. e unroofed caves share
on the surface is small, only about 0.16% of the entire
surface.
ree important unroofed caves have been found.
e rst is a 350 m long unroofed cave near Povir village
at 400 m above the sea level. ere is a remnant of a cave
passage that was 6 m wide and over 5 m high. e en-
tire volume of the passage has been lled by allochtonous
uvial sediments of clay, silicate sands and gravel with
pebbles up to 25 cm in diameter.
e second is an unroofed cave near Divača on the
slopes of doline Radvanj at the altitude of 390 - 415 m
above sea level. It is exposed on the slope that dissects
large cave passage, which is entirely lled with sedi-
ments. Similar sediments can be seen in the Divaška
jama cave. is is a 600 m long cave, whose continua-
tion towards 250 m distant unroofed cave is completely
lled. e cave was also lled, but the sediment was
later washed from it by the seepage water. Here we can
see that a part of the unroofed cave that still exists as an
underground cave.
e longest rooess cave is 1.800 m long remnant of
caves whose passages were about 20 m large, and therein
ew a great underground river. e cave was lled with
uvial sediments and massive owstone. It is located
THE AGE OF KARST RELIEF IN W SLOVENIA
TIME in KARST – 2007
38
partly above the Škocjanske jame, where the actual river
bed in the cave is 230 m below the unroofed cave.
On the basis of the shape of walls and sediments we
may reconstruct some evolution of the caves and later
the surface. e caves are remnants of larger cave sys-
tems, which conducted wa-
ters from dierent sinking
streams. Growth of speleo-
thems in them was frequent-
ly interrupted by phases of
erosion or backll. e caves
were aerwards lled up with
uvial sediments. e large
pebbles in the caves testify
the great gradient of the sur-
face streams. Later all caves
were lled with ner sedi-
ment, which could mean the
lowering of the gradient in
karst and aplanation. Later,
the surface was tilted and up-
lied which caused lowering
of the karst water level.
e age of the unroofed
caves can be established by
comparative methods ac-
cording the denudation rate
of the surface. If we pre-
sume, that it is about 50 m/
Ma (Gams 1962) and there
was some 100 m - 200 m of
rock removed from above the
caves that they are at least 2 –
4 Ma old, and probably older
(Mihevc 1996, 2001).
Similar time frames 1.6
– 1.8 Ma or/and 3.8 to 5 Ma
were given also by paleomag-
netic datation of clastic sedi-
ments (Bosak & al. 1998) and
by the timing with tectonic
phase that started at 6 Ma
(Vrabec & al. 2006).
e age of the rooess cave can also be illustrated by
the time, in which the water table in Kras lowered for 240
m, from about 400 m to 160 m a.s.l.
Fig. 2: e map of the Divača karst. On the levelled surface the large collapse dolines are dominating
features, solution dolines are frequent, but they represent only small proportion of the surface. e
outlines of the main caves and the main unroofed caves are marked. On the map made of DEM
with 12.5 m grid the road cuts or causeways are also seen.
Legend: 1. Outline of the active river caves, 2. Divaška jama cave, 3. Unroofed cave, 4. Unroofed
caves mentioned in the text: A: Unroofed cave near Povir, B: Unroofed cave in doline Radvanj,
continuation of Divaška jama, C: Unroofed cave above Škocjanske jame, 5. Height of the surface,
6. Height of the water level in caves, 7. Reka river and ponors, 8. e supposed direction of water
ow, 9. Outline of the town Divača.
ANDREJ MIHEVC
TIME in KARST – 2007 39
Fig. 3: Formation of the unroofed cave. e idealised drawing is
representing actual cases of unroofed or partly denuded caves from
the Divača karst, where probably more than hundred meters of
the rock above unroofed caves were removed. e transformation
of cave to the unroofed cave is here presented in three stages: a:
Epiphreatic cave passage was formed deep below the surface,
some owstone was deposited aer the cave became inactive; b:
Surface approached the cave. At one side the slope cut the cave
and made the entrance into the passage; from the horizontal
surface former vadose shas transformed into vertical entrance.
Trough both entrances piles of boulders and scree deposited. c:
Great deal of the ceiling dissolved, some collapsed and formed
relief oblong depression of the unroofed cave ending in front of the
entrance to the cave.
Fig. 4: Formation of the unroofed cave. e idealised drawings are
representing the actual cases of unroofed or partly unroofed caves
from the Divača karst which were completely lled with allogenic
uvial sediment.
e transformation is here presented in three stages: a: Cave
passage was formed deep below the surface. ere was alternation
of the sedimentation of owstone and allogenic sediments of
the underground river. Towards the top of the prole sediments
became ner. b: Surface approached the cave. At the side the slope
cuts passage and exposed the cave sediments on the surface. c:
Aer disintegration of the ceiling from the top oblong depression
formed. In it there are alochtonous sediments and few blocks of
limestone and some owstone. e unroofed cave ends with steep
limestone wall or slope from where the karst surface continues.
THE AGE OF KARST RELIEF IN w SLOVENIA
TIME in KARST – 2007
40
THE BLIND VALLEYS OF THE MATARSKO PODOLJE CONTACT KARST
Alogene rivers owing to karst enhance the karstication
process and form particular relief features. Phenomena
and forms that develop at the contact of uvial and karst
relief are the result of the interaction of both morpho-
logical systems.
e Matarsko Podolje is a 25 km long and 2-5 km
wide tilted karst surface. In longitudinal section it gen-
tly raises from about 490 m on NW to 650 m on SE
side. e karst surface continues towards SE but from
the highest point there is an abrupt change and relief
lowers over the distance of 2 km for 200 m to Brgudsko
podolje karst surface.
From the ysch Brkini hills that are NE of podolje
there are 17 sinking streams that formed a row of large
blind valleys in the edge of the Matarsko Podolje. e
bottoms of these valleys are situated between 490 to 510
m. As the valleys are incised in the border of the karst,
uplied towards SE, the blind valleys lying more to the
south are deeper. e most NW lying, Brezovica and Od-
olina blind valley are cut for about 50 m only while the
deepest is the last one, Brdanska dana on SE, deepened
into limestone for 250 m.
e blind valleys started to cut into the corrosion
plain with small transverse and longitudinal gradient
as in the other case the uvial valleys should develop in
them. ey should be preserved on karst as dry valleys.
e corrosion plains along the ponors were controlled
by the piezometric level this is why they are all at same
altitude.
In the SE part where the
upli was stronger, the blind
valleys show the disturbances
caused by fast tectonic upli
and are preserved on the karst
surface. Above the Račiška
Dana blind valley there is
a fossil one, on the bottom
of which are some old sedi-
ment from ysch. is is now
higher than the ysch hills
where the sediment came
from. e other case is the
most SE blind valley Brdan-
ska Dana. It developed in the
SE edge of the Matarsko Po-
dolje. e tectonic structure
along which the Matarsko
Podolje ends caused also the
asymmetric development of
the blind valley. e W side
of the blind valley was up-
lied and developed two fos-
sil higher levels in the side of
the blind valley.
e Brkini series of
blind valleys oer enough
data to follow the sequence
of the morphological events
and dominant factors which
were decisive for the forma-
tion of the actual relief forms.
e former shape along the
ponors on the border of im-
permeable hills was karst corrosion plain. e water ow-
ing on it had a modest gradient in karst and was capable
of the aplanation of the surface only. e lowering of the
piezometric level in the karst enabled the development
of the relief depressions along the ponors. e deepen-
Fig. 5: Blind valleys Brezovica (Br) and Odolina (O) on the NW part of the Matarsko podolje karst.
Blind valleys cut for about 50 m into the edge of the levelled karst surface where dolines and larger
collapse dolines prevail. ere are no traces of dry valleys or dry blind valleys.
Legend: 1. Sinking streams, 2. Boundary ysch – limestone.
ANDREJ MIHEVC
TIME in KARST – 2007 41
Fig. 6: Blind valleys Račiška dana (R) and Brdanska dana (B) with fossil blind valleys (f1, f2). ese
valleys developed in SE part of Matarsko podolje during the tectonic upli. Upli deformed older
corrosion plain and created height dierence between Matarsko and Brgudsko podolje. Further
SE there is another blind valley (Š) which developed at the edge of Brgudsko podolje that was not
uplied. Račiška pečina cave that was once formed by sinking streams is at elevation about 600 m
high above the recent ponors.
Legend: 1. Sinking streams, 2. Boundary ysch – limestone, 3. Cave Račiška pečina.
ing and the contemporane-
ous widening of the valleys
followed the lowering of the
karst water to the altitudes
about 500 m.
e incision of blind
valleys into the leveled sur-
face probably started and
continued trough the last tec-
tonic phase that is 6 Ma be-
fore present. is is also ac-
cordance with the age of the
cave sediments from Račiška
pečina which were dated by
paleomagnetic method and
correlated with palaeonto-
logic data to 3.5 Ma (Pruner
& al. 2003).
THE UNROOFED CAVES OF THE EDGE OF THE PODGORSKI KRAS
Podgora karst is small 5 km wide and long karst plateau,
SW continuation of the Kras. Its surface is located at 500
to 450 m a.s.l. e plateau surface is leveled and dismem-
bered only by numerous dolines. ere is a sharp edge of
the plateau and towards W in less than 1 km relief drops
for 400 m. At the foot of the plateau there are recent karst
springs of the rivers Rižana and Osapska reka at altitudes
of about 50 m a.s.l.
In the Črnotiče quarry, that is located on the edge
of the plateau, several caves were opened. Shas with sta-
lagmites and stalactites on the walls were lled by gravel
as well as numerous bones of large Pleistocene mammals
felt down to shas.
ere are also large remnants of horizontal caves.
e largest, 150 m long partly unroofed passage with the
diameter of more than 10 m was opened in the western
part of the quarry. e passage was entirely lled by mas-
sive owstones deposited over the uvial sediments, lay-
ers of gravel and conglomerate mixed up with sand and
clay layers. Sedimentary ll was 17 m thick at least.
In the cave calcareous tubes a serpulids were found
both in sediments and still attached to the scalloped wall.
ey match the morphology of extant serpulid tubes of
Marifugia cavatica (Mihevc 2000; Mihevc et al., 2001a).
Marifugia cavatica Absolon and Hrabe, 1930 is the only
fresh-water species of the Serpulidae family and the only
THE AGE OF KARST RELIEF IN W SLOVENIA
TIME in KARST – 2007
42
Fig. 8: e view of the unroofed cave in a quarry face. Lower part
of the cave passage was lled with mostly laminated yellowish
brown uvial sediments. Upper part is lled with owstone. e
karst denudation already unroofed the cave, so that the owstone
is exposed to the surface. Tubes of Marifugia cavatica are on the
scalloped walls in the lower part of the cave prole, which were
protected by ne uvial sediments.
Fig. 7: DEM of the Podgorski kras. Levelled karst surface of Paleocene limestone and some
intercalated ysch is in sharp contrast with uvial relief that developed on Eocene ysch. At the
foot of the karst there are the major karst springs where Marifugia cavatica still lives today. e
fossil tubes were found in the large cave exposed in the Črnotiče quarry.
Legend: 1. Unroofed cave, 2: Flysch, 3: Limestone.
known tube worm inhabiting continental caves. Stable
isotope analysis (Mihevc et al., 2002) of fossil tubes from
Črnotiče quarry site is comparable with stable isotope
compositions of recent fresh-water species and greatly
diers from those of marine serpulids. Marifugia cava-
tica is lter feeder with free-
swimming larvae (Matjašič
& Sket 1966). It is widely dis-
tributed within the Dinaric
Karst and lives in springs of
rivers Rižana and Osapska
reka which are only few km
and 370 m apart from the
quarry.
Two proles were anal-
ysed within the cave and dat-
ed back to 1.76 Ma (Črnotiče
I) and 2.5–3.6 Ma (Črnotiče
II site) (Bosak & al. 1999, Bo-
sak & al. 2004).
Geomorphologic evo-
lution of the plateau shows
similarities to those of Kras
and Matarsko podolje. Epi-
phreatic caves of the sinking
rivers were lled with sedi-
ments; the surface was lev-
elled and uplied to present
altitude. In the quarry there are several unroofed caves
or remains old caves. e evolution of vertical shas
with dominance of later autochthonous ll resulted from
younger vadose speleogenesis and Pleistocene sedimen-
tation.
ANDREJ MIHEVC
TIME in KARST – 2007 43
CONCLUSIONS
ree dierent relief settings on the Kras, Matarsko
podolje and Podgorski kras plateau show quite similar
evolution. ere are old caves present everywhere, which
are now exposed by denudation. ey were epiphreatic
caves that were formed by sinking rivers, bringing allo-
genic sediments to caves. At the end of the morphogenet-
ic phase all these caves were completely lled with uvial
sediments. is indicates the diminishing of the gradient
in the whole area. Aer the caves were lled the three ar-
eas were levelled. Planation occurred in the similar con-
ditions, most likely close to the level of the karst water.
Diminishing of the gradient which ended with pla-
nation could mean the same tectonic phase which ended
at about 6 Ma ago. Aer that a new tectonic phase started.
ree areas faced upli and tilting for several hundreds
meters. e upli was stronger in the SE part of the area.
Karst denudation was evenly lowering the surface, so the
surface remained well preserved, dissected on central
parts of karst with dolines, which represent few percent
of total area only. e even denudation exposed former
caves to the surface. Some of them are lled with sedi-
ments, from some sediments were washed away or were
never lled.
On the edges of Matarsko podolje there were several
sinking streams shaping blind valleys. eir incision was
controlled by the piezometric level of the water in karst
or the Matarsko podolje and by the tectonic upli, they
are getting deeper towards SE. Tilt of planation surface,
dierent depth and asymmetric or fossil blind valleys are
clear indicators of the recent tectonics.
Ages of sediments in the unroofed caves and the
morphological datations are in accordance with the ages
of main tectonic phases. From these data we can con-
clude that the oldest elements of the relief are the un-
roofed caves. e blind valleys are of same age even if
they dier by the dimensions. e main process on the
surface is even denudation and formation of dolines that
form only small proportion of the surface.
e remains of tubes of marifugia cavatica preserved
in a quarry, high above the recent water caves indicate
that the karst environment suitable for cave animals has
been present for at least 6 Ma and that there was no inter-
ruption from the time of the formation of the caves in the
Črnotiče quarry and drop of water table and/or tectonic
upli for at least 370 m.
REFERENCES
Absolon, K. & S. Hrabe, 1930: Über einen neuen Süss-
wasser-Polychaten aus den Höhlengewässern der
Herzegowina. - Zool. Anz., 88, 9-10, 259-264.
Aguilar, J. P., Crochet J.Y., Krivic K., Marandat B., J. Mi-
chaux J., Mihevc A., Šebela S. & B. Sige, 1998: Pleis-
tocene small mammals from karstic llings of Slo-
venia. - Acta carsologica, 27/2, 141-150, Ljubljana.
Bosak P., Pruner P., & N. Zupan Hajna 1998: Palaeomag-
netic research of cave sediments in SW Slovenia. -
Acta carsologica, 1998, let. 27, št. 2, str. 151-179.
Bosak P., Mihevc A., Pruner P., Melka K., Venhodová
D. & A. Langrová, 1999: Cave ll in the Črnotiče
Quarry, SW Slovenia: Palaeomagnetic, mineralogi-
cal and geochemical study. - Acta carsologica, 28/2,
2, 15-39, Ljubljana.
Bosák, P., Mihevc A. & P. Pruner 2004: Geomorphologi-
cal evolution of the Podgorski Karst, SW Slovenia:
contribution of magnetostratigraphic research of
the Črnotiče II site with Marifugia sp. - Acta carso-
logica, 2004, letn. 33, št. 1, str. 175-204, Ljubljana.
Cvijić, J., 1924: Geomorfologija I, 324, Beograd.
Fodor L. Jelen B., Marton E., Skaberne D., Čar J. & M.
Vrabec, 1998: Miocene –Pliocene tectonic evolution
of the Slovenian Periadriatic fault: Implications for
Alpine-Carpatian extrusion models. - Tectonics,
vol. 17, 5, 690-709.
Gams, I., 1962: Meritve korozijske intenzitete v Sloveniji
in njihov pomen za geomorfologijo, Geografski
vestnik 34/1962, 3-20, Ljubljana.
Gospodarič R., 1985: On the spelogenesis of Divaška
jama and Trhlovca Cave. - Acta carsologica, XIII:
5-32, Ljubljana.
Gospodarič R., 1988: Paleoclimatic record of cave sedi-
ments from Postojna Karts. - Ann. Soc. geol. Belg.,
111, 91-95.
Grund A., 1914: Der geographishes zyclus um Karst. -
Zeitsch. d. Gesell f. Erdkunde, S. 621-640, Berlin
Habič P.,1982: Kraški relief in tektonika. Acta carsologi-
ca, 4, 23-43, Ljubljana.
THE AGE OF KARST RELIEF IN W SLOVENIA
TIME in KARST – 2007
44
Knez M. & T. Slabe, 2005: Unroofed caves are an impor-
tant feature of karst surfaces: examples from the
classical karst. - Z. Geomorphol., 46, št. 2, str. 181-
191
Kratochvil, J., 1939: Marifugia cavatica edini sladkovodni
serpulid, ostanek starodavnega živalstva na jugo-
slovenskem krasu. - Proteus, 6, 92-96, Ljubljana.
Matjašič, J. & B. Sket, 1996: Developpement larvaire du
Serpulien cavernicole Marifugia cavatica Absolon et
Hrabe. - Int. J. Speleol., 25B, 1, 9-16, L´Aquilla.
Melik, A., 1955: Kraška polja Slovenije v pleistocenu.
- Dela Inštituta za geograjo SAZU, 3, 1-163, Ljub-
ljana.
Mihevc, A., 1993: Contact karst of Brkini Hills. - Acta
carsologica, 23, 100-109, Ljubljana
Mihevc, A., 1996: Brezstropa jama pri Povirju. - Naše
jame 38, 92-101, Ljubljana.
Mihevc, A. & N. Zupan Hajna, 1996: Clastic sediments
from dolines and caves found during the construc-
tion of the motorway bear Divača, on the Classical
Karst. - Acta carsologica, 25, 169-191, Ljubljana.
Mihevc, A. Slabe T. & S. Šebela, 1998: Denuded caves-
an inherited element in the karst morphology; the
case from Kras. - Acta carsologica, 27/1, 165-174,
Ljubljana.
Mihevc, A., 1999: e caves and the karst surface-case
study from Kras, Slovenia. - Etudes de géographie
physique, suppl. XXVIII, Colloque européen-Karst
99, 141-144.
Mihevc, A., 2000: Fosilne cevke iz brezstrope jame – ver-
jetno najstarejši ostanki jamskega cevkarja Marifu-
gia (Annelida: Polychaeta). - Acta carsologica, 29/2,
261-270, Ljubljana.
Mihevc, A., 2001: Speleogeneza Divaškega krasa. - Zbirka
ZRC, 27: 1-180. Ljubljana.
Mihevc, A. Sket B., Pruner P. & P. Bosák, 2001: Fossil re-
mains of a cave tube worm (Polychaeta: Serpulidae)
in an ancient cave in Slovenia. - Proc., 13th Inter-
national Speleological Congress, 4th Speleological
Congress of Latin America and the Carribean, 26th
Brazilian Congress of Speleology, Brasilia, July 15-
22, 2001, 20-24, Brasilia.
Mihevc, A., Bosak P. Pruner P. & B. Vokal 2002: Fossil
remains of the cave animal Marifugia cavatica in the
unroofed cave in the Černotiče quarry, W Slovenia.
Geologija, 45, 2, str. 471-474, Ljubljana.
Pruner, P., Bosák P. Mihevc A. Kadlec J. Man O. & P.
Schnabl, 2003: Preliminary report on palaeomag-
netic research on Račiška pečina Cave, SW Slovenia.
– 11th International Karstological School „Classical
Karst“. Karst Terminology. Guide booklet of the ex-
cursions and abstracts of lectures or poster presen-
tations, Postojna, July 2003: 35-37. Postojna.
Radinja, D., 1972: Zakrasevanje v Sloveniji v luči celot-
nega morfogenetskega razvoja. Geografski zbornik,
13, SAZU, Ljubljana.
Roglič, J., 1957: Zaravni u vapnencima. Geografski
glasnik 19, 103-134, Zagreb.
Sket, B., 1970: Über Struktur und Herkun der unterir-
dischen Fauna Jugoslawiens. – Biol. Vestn., 18, 69-
78, Ljubljana.
Slabe, T., 1997: Karst features discovered during mo-
torway construction in Slovenia. - Environ. geol.
(Berl.), 1997, letn. 32, št. 3, str. 186-190.
Vrabec, M., & L. Fodor, 2006: Late Cenozoic tectonics
of Slovenia: structural styles at the Northeastern
corner of the Adriatic microplate. e Adria micro-
plate: GPS geodesy, tectonics and hazards, - NATO
Science Series, IV, Earth and Environmental Scien-
ces, vol. 61). Dordrecht: Springer, 151-168.
Zupan Hajna, N., 1991: Flowstone datations in Slovenia.
- Acta carsologica, 1991, let. 20, str. 187-204.
ANDREJ MIHEVC
