<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Establishing a chronology of events is a critical step in reconstructing the palaeoclimate and it is important for all types of environmental records, including speleothems. Here, we analysed a unique series of flowstones deposited between 3.2 Ma (marine isotope stage (MIS) Km<sup>3</sup>) and 0.08 Ma (MIS 5). The studied flowstones are located in a classic karstic environment, the Račiška Pečina Cave in south-western Slovenia. Further, a detailed chronology of events was constructed based on oxygen isotope stratigraphy (OIS), combined with magnetostratigraphy and U-series dating. Two curves were selected as reference records where the LR04 record was used as the global curve and a Mediterranean record was used as the regional curve. The Račiška Pečina profile was divided into two segments separated by a principal disconformity. The lower segment correlated better with the regional Mediterranean curve, while the upper segment was with the global LR04 curve. These findings suggest that the main factors controlling environmental conditions in the cave area changed between 3.2 and 0.8 million years ago.</p>
</abstract>

Establishing a chronology of events is a critical step in reconstructing the palaeoclimate and it is important for all types of environmental records, including speleothems. Here, we analysed a unique series of flowstones deposited between 3.2 Ma (marine isotope stage (MIS) Km3) and 0.08 Ma (MIS 5). The studied flowstones are located in a classic karstic environment, the Račiška Pečina Cave in south-western Slovenia. Further, a detailed chronology of events was constructed based on oxygen isotope stratigraphy (OIS), combined with magnetostratigraphy and U-series dating. Two curves were selected as reference records where the LR04 record was used as the global curve and a Mediterranean record was used as the regional curve. The Račiška Pečina profile was divided into two segments separated by a principal disconformity. The lower segment correlated better with the regional Mediterranean curve, while the upper segment was with the global LR04 curve. These findings suggest that the main factors controlling environmental conditions in the cave area changed between 3.2 and 0.8 million years ago.

Flowstones from the Račiška Pečina Cave (SW Slovenia) Record 3.2-Ma-Long History

Geochronometria

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Establishing a chronology of events is a critical step in reconstructing the palaeoclimate and it is important for all types of environmental records,...

Flowstones from the Račiška Pečina Cave (SW Slovenia) Record 3.2-Ma-Long History

Published Online: Apr 14, 2021

Page range: 31 - 45

Received: Oct 07, 2019

Accepted: Feb 12, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/geochr-2021-0004

Keywords
stable isotopes, paleoclimate, OIS method, paleomagnetic data, Dinarides

© 2021 P. Sierpień et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Flowstones from the Račiška Pečina Cave (SW Slovenia) Record 3.2-Ma-Long History

Published Online: Apr 14, 2021

Page range: 31 - 45

Received: Oct 07, 2019

Accepted: Feb 12, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/geochr-2021-0004

Keywordsstable isotopes, paleoclimate, OIS method, paleomagnetic data, Dinarides

© 2021 P. Sierpień et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
stable isotopes, paleoclimate, OIS method, paleomagnetic data, Dinarides