Izvorni znanstveni članak
Geomorphological indicators of sea level changes during upper pleistocene (Würm) and holocene in the Kvarner region (NE Adriatic Sea)
Čedomir Benac
Mladen Juračić
Sažetak
This paper presents the data on the influence oft he sea level change during the last 150000 years on the morphogenetic events int he Kvarner region (the north eastern part of the Adriatic Sea). Some geomorphologic indicators with possible influences on sea level changes, such as sea bottom morphology, the submarine zone sediments disposition, karsification depths, cave development depths and others have been analysed. The present land, coastal, and submarine relief in the Kvarner region was formed as a consequence of tectonic movements, different lithology, climatic changes, and sea level fluctuations during the late geological history, but also because of the erosional amd accumulation processes caused by these changes. The remnants of the older morphogenetic phases have mostly been destroyed. The riverbeds were cut into the bedrock to -60 m beacuse of the sea level fall during the Würm. The carbonate rocks were karstified 70 m below the recent sea level. The present sediment distribution in the Kvarner submarine zone is a consequence of several morphogentic phases correlated with the sea level changes during the Late Pleistocene. Due to much lower sea level in some periods of the Würm glacial the connections between the Rijeka Bay, Kvarnerić, Vinodol and Velebit channels and the open Adriatic were reduced or even interrupted. In the depressions of the Rijeka Bay, Vinodol, and Velebit Channel during periods of lower sea level, lakes could be formed and only the Kvarnerić Bay could have remained connected to the Central Adriatic basin. In this period the Cres – Lošinj archipelago elevations were a morphologic barrier that divided open Adriatic sedimentation zone from the relatively isolated Kvarner region. Therefore the sea bottom is considerably deeper eastern (-70 to -90 m) than western of the Cres and Lošinj islands (-40 to -50 m). That is also the reason for the bottom sediments western of Cres – Lošinj archipelago to be mainly sandy. while those on eastern side to be more silty. Due to the lower sea level, the terrigenous material deposition occurred deeper and farther away from the present coastline, in areas where terrigenous influence is neglibible today. According to the traces of the ancient riverbeds in the Kvarnerić region the sea level at the peak of Würm was more than 100 m below present position. Marine terraces on -45 m and tidal notches on -19 m might have been formed during periods of the slower sea level rise or even its temporal stagnation during the Würm-Holecene transgression.
Ključne riječi
Quaternary; Würm; Holocene; sea level; Adriatic Sea; Kvarner
Hrčak ID:
84591
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.12.1998.
Posjeta: 1.740 *