Hypogene Speleogenesis in the Cerna River Basin, SW Romania
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University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School January 2013 Hypogene Speleogenesis in the Cerna River Basin, SW Romania: A Sedimentological, Mineralogical, and Stable Isotopic Approach Cristina Montana Puscas University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Geology Commons Scholar Commons Citation Puscas, Cristina Montana, "Hypogene Speleogenesis in the Cerna River Basin, SW Romania: A Sedimentological, Mineralogical, and Stable Isotopic Approach" (2013). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4931 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Hypogene Speleogenesis in the Cerna River Basin, SW Romania: A Sedimentological, Mineralogical, and Stable Isotopic Approach by Cristina M. Pușcaș A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Geosciences College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Bogdan Petroniu Onac, Ph.D. Victor J. Polyak, Ph.D. Jeffrey Ryan, Ph.D. Len H. Vacher, Ph.D. Jonathan G. Wynn, Ph.D. Date of Approval: November 26, 2013 Keywords: cave, morphology, sulfuric acid speleogenesis, thermomineral water, Băile Herculane Copyright © 2013, Cristina M. Pușcaș DEDICATION To my parents and Cosmin. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ iv Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... vi Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Background .......................................................................................................................... 1 Aim of the Dissertation ........................................................................................................ 5 Hypotheses to be Tested ...................................................................................................... 7 Hypothesis 1............................................................................................................. 7 Hypothesis 2............................................................................................................. 8 Hypothesis 3............................................................................................................. 8 Dissertation Outline ............................................................................................................. 8 Major Findings and Conclusions ......................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 .................................................................................................................. 9 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................ 10 Chapter 4 ................................................................................................................ 11 Chapter 5 ................................................................................................................ 12 References .......................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter Two: Past Surface Conditions and Speleogenesis as Inferred from Cave Sediments in the Great Cave of Șălitrari Mountain ................................................................. 19 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 19 Location and Geologic Setting........................................................................................... 20 Methods.............................................................................................................................. 23 Results ................................................................................................................................ 25 Discussion and Conclusions .............................................................................................. 29 References .......................................................................................................................... 33 Chapter Three: The Mineral Assemblage of Caves within Șălitrari Mountain: Depositional Environment and Speleogenetic Implications .................................................... 40 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 40 Geographic and Geologic Setting ...................................................................................... 42 Cave and Sample Description ............................................................................................ 43 Analytical Methods ............................................................................................................ 46 Results ................................................................................................................................ 47 Discussion and Conclusions .............................................................................................. 51 Phosphates.............................................................................................................. 52 i Nitrates ................................................................................................................... 52 Sulfates ................................................................................................................... 53 References .......................................................................................................................... 54 Chapter Four: Tamarugite-bearing Paragenesis formed by Sulfate Acid Alteration in Diana Cave ............................................................................................................................... 60 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 60 Local Geology and Hydrology........................................................................................... 64 Tamarugite Occurrences and Stability ............................................................................... 65 Description of Samples and Analytical Methods ............................................................... 66 Results ................................................................................................................................ 67 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 70 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................ 75 References .......................................................................................................................... 76 Chapter Five: Using δ34S in low-grade hydrothermal waters to fingerprint hypogene speleogenesis (Băile Herculane, Romania) ............................................................................. 81 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 81 Site Description .................................................................................................................. 82 Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry ................................................................................... 85 Description of the Sampled Springs .................................................................................. 86 Results ................................................................................................................................ 91 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 97 Hydrochemistry...................................................................................................... 97 Origin of thermomineral water .............................................................................. 99 Stable sulfur isotopes ........................................................................................... 100 Oxygen stable isotopes ........................................................................................ 102 Dissolved inorganic carbon.................................................................................. 104 Stable isotopes in cave minerals .......................................................................... 105 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 106 References ........................................................................................................................ 108 Appendix