Volume n° 5 - from P37 to P54 32nd INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS ADRIATIC-DINARIDIC MESOZOIC CARBONATE PLATFORM, ENVIRONMENTS AND FACIES FROM PERMIAN TO RECENT TIME Leaders: M. Juračić, Ladislav Palinkaš Associate leaders: Z. Barjaktarević, R. Buljan, S. Bergant, V. Jurak, I. Gušić, L. Marjanac, T. Marjanac, D. Matičec, A. Mezga, T. Paviša, S. Šestanović, S. Šoštarić-Borojević, S. Strmić, J. Sremac, Field Trip Guide Book - P53 Field Trip J. Tišljar, I. Vlahović Florence - Italy August 20-28, 2004 Post-Congress P53 P53_ copertina_R_OK C 3-06-2004, 11:34:18 The scientific content of this guide is under the total responsibility of the Authors Published by: APAT – Italian Agency for the Environmental Protection and Technical Services - Via Vitaliano Brancati, 48 - 00144 Roma - Italy Series Editors: Luca Guerrieri, Irene Rischia and Leonello Serva (APAT, Roma) English Desk-copy Editors: Paul Mazza (Università di Firenze), Jessica Ann Thonn (Università di Firenze), Nathalie Marléne Adams (Università di Firenze), Miriam Friedman (Università di Firenze), Kate Eadie (Freelance indipendent professional) Field Trip Committee: Leonello Serva (APAT, Roma), Alessandro Michetti (Università dell’Insubria, Como), Giulio Pavia (Università di Torino), Raffaele Pignone (Servizio Geologico Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna) and Riccardo Polino (CNR, Torino) Acknowledgments: The 32nd IGC Organizing Committee is grateful to Roberto Pompili and Elisa Brustia (APAT, Roma) for their collaboration in editing. Graphic project: Full snc - Firenze Layout and press: Lito Terrazzi srl - Firenze P53_ copertina_R_OK D 3-06-2004, 9:50:12 Volume n° 5 - from P37 to P54 32nd INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS ADRIATIC-DINARIDIC MESOZOIC CARBONATE PLATFORM, ENVIRONMENTS AND FACIES FROM PERMIAN TO RECENT TIME AUTHORS: M. Juračić 1, Ladislav Palinkaš 1, Z. Barjaktarević 1, R. Buljan 3, S. Bergant 3, V. Jurak 2, I. Gušić 1, L. Marjanac 4, T. Marjanac 1, D. Matičec 3, A. Mezga 1, T. Paviša 3, S. Šestanović 5, S. Šoštarić-Borojević 1, S. Strmić 1, J. Sremac 1, J. Tišljar 2, I. Vlahović 3 1 Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Zagreb - Croatia 2 Mining-Geology-Petroleum Engineering, University of Zagreb - Croatia 3 Institute of Geology, Zagreb - Croatia 4 Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Croatia 5 Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Split - Croatia Florence - Italy August 20-28, 2004 Post-Congress P53 P53_R_OK A 3-06-2004, 10:01:24 Front Cover: Cliffs on DugiotokIisland (Central Dalmatia), made up of Senonian dolomitic limestones. P53_R_OK B 3-06-2004, 10:01:25 ADRIATIC-DINARIDIC MESOZOIC CARBONATE PLATFORM, ENVIRONMENTS AND FACIES FROM PERMIAN TO RECENT TIME P53 Leaders: M. Juračić, Ladislav Palinkaš Associate Leaders: Z. Barjaktarević, R. Buljan, S. Bergant, V. Jurak, I. Gušić, L. Marjanac, T. Marjanac, D. Matičec, A. Mezga, T. Paviša, S. Šestanović, S. Šoštarić-Borojević , S. Strmić, J. Sremac, J. Tišljar, I. Vlahović Marco Polo from Istria to Dubrovnik, primarily with short excursions on the mainland by bus. Mladen Juračić and Ladislav Palinkaš I have not told a half of what I Introduction to the Adriatic saw since nobody would have Carbonate Platform believed me. Ivo Velić, Josip Tišljar, Igor Vlahović, Marco Polo, world traveler, born Dubravko Matičec and Stanislav Bergant on the island of Korčula The ancient Adriatic Carbonate Platform, which represented a part of the so-called Mediterranean Introduction Seuill (Dercourt et al., 1993), was formed during The Mesozoic Adriati-Dinaridic carbonate the Mesozoic Tethyan realm. platform, a unique geological formation Due to the complex geological history of the developed along the passive continental margin platform area, especially the signifi cant post- of Gondwana, stands among other similar depositional tectonics, there are different units in the world as a very representative opinions among Croatian geologists concerning example, owing to the size and diversity of two important issues: its name and its its sedimentary facies. It stretches along the stratigraphic range. present Adriatic coast as the External Dinarides, It is very important to discuss these questions known also as the High Karst Zone. It is a sepa≠rately to avoid the confusion of hitherto part of the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt, discussions, i.e.: whose existence started in Permian times and (1) to try to fi nd the best designation for the terminated in the Paleogene, and then uplifted platform, and in Neogene times. Interesting phenomena (2) to determine its most appropriate related to karst geomorphology owe their stratigraphic range. names, used in international karst terminology, to local toponyms, such as “doline’ and “polje”. Name of the platform Even the term “karst” came after kras or krš. A The most important issue for the designation of great number of points of interest are situated the platform is enabling a clear differentiation on the pearl of the Adriatic islands, inhabited between palaeogeographic relationships during since prehistoric time by fi shermen, peasants, the platform’s existence in the Mesozoic, and and sailors, who dwelt in small villages with the present structural pattern of the Dinarides picturesque architecture. Fascinating scenery of mountain belt formed during the Tertiary the white rocky coast, with garlands of olives, tectonic cycle. The Dinarides, which link the vineyards, and a drapery of conifers around Southern Alps with the Albanides, Hellenides, old stony villages, embraced by the emerald and Taurides, are composed of two genetically green-blue water of the Adriatic, gives a visual different parts: the Outer (External) Dinarides joy to the geological and cultural program. The along the Adriatic Sea, composed mostly of relics trip is not focused on sedimentology exclusively. of the carbonate platform and its foundation, and It will show some very special sites, including the Inner (Internal) Dinarides, situated between dinosaur tracks; carbonate platform foundations the Outer Dinarides and the Pannonian Basin, Volume n° 5 - from P37 to P54 n° 5 - from Volume or distractions; recent carbonate deposition composed of passive and active continental under temporal climate conditions; one of the margin rocks, including ophiolites. huge karst springs feeding the sunlight green Among numerous designations used for the river, river delta, and marsh-lands in a young carbonate platform deposits outcropping in the immature karst topography; civil engineering area of the Outer Dinarides studied over the achievements; and national parks with unique last few decades, the most frequent in the recent variety of fl ora and fauna. The trip will involve geological literature are the Dinaric Carbonate travelling by boat along the coast and islands Platform, Adriatic–Dinaric Carbonate Platform 3 - P53 P53_R_OK 3 3-06-2004, 10:01:56 Leaders: M. Juračić, Ladislav Palinkaš P53 (or Adriatic–Dinaridic Carbonate Platform) and the Adriatic Carbonate Platform. The term “Dinaric” in the name of the platform geographically depicts the mountain belt formed by the platform’s disintegration, but unavoidably incorporates several problematic issues: – the Dinarides were uplifted in the events that took place several tens of Ma after the last carbonate deposition on the platform. In this way, the platform would be named after the mountain belt, which would be formed by its disintegration far in the future. – as already mentioned, the Dinarides as a mountain belt comprises a large proportion of deposits which are not genetically connected with the platform, including almost all of the highest peaks, which are located within the Inner Dinarides area. Even in the Outer Dinarides, there are a signifi cant amount of rocks which do not Figure 1.1 - Schematic illustration showing the main events before the belong to the studied separation of the Adriatic Carbonate Platform: (1) until the Middle Triassic carbonate platform sensu rifting, the study area represented a part of the epeiric platform located along stricto.: underlying rocks Volume n° 5 - from P37 to P54 n° 5 - from Volume the northern Gondwana margin; during this event, the Adria Microplate or (Palaeozoic, Triassic, Apulian Promontory was separated, and a huge isolated platform was formed and earliest Jurassic (2), which was partly disintegrated during the Late Lias, resulting in the formation of the Adriatic Basin (AB), and Molise–Lagonero Basin (not shown), sedimentary rocks and and the fi nal separation and isolation (3) of the Adriatic Carbonate Platform small occurrences of (AdCP), the Apulian Carbonate Platform (ApCP), and the Apenninic Carbonate magmatic rocks), and Platform (not shown). After Velić et al. (2003). overlying deposits (Tertiary limestones, fl ysch deposits, coarse- P53 - P53_R_OK 4 3-06-2004, 10:01:58 ADRIATIC-DINARIDIC MESOZOIC CARBONATE PLATFORM, ENVIRONMENTS AND FACIES FROM PERMIAN TO RECENT TIME P53 grained carbonate clastics – Jelar breccia and The stratigraphic range of the Promina deposits, isolated Neogene fresh- the platform water basins, and Quaternary cover). Concerning the second issue – that is, the – the term “Dinaric” primarily represents a stratigraphic range of the Adriatic Carbonate structural and/or geomorphological term, and Platform as an autonomous entity – the most its usage for a palaeogeographical unit might important point is to defi ne this huge carbonate cause confusion in communication. body and make it palaeogeographically A combined term Adriatic–Dinaric Carbonate recognizable. Although the Outer Dinarides Platform (or