ASGP (2025), vol. 95: 259–289

DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT, AGE AND GEOMORPHIC SIGNIFICANCE OF A PLEISTOCENE SPRING-RELATED CARBONATE COMPLEX, LIPTOV BASIN, CENTRAL WESTERN CARPATHIANS

Przemysław SALA (1*), Pavel BELLA (2,3), Michał GRADZIŃSKI (4), Pavel BOSÁK (5), Helena HERCMAN (6), Petr PRUNER (5), Stanislav ŠLECHTA (5), Ewa STWORZEWICZ (7) & Wojciech WRÓBLEWSKI (4)

1) Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland; e-mail: p.sala@umk.pl
2) Department of Geography, Faculty of Education, Catholic University in Ružomberok, Hrabovská cesta 1, 034 01 Ružomberok, Slovakia; e-mail: pavel.bella@ku.sk
3) State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic, Slovak Caves Administration, Hodžova 11, 031 01 Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia; e-mail: pavel.bella@ssj.sk
4) Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3a, 30-387 Kraków, Poland; e-mails: michal.gradzinski@uj.edu.pl, wojciech.wroblewski@uj.edu.pl
5) Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic; e-mails: bosak@gli.cas.cz; pruner@gli.cas.cz; standa.slechta@atlas.cz
6) Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51-55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland; e-mail: hhercman@twarda.pan.pl
7) Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, 31-016 Kraków, Poland; e-mail: stworzewicz@isez.pan.krakow.pl
*) Corresponding author

Sala, P., Bella, P., Gradziński, M., Bosák, P., Hercman, H., Pruner, P., Šlechta, S., Stworzewicz, E. & Wróblewski, W., 2025. Depositional environment, age and geomorphic significance of a Pleistocene spring-related carbonate complex, Liptov Basin, Central Western Carpathians. Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, 95: 259–289.

Abstract: The complex of freshwater carbonates at Čerená Hill in northern Slovakia was investigated. The facies recognised are mainly represented by a laminated crust, micritic limestone and phytoclastic boundstone and subordinately by moss boundstone and carbonate-siliciclastic mud. The alluvial sediments present at the base of the complex indicate that it was deposited within a flat stream valley at the foot of the Low Tatra Mts. The growth of the carbonates was controlled by the supply of deep-circulation water, containing geogenic CO2, and its outflow to the marshy floodplain. This area was occasionally invaded by surface stream water, resulting in modification of the sedimentary facies, accompanied by a slight differentiation of the geochemical data (δ13C values and CaCO3 content). The U-series and palaeomagnetic data collectively show that the growth of the spring-related carbonate complex commenced between ca. 300 ka and persisted until 200 ka. Deposition during the warm interglacial phases of the Pleistocene is assumed; this is supported by the presence of a malacofauna assemblage, and a high contribution of calcified floral remains in a part of the studied sediments. Post-sedimentary modifications, mainly mass-wasting processes, resulting from the incision of adjacent valleys, shaped the area of Čerená Hill after it was cut off from a deep-water supply.

Manuscript received 15 November 2025, accepted 23 December 2025