Active and Relict Contact Karst morphological forms of the corrosional plain (Slavinski ravnik, SW Slovenia)

Abstract

So far, the longest known unroofed cave in Slovenia has been found on the Slavinski ravnik, southwest of Postojna. From its position on the surface, its shape, and its containing sediments, we can infer its spatial and temporal development, as well as the processes and evolution of the contact karst in its hinterland. The corrosional plain Slavinski ravnik is a small area of the Dinaric Karst in Slovenia, located at the contact between impermeable flysch and karstified carbonate rocks, where many contact karst features formed. Due to erosion, multi-phase regional tectonic uplift, and sedimentation, a paragenetic cave system, active and relict blind valleys have formed. During the geomorphological mapping, elements were examined and drawn using ESRI ArcMap and Golden Software Surfer, and the stages of their formation were observed. During the survey, the active cave system Markov spodmol and Vodna jama v Lozi, the relict unroofed cave Brezstropa jama v Lozi, Biščevci blind valley, Sajevško polje blind valley, Ivačevci blind valley, and Sajevško polje sediment accumulation were studied. The changing hydrological regime, the allogenic sediments, the distribution of active and relict ponors, and the placement of active and relict elements of these contact karst forms, show different stages of formation and subsequent development of the northern border of Slavinski ravnik. The geomorphological map of these contact karst features and their following studies give us an insight into the morphogenesis of the southern karst periphery of the Postojna Basin as an exceptional - relatively small but highly variable Slovenian contact karst site.

Keywords

• unroofed cave
• blind valley
• paragenesis
• allogenic sediments
• geomorphological mapping