Evidence for Badenian local sea level changes in the proximal area of the North Croatian Basin

Quantitative analysis of palynomorphs, foraminifera and ostracods enabled the recognition of biotic events and the reconstruction of environmental change in the Badenian sediments from the Vrhovcak section of Mt. Samoborsko gorje (NW Croatia). During the Middle Miocene the investigated area of Mt. Samoborska gora was located at the south-western margin of the North Croatian Basin, which represents the south-western edge of the Pannonian Basin System and the Central Paratethys Basin. This marginal position within the basin controlled the specific evolution of the depositional area during the Badenian. The occurrence of coal bearing horizons and freshwater flora and fauna in the middle part of the Vrhovcak section provide new data for the reconstruction of Badenian palaeoenvironments. A fall in sea level and the probable isolation of this area in the Badenian seems to be responsible for the appearance of a new fauna and flora. The marine sediments from the base of the Vrhovcak section may be correlated to cycle TB 2.4 of the main Badenian transgression, which affected the entire Central Paratethys area. This was followed by a regression and lowstand (Ser2), which, correlated to the middle part of the section, with freshwater sediments and coal bearing horizons. The upper part of the Vrhovcak section with marine sediments represents the Late Badenian cycle TB 2.5.

[1]  S. Ćorić,et al.  The Styrian Basin: A key to the middle miocene (Badenian/Langhian) Central Paratethys transgressions , 2009 .

[2]  O. Mandic,et al.  Revised Middle Miocene datum for initial marine fl ooding of North Croatian Basins ( Pannonian Basin System , Central Paratethys ) , 2009 .

[3]  M. Harzhauser,et al.  The Middle Miocene Badenian stratotype at Baden-Sooss (Lower Austria) , 2008 .

[4]  M. Harzhauser,et al.  Benchmark data of a changing sea — Palaeogeography, Palaeobiogeography and events in the Central Paratethys during the Miocene , 2007 .

[5]  Steve Juggins,et al.  C2 Version 1.5: Software for ecological and palaeoecological data analysis and visualisation , 2007 .

[6]  B. Saftić,et al.  Badenian evolution of the Central Paratethys Sea: paleogeography, climate and eustatic sea level changes , 2007 .

[7]  I. Hećimović,et al.  Middle Miocene (Upper Badenian/Sarmatian) Palaeoecology and Evolution of the Environments in the Area of Medvednica Mt. (North Croatia) , 2006, Geologia Croatica.

[8]  M. Harzhauser,et al.  Early and Middle Miocene dinoflagellate cyst stratigraphy of the Central Paratethys, Central Europe , 2006, Journal of Micropalaeontology.

[9]  G. Jiménez-Moreno.  Progressive substitution of a subtropical forest for a temperate one during the middle Miocene climate cooling in Central Europe according to palynological data from cores Tengelic-2 and Hidas-53 (Pannonian Basin, Hungary) , 2006 .

[10]  Zlatan Bajraktarević,et al.  Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography of Miocene Deposits from the Marginal Area of Žumberak Mt. and the Samoborsko Gorje Mts. (Northwestern Croatia) , 2010, Geologia Croatica.

[11]  D. Pavelić.  9. Cyclicity in the evolution of the neogene north Croatian basin (Pannonian Basin System) , 2005 .

[12]  E. Nagy.  Palynological evidence for Neogene climatic change in Hungary , 2005 .

[13]  M. Harzhauser,et al.  Changes in Paratethyan marine molluscs at the Early/Middle Miocene transition - diversity, palaeogeography and palaeoclimate , 2003 .

[14]  F. Marret,et al.  Atlas of modern organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst distribution , 2003 .

[15]  K. Bakrač,et al.  The Middle and Upper Miocene Facies of Mt. Medvednica (Northern Croatia) , 2003 .

[16]  D. Pavelić.  Tectonostratigraphic model for the North Croatian and North Bosnian sector of the Miocene Pannonian Basin System , 2001 .

[17]  M. Harzhauser,et al.  Hypoxic Events on a Middle Miocene Carbonate Platform of the Central Paratethys (Austria, Badenian, 14 Ma) , 2001 .

[18]  Martin B. Farley,et al.  Mesozoic and Cenozoic Sequence Chronostratigraphic Framework of European Basins , 1998 .

[19]  J. Hardenbol,et al.  Mesozoic and Cenozoic Sequence Stratigraphy of European Basins , 1998 .

[20]  Richard V. Tyson,et al.  Sedimentary Organic Matter: Organic facies and palynofacies , 1994 .

[21]  M. Mange,et al.  Heavy Minerals in Colour , 1991 .

[22]  B. Haq,et al.  Mesozoic and Cenozoic Chronostratigraphy and Cycles of Sea-Level Change , 1989 .

[23]  R. Tyson.  The genesis and palynofacies characteristics of marine petroleum source rocks , 1987, Geological Society, London, Special Publications.

[24]  Helen Tappan,et al.  The Paleobiology of Plant Protists , 1981 .

[25]  K. H. Head,et al.  Manual of soil laboratory testing , 1980 .

[26]  B. Geel,et al.  A palaeoecological study of an upper late glacial and holocene sequence from “de borchert”, The Netherlands , 1980 .

[27]  K. Faegri,et al.  Textbook of Pollen Analysis , 1965 .