Dating hydrological changes in contact karst – the novel application of tectonic uplift phases in cave systems

Tectonically active contact karst areas experience uplift, subsidence, and rotation, complicating sedimentation in horizontal caves. The Postojna contact karst is a prime example, where my doctoral research highlighted the key role of tectonic history. Field evidence shows that cave levels formed due to major hydrological changes, previously attributed to climate, but primarily driven by tectonic uplift. This was demonstrated in the Loza Cave System. To understand regional evolution, the project expands research to Postojnska jama and introduces additional absolute dating methods to constrain tectonic events. Formed by the Nanoščica River and developed across all hydrological zones, the cave is ideal for studying tectonic changes in the External Dinarides over the last 6 million years. Using geomorphological mapping, sediment analyses, geophysical surveys, and multiple dating techniques (paleomagnetism, U-Th, cosmogenic, paleontological), the project aims to build a chronological model of tectonic–hydrological development and determine the timing of the Nanoščica river diversion.