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Abstract:

The thesis comprises an introductory section, which provides the reader with the basic geologic, tectonic and speleologic setting of the study area in the karst of Padurea Craiului Mountains and is then divided into a mineralogical/crystallographical study and a geochronological study. The mineralogical and crystallographical investigations were based on traditional and modern methods of laboratory techniques (X-ray, thermal, infra-red, scanning electron microscope and thermal ionisation mass-spectrometric analysis) and have given several new aspects concerning the morphology and origin of cave speleothems (for example, anthodites, oulopholites, fungites). Following detailed investigations on some moonmilk speleothems, a new classification system has been proposed. The results of this first part of the thesis lead into a discussion of the conditions of formations of the studied cave minerals and their morphology.
The second part (geochronology) is dedicated to speleothem dating and contains details of the 230Th/234U chronometer and its application. The various sampling sites (caves) are presented, as well as a list of uranium-series dates. Although there are relatively few data (65), a discussion of the distribution of the ages in time and with respect to Pleistocene climate has been undertaken. It is reported that the speleothems from the Padurea Craiului Mountains display less pronounced growth intervals than those from north-western Europe.
The thesis also examines the use of caves (via speleothem dating) to obtain rates of landscape evolution. The maximum average erosion rates for the Crisul Repede basin are in the range, 0.43-046 m/1000 years. These rates represent both glacial and interglacial conditions, and compare well with rates determined from other countries. A list of minerals which form cave speleolhems is given in an Appendix. The list was compiled from the literature and updated with the author's investigations. It includes the mineral name, composition, crystal system and class, and frequency.