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CAVE AS A KEY TO UNDERSTAND THE GEOLOGY OF AN AREA. AN EXAMPLE FROM RATEI CAVE (SOUTH CARPATHIANS, ROMANIA)
Abstract
Ratei Cave, with its 7,224 m length, provides a good opportunity to investigate the geology and tectonics of Leaota Mountains, the eastern end of the South Carpathians. The geological observations reveal that Ratei Cave is mainly developed in Upper Jurassic limestones, but siliciclastic and metamorphic rocks are encountered in different locations along the cave passages. The stratigraphic succession on the 69 m elevation range, which represents the positive vertical extent between the entrance and the cave end, consists of: a) metamorphic rocks (Leaota Series), which appear along a faults system affecting the great chambers located at the cave end; b) 0.5 to 1.2 m thick layers of green and grey jaspers with radiolarians ascribed to the Callovian, and which are recognized in a few places; c) up to 4 m thick cherty limestones which correspond to the lower part of the Kimmeridgian, and which are exposed in several places; d) Kimmeridgian grayish-yellowish limestones (ooidal grainstone and ooidal bioclastioc packstone-grainstone), and brecciated limestones present within the fauls zones; e) Raciu Breccia Formation with metamorphic and sedimentary rock fragments, which is ascribed to Late Aptian, and can be encountered mainly along the ceiling of several passages. The study reveals the existence of stratigraphic similarities between the eastern flank of Leaota Mountains and the formations ascribed to the same time interval in the surrounding mountains (Bucegi and Piatra Craiului, respectively). In addition, several dozens of fractures that concern both Jurassic limestones and Cretaceous Raciu Breccia, were identified as shear and tension fractures, a result of the compressional tectonic regime. The direction of cave passages development coincides with the predominantly W to E orientation of the fractures.
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