engleski

Project introduction: Sedimentology, stratigraphy and structural architecture of the Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes represent a natural phenomenon whose beauty attracts visitors and nature enthusiasts from all over the world. The uniqueness of this hydrocarstic environment and the need to protect it was recognized early on in 1949 when the Plitvice Lakes National Park was established, while in 1979 UNESCO placed it under its World Heritage List. The 16 connected lakes, each situated at different elevations, whose crystal-clear waters cascade over tufa barriers are a result of a specific interplay of hidrological, physico-chemical and biological processes. This exceptional set of processes wouldn’t be achievable without the characteristic geological setting in which the lakes formed. Any attempt at understanding their formation and the natural balance that sustains them must consider the structural architecture and the stratigraphy of the bedrock underlying the lakes. The Plitvice Lakes bedrock is almost exclusively composed of carbonates, both limestone and dolomite which were formed in shallow marine carbonate platform environments existing throughout much of the Mesozoic at the southern edge of the Neotethys Ocean. Today this Mesozoic rock complex is an integral part of the Dinaridic mountain chain, whose lithology, geomorphology and specific karstic forms dictate the hydrology and evolution of the Plitvice Lakes. In 2017 a three year project funded by the Plitvice Lakes National Park was initiated in order to improve existing knowledge on the stratigraphy, paleogeography and tectonic evolution of the Plitvice lakes area through the application of carbonate sedimentology, micropaleontology and 3D structural modeling. All available data is being digitally integrated using GIS and 3D geological modelling software, whereas UAV photogrammetry is used to build 3D models of individual geological outcrops with centimeter level resolution and spatial accuracy. Considering the fact that the National Park has recently been receiving more than 1.7 million visitors per year, the applied methods and tools offer exceptional visualization and analytical opportunities. They provide a new and approachable viewpoint, which can help a wide audience of Park visitors to comprehend the geological complexity of the area and its role in the tectonic evolution and formation of the lake system. Even more importantly it can help illustrate variables influencing the preservation of this fragile and unique hydrocarstic environment which nowadays is experiencing enormous touristic pressure and associated development challenges.

Plitvice Lakes National Park ; geology ; stratigraphy ; structural geology ; 3D modeling

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