Lačný A., 2013: The influence of lithology and tectonics on the origin of caves in the Kuchyňa-Orešany karst. Acta Geologica Slovaca, 5, 1, 97–105. (in Slovak with English summary)

Vzťah tektoniky a litológie pri genéze jaskýň v Kuchynsko-orešanskom krase

The influence of lithology and tectonics on the origin of caves in the Kuchyňa-Orešany karst

Alexander Lačný

Katedra geológie a paleontológie, Prírodovedecká fakulta, Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Mlynská dolina, 842 15 Bratislava; lacny@fns.uniba.sk

Abstract

This article discusses current state of speleological and geological knowledge in the Kuchyňa-Orešany Karst. which is located in the Malé Karpaty Mts. Geological structure of the mountains is formed by the Tatric, Fatric and Hronic units. The karstic area is located in the Tatric and Fatric Triassic to Lower Cretaceous carbonate rocks. The karstification process influenced mainly the Middle Triassic Gutenstein limestone and Malmian red layered nodular limestone of the Fatric Unit and the Lučivná Formation of the Tatric Unit, respectively. Other sequences forming the Kuchyňa-Orešany Karst were less karstified. The article explains both the genesis and karstification processes with relation to tectonics and lithology of caves. The main direction of the caves was determined using a cartographic documentation. The measured cave directions are conform with the significant fault structures and main lithological boundaries in the NW–SE, NE–SW, and N–S directions. It can be state, that the predominant N–S fault structures were reactivated during the Pliocene to Quaternary period and well fit with the principal direction of the cave corridors.

Key words: Western Carpathians, Malé Karpaty Mts., Kuchyňa-Orešany Karst, cave, tectonics, lithology

Manuscript received: 2012-09-19

Revised version accepted: 2013-03-15