Palaeoenvironmental evolution of Lake Gacko (Southern Bosnia Herzegovina): Impact of the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum on the Dinaride Lake System

O. Mandic, A. de Leeuw, B. Vukovic, W. Krijgsman, M. Harzhauser, K.F. Kuiper

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In the Early to Middle Miocene, a series of lakes, collectively termed the Dinaride Lake System (DLS), spread out across the north-western part of the Dinaride-Anatolian continental block. Its deposits, preserved in numerous intra-montane basins, allow a glimpse into the palaeoenvironmental, palaeobiogeographic and geodynamic evolution of the region. Lake Gacko, situated in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, is one of the constituent lakes of the DLS, and its deposits are excellently exposed in the Gračanica open-cast coal-mine. A detailed study of the sedimentary succession that addresses facies, sediment petrography, geophysical properties, and fossil mollusc palaeoecology reveals repetitive changes in lake level. These are interpreted to reflect changes in the regional water budget. First-order chronologic constraints arise from the integration of radio-isotopic and palaeomagnetic data.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)475-492
JournalPalaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
Issue number299
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Palaeoenvironmental evolution of Lake Gacko (Southern Bosnia Herzegovina): Impact of the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum on the Dinaride Lake System'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this