Jurassic section of Gorski Kotar (Western Karst Dinarides, Croatia) facies characteristics, depositional setting and paleogeographic implications

Abstract

The Jurassic succession of Gorski Kotar reveals the typical sedimentary signature of the inner Adriatic Carbonate Platform realm. On the basis of its facies characteristics eleven informal lithofacies units can be distinguished. By origin, they are grouped into three depositional settings that alternated over the spacious Adriatic platform area during the Jurassic. These are: (1) subtidal below fair-weather wave-base to higher-energy subtidal above fair-weather wave-base, (2) subtidal below fair-weather wave-base with episodic higher-energy influences and (3) peritidal. The alternation of depositional settings reflects periods of intensive, large-scale regional tectonic movements during the geodynamic evolution of the western Neo-Tethys region, such as the opening/closing of the Dinaridic branch of the Neo-Tethys and opening of the Adriatic basin.