Middle Miocene (Upper Badenian/Sarmatian) Palaeoecology and Evolution of the Environments in the Area of Medvednica Mt. (North Croatia)

Abstract

In the area of Medvednica Mt., the Upper Badenian and Sarmatiandeposits are divided into four facies associations: (A) deposits of asmall carbonate platform represented by breccia, conglomerates, biocalcirudites,biocalcarenites and biocalclutites; (B) open-sea depositscomposed of marls with intercalations of clay; (C) nearshore depositsof reduced salinity composed of conglomerates, sandstones, biocalcarenites, biocalcirudites and biocalclutites, and (D) lagoonal deposits represented by spongitic calclutites with clay, marl and sand intercalations.Deposits of these facies associations contain numerous and verydiverse fossil species with very different palaeoecological characteristics,from shallow- and deeper-water normal marine to shallow- anddeeper-water environment of reduced salinity, even of fresh-water.The transition from Late Badenian to Sarmatian deposition wascharacterized by three different unconformities and one conformity.Unconformities are located between different lithologies reflectingan amount of uplifting and erosion at the end of the Badenian. Theoccurrence of an angular unconformity suggests the influence of localtectonics.The Middle Miocene deposition shows different local variationsbut generally fits with the evolution of Central Paratethys and thePannonian Basin System.