Impressions of the Biota Associated With Waterfalls and Cascades from a Holocene Tufa in the Zrmanja River Canyon, Croatia

Abstract

The following types of calcified deposits characterize Holocene waterfall tufas in the Zrmanja river: mossy deposits, algally laminated crusts and algally coated grains. Petrological examination revealed, that abundant organic remains belonging to mosses and algae provide supporting material, over which tufa accretion takes place, leaving well-defined impressions of the biota. Postgenetic features like meniscus, isopachous and drusy mosaic calcite spar cementation, as well as aggradational neomorphism are only rarely present.