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Volume IX |

Endokarstic Relief within the Natural Reserve Area of “Repedea Hill Fossil Site”

Abstract: This study aims to analyze the endokarstic relief of the reserve from Repedea Hill. Although there have been made many geological and geomorphological researches on this sector of the Moldavian Plateau, the endokarstic relief remained largely unexplored until now. The main geomorphological factor in the evolution of this type of relief is the geological substrate from which the lithological component stands out as importance. In the Repedea reserve area the thickness of the lithological association is about 10m and favourable to karstification, composed of oolitic and lumashelic limestone and sandstone. The Repedea oolitic limestone appears as a succession of layers with thicknesses of 2-40 cm separated by intercalations of fine, conchiferous sands of 0.5 – 10 cm. These resistant rock packages have conducted to the forming of a structural karst plateau called the Repedea plateau. The high position of this karst plateau from the whole relief of the studied area can be considered a determining factor for the formation of a suspended authigenic karst with vadose hydrological regime. 9 caves were mapped in the Repedea reserve area and they are located on a relatively small surface of approx. 7 ha. The total length of the mapped underground galleries is of 401 m, thus determining an average density of 5.7 km/sqkm. Unlike the Carpathian caves, in Repedea Hill, the rock type and the local hydrological characteristics do not favour the emergence of massive carbonate concretions because the caves are in a continuous process of caving. In conclusion, the endokarstic relief from “Repedea Hill fossil site” reserve is well developed, strongly differentiating from other endokarstic areas of Romania.