Uranium-series dating of speleothems from Demanova Ice Cave: A step to age estimation of the Demanova Cave System (the Nizke Tatry Mts., Slovakia)

Abstract

Datowanie nacieków z Demenovkiej Lodowej Jaskini etapem w określeniu wieku Demenovskiego systemu jaskiniowego (Niżne Tatry, Słowacja) The Th/U and U/U datings indicate 4 episodes of speleothem growth in Demänova Ice Cave, namely: ca. 685-410 ka, ca. 170-140 ka, ca. 104-70 ka, and < 5.6 ka. The speleothems studied are confined to the IV cave level of the Demänova Cave System. Taking into account the commonly accepted rules of cave level formation, one should accept that the level IV must have been dewatered before its oldest speleothems developed, i.e. before ca. 685 ka. Since these speleothems are underlain by fluvial sands of normal magnetic polarity, it is possible to constrain the age of level IV as falling into the time-span of 780-685 ka. It means that this level is older than hitherto supposed and, consequently, that the age of higher levels (V-IX) is older as well.