Investigation of short-term denudation rates using the rock tablet method in Northern Velebit National Park (Croatia)

Abstract

The formation of karst landscapes is the result of a series of processes, whereby rock weathering and denudation play important roles. Soluble carbonate rocks are chemically weathered (dissolved) on the surface or under soil cover resulting in the formation of different karst morphologies and controlling surface denudation. The Dinaric karst area is the type-site for numerous karst features and phenomena, but studies on carbonate weathering in this region are still scarce, especially in the mountainous regions. To better understand the formation of Dinaric karst mountainous landscapes, we studied denudation rates at the northern part of Velebit Mountain using the rock tablet method. Denudation was measured using rock tablets consisting of local lithologies and “standard rock tablets” exposed to the natural environment at the surface, but also buried in the soil. Furthermore, rock tablets were placed in three different settings (open slope, small clearing, bottom of a doline) to evaluate the local factors impacting the denudation rate. The results of this study showed that the denudation rate is highly dependent on local factors and lithology, and that local rock tablets from different lithologies should be used to determine the actual denudation rate.