Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hypogene Caves of Romania

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Hypogene Karst Regions and Caves of the World

Part of the book series: Cave and Karst Systems of the World ((CAKASYWO))

Abstract

Few caves exist in Romania that have provided clear evidences of their hypogene origin; these were described mainly in connection with investigations conducted on ore deposits or thermal water resources used in spas. Genetically, they are grouped in three categories: (1) caves related to upwelling of H2S-rich thermal waters along Cerna Valley (SW Romania) and around the town of Mangalia (SE Romania), (2) voids created in skarns and limestones during ascending flow of hot metasomatic and hydrothermal ore fluids (caves located mainly in the northern and western part of the country), and (3) mixing of salt and fresh water near the present Black Sea shore (e.g., Piatra Cave). Among all caves in these categories, Movile, a world-renowned biospeleological hot spot, the skarn-hosted caves from Băița, and Valea Rea, an underground mineralogical treasure, are the most representative.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Balintoni I (1997) Geotectonica terenurilor metamorfice din România. Carpatica, Cluj-Napoca

    Google Scholar 

  • Conovici M, Povară I, Orașeanu I, Marin C (2013) Geological and hydrogeological features of Cerna Valley (Arşasca-Iuta area, SW Romania). Carpath J Earth Environ Sci 8(3):219–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Constantinescu T (1989) Considerations sur la zone karstique de “La Movile” (Mangalia, Dobrogea du Sud, Roumanie). Misc Speol Rom 1:7–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Constantinescu T (2002) Le karst de la zone Mangalia et la Grotte de Monde (Dobrogea de Sud-Roumanie). Ann Valahia Univ Târgoviște Geogr Ser 2(1):147–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Damm P (2000) Evolution of karst in the Valea Rea-Cornu Munților area (Bihor Mountains, NW Romania). In: Onac BP, Tămaș T (eds) Proceedings of the joint meeting “Friends of Karst” and “Theoretical and Applied Karstology”. Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, pp 22–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Diaconu G (1974) Quelques considérations sur la présence de l’anhydrite dans la grotte “Pestera Diana” (Băile Herculane-Roumanie). Trav Inst Spéol “Emile Racovitza” 13:191–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Diaconu G, Marincea Ș, Dumitraș D (2008) Data on the Limanu Cave mineralogy, South Dobrogea. Trav Inst Spéol “Emile Racovitza” 47:65–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Drăgănescu A, Ghenea A, Ghenea C, Mirăuță E (1979) Geological map of Romania scale 1:50000 Gura Dobrogei sheet. Geology and Geophysics Institute, Bucharest

    Google Scholar 

  • Dumitrescu M, Orghidan T, Tanasachi J, Georgescu M (1965) Contribuţii la studiul monographic al Peşterii de la Limanu. Trav Inst Spéol “Emile Racovitza” 4:21–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Feier N (2003) New data on the mineralogy of Valea Rea Cave, Bihor Mountains. Ecocarst 4:22–24 (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Feru MU (1993) Considérations sur la génèse et la circulation des eaux thermominérales karstiques de la zone de Mangalia (Roumanie). Theor Appl Karstol 6:189–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Feru MU, Capotă A (1991) Les eaux thermominérales karstiques de la zone de Mangalia (Roumanie). Theor Appl Karstol 4:143–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Galdenzi S, Maruoka T (2003) Gypsum deposits in the Frasassi caves, central Italy. J Cave Karst Stud 65(2):111–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghergari L, Tămaş T, Damm P, Forray F (1997) Hydrothermal paleokarst in Peştera din Valea Rea (Bihor Mountains, Romania). Theor Appl Karstol 10:115–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill CA (1987) Geology of Carlsbad Cavern and other caves in the Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico and Texas. New Mexico Bur Mines Min Res Bull 117:150

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill CA, Forti P (1997) Cave minerals of the world, 2nd edn. National Speleological Society, Huntsville

    Google Scholar 

  • Horoi V (1994) The corrosion process in “Peştera de la Movile” Cave (Southern Dobrudja – Romania). Theor Appl Karstol 7:189–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Lascu C, Sârbu S (1988) La grotte de Taşaul et l’histoire géologique de la région Tașaul – vallée de la Casimcea. Bul Spéléo Club Paris XIV(2):21–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Lascu C, Popa R, Sârbu S (1995) Le karst de Movile (Dobrogea de Sud) (II). Rev Roum Geogr 30:31–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Lascu C, Constantin S, Lauritzen S-E (2000) Black Sea level oscillations based on preliminary U-series datings of submerged speleothems from Peştera Piatra (Central Dobrogea, Romania). In: Onac BP, Tămaş T (eds) Proceedings of the joint meeting “Friends of Karst” and “Theoretical and Applied Karstology”. Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, pp 72–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Marin C, Nicolescu T (1989) The geochemistry of groundwater from southeastern Dodrogea, Romania. Trav Inst Spéol “Emile Racovitza” 32:229–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Mârza I, Silvestru E (1988) First mention of the hydrothermal karst phenomenon in Romania, associated to the Neogene metasomatic sulphide ore deposits from Rodna Veche. Studia UBB Geologia XXXIII(1):77–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Mârza I, Nicolescu S, Gruescu C (1995) La magnétite – draperie stalactitique (formation de karst hydrothermal) du gisement de Ocna de Fier (Banat). Rom J Mineral 76:101–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Nedopaca M, Grama C (1987) Mineralizaţiile hidrotermale cu cuarţ din peşterile de la Trestia-Baiţa (jud. Hunedoara). Bul Speol FRTA-CCSS 11:9–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP (2002) Caves formed within Upper Cretaceous skarns at Bǎiţa Bihor County, Romania: mineral deposition and speleogenesis. Can Mineral 40:1693–1703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP (2013) The scientific relevance of mine, quarry, and mine caves of Romania: a review. Mem Ist It Speol II 28:135–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP, Bengeanu M, Botez M, Zih J (1995) Preliminary report on the mineralogy of Peştera din Valea Rea (Bihor Mountains, Romania). Theor Appl Karstol 8:75–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP, Kearns JB, Damm P, White WB, Matyasi S (2000) The first reported occurrence of metatyuyamunite—Ca(UO2)2VO4)2. 3-5H2O in Romania. Rom J Mineral 80:5–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP, Sumrall JB, Tămaş T, Povară I, Kearns JB, Dârmiceanu V, Vereş D, Lascu C (2009) The relationship between cave minerals and H2S-rich thermal waters along the Cerna Valley (SW Romania). Acta Carsologica 38:27–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP, Wynn JG, Sumrall JB (2011) Tracing the sources of cave sulfates: a unique case from Cerna Valley, Romania. Chem Geol 288(3–4):105–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP, Effenberger HS, Wynn JG, Povară I (2013) Rapidcreekite in the sulfuric acid weathering environment of Diana Cave, Romania. Am Mineral 98:1302–1309. doi:10.2138/am.2013.4452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Povară I (1994) Characteristics of the water table topography in the southern part of the Romanian Black Sea Coast. Theor Appl Karstol 7:127–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Povară I, Diaconu G, Goran C (1972) Observations préliminaires sur les grottes influencées par les eaux thermo-minérales de la zone Baile-Herculane. Trav Inst Spéol “Emile Racovitza” XI:355–365

    Google Scholar 

  • Povară I, Simion G, Marin C (2008) Thermo-mineral waters from the Cerna Valley Basin (Romania). Studia UBB Geologia 53(2):41–54. doi:10.5038/1937-8602.53.2.4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Puşcaş CM, Onac BP, Effenberger HS, Povară I (2013) Tamarugite-bearing paragenesis formed by sulphate acid alteration in Diana Cave, Romania. Eur J Min 25(3):479–486. doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2013/0025-2294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarbu SM (2000) Movile Cave: a chemoautotrophically based groundwater ecosystem. In: Wilkens H, Culver DC, Humphreys WF (eds) Ecosystems of the world (Subterranean Ecosystems). Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 319–343

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarbu SM, Lascu C (1997) Condensation corrosion in Movile Cave, Romania. J Cave Karst Stud 59(3):99–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarbu SM, Kane TC, Kinkle BK (1996) A chemoautotrophically based cave ecosystem. Science 272:1953–1955

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoici S (1983) The Băița Bihor metallogenic district. Ed Academiei RSR, București (in Romanian with extended English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Veliciu S, Năstăseanu S, Zamfir A (1983) Geothermal researches in the Cerna graben (Northern Segment). Geological report, IGG Archive, Bucharest

    Google Scholar 

  • Vişan I, Tămaş T (2011) Mineralogy of caves from Dealul Popii (Rodnei Mountains, N. Romania). In: Proceedings of the 7th symposium on karst protection, Bela Palanka, Serbia, pp 7–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Wynn JG, Sumrall JB, Onac BP (2010) Sulfur isotopic composition and the source of dissolved sulfur species in thermo-mineral springs of the Cerna Valley, Romania. Chem Geol 271(1):31–43. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.12.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zih-Perényi K, Zih J, Damm PE, Szűcs Sz, Onac BP (2017) Valea Rea Cave. In: Ponta G, Onac BP (eds) Cave and karst systems of Romania. Springer, Berlin (accepted)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Karst Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., NES 107, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Bogdan P. Onac

  2. Emil Racoviță Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, Clinicilor 5, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Bogdan P. Onac

  3. Emil Racoviță Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, Frumoasă 31, 010986, Bucharest, Romania

    Virgil Drăgușin

Authors
  1. Bogdan P. Onac
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Virgil Drăgușin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bogdan P. Onac .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrogeological Problems, Institute of Geological Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine

    Alexander Klimchouk

  2. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, State University of New York, Oneonta, New York, USA

    Arthur N. Palmer

  3. Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Universita di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Jo De Waele

  4. Instituto do Carste, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Augusto S. Auler

  5. University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

    Philippe Audra

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Onac, B.P., Drăgușin, V. (2017). Hypogene Caves of Romania. In: Klimchouk, A., N. Palmer, A., De Waele, J., S. Auler, A., Audra, P. (eds) Hypogene Karst Regions and Caves of the World. Cave and Karst Systems of the World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53348-3_16

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation