Middle Pleistocene (>350 ka) glaciation in the Carpathians unveiled by quartz microtextures from cave sediments (Low Tatra Mountains, Slovakia)

Researchers have uncovered direct evidence of Middle Pleistocene glaciation (>350,000 years ago) in the Western Carpathians, specifically within the UNESCO-listed Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst. By analyzing quartz grain microtextures from dated cave sediments in the Demänová Cave System (Low Tatra Mountains, Slovakia), the study provides the first conclusive proof of Chibanian glaciation in this region. Using scanning electron microscopy, the team identified glacigenic grains preserved in allochthonous cave clastic sediments that predate Marine Isotope Stage 10. Additionally, well-rounded quartz grains from Triassic rocks suggest glacial activity during MIS 6. This innovative approach is uniquely sensitive to early glacial imprints in karst terrains, where conventional geomorphic evidence may have been erased by subsequent ice advances. The method offers a novel way to detect otherwise missing records of glaciations, advancing our understanding of past climate dynamics in this region.

Siemek, D., Szczygieł, J., Woronko, B., Littva, J., Bella, P., & Kłapyta, P. (2026). Middle Pleistocene (>350 ka) glaciation in the Carpathians unveiled by quartz microtextures from cave sediments (Low Tatra Mountains, Slovakia). Geology, 54(10), 972–977. https://doi.org/10.1130/g54825.1