Middle Miocene (Badenian) tusk shells (Scaphopoda) of the Visnjica area near Belgrade (Serbia)

We re-examined the fossil scaphopod assemblage from the Middle Miocene (Badenian) deposits in Visnjica locality near Belgrade (Serbia) reveals high biodiversity of this neglected fossil group. The study of the nearly 300 specimens has revealed the presence of twelve species of Scaphopoda, two of which are mantiened in open nomenclature. They belong to seven genera (in both orders, Dentaliida da Costa, 1778 and Gadilida Starobogatov, 1974): Fissidentalium badense (Partsch in Hornes, 1856), Antalis cf. taurocostatum (Sacco, 1897), Antalis mutabilis (Hornes 1856 ex Doderlein ms), Antalis cf. subprismaticum (Baluk, 1972), Antalis sp., Paradentalium sexangulum (Gmelin, 1790), Paradentalium michelottii (Hornes, 1856), Dentalium sp., Omniglypta jani (Hoernes, 1856), Omniglypta emersoni (Caprotti, 1979), Gadilina taurogracilis Sacco, 1897, Pulsellum miocaenicum (Boettger, 1901). Representatives of the order Dentaliida da Costa, 1778, predominate. Among the identified species, Fissidentalium badense the most common in the investigated material and comprised 40% of the collected specimens. The order Gadilida is represented only by Pulsellum miocaenicum (Boettger, 1901).

The Serbian Lake Pannon formations - their significance and interregional correlation

The problem of correlating Lake Pannon sediments across its basin has been the occupation of many geologists. At first, it was hampered by the prevalence of biostratigraphic, rather than lithostratigraphic correlation. The task became accomplishable when, thanks to seismic survey data, the strongly progradational character of Lake Pannon sedimentation had been understood. Thus, this paper aims to describe the formations from all parts of Lake Pannon and compare them to the ones described in Serbia. Material used includes published and unpublished data from all countries w ith Pannonian Basin System upper Miocene and lower Pliocene deposits, in the form of seismic, borehole and outcrop data. Even though the system is strongly asymmetric, both spatially and temporally, the formation synthesis framework should help better understanding among geologists operating w ithin the basin. For the first t ime the informal formations are proposed for all Lake Pannon sediments in Serbia. The formations are linked to a progradational deltaic system w ithin the following succession: basinal plain-turbidite-slope-delta front-delta plain-lacustrine and alluvial environments. The lithostratigraphic correlation has a huge potential in the context of industry. The main potential surely lies in petroleum geology, but it could be also very useful for exploration of geothermal energy, hydrogeology and construction materials.

Witness of the history: A hundred years old the geological hammer of Jovan Zujovic

During the celebration of thirty years of existence and work of the Serbian Geological Society (SGS) on February 10, 1921, as a sign of great respect toward Academician Jovan Zujovic, the President and founder of the Serbian Geological Society and father of the Serbian Geological School, all the members of SGS gave him a unique geological hammer with engraved dedication and their signatures. Over the past hundred years, many generations of geologists have found inspiration by looking at the hammer and sharing this story with great reverence. Today, when geologists visit the Memorial Room of Geology (Faculty of Mining and Geology, Kamenicka Street No. 6), where this hammer is carefully kept as well as other valuable exhibits from the history of Serbian geology, similar feelings fill us.

Microfacies and biostratigraphy of an Upper Triassic Dachstein limestone fore-reef block in the Jurassic Sirogojno carbonate-clastic Mélange (Zlatibor Mt., SW Serbia)

In the late Middle to early Late Jurassic carbonate-clastic Sirogojno M?lange in the Zlatibor Mountain there is one roughly 35 m thick overturned block with an intact Late Triassic fore-reefal Dachstein Limestone succession that was studied here for its biostratigraphic age, faunal content and microfacies characteristics. The succession starts with coarse-grained rudstones followed by meter-sized reefal blocks intercalated in partly layered resedimented grainstones and packstones with abundant reef-building organisms like calcareous sponges, corals and encrusting organisms. Inside this part of the succession open-marine influenced layers are rare. The succession continues with a partly turbiditic sequence and chaotic rudstones, densely packed with reef-derived material like broken reef-building organisms and shallow-water material like gastropods, bivalves and foraminifers. Grainstones with clear open-marine influence (e.g., thin-shelled bivalves, crinoids, conodonts) appear in between those rudstones, in cases lumachelle layers consisting of halobiids were deposited. To the end of the succession some layers show turbiditic bedding with mixed shallow- water and deep-marine grains and organisms, i.e. filaments and crinoids. On base of conodonts, foraminifers, calcareous algae, holothurians and halobiids throughout the whole studied succession, a Middle Norian (Alaunian) to Rhaetian 1, most probably a Late Norian (Sevatian) age can be assigned to this forereefal Dachstein Limestone succession, with a similar sedimentation pattern like Late Triassic Dachstein fore-reef limestone facies, e.g., in the Northern Calcareous Alps or the eastern Southern Alps. The study of this block in the Sirogojno M?lange closes an important gap in knowledge about the extent, facies and stratigraphy of the Dachstein Carbonate Platform evolution in the Dinarides.

Early-Middle Jurassic stepwise deepening in the transitional facies belt between the Adriatic Carbonte Platform Basement and Neo-Tethys open shelf in northeastern Montenegro evidenced by new ammonoid data from the early Late Pliensbachian (Lavinianum Zone)

New ammonoid data prove an early Late Pliensbachian deepening event above the ?Late Hettangian-Sinemurian shallow-subtidal gray-reddish micro-oncoidal-foraminifera grainstone facies and the ?Early Pliensbachian deeper-marine micro-oncoidal-crinoidal-ammonoid wacke- to packstone facies. Based on the presence of Fuciniceras lavinianum (Fucini), Lytoceras ovimontanum Geyer and Arieticeratinae gen. indet. from a hardground above the deeper-water micro-oncoidal limestones in the Mihajlovici section (northeastern Montenegro) a Late Pliensbachian to Early Toarcian condensation horizon is proven. The Middle Toarcian ammonoid-bearing horizon also yielded species not known from previous studies: Calliphylloceras capitanii (Catullo), Harpoceras subplanatum (Oppel) and Furloceras aff. chelussii (Parisch & Viale), also described in the present paper. These new data prove a stepwise deepening of the depositional area during the Early and the Middle Jurassic reflected in detail in four sedimentary members: 1) ?Late Hettangian to Sinemurian/? earliest Pliensbachian open-marine shallow subtital micro-oncoidal limestone; 2) ?Early to Late Pliensbachian open-marine condensed limestones with few micro-oncoids and more open-marine influence; 3) Toarcian openmarine condensed red limestones with hardgrounds; and 4} condensed red nodular Bositra Limestone. These four members are separated by hardrounds representing Stratigraphie gaps in deposition. The stepwise deepening during the Early-Middle Jurassic follows the general trend of deposition as known in the whole Western Tethys Realm above the Late Triassic Dachstein Carbonate Platform.

Correlability of solar wind with seismic events in the Balkan peninsula zone

The Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite was launched on the 2nd of December 1995 at L1 Lagrange point (1.5x106 km from Earth) with the purpose of gathering data for helioseismology, remote sensing of the solar atmosphere, and solar wind in situ. The satellite was positioned into orbit in early 1996, with data acquisition expected to commence on January 20th. The correlation between increased values of solar wind parameters and earthquakes in the Balkan peninsula zone between 1996 and 2018 was made possible by data obtained through continuous proton density and proton velocity monitoring. The assessment of the anomalous threshold was based on statistically determined parameters due to the huge fluctuation of solar wind over time and distinct value increases of proton density and speed. Visual representations of proton density and proton speed were created for the time window preceding each earthquake after defining the boundary between normal and anomalous values. According to the chart analysis, increased proton density occurred in 40 of the 50 cases observed, whereas increased proton velocity appeared in 28 of the 50 cases. Using hypergeometrical probability and an unbiased test with randomly generated parameters, the discovered correlation was statistically verified. A retrospective selection bias analysis is also provided in the research paper.

Middle Miocene otoliths of freshwater fishes from the Vracevic Lake (Serbian Lake System)

The Serbian Lake System (SLS) is a key area on early to middle Miocene freshwater environments in southeastern Europe. Here, we describe a rich fossil association of freshwater fish otoliths of late Badenian to early Sarmatian (Serravallian, MN 7+8 zone) age. The studied material was collected from several small outcrops along the Grabovac stream near Vracevic. The Vracevic locations are part of the Valjevo-Mionica Basin (VMB). We identified nine different species, including two in open nomenclature and three new to science: Aphanius jeani, Aphanolebias bettinae n.sp., Klincigobius andjelkovicae, Klincigobus haraldahnelti n. sp., Klincigobius serbiensis, Klincigobius sp., Ponticola sp., Toxopyge campylus, Toxopyge vracevicensis n.sp. We found that the composition of this fish fauna correlates well with the slightly older fauna from the early to middle Miocene of Klinci. Both localities were most likely part of a continuous environment during the existence of the Valjevo-Mionica Basin. The composition of the community of freshwater gobies from the early to early middle Miocene of southeaster n Europe indicates the presence of a "lost" Miocene freshvvater goby fish fauna that existed prior to and was unrelated to the Ponto-Caspian fish fauna that prevails today. The new data may prove helpful in reconstructing the paleogeographical evolution of the Valjevo-Mionica Basin in detail.

Groundwaters of the "Valjevo karst" area (Western Serbia)

"Valjevo karst" is an area of about 780 km2 in a broader sense, while the uncovered karstified limestone makes about 330 km2. It is a part of the Inner Dinarides (Western Serbia). In the litho-stratigraphic view, the karstified limestones of Middle-Upper Triassic dominate, in which karst aquifers are formed. Analysis and systematization of the available data of hydrogeological and other relevant research is carried out. A branched network of groundwater traces between swallow holes and discharge points is presented as well as main features of sixteen karst springs (or scattered discharge zones) and nine (group of) wells, divided into five sectors. Average karst aquifer discharge of the whole area is calculated on 5.18 m3/s. Total minimum flow rate of the analysed karst springs and discharge zones is estimated at 1.2 m3/s, while the total flow rate of the analysed wells is estimated at about 0.3 m3/s, which makes about 1.5 m3/s of total (minimum) discharge. All analysed waters are low-mineralized (<1 g/l), while temperatures range from 9-35?C. Use of the waters is multipurpose: municipal and local water supply, commercial bottling, recreational pools etc.

Reconsidering paleozoic differences between the Jadar block and the Drina-Ivanjica unit

The peculiar Jadar block has an intervening position separating the main Neotethyan West Vardar Zone (including ophiolites of Late Jurassic age) and a passive margin lithospheric segment of the Apulia/Adria microplate referred to as the Drina-Ivanjica block. The review aimed to reassess the peri- Neotethyan paleogeography affecting the evolution of the Neotethyan oceanic crust (?single? vs. ?multiple oceans? or single- vs. two ophiolite belts) by juxta - posing the key differences of the late Variscan temporal evolution (controlling early Alpine paleogeography) between the Jadar block and Drina?Ivanjica crystalline segment. The study goal is the questionable paleogeographic affinity of the Jadar block. Contrary to the recent inferences attributing the Jadar block as a segment of the Apulia/Adria microplate, the study examine whether and how the Jadar Late Paleozoic succession may allow for an alter - native paleogeographic solution of the Neotethyan relevance. According to this comparison survey of these late Paleozoic successions, it appears that the Jadar block may carry a (tentative) evidence of the proximity of the western Paleotethys. The comparison yields a putative paleogeographic position as - sociating the Jadar block with the post-Variscan European margin (not ?pulia/Adria microplate). The proposed shift of the Permian-Triassic paleo - geographic position of the Jadar block inevitably affects the obduction length i.e. questions a favourable protracted along strike-width of the overriding Neotethyan West Vardar ophiolites (?single ocean model?).

Banatite metallogeny of North Poiana Ruscă Mts. revisited

The somehow ignored northern portion of the Banat-Timok Province/Banatitic Belt is reconsidered in metallogenetic terms after updated evaluation based on recent considerations and long ago recognized tectonic, magmatic and metallogenetic evidence. Banatitic occurrences in the investigated area are confined to the NE extent of the non productive alkali-calcic alignment up to the Mures Valley where it joins the sub-latitudinal Bega-Mures branching lineament. Banatitic edifices related to this junction depart from the alkali-calcic trend, drifting to the productive calc-alkaline porphyry environment, characteristic of Timok-South Banat metallogeny. The assemblage of Cretaceous volcanics/pyroclastics and sedimentary formation with subvolcanic and blind intrusions with associated alteration and mineralization creates a environment that reminds the well-known Timok setting. Despite the so far poor understood setting with underestimated economic attractivity, integrated geological-geophysical evidence underscore the potential of this peculiar Timok like volcano-plutonic structure associated with blind porphyry Cu-Au and distal base metal expression, fostering future investigations.