Cave system evolution in dedolomite (central Slovenia)Šarc, Filip (Avtor) Tyc, Andrzej (Avtor) Błaszczyk, Marcin (Avtor) Tanguy, Racine (Avtor) Blatnik, Matej (Avtor) Otoničar, Bojan (Avtor) speleogenesisgeomorphologycave sedimentsgeochronologyThe Mravljetovo brezno v Gošarjevih rupah (MBGR) cave system in central Slovenia provides key insights into the role of dedolomitization in speleogenesis within mixed carbonate–siliciclastic successions. Detailed geomorphological mapping, structural analysis, LiDAR-based morphometry, sedimentology, and Usingle bondTh and OSL geochronology were integrated to reconstruct cave and landscape evolution. Dedolomitization acted as an early-stage preconditioning process, enhancing porosity, permeability, and mechanical weakness along bedding planes and fractures, thereby guiding initial conduit development. Cave passages are strongly aligned with Dinaric-oriented fault systems, indicating structural control predating Miocene tectonic reactivation. Morphological features such as ceiling channels, cupolas, rising channels, and pendants reflect a complex interplay between structurally guided phreatic inception and later epiphreatic to vadose modification. Usingle bondTh ages up to ~380 ka and OSL-dated sediments at ~87 ka constrains major phases of vadose evolution to at least the Middle Pleistocene, while Holocene speleothems record renewed calcite deposition under stabilized conditions. Progressive uplift and valley incision drove long-term groundwater-level lowering, transitioning the system from phreatic to dominantly vadose conditions. Present morphology is further modified by condensation corrosion linked to active cave ventilation. The MBGR cave demonstrates how dedolomitization can fundamentally influence speleogenetic pathways and highlights caves as valuable archives of tectonic, climatic, and geomorphic evolution in prealpine karst settings.20262026-06-26 18:23:20Neznano30493UDK: 551.442:551.3.051(497.4)ISSN pri članku: 0169-555XDOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2026.110399COBISS_ID: 282313731sl© 2026 The Authors