// GEOLOGICAL FEATURES //

The Telašćica bay consists of three parts that look like three lakes divided by noticeable narrowings, the characteristic by which Telašćica obtained its name (Lat. tri lagus – three lakes, therefore Telagus and then Telašćica). Morphogenetically, the three coves are three Karst sinkholes (funnel-shaped hole in the limestone formation) that, together with the rest of the Adriatic area, got under the sea in the last 10000 years, after the last (würm) glacial period.

Rocks of the lower and upper Cretaceous represented mainly by dolomites and carbonate limestone are the geological basis of "Telašćica" Nature Park. Dolomites of the Alb-Cenoman, on the changeover from lower to upper Cretaceous, are the oldest sediments and they take up the NW part of the Park (Brčastac, Gominjak, Čecelinjak, Gladuše). Dolomites of Alb-Cenoman are followed with continuity by alternating limestone and dolomites of Cenoman-Turon. They are structurally positioned mainly in the limb of the anticline on Dugi otok island whose core is represented by older dolomites and they take up areas on the Magrovica-Stražice-Ozdven-V. Dočić stretch and coastal stretch in the Mavra area. Separated parallel zone that continues from the NW stretches by the coast to Mrzlovica across Stivanja gora mountain and Grpašćak to Prisika. This zone includes major part of the cliff. On the surface, the major part of the Park is covered in Turon-Senon sediments, especially rudist limestone that is the structural part of the folds' limbs.

Estimated depth of lower Cretaceous sediments is over 200 m, Cenon-Turon about 350 m and Turon-Senon rudist limestone about 600 m.

In terms of space, these sediments take up most of the coastal stretch of Telašćica, the area of the peninsula from Prisika to cape Vidilica, all small islands in Telašćica, in Proversa and in Tajero, wider zone of Dugonjive, Čuh and the rest.

Of the younger sediments Palaeogene is completely left out, and only Quaternary sediments of red soil (terra rossa) appear. These fine-grained sediments created by hydro chemical processes on the basis of carbonate, have settled to the bottom of the relief recesses as solid material in layers several meters thick and are the most prominent on plains (Čuh, Dugonjiva, Krševo, Dugo, Arnjevo, Stivanje, Gmajno and the rest).