Bibliogr. s. 361-365

The paper deals with the origin of caves in Sokola Hill (Polish Jura). The caves abound ill solution cavities hi the walls and ceilings, many of them arranged hierarchically, some others arranged in rising sets. Blind chimneys and ceiling half-tubes are also present. These features collectively indicate that the caves originated under plireatic conditions by an ascending flow of water, probably of elevated temperature. Plireatic calcite spar, crystallized from water of elevated temperature, lines the cave walls. During the formation of die caves the Jurassic limestone aquifer was confined by impermeable cover. Three possible scenarios for the origin of the caves are suggested. The first scenario points to formation of the caves during the Palaeogene prior to the removal of the confining Cretaceous marls. The second connects the origin of the caves with regional palaeoflow driven by tectonic loading by Carpathian nappes to the south, while die diird refers to local topographically driven palaeoflow. Bodi die second and diird scenarios assume diat die Polish Jura had a cover of Miocene impermeable elastics. All die scenarios account for die origin of die caves in Sokola Hill and explain die common occurrence of ascending caves throughout die Polish Jura. hi die subsequent stages of evolution die caves were partly filled widi various deposits. Conglomerates composed of Jurassic limestone clasts, quartz sands and sandstones are preserved as erosional remnants, locally covered by or interfmgered widi calcite flowstones. The clastic deposits were laid down by surface streams diat invaded die caves earlier dian 1.2 Ma. The caves were not invaded by water from Pleistocene glaciers, which is proved by die assemblage of heavy minerals in die cave elastics.