GeolCarp_Vol64_No2_165

www.geologicacarpathica.sk

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA

, APRIL 2013, 64, 2, 165—168 doi: 10.2478/geoca-2013-0012

Introduction

During  the  field  geological  mapping  in  summer  2012,  a  dis-
tinctive  exposure  of  the  contact  between  the  south-western
margin  of  the  Pieniny  Klippen  Belt  (PKB)  and  sediments  of
the  Central  Carpathian  Paleogene  Basin  (CCPB)  was  by
chance discovered, documented and sampled. The about 25 m
long,  continuous  profile  was  temporarily  outcropped  during
ground works in a newly rebuilt place of pilgrimage near the
Basilica Minor in the village of  utina near the town of Sabi-
nov in north-eastern Slovakia (Figs. 1, 2A), GPS coordinates
N  49°10.006

’, E 21°02.745’. Six samples for palynology

(Lut1—Lut6), and seven for foraminifers (Lu1-1—Lu1-7) were
taken. The purpose of this short article is to provide informa-
tion regarding the lithology, age and structure of rocks occur-
ring in this outcrop because it is important from the point of
view of PKB tectonics.

Geological situation

The studied section is located in the western part of the

Slovak Šariš sector of the PKB, below the SW slopes of the
Čergov Mountains (Fig. 1A). This PKB part is characterized
by a distinctively straight fault boundary trending NW-SE
(ca. 120°) that separates the PKB from the CCPB. Andrusov
(1968) named it as the Podhale fault. On its SW side, the ad-
jacent part of the CCPB is composed of several hundred

Fault contact of the Pieniny Klippen Belt with the Central

Carpathian Paleogene Basin (Western Carpathians): new

data from a unique temporary exposure in utina village

(Eastern Slovakia)

DUŠAN PLAŠIENKA

, ŠTEFAN JÓZSA

, PRZEMYSŁAW GEDL

and JOZEF MADZIN

Department of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina G, 842 15 Bratislava,

Slovak Republic; plasienka@fns.uniba.sk; jozsa@fns.uniba.sk; madzin@fns.uniba.sk

Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Research Centre in Kraków, Senacka 1, 31-002 Kraków, Poland;

ndgedl@cyf-kr.edu.pl

(Manuscript received November 28, 2012; accepted in revised form March 8, 2013)

Abstract: An exceptional, briefly exposed section across the boundary between the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) and the
Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin (CCPB) in Eastern Slovakia showed that the contact is formed by a single, subvertical
fault plane. Whereas the Oligocene CCPB deposits exhibit only weak deformation with S-verging fold-and-thrust struc-
tures, the Cretaceous PKB sediments are internally strongly sheared with scaly fabric and numerous calcite veins. It is
inferred that the PKB suffered strong thrusting- and wrenching-related deformation in pre-Oligocene times, while the
Early Miocene oblique backthrusting resulted in exhumation of the PKB and formation of its steep fault boundaries.

Key words: Western Carpathians, Klippen Belt, regional tectonics, lithology, stratigraphy, structures.

meters wide belt composed of soft shales and less sandstones
of the Oligocene Huty Fm.

Further to the SW within the CCPB, the PKB trend is fol-

lowed by a conspicuous structure – the Šambron-Kamenica
Belt.  This  is  a  hilly  zone  formed  by  an  en  echelon  array  of
large  brachyantiforms  exposing  the  Šambron  Beds  com-
posed of huge bodies of chaotic conglomerates (Soták et al.
2001).  The  antiform  axes  are  oriented  somewhat  oblique  to
the  trend  of  the  PKB  and  indicate  slightly  oblique  back-
thrusting with dextral component along the PKB in post-Oli-
gocene times (Plašienka et al. 1998).

Further north-west in Poland, the contact zone of the PKB

with  the  partial  Podhale  Basin  of  the  CCPB  was  studied  in
detail  by  Mastella  (1975)  and  Mastella  et  al.  (1988).  They
distinguished three structural zones within the Podhale Basin
that  are  parallel  to  the  W-E  trending  PKB:  1)  the  strongly
imbricated  and  disturbed  contact  zone  directly  adjacent  to
the PKB passing to a km-wide belt with moderately to steeply
S-dipping  Szaflary  beds  (corresponding  to  the  Šambron
Beds  in  Slovakia)  and  with  numerous  S-dipping  normal
faults; 2) steep zone of the “Peri-Pieniny flexure” indicating
a  S-vergent  thrust  fault  in  the  basement;  3)  zone  of  gentle
dips in the Zakopane beds (equivalent to the Huty Fm) that
neighbours  the  axial  zone  of  the  “Podhale  synclinorium”.
This  situation  would  indicate  the  original  sedimentary  con-
tact  of  the  CCPB  formations  with  the  PKB,  which  was  af-
fected  by  Early  Miocene  backthrusting  and  exhumation  of
the PKB.

SHORT COMMUNICATION

166

PLAŠIENKA, JÓZSA, GEDL and MADZIN

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA, 2013, 64, 2, 165—168

The Slovak Pieniny and Šariš sec-

tors  of  the  PKB  are  composed  of
three  principal  thrust  sheets  of  the
Oravic  affiliation  –  the  Pieniny,
Subpieniny and Šariš Units from top
to bottom (Plašienka & Mikuš 2010;
Plašienka 2012; Plašienka et al. 2012).
The Pieniny Unit is characterized by
the presence of the deep-water Juras-
sic—Cretaceous succession and forms
a  SE-ward  narrowing  strip  along  the
southern  PKB  margin.  The  underly-
ing Subpieniny Unit involves several
shallow-marine successions – in ad-
dition  to  the  most  typical,  ridge-re-
lated  Czorsztyn  Succession,  it  also
embraces  some  “transitional”  suc-
cessions  (Niedzica,  Czertezik)  de-
rived from slope environments. Both
the  Pieniny  and  Subpieniny  Units
are  strongly  reduced  in  the  utina
area,  where  they  only  occur  as  nar-
row  shreds  along  the  south-western
PKB margin.

A substantial part of the PKB in the

area concerned is formed by the Šariš
Unit (Fig. 1B), which was defined by
Plašienka  &  Mikuš  (2010)  as  the
structurally lowermost element of the
Eastern  Slovak  PKB.  The  Šariš  Unit
largely  corresponds  to  the  Grajcarek
Unit  of  the  Polish  Pieniny  Mts  (e.g.
Birkenmajer  1977),  as  far  as  the
lithostratigraphic  succession  is  con-
cerned. It includes deep-marine sedi-
mentary formations of the Jurassic to
Early  Eocene  age.  The  oldest  rocks
exposed  are  Middle  Jurassic  deep-
marine  clastic  deposits,  followed  by
Middle—Upper  Jurassic  radiolarites
(Czajakowa Fm), maiolica-type cher-
ty  limestones  (Pieniny  Fm),  various
mid-Cretaceous marlstones and black
shales,  Upper  Cretaceous  red  and
greenish-grey  pelagic  shales  (Mali-
nowa Fm), and Maastrichtian—Paleo-

Fig. 1. Geological setting of the studied section: A – general scheme of the East Slovak PKB
and adjacent zones (ŠKZ – Šambron-Kamenica Zone); B – geological map of the utina vil-
lage surroundings; C – geological cross-section.

Fig. 2.  Field  drawing  and  photos  of  the
studied section: A – general view of the
profile (note that exposure is restricted to
the  lowermost  edge  of  the  slope  only);
B – discrete fault boundary between the
CCPB  Huty  Fm  and  the  PKB  Jaworki
Fm; C – drawing of the southern part of
the profile; D – northern part. Positions
of foraminiferal samples are indicated by
squares,  palynological  by  circles.  Bed-
ding attitudes are shown as dip direction/
dip  angle.  PF  –  Podhale  fault.  South  is
to the left.

167

FAULT CONTACT OF THE PIENINY KLIPPEN BELT WITH THE CENTRAL CARPATHIAN PALEOGENE BASIN

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA, 2013, 64, 2, 165—168

cene to Lower Eocene synorogenic, coarsening- and thicken-
ing-upward flysch sequence (Jarmuta and/or Proč Fm). This is
terminated by chaotic breccias including numerous large sedi-
mentary klippen – olistoliths of Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous
limestones  derived  predominantly  from  the  overriding
Subpieniny  Unit  (Milpoš  Breccia  –  Plašienka  &  Mikuš
2010). While the pre-Paleogene formations occur in tight anti-
clinal  cusps,  the  up  to  a  thousand  meters  thick  Proč  flysch
forms wide lobate synclines (Fig. 1C).

Lithology and stratigraphy

In the section studied, three different lithological sequences

can  be  distinguished  (Fig. 2).  The  southern  part  of  the  section
exhibits sediments of the CCPB that are composed of dark grey,
weakly calcareous shales weathered to brownish colours. Occa-
sional turbiditic, siliciclastic, fine-grained, thin-bedded and of-
ten laminated sandstone beds are 5—15 cm thick, only one bed is
up  to  50 cm  thick.  Two  washed-out  shale  samples  for  fora-
minifers  were  negative  (Lu1-1  and  Lu1-2,  Fig. 2C),  but  four
palynological samples (Lut1—Lut4) yielded, among others, di-
noflagellate cysts Chiropteridium lobospinosum, Chiropteridium
sp.,  Wetzeliella  sp.  A  sensu  Gedl  (2000)  and  Wetzeliella
gochtii suggesting the Late Rupelian age. The time-span, tax-
onomical composition and palynofacies composition allow for
affiliation of this sequence to the CCPB Oligocene Huty Fm
(i.e. the Zakopane beds in Polish terminology).

After a discrete fault contact, the PKB involves two se-

quences – behind the contact there is a zone of Upper Creta-
ceous  variegated  marlstones  and  marls  about  5 m  thick
(Fig. 2D).  The  cherry-red  marls  yielded  pelagic  foraminifers
Macroglobigerinelloides cf. prairiehillensis (Pessagno), Hete-
rohelix sp., Globotruncana insignis (Gandolfi), Globotruncana
arca (Cushman), Globotruncana linneiana (d’Orbigny), Glo-
botruncana  orientalis  El-Naggar,  Globotruncanita  stuarti-
formis  (Dalbiez)  pointing  to  the  Late  Campanian—Early
Maastrichtian  age  (sample  Lu1-3,  Fig. 2D).  This  lithology
corresponds  to  the  Pustelnia  Marl  Member  of  the  Jaworki
Formation sensu Birkenmajer (1977). Greenish-grey calcare-
ous shales next to red marlstones are assigned to the Lower
Turonian Helvetoglobotruncana helvetica Zone on the basis
of their planktonic foraminiferal assemblage represented by
Dicarinella  hagni  (Scheibnerova),  Dicarinella  oraviensis
(Scheibnerova),  Helvetoglobotruncana  helvetica  Bolli,  Prae-
globotruncana gibba Klaus, Marginotruncana cf. schneegansi
(Sigal), Marginotruncana sp., Whiteinella baltica Douglas &
Rankin, Whiteinella aprica (Loeblich & Tappan), Whiteinella
brittonensis (Loeblich & Tappan) – sample Lu1-4. A single
sample  Lut5  yielded  very  rare  dinoflagellate  cysts,  from
which  co-occurrence  of  Palaeohystrichophora  infusorioides
and  Dinogymnium  sp.  points  at  the  Early  Turonian—earliest
Maastrichtian age. The age and lithology of this Turonian in-
terval  match  the  main  characteristics  of  the  Macelowa  Marl
Member  of  the  Jaworki  Fm  (Birkenmajer  1977).  About  ca.
100 m to the NW, a small hill with a stone cross is composed
of  massive  sandy-crinoidal  limestones.  Most  likely,  this
klippe  and  the  variegated  marls  in  the  section  belong  to  the
Czorsztyn-type succession of the Subpieniny Unit.

The third sequence consists of calcite-poor, purple-red shales

that only contain deep-water agglutinated foraminifers (DWAF)
of  the  Uvigerinammina  jankoi  Zone  (samples  Lu1-5  and  6,
Fig. 2D).  Besides  the  common  index  species  Uvigerinammina
jankoi  Majzon,  various  other  agglutinated  foraminifers  were
identified:  “Rhabdammina”  sp.,  Rhizammina  sp.,  Nothia  sp.,
?Psammosphaera  sp.,  “Saccammina”  spp.,  Pseudonodosinella
spp.,  Subreophax  sp.,  Reophax  sp.,  Calamopsis  grzybowskii
(Dylążanka),  Caudammina  ovula  (Grzybowski),  Ammodiscus
tenuissimus  (Grzybowski),  Ammodiscus  cretaceus  (Reuss),
Glomospira  spp.,  Bulbobaculites  problematicus  (Neagu),
Haplophragmoides  spp.,  Tritaxia  gaultina  (Morozova),
Gaudryina  pyramidata  Cushman,  Spiroplectinella  dentate
(Alth), Spiroplectammina navarroana Cushman, Paratrocham-
minoides  spp.,  Trochamminoides  spp.,  Gerochammina  spp.,
Trochammina  sp.,  Recurvoides  spp.,  Pseudobolivina  sp.
Scarce  occurrence  of  planktonic  foraminifers  Marginotrun-
cana coronata Bolli, hedbergellids and calcareous benthic fora-
minifers was also noticed. Grey-green shales at the end of the
section were barren of both foraminifers (sample Lu1-7) and
palynomorphs (sample Lut6). A body of brecciated Pieniny-
type limestones of Early Cretaceous age about 3 meters thick
is  inserted  within  the  shales  (Fig. 2D).  Lithology,  facies  and
age of the variegated pelagic shales reveal their affiliation to
the Malinowa Fm,  which  forms  here,  along  with  limestones
of  the  Pieniny  Fm,  the  core  of  a  tight  anticline  (Fig. 1C).
Several  tens  of  meters  towards  the  NE,  the  debris  is  com-
posed  of  fragments  of  calcareous  sandstones  typical  for  the
Proč Fm. We therefore assign this sequence to the Šariš Unit.

Structural elements

From the structural point of view, the exposed section

showed several interesting and partly unexpected features. First
of all, the CCPB vs. PKB contact is formed by a single, nearly
vertical  and  smooth  fault  plane  lacking  any  slip-sense  criteria
(Fig. 2B). The CCPB deposits of the Oligocene Huty Fm are in-
ternally slightly disturbed with small reverse faults and a metric,
SW-verging  drag  fold  (Fig. 2C).  Bedding  is  moderately  to
steeply NW-dipping, but almost vertical and N-dipping directly
at the contact with the PKB sediments. Though the shales are
strongly  weathered,  obviously  no  important  internal  deforma-
tion occurred, except tilting and some brittle crushing.

Bedding within both the variegated marlstones of the Sub-

pieniny Unit and variegated shales of the Šariš Unit is nearly
vertical,  dipping  either  steeply  to  the  NW-N-NE,  or  occa-
sionally to the SE (Fig. 2B,C,D). The stratification is locally
strongly disturbed with scaly foliation and numerous irregu-
lar  and  deformed  calcite  veins.  Foliation  planes  are  smooth
and  sometimes  polished.  However,  no  measurable  striae
were  observed.  Veinlets,  frequent  in  the  Subpieniny  marl-
stones  in  particular,  are  filled  with  whitish  blocky  and  fi-
brous  calcite,  mm  to  1 cm  thick,  but  only  several  cm  long.
They are irregularly oriented and often truncated by the foli-
ation planes. Slickenfibres are frequently present, but, due to
a younger brittle crushing, their original orientation was dif-
ficult  to  establish  and  measure.  Therefore  no  data  relevant
for the paleostress analysis could be gathered.

168

PLAŠIENKA, JÓZSA, GEDL and MADZIN

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA

GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA, 2013, 64, 2, 165—168

Discussion

The described section exposes juxtaposition of two regional

units  of  higher  order  –  the  Oligocene  strata  of  the  CCPB
showing  a  comparatively  low  degree  of  internal  distortion,
and various Cretaceous formations of the PKB, in which the
moderate  ductile/brittle  strain  is  visible  macroscopically.
These structural elements, as well as their orientation, match
those described from the adjacent parts of the PKB further to
the NW (Plašienka & Mikuš 2010; Plašienka 2012). Accord-
ing  to  these  works,  structural  evolution  of  the  eastern  PKB
progressed  in  four  distinct  deformation  stages  from:  1)  fore-
land-propagating detachment and thrust stacking of the Oravic
units  from  the  latest  Cretaceous  up  to  the  Early  Eocene,  fol-
lowed  by  post-stacking  dextral  transpression;  2)  “cross  fold-
ing”  probably  related  to  the  formation  of  the  Carpathian  arc
(Middle  Eocene?);  3)  extensional  collapse  of  the  overthick-
ened thrust wedge accompanied by subsidence and deposition
of  the  Upper  Eocene  to  Oligocene,  and  likely  up  to  Lower
Miocene  formations  of  the  CCPB;  4)  backthrusting  and  for-
mation of the post-Oligocene Podhale fault bounding the PKB
from the SW. This corresponds to an oblique-slip, dextral re-
verse  fault  related  to  backthrusting  of  the  innermost  Krynica
Subunit of the External Carpathian Magura Belt over the PKB
and marginal parts of the CCPB (see also Nemčok 1984). This
late (Early to Middle Miocene), N-S to NNE-SSW shortening
event affected by folding also the internal structure of the PKB
(Fig. 1A,B), as well as the adjacent parts of the CCPB (Šam-
bron-Kamenica anticlinal zone – Plašienka et al. 1998). As a
result,  the  PKB  was  exhumed  from  below  the  overstepping
Oligocene  and  Lower  Miocene  complexes  and  attained  its
present  linear  trend  in  Eastern  Slovakia.  The  section  studied
records all the above mentioned deformation events and docu-
ments a discrete juxtaposition of the PKB and the CCPB sedi-
ments. The latter only show deformation structures related to
the last deformation stage described under 4).

In comparison with the Polish part of the PKB vs. CCPB

contact  zone  (see  Mastella  1975;  Mastella  et  al.  1988)  we
may conclude that the described section reveals stronger N-S
to NE-SW shortening and backthrusting indicated by a uni-
form  steep  northern  dip  of  younger  CCPB  strata  (Huty  Fm
analogous to the Zakopane beds) below the southward thrust
PKB.  Unlike  the  Podhale  synclinorium,  the  Peri-Klippen
part  of  the  CCPB  is  formed  by  an  anticlinal  zone  exposing
the Šambron-Szaflary beds (Fig. 1C).

Conclusions

Temporary section in the utina village in Eastern Slovakia

exposed the boundary between the PKB and the CCPB. Three
lithological sequences have been distinguished. They also cor-
respond  to  three  principal  tectonic  units  of  the  area,  two  of
them  within  the  PKB.  The  Oligocene  deposits  of  the  CCPB
Huty  Fm,  dated  palynologically  by  dinoflagellates,  exhibit
only  weak  internal  deformation  with  occasional  S-verging
fold-and-thrust  structures.  The  contact  with  the  Cretaceous
PKB sediments is formed by a single, subvertical and smooth
fault plane. A sequence about 5 meters thick next to the PKB

boundary fault is composed of red marls and green-grey cal-
careous  shales  with  Upper  Campanian—Lower  Maastrichtian
foraminifers  and  Lower  Turonian  foraminifers  (Helvetoglo-
botruncana helvetica Zone) and dinoflagellates, respectively.
This imbricated sequence is affiliated to the Czorsztyn-type
succession  of  the  Subpieniny  Unit.  Marls  are  internally
strongly  sheared  with  scaly  fabric  and  numerous  calcite
veins. The third sequence consists of variegated, poorly cal-
careous shales with DWAF indicating Late Turonian—Conia-
cian  age  (Uvigerinammina  jankoi  Zone).  Together  with  an
inserted body of Pieniny-type limestones, this sequence rep-
resents the Šariš Unit, which is the most widespread tectonic
unit in this part of the PKB. Based on structures in this sec-
tion  and  the  regional  tectonic  circumstances,  it  is  inferred
that the PKB units suffered strong thrusting- and wrenching-
related deformation in pre-Oligocene times, while the Early
Miocene oblique backthrusting resulted in exhumation of the
PKB and formation of its steep fault boundaries.

Acknowledgments: The authors are thankful to the VEGA
Scientific Grant Agency (Project 1/0712/11) and to the Slovak
Research and Development Agency (Projects APVV-0465-06
and LPP-0225-06) for their financial support. The authors
are also indebted to Prof. L. Mastella (Warszawa), Dr. J. Soták
(B. Bystrica) and an anonymous reviewer for their valuable
comments and suggestions.

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