GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA
, JUNE 2018, 69, 3, 254–263
doi: 10.1515/geoca-2018-0015
www.geologicacarpathica.com
Miocene basin opening in relation to the north-eastward
tectonic extrusion of the ALCAPA Mega-Unit
MICHAL KOVÁČ
1,
, EMŐ MÁRTON
2
, TOMÁŠ KLUČIAR
1
and RASTISLAV VOJTKO
1
1
Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6,
842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia;
kovacm@uniba.sk, tkluciar@gmail.com, rastislav.vojtko@uniba.sk
2
Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary, Palaeomagnetic Laboratory, Columbus 17-23, H-1145 Budapest, Hungary; paleo@mbfsz.gov.hu
(Manuscript received October 20, 2017; accepted in revised form March 15, 2018)
Abstract: The opening and evolution of the Western Carpathians Miocene basins was closely related to the north-
eastward tectonic extrusion of the ALCAPA Mega-Unit lithosphere caused by the final stage of collision of the Eastern
Alpine–Western Carpathian orogenic system with the European Platform and Alpine convergence with the Adria plate.
The roll back effect of the oceanic or thinned continental crust of the Magura–Krosno realms, subduction below the front
of the Carpathians in the north-east, east and relative plate velocities led to gradual stretching of the overriding micro-plates
(defined as the ALCAPA and Tisza Dacia Mega-Unit). Diverse movement trajectories of the ALCAPA crustal wedge
individual segments (Eastern Alps, Western Carpathians, and Northern Pannonian domain) were accompanied by several
counter-clockwise rotational phases. Beside the interpreted Early Miocene “en-block” counter-clockwise rotation, most
of the rotations in the Central Western Carpathians were caused by “domino-effect tectonics” inside strike-slip zones and
took part in the basin opening, which was in most cases followed by rapid subsidence.
Key words: Neogene, ALCAPA Mega-Unit, structural evolution, basin development, “en block and domino-effect”
counter-clockwise rotations.
Introduction and regional setting
The Miocene structural evolution of the Pannonian back arc
basin, surrounded by the Alpine–Carpathian and Dinaride oro-
genic systems, was dominated by an extensive drift of unamal-
gamated microplates — Mega-Units: ALCAPA and Tisza–
Dacia (Balla 1984; Ratschbacher et al. 1991a, b; Csontos et al.
1992; Kováč et al. 1994, 2017a; Csontos 1995; Konečný et al.
2002; Ustaszewski et al. 2008; Balázs et al. 2016; van Gelder
et al. 2017; etc.). The Early Miocene palaeogeography and
geodynamic history of the area points to a different layout of
sedimentary basins and elevated parts of mountains serving as
a source of sediments. Moreover, in front of the moving
segments of the continental lithosphere toward the European
Platform the folded and thrust deposits of remnant flysch
troughs and foredeep depocentres accreted gradually to the
Carpathian orogenic system front (e.g., Kováč et al. 1998,
2017a and references therein). Similarly, the basins in the oro-
gene hinterland were in many cases located at least 200 km
toward the southwest in respect to their recent position (e.g.,
Fodor et al. 1998; Tari et al. 1992; Schmid et al. 2008; Kováč
et al. 2016, 2017a).
During the Middle–Late Miocene the tension in the subduc-
ting plate, involving now lithosphere formerly underlying
the Outer Carpathian nappes (Royden et al. 1993a, b) caused
widespread stretching of the overriding, partially amalga-
mated ALCAPA and Tisza–Dacia Mega-Units (e.g., Csontos
1995; Konečný et al. 2002; Balazs et al. 2017) expressed in
the synrift stage of the back arc basin system (e.g., Horváth
1993; Magyar et al. 1999; Kováč 2000; Konečný et al. 2002;
Balázs et al. 2016, 2017). Coupling to the subducting plate
retreat north-eastward in front of ALCAPA and eastward in
front of the Tisza–Dacia caused a continuous intense tension
in both mega-units (Royden et al. 1993a, b; Csontos 1995;
Kováč et al. 1998, 2017a; Balázs et al 2016). During the ope-
ning of sub-basins the movement trajectory of the ALCAPA
Mega-Unit documents several counter-clockwise rotational
phases (Fig. 1). The southern, Tisza–Dacia Mega-Unit rotated
clockwise (e.g., Panaiotu 1998; Dupont-Nivet et al. 2005;
Balázs et al. 2016). Moreover, counter-clockwise (CCW) rota-
tions were also measured in the Outer Western Carpathian
accretionary wedge, which documents a common movement
trajectory of the whole, extruding system north-eastward
(Márton et al. 2016).
The structural evolution of ALCAPA is handled in terms of
a coupled system of: (1) Alpine orogene belt development
owing to convergence of the Adria plate (2) lateral extrusion
of the ALCAPA Mega-Unit lithosphere assisted by transform
faults, (3) Carpathian gravity driven subduction of the oceanic
or sub-oceanic lithosphere underlying former flysch basins
and (4) back arc extension associated with the diapiric
uprise of asthenospheric mantle followed by its cooling (e.g.,
Konečný et al. 2002; Balázs et al. 2016, 2017; van Gelder et al.
2017 and references therein).
The edge of the ALCAPA Mega-Unit, which originated in
connection with the Miocene lateral extrusion of the Eastern
Alps, Central Western Carpathians, and Northern Pannonian
domain segments north-eastward, is rimmed by the Pieniny
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Klippen Belt, which forms the innermost part of the Outer
Western Carpathian accretionary wedge. The movement
trajec tory of ALCAPA was strongly influenced by the colli-
sion of the Eastern Alps and the Central Western Carpathians
with the uneven edge of the European Platform.
During the Early Miocene, the collision operated along
the frontal portion of the Eastern Alps, thrusted over the Euro-
pean Platform (Grad et al. 2009), while the Western Car-
pathians still propagated toward the embayment in the plat form
margin. Therefore, CCW rotation of the extruding crustal wedge
was more moderate in the west and faster in the east (e.g.,
Márton et al. 1999, 2000b, 2004, 2007, 2009a, b, 2013, 2016;
Márton & Fodor 2003). In the Eastern Alps an Early Miocene
(~ 20–17 Ma) ~ 30° CCW rotation was determined, while in
the whole Western Carpathians and Northern Pannonian
domain the CCW rotation reached values up to ~ 50°.
The Middle Miocene rotation of crustal blocks (Fig. 1) in
the Western Carpathians and North Pannonian Domain (Trans-
danubian Range and Bükk units) depended on the influence of
several geodynamic factors. In the west, the oblique collision
terminated, while in the east the front of the moving crustal
wedge proceeded north-eastward into the vanishing gulf of the
flysch troughs realm of the future Outer Western Carpathians.
The influence of the rigid continental crust of the platform
namely the Bohemian Massif, reaching far south below
the Eastern Alpine over-thrust, and the accelerated pull of sub-
duction in the east led not only to a curvature of the ALCAPA
movement trajectory, but also to its stretching from the west to
the east (e.g., Csontos 1995; Schmid et al. 2013; Scharf et al.
2013; Kováč et al. 2017a). In contrast to the Eastern Alps,
an additional ~ 20° CCW rotation was documented in the wes-
tern part of the Central Western Carpathians and the Northern
Pannonian domain in the Early Miocene, followed by ~ 30°
(~ 16–14 Ma) CCW rotation in the Middle Miocene. The last
Middle/Late Miocene (~ 12–10 Ma) ~ 30° CCW rotation
was measured at the eastern margin of the Central Western
Carpathians in the area of the Transcarpathian Basin (Márton
et al. 2007).
The general trends of the ALCAPA rotational movement
trajectory and the apparent change of the orientation of stress
field are consistent. In the Eastern Alps the main compres-
sional stress axis was prevailingly oriented in a N–S direction
during the whole Miocene, whereas in the western part of
the Central Western Carpathians and Northern Pannonian
domain a gradual apparent clockwise rotation of the main
compressional stress axis is recorded (e.g., Csontos et al.
1992; Decker et al. 1993, 1994; Kováč & Hók 1993; Vass et al.
1993; Kováč et al. 1995, 2017a; Marko et al. 1995; Decker &
Fig. 1. Tectonic scheme of the Alpine–Carpathian–Pannonian system with marked ALCAPA and Tisza–Dacia Mega-units and rotation of their
individual segments (CWC — Central Western Carpathians; TR — Transdanubian Range; B — Bükk Mountains).
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Peresson 1996; Fodor et al. 1999; Linzer et al. 2002; Márton
& Fodor 2003; Pešková et al. 2009; Bučová et al. 2010; Vojtko
et al. 2010; Beidinger et al. 2011; Šimonová & Plašienka
2011; Sůkalová et al. 2012; Pulišová & Hók 2015).
Taking into consideration the previous results, we can docu-
ment the existence of a latest Oligocene to earliest Miocene
compressional tectonic regime with the WNW–ESE oriented
main compressional axis (σ
1
) in the western portion of the
Central Western Carpathians and Northern Pannonian domain,
followed by transpressional tectonics with the N–S oriented
σ
1
roughly at the boundary of the Early/Middle Miocene.
The Middle and early Late Miocene evolution was controlled
by a transtensional tectonic regime with the NW–SE oriented
minimal stress axis (σ
3
) and perpendicular compression,
respec tively (e.g., Fodor 1995; Marko et al. 1995; Fodor et al.
1999; Pešková et al. 2009; Bučová et al. 2010; Vojtko et al.
2010).
In the eastern portion of the Central Western Carpathians
the palaeostress field measurements include the Early Miocene
compression with the NNE–SSW to NE–SW directed σ
1
,
which changed its position to the N–S direction at the end of
the Early Miocene (Vass et al. 1988, 1993; Csontos &
Nagymarosy 1998; Plašienka et al. 1998; Márton & Fodor
2003; Petrik et al. 2016; Kováč et al. 2017a). The Middle
Miocene (Badenian) evolution of the Novohrad–Nógrád Basin
in southern Slovakia and northern Hungary located above
the Central Western Carpathians and Northern Pannonian
domain as well as the Eastern Slovak Basin was controlled by
an extensional tectonic regime with the NE–SW oriented σ
3
.
The change from an extensional to transtensional tectonic
regime is indicated by the rotation of the main compressional
stress axis σ
1
from a subvertical to a NNW–SSE-oriented
subhorizontal position. At the boundary of the Middle/Late
Miocene (Late Sarmatian–Early Pannonian), subsidence of
the Eastern Slovak Basin was controlled by the NNW–SSE to
N–S oriented σ
3
(Kováč et al. 1995) similar to the Late
Miocene extension with the NW–SE oriented σ
3
in the area of
the Northern Pannonian domain (Kováč & Hók 1993; Vass et
al. 1993; Petrik et al. 2016).
Faulting has played a tremendous role during the last period
of the Western Carpathians tectonic evolution, and the pattern
of faults is one of the most important features of the area.
Brittle dislocations, mainly strike-slip fault zones have
allowed the propagation of individual detached crustal seg-
ments of the orogenic system, as well as their individual
parts — blocks. The structural evolution can therefore be
modelled by several methods such as inversion, P–T axes or
right dihedra methods (cf. Turner 1953; Compton 1966;
Arthaud 1969; Angelier & Mechler 1977; Angelier 1994;
Aleksandrowski 1985). All the aforementioned methods try to
find the spatial position of the principal maximum (compres-
sional) stress axis (σ
1
), the intermediate stress (rotational) axis
(σ
2
), the principal minimal (tensional) stress axis (σ
3
), as well
as the ratio (Φ) between them. The temporal variability of
extension and subsidence can be compared with the results of
recent numerical modelling (e.g., Balázs et al. 2017).
The main goal of the study was to propose a model in which
the Neogene structural evolution of the orogenic system con-
forms to the measured palaeostress fields, changing in time
and space. In addition, the measured CCW rotations in indi-
vidual parts of the extruding segment of the Western
Carpathians are causally related to the main basin depocentres
opening and their accelerated subsidence.
The Miocene structural pattern evolution model
The analysis of the aforementioned structural data pointed
to the behaviour of compressional and extensional tectonic
regimes with respect to the development stages of the Western
Carpathian orogenic system axial part (Fig. 2).
(i) The Early Miocene (~ 22–17 Ma) compression perpen-
dicular to the trend of movement of the Central Western
Carpathian segment resulted from collision of the Outer
Western Carpathians accretionary wedge front with the oceanic
or thinned crust in the embayment of the European Platform
(Fig. 2A). In the west, this transpressional tectonic regime is
represented by the measured palaeostress field with the pre-
vailingly NW–SE oriented σ
1
, which controlled the evolution
of the wedge-top basin represented by the Early Miocene
deposits of the Vienna Basin and Váh river valley at present
(Kováč et al. 2017a). In the east, along the edge of the Central
Western Carpathians the measured main compression with
NNE–SSW oriented σ
1
was responsible for inversion and
disintegration of the Central Carpathian Palaeogene fore-arc
basin (Kováč et al. 2016). Both measurements are in a good
agreement with the curved track of the Western Carpathians’
movement as a whole, and confirm the results of Márton et al.
(2013, 2016) who assume that the present shape of the Pieniny
Klippen Belt is partly due to an oroclinal bending before the
Oligocene.
(ii) At the end of the Early and beginning of the Middle
Miocene (~ 17–16 Ma), the accelerated oblique collision of
the ALCAPA Mega-Unit with the Bohemian Massif occurred.
The prevailing orientation of the measured σ
1
axis is approxi-
mately in the N–S direction in the Central Western Carpathians.
During the Karpatian (~ 17 Ma) the rifting in the Eastern
Slovak Basin started along the NW–SE dextral strike-slips in
a transtensional tectonic regime (Kováč et al. 1995) and
was followed by the Early Badenian (~ 16 Ma) opening of
the Vienna Basin pull-apart depocentres by the NE–SW left
lateral strike-slips (Nemčok et al. 1989; Fodor 1995; Lankreijer
et al. 1995; Marko et al. 1995). This statement is in line with
the end of the first ~ 50° CCW rotation of the Central Western
Carpathians and Northern Pannonian domain, as well as with
oblique movement/collision of the Western Carpathians with
the European Platform (Fig. 2B). Moreover, the measured
30° CCW rotation of the Ždánice Unit probably occurred at
the same time (Márton et al. 2009b) and can be assigned not
only to the last thrust of the Outer Western Carpathian nappes
over the foredeep, but also to oblique north-eastward move-
ment of ALCAPA (Kováč et al. 2017a).
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(iii) The Middle Miocene palaeostress field had the main
compressional axis still oriented perpendicular to the Outer
Western Carpathian accretionary wedge, while the extension
was parallel to the orogenic arc until the Late Badenian
(~ 16–13.5 Ma). In the west, the extensional tectonic regime
with the NW–SE oriented σ
3
axis opened the Danube Basin
along the NNE–SSW to NE–SW normal listric faults in
the hinterland of the Central Western Carpathians (Kováč et al.
2011a; Sztanó et al. 2016). In the east, the transtensional tec-
tonic regime with NE–SW (NNE–SSW) oriented σ
1
prevailed
during the synrift evolutionary stage of the Eastern Slovak
Basin (Fig. 2C).
(iv) The measured late Middle/Late Miocene (Sarmatian/
early Pannonian; ~ 12.6–10 Ma) palaeostress field controlled
subsidence in the hinterland basin system depocentres, which
were opened by an extensional tectonic regime with the NW–SE
oriented σ
3
(e.g., Danube Basin and Eastern Slovak Basin).
This regime (Fig. 2D) controlled the infill of basins and was
probably induced by the still active subduction pull beneath
the front of the Eastern Carpathians (e.g., Konečný et al. 2002;
Kováč et al. 2017a).
Model of basin opening and subsidence
The Miocene north-eastward extrusion of the ALCAPA
Mega-Unit led to significant stretching of this crustal wedge,
estimated as more than 100 km in the Central Western
Carpathian segment (e.g., Konečný et al. 2002; Kováč et al.
1997, 1998, 2017a). Comparison of the basin opening (e.g.,
Kováč et al. 1995, 2011a; Lankreijer et al. 1995 ) with dating
of measured CCW rotations brings evidence that the develop-
ment of extensional basins was at least partly compensated
by the rotation measured in individual crustal blocks of
the stretched ALCAPA Mega-Unit (Figs. 1 and 3A–C).
Based on previous research, two types of spin
rotation could be distinguished: (i) “domino-effect” rotation
of each block in strike-slip zones and (ii) “en block” rotation
both confirmed by interpretation of palaeomagnetic measu-
rements after 20 Ma (e.g., Márton et al. 2000a, 2016).
The presented structural model of the extruding crustal
wedge takes into account CCW rotations and movement
trajectories of its individual segments as follows in
subsections.
Fig. 2. Movements of the ALCAPA microplate with direction of compression and extension (EA — Eastern Alps; CWC — Central
Western Carpathians).
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Early Miocene
In the Eastern Alps (Fig. 3A), the measured Early Miocene
~ 30 CCW rotation was explained as a result of “domino-
effect” block rotations in a wrench zone (Márton et al. 2000a).
The present shape of the Eastern Alps suggests this brittle
deformation between the WSW–ENE oriented left lateral
Salzach–Ennstal–Mariazell–Puchberg strike slip fault and
the right-lateral Periadriatic shear zone striking WNW–ESE
(Periadriatic, Mölltal, Hochstuhl, and Pöls-Lavantal faults)
which operated during the extrusion of the ALCAPA Mega-
Unit toward the east (e.g., Ratschbacher 1991a, b; Kováč et al.
1994, 2017a; Linzer et al. 2002; Scharf et al. 2013; Schmid et
al. 2013; van Gelder et al. 2017). Later, in the Late Miocene to
Fig. 3. Schemes/models of the early Miocene Eastern Alpine tectonic extrusion (A) and the Alpine–Carpathian junction disintegration (B),
the middle Miocene and the middle/late Miocene rifting of the Western Carpathians back-arc basin system (C & D); model of rotations in
different parts of the ALCAPA region (PAL — Peri-Adriatic Fault; SEMP — Salzach–Ennstal–Mariazell–Puchberg Fault; OWC — Outer
Western Carpathians; CWC — Central Western Carpathians; MHL — Middle Hungarian Line; HDL — Hurbanovo–Diosjeno Fault;
TR — Transdanubian Range; for legend see Fig. 1).
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present, the fault activity was concentrated in the NNW–SSE
striking normal faults (e.g., Scharf et al. 2013).
The Central Western Carpathians, Northern Pannonian
domain, Pieniny Klippen Belt, and Outer Western Carpathians
underwent rotation ~ 50° CCW to be considered as “en block”
rotation (Márton & Fodor 2003; Márton et al. 2013, 2016;
Kováč et al. 2017a). In comparison to the Eastern Alps,
the Early Miocene movement trajectory of the Central Western
Carpathian and Northern Pannonian domain segments was
directed more to the north-east, and the measured CCW
rotation exceeded the documented rotation in the Eastern Alps.
The difference in length of the movement trajectory and size
of rotation resulted in collapse of the area around the Eastern
Alps, Central Western Carpathians and Northern Pannonian
domain.
Van Gelder et al. (2017) characterized the Oligocene–Early
Miocene initial phase of convergence of the Adria plate and
Eastern Alps as oblique, accompanied by lateral extrusion of
the ALCAPA Mega-Unit lithosphere. The deformation and
strain propagation in the upper plate during the Adria subduc-
tion is similar to classical indentation models. In both cases
the upper plate displays a transition from compressional
structures near the confined boundary, to strike-slip and exten-
sional structures towards the weak lateral boundary repre-
sented by the western portion of the Central Western
Carpathians together with the Transdanubian Range (the ele-
vated pre- Neogene basement of the Danube Basin). This area
(Fig. 3A, B) started to collapse along at present NW–SE to
WNW–ESE normal faults, later with a dextral shear compo-
nent during the Early Miocene (Kováč 2000; Márton & Fodor
2003; Hók et al. 2016). The stepwise collapse took place
between the edge of the Eastern Alps in the northwest (Mur–
Mürz Fault) and the newly forming zone of the Mid-Hungarian
Fault with a dextral strike-slip movement in the south east
(Fodor et al. 1998). Disintegration of the uplifted junction of
the Alps, Central Western Carpathians, and Northern Pan-
nonian domain (before the opening of the Middle/Late
Miocene Danube Basin; cf. Tari et al. 1992; Tari & Horváth,
1995) documents the exhumation history of crystalline com-
plexes in this area (Kráľ 1977; Kováč et al. 1994, 2017b;
Danišík et al. 2004; Králiková et al. 2016; Marko et al. 2017).
Moreover, our hypothesis is also supported by the pre-Middle
Miocene erosional level. From the south to the north the fol-
lowing units occur stacked one on the other. The lowermost
Penninic Unit is located in the Rechnitz area, and toward
the north-east the pre-Miocene basement of the Danube Basin
central part is built up by the Tatric crystalline complexes.
However, along the northern margin of the Danube Basin
the crystalline complexes are covered by the Mesozoic sedi-
mentary sequences and nappe units, and finally the crystalline
complexes with the Mesozoic sedimentary cover, nappe units
and preserved Palaeogene basin fill are present in the northern-
most portion of the basin, as well as in the axial zone of
the Central Western Carpathians (e.g., Biela 1978; Fusán et al.
1987; Hók et al. 2016; Klučiar et al. 2016). This evidence can
be explained only by stretching towards the north-east. This
was probably associated with tiny “domino-effect” block rota-
tions similar to the rotations identified in the Eastern Alps
(Fig. 3B).
The stretching induced by rotational movement of the extru-
ding crustal wedge also contributed to the opening of basins
in the orogen hinterland, along the ALCAPA Mega-Unit’s
southern margin (e.g., Csontos et al. 1992; Kováč et al. 1994;
Fodor et al. 1998). In the west, the Styrian Basin subsided
(e.g., Sachsenhofer et al. 1997; Linzer et al. 2012), more to
the east the Novohrad–Nógrád Basin was formed above
the Central Western Carpathian and Northern Pannonian
domain basement (e.g., Vass et al. 1993; Kováč et al. 2017a).
Along the eastern edge of the ALCAPA Mega-Unit the move-
ment first led to disintegration and uplift of the Central
Carpathian Palaeogene Basin in a fore-arc position. After
the Ottnangian hiatus, the Early Miocene CCW rotation was
compensated by the opening and subsidence of pull-apart
depocentres of the Eastern Slovak Basin at the end of this
period (Kováč et al. 1995, 2017a).
Middle – Late Miocene
From the Middle Miocene onwards the Eastern Alpine
convergence gained an orthogonal character attributed to
the frequently documented Miocene switch in the Adria plate
motion (e.g., van Gelder et al. 2017). The different parts of
the ALCAPA Tisza–Dacia Mega-units were extended by variable
amounts and the already segmented area of the Pannonian
Basin System broke up into relatively small blocks, most
probably partly detached at a crustal level (Balázs et al. 2016).
Stretching of the lithosphere segments was caused by the con-
tinuing roll back effect of the gradually ceasing subduction
below the front of the Carpathians (e.g., Kováč et al. 1994;
Konečný et al. 2002; Balázs et al. 2017).
The Central Western Carpathian basins development was
closely linked to the continuing stretching of the crust in
the north-eastern direction. Two measured CCW rotations
~ 30° were determined during this time (e.g., Márton & Fodor
2003; Márton et al. 2007). The first ~ 30° CCW rotation was
documented in the western part of the Central Western
Carpathians and was dated to the Early Badenian (Márton &
Fodor 2003). The second documented ~ 30° anticlockwise
rotation, dated to the late Sarmatian–early Pannonian is known
from the Eastern Slovak Basin (Márton et al. 2007).
Both mentioned CCW rotations occurred during the final
stage of collision of the Western Carpathians with the platform
and it is assumed that they were associated with a wrenching
event gradually proceeding across the Central Western
Carpathian segment from west to east. It started in the western
part of the Central Western Carpathians and took place
between an ENE–WSW left-lateral strike-slip zone which is
expressive in the map view, northerly from the Danube Basin
(Marko 2012; Marko et al. 2017) and the Hurbanovo–Diósjenő
Fault in the basin’s south-eastern part, striking along
the northern margin of the Transdanubian Unit of the Northern
Pannonian domain (Klučiar et al. 2016).
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Interpretation of seismic data from the western part of
the Western Carpathians (e.g., Kováč et al. 2011a; Magyar et
al. 2013; Hók et al. 2016) corroborated with results of struc-
tural geology (Vojtko et al. 2008, in press) as well as data from
wells and outcrops (Biela 1978; Joniak 2016; Rybár et al.
2016; Šujan et al. 2016a, b; Sztanó et al. 2016; Kováč et al.
2017a, b) has proved diachronous extension of the Danube
Basin and migration of basin depocentres in time from west
to east across the basin. These facts correlated with similarly
focused studies from the Pannonian Basin System confirm
the same results from the Tisza–Dacia Mega-Unit area in
the Middle and Late Miocene (e.g., Balázs et al. 2016).
The Middle Miocene opening of the Danube Basin depo-
centres (Fig. 3C), was controlled by extension which activated
pre-existing structures of the Cretaceous nappe stack as
detachments or low-angle normal faults working in a simple
shear mechanism (e.g., Tari et al. 1992; Horváth 1993;
Lankreijer et al. 1995). The westerly located Blatné depres-
sion opened in the Badenian and the Rišňovce depression
during the Sarmatian, in both cases the opening was followed
by a maximum of sedimentation (Kováč et al. 2011a, 2017b;
Sztanó et al. 2016). In the eastward located Komjatice depres-
sion the sedimentation reached its maximum in the Pannonian
(Šujan et al. 2016b; Sztanó et al. 2016), after the next rotation
~ 30 CCW rotation of the ALCAPA Mega-Unit, documented
in the Transcarpathian depression at the Middle/Late Miocene
boundary (Fig. 3D). In the Late Miocene a dominant normal
fault activity of pure shear mechanism is documented on
the Danube Basin margins (Majcin et al. 2015; Hók et al.
2016), resulting in significant footwall exhumation during
the Late Miocene and Pliocene (Šujan et al. 2017). At the end
of the Middle Miocene several extensional basins were also
formed in the more or less rigid body of the axial portion of
the Central Western Carpathians along the Central Slovak
Fault System (e.g., Nemčok & Lexa 1990; Kováč & Hók
1993; Kováč et al. 2017a) with an accelerated subsidence in
the Late Miocene (Kováč et al. 2011b).
The synrift subsidence in the Eastern Slovak Basin lasted
from Late Badenian–Sarmatian to early Pannonian times (e.g.,
Rudinec 1989; Kováč et al. 1995). This fact yields an indirect
confirmation of our hypothesis, that the rotation was compen-
sated by stretching of the eastern edge of the ALCAPA Mega-
Unit during the late Middle/early Late Miocene. Moreover,
the thickness of the Sarmatian strata is much greater in the east
than in the west (e.g., Kováč et al. 1995, 1996; Lankreijer et al.
1995). Taking into consideration the aforementioned facts, we
can relate the last measured ~ 30° CCW rotation to the final
north-eastward movement of the eastern edge of Mega-Unit
before its docking in an embayment of the European Platform
margin. The extension controlling the basin subsidence was
induced by the last stage of subduction in front of the Western/
Eastern Carpathians (Kováč 2000; Konečný et al. 2002; Kováč
et al. 2017a) together with the ~ 30° CW rotation of the Tisza–
Dacia Mega-Unit in the south, which began from the Late
Badenian (Dupont-Nivet et al. 2005). The CCW rotation mea-
sured at the eastern edge of the ALCAPA Mega-unit coincides
with similar rotations measured in the outermost nappes of
the Eastern Carpathians (Borislav–Pokuttya and Sambir–
Rozniatow units; Márton et al. 2000b, 2007) divided from
the Outer Western Carpathians by an approximately N–S run-
ning dextral strike slip zone crossing the units of the Outer
Western Carpathians (Dukla and Skole units) to the south
(Hnylko et al. 2015).
Conclusions
The scheme of the main stages of structural development in
the Eastern Alpine–Central Western Carpathian orogenic sys-
tem during the Neogene can be expressed as follows (Fig. 2):
(i) in the Late Oligocene/Early Miocene (~ 24–20 Ma)
an orogen perpendicular compression led to individualization
of the ALCAPA Mega-Unit lithosphere and together with
subduction pull (roll back effect) caused its extrusion east-
ward; which resulted in collapse of the crustal wedge at
the Alpine–Western Carpathian–Transdanubian Range junc-
tion (20–17 Ma);
(ii) around the Early/Middle Miocene boundary (~ 17–15 Ma)
the orogen perpendicular compression, acting during the oblique
collision of the Western Carpathians with the Bohemian
Massif, led to opening of pull-apart depocentres in the Vienna
and Eastern Slovak basins;
(iii) during the early Middle Miocene, the orogen parallel
extension in the Central Western Carpathians resulted in
hinterland (back arc) basin system formation (~ 15–13 Ma);
(iv) and finally, in the late Middle/early Late Miocene
(~ 12–10 Ma) the NW–SE oriented extension led to the last
synrift subsidence in the northern portion of the Pannonian
Basin System.
The opening of basins in the Central Western Carpathians and
Northern Pannonian domain started during the Early Miocene
and lasted until the Late Miocene. However, the overall exten-
sional direction remained roughly constant through time
(NNE–SSW to NE–SW), the present map view of basin
depocentres is caused by a significant amount of CCW
rotations of the ALCAPA Mega-Unit segments modifying
the original location and geometry of basins and their
depocentres. The periods of the maximal subsidence of basins
in relation to the CCW rotations of individual segments of
the ALCAPA Mega-Unit and their movement trajectories can
be characterized as follows (Fig. 3):
(i) in the west, the Early Miocene collision of the Eastern
Alps (Fig. 3A). associated with a wrenching stage accompa-
nied by a ~ 30° CCW “domino-effect” rotation of crustal
blocks extruding eastward (Márton et al. 2000a). For the rest
of the crustal wedge, built up from the Northern Pannonian
domain, Central Western Carpathians, Pieniny Klippen Belt, and
Outer Western Carpathians an ~ 50° anticlockwise “en block”
rotation was proposed (Márton et al. 2013). In the western
part of the Central Western Carpathians, a collapse of the junc-
tion area of the Eastern Alps, Central Western Carpathians,
and Northern Pannonian domain was documented before
261
MIOCENE BASIN OPENING IN RELATION TO TECTONIC EXTRUSION OF THE ALCAPA MEGA-UNIT
GEOLOGICA CARPATHICA
, 2018, 69, 3, 254–263
the opening of the Middle/Late Miocene Danube Basin.
The disintegration of this elevated zone associated with normal
faulting, with an assumed “domino-effect” rotation between
the edge of the Eastern Alps (Mur-Mürz Fault) and the juve-
nile Mid-Hungarian dextral fault zone in the south; as a con-
tinuation of the Eastern Alpine structural evolution (Fig. 3B).
(ii) The Middle Miocene final stage of the Western
Carpathian oblique collision with the European Platform led
to the next ~ 30° CCW “domino-effect” rotations in the crustal
segments of the Central Western Carpathians and Northern
Pannonian domain (Fig. 3C,D). The wrenching started in
the west during the early Middle Miocene (northern Danube
Basin) and proceeded to the east until the Middle/Late Miocene
boundary (Eastern Slovak Basin). The rotation of blocks was
partly induced by the clockwise rotation of the Tisza– Dacia
Mega-unit associated with collision of the Eastern Carpathians
and the European Platform.
Acknowledgements: The work was financially supported
by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under
the contracts: APVV 16-0121, APVV 15-0575, APVV 14-0118,
APVV-0315-12, and by the OTKA project no. 105245.
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