1
Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians P. Grecula, D. Hovorka & M. PutiS (Eds.) © 1997 Mineralia Slovaca - Monograph, Bratislava, pp. 1 - 24i
* ... Evolution and structure of the Western Carpathians: an overview
D. PLAŠIENKA1, P. GRECULA2, M. PUTlS\ M. KOVÁČ1 and D. HOVORKA3
'Geological Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 842 26 Bratislava, Slovak Republic e-mail: [email protected] 2Geological Survey of Slovak Republic, Mlynská dolina 1, 817 04 Bratislava, Slovak Republic e-mail: [email protected] •'Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovak Republic e-mail: [email protected]
Abstract This introductory article reviews all the important aspects of the position, tectonic division, composition, structure and evolution of the Western Carpathians. Emphasis is given to the pre-Tertiary history, but the most important features of the Cenozoic evolution are outlined as well. It is argued for the triple division into the Outer, Central and Inner Western Carpathians (OWC, CWC and IWC, respectively). The Tertiary OWC weld the Alps and Carpathians into a coherent oro- genic system. The Slovakocarpathian thrust system of the CWC is an immediate extension of the Austroalpine system, and the Hungarocarpathian units of the IWC are linked to the South-Alpine and Dinaridic belts. Both the CWC and IWC have no direct connections to principal units of the Eastern Carpathians and Balkan. Basement complexes of the CWC (Tatra- Fatra and Vepor Belts) represent the inner Variscan zones with medium- to high-grade metamorphism and abundant grani- toid plutons, the southernmost CWC (Gemer Belt) represent the outer, low-grade Variscan accretionary complex. The IWC probably formed the Variscan foreland. There are increasing lines of evidence implying the generally southern polarity of the Variscan orogeny. The Variscan front was reactivated by Permian-Triassic rifting, creating the Meliatic ocean which controlled the Mesozoic evolution of the ancestral Western Carpathians. This was governed by northward stacking of basement/cover sheets in the CWC, following the closure of the Meliatic ocean. The younger outer, Penninic- -Vahic oceanic realm was sutured during the latest Cretaceous and Paleogene. Then convergence prograded outward to the OWC, a huge Tertiary accretionary wedge overriding the pre-Alpine North European Platform. Subduction roll-back of the OWC oceanic crust was mainly responsible for the hinterland stretching, formation of the extensive Late Tertiary Pannonian Basin system and large volumes of calc-alkaline volcanism. The Carpathian convergence ceased by the Neogene, along-arc eastward migrating slab detachment below the OWC.
Key words: Western Carpathians, position, tectonic division, lithostratigraphy, structure, Phanerozoic evolution
Introduction processes in the Tethyan mobile belt between the stable North European Platform and drifting ApuIia/Adria-rela- The Western Carpathians create the northernmost, ted continental fragments. One of the most characteristic W-E trending orocline of the European Alpides, linked to features of Alpidic evolution of the Western Carpathians the Eastern Alps in the west and to the Eastern is a distinct northward migration of preorogenic and oro- Carpathians in the east (Fig. 1). The northern Carpathian genic processes. This includes Mesozoic rifting and ex- foreland is formed by the North European Platform, in- tension of the Variscan continental crust, compression cluding the basement consolidated during the Paleozoic and nappe stacking of attenuated continental crust and and the epi-Variscan platform cover of the Bohemian subduction of longitudinal oceanic basins (e.g. Maheľ, Massif and Polish Platform in the NW and N. This is se- 1980, 1981; Birkenmajer, 1986; Rakús et al„ 1990; parated by the Teisseyre-Tornquist Line from the Plašienka, 1991, 1995a; Putiš 1991a, 1992; Soták, 1992; Fennosarmatian (Russian) Platform in the NE. A large Kozur and Mock, 1996, 1997; Plašienka et al., this vo- part of the Central and most of the Inner Western lume). Transpression and transtension usually postdated Carpathians are covered by thick Tertiary sedimentary the main shortening stages. The Western Carpathian oro- and volcanic rock complexes related to the Pannonian geny faded out during the Late Tertiary by a slab detach- back-arc basin system (Fig. 5; Encl. 2). The present struc- ment terminating the southeastward subduction of the tural pattern of the Western Carpathians was formed by ocean crust substratum of the Outer Carpathian Flysch the Late Jurassic-Tertiary subduction-collision orogenic Belt (Tomek and Hall, 1993). 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians
MOESIAN PLATE
Fíg. I. Tectonic sketch of the draim-Pannonin mountain -> -st-ms OWC * Outer Western Carpathian v C VC - CeturaJ Western Carpathians, TCR • • TransdanuNan Centra) Range, P-F - Perotmic Fty»ch Zone. NC\- Sonhcm Calcareous Atp*. A.A - Austro-Alpine struattral complex. P - Penninic windows.
The aim of Lhis paper is to provide a brief introduction Tectonic division and structure into the evolution and structure of the Western Carpathians to a reader not familiar with complex Carpathian geologi- The Western Carpathians, like most of other collisionai cal realities presented in this monographic volume. The last fold belts, have been traditionally divided into the outer extensive and comprehensive English-written review of (northern} and the inner (southern) structural zones, sepa- the Western Carpathian geology in former Czechoslovakia rated by the Pienim Klippen Belt. Therefore the common was published in the late sixties (Mahef and B u day. 1968). practice is to recognize the Outer ("Ternary") and the Inner on the occassion of the 23rd International Geological ("Mesozoic") Western Carpathians (e.g. Biely, 1989. Congress held in Prague. This book does not cover all as- 1996). Andrusov (1968) used the term "Central Western pects of the complicated Carpathian geology, but reviews Carpathians" for zones between the Outer Carpathians and the most recent achievements of geological research in the Hungarian "Zwischengebirge" (in other terminology Slovakia focusing on the pre-Mesozoic and Mesozoic known as the Pannonian Median Mass, roughly correspon- complexes. The Tertiary evolution of the Western ding spatially to our IWC), i.e. as a synonym of the "Inner Carpathians is briefly reviewed as well. Owing to many de- Western Carpathians" of other authors. However, taking cades of intense geological research a perplexing list of tec- into account the recent achievements in studies of tonic and lithostratigraphic terms has Iven developed, and the Mesozoic evolution and structure of the innermost still new are introduced while some older terms arc reinter- Western Carpathian zones, a strong need for a triple divi- preted. The terminology applied in this introductory paper sion of the Western Carpathians resulted in their partition is the most widely used and is generally based on terms in- into the Outer (OWC), Central (CWC) and Inner Western troduced by Anďrusov et al. (1973) and M ah Ľ ľ (1986). Carpathians (IWC) (e.g. Maheľ. 1986; Kozur and Mock, However, some synonyms and names of less important 1996, 1997). This terminology will be used in the follo- partial units, which are frequently used throughout this vo- wing text (Fig. 2). The triple division also considers lume, are given in the parentheses. the structure of the pre-Teniary basement, including the inner- E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 3.,
Fig. 2. Schematic tectonic map of the Western Carpathians, stripped off the overstep complexes I - foreland: outer Variscan lones. 2 - foredetp Tertiary molasse. 3 • OWC: Siiesian - Krosno be!!. nappes. 12 - CWC: Gemericutn. basement and cover. 13 - CWC & IWC. Siiicicum rover nappes. - rwc- Metiaticum suture complexes, 15 • IWC: Tumaicum. 16 - IWC: Mesozoic cover complexes, 17 - IWC: Patcoioic cover complexes IS - ^WC: crystalline basement. 19 - Senonian
Outer Western Carpathians flysch and Late Carboniferous foredeep containing coal measures near Ostrava (Fig. 2). The sources of the Carpathian Foredeep Tertiary flysch conglomerates in Moravia, reconstructed as the intrabasinal Silesian basement high, may be simi- The Outer Western Carpathians (OWC) contour the nor- lar to the basement of the Brunovistulic terrane consoli- therly convex arcuate shape of the Western Carpathian dated during the Cadomian orogeny (Soták, 1990). This orocline. The OWC comprise molassic sediments of the terrane formed the foreland of both the west-verging Late Tertiary Carpathian Foredeep deposited on the sou- Carpathian flysch nappes and the east-directed Variscan thern flanks of the North European Platform and the broad thrusting along the eastern margins of the Bohemian Flysch Belt that is composed of numerous thrust units. Massif in Moravia (Dudek, 1980). However, recent stu- The Flysch Belt represents the Tertiary accretionary wedge dies revealed that the outer Magura units contain granite of the Carpathian orogen, generally ranged into two groups pebbles showing affinity to inner Variscan zones, i.e. (Fig. 2, Encl. 2); (1) the Silesian-Moldavian (or "Krosno- either to the Moldanubian core of the Bohemian Massif, menilite") nappes in the north, and (2) the Magura thrust or, more probably, to the Central Alps or Central system in the south. Several thousands of metres thick, Western Carpathians (Hanžl et al., 1997). mostly siliciclastic flysch sediments of the Jurassic to Early Miocene age were scraped off a strongly attenuated Central Western Carpathians continental, in some parts also probably oceanic crust (continuation of the northern Penninic zones). The inferred Pieniny Klippen Belt oceanic crust should have been produced by the Late Jurassic (probably even earlier in some zones in the east, The boundary between the OWC Flysch Belt and the i.e. approaching the Triassic Transylvanian rift) - Early CWC basement/cover units is formed by a narrow zone Tertiary rifting and sea floor spreading. Lithostratigraphy with an intricated structure, the Pieniny Klippen Belt and structure of the Carpathian Flysch Belt is treated in in- (PKB, Fig. 2). Its position with respect to the OWC and numerable papers, recent works of significance include e.g. CWC is ambiguous and transitional. Most authors consider Oszczypko (1992), Schnabel (1992), Winkler and Slaczka the PKB as a part of the OWC, but its inner "Periklippen" (1994), Krejčí et al. (1994), Fodor et al. (1995), Roca et al. zone clearly matches the central Carpathian zones by com- (1995), Svábenická et al. (1997). position and structure. Being fully aware of some inconsis- tencies in such ranging, we treat the PKB conventionally Silesian-Krosno Belt as a CWC element in this paper. The surface exposures of the PKB are composed of Mesozoic (Jurassic - Principal units of the Silesian-Krosno Belt include - Cretaceous) sedimentary, mostly limestone formations. (Fig, 2): the 2dánice unit, embracing sedimentary forma- They appear sheared off their unknown basement substra- tions of Late Jurassic to Early Miocene age that over- tum, which is interpreted as a con-tinental ribbon rifted off thrust the molasse foredeep along with the Subsilesian the North European Platform during the Jurassic, and over- unit (Late Cretaceous - Early Miocene); the large Silesian ridden by the Central Carpathian nappes during the Late unit (Late Jurassic to Early Miocene with notable Early Cretaceous - Early Tertiary (Fig. 7). Geometrically, Cretaceous alkaline volcanism of the teschenite-pikrite the presumed Klippen Belt basement corresponds to association) and the Foremagura-Dukla unit (Cretaceous the Briangonnais domain (Tomek, 1993) which divides the - Paleogene) overridden by the Magura nappes. The northern and southern Penninic zones in the Western Alps Skole unit (Late Cretaceous to Neogene) forms the fron- (see the profile in Encl. 2 after page 38). The Paleogene tal parts of the Krosno Belt in the NE part (Fig. 2). overstep sequences of mostly flysch lithology of both the OWC and CWC affiliation were partly incorporated into Magura Belt the "klippen" structure by Miocene tectonism (Kováč and Hók, 1996). The PKB is usually subdivided into two belts: The Magura Belt is composed of several large thrust units, the Klippen Belt sensu stricto representing an independent generally considered as an extension of the Rhenodanubian paleogeographic zone (Oravicum sensu Mahel, 1986) with Flysch Belt of the Alps. The four principal units are (Fig. 2): the typical Czorsztyn and Kysuca units and the Periklippen the huge Rača unit (thick Late Cretaceous to Paleogene, Belt, built up mainly of the Central Carpathian nappe units mostly Eocene flysch); the Bystrica unit (Paleocene - and their Senonian - Paleogene cover. The external Czorsztyn unit contains successions representing a pelagic - Eocene); the Biele Karpaty unit (Late Cretaceous - swell environment (Mišík, 1994) with mostly condensed - Eocene) and the Krynica unit (Paleogene), the last two jux- Jurassic and Early Cretaceous limestones and frequent taposing the Pieniny Klippen Belt. hiatuses, and variegated Late Cretaceous marls terminated Little is known about the nature of the Flysch Belt ba- by distal flysch sediments. The Kysuca (Pieniny) unit em- sement substratum which was shortened and underthrust braces basinal pelagic successions (spotted marls, radiola- below the CWC during the Tertiary. In northern rites, nodular and cherty limestones) and coarsening and/or Moravia, the Silesian nappes overrode the frontal shallowing upwards flysch sediments prevailing in the Variscan zones formed by Early Carboniferous "Kulm" E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 5.,
Cretaceous sequence. Transitional successions be- greenschists and Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous eupe- c the Czorsztyn and Kysuca units represent slope en- lagic and Senonian flysch anchimetamorphosed sedi- i with numerous resediments. Recent data about ments (Plašienka et al., 1994). The subsurface Iňačovce- -cri^zraphy and evolution of the PKB are reviewed by Krichevo unit is known from the pre-Tertiary basement 1997). The peculiar structure of the PKB is marked of the Transcarpathian Basin in eastern Slovakia and the ľ> -pd blocks, so-called "klippen" of Jurassic-Early western Ukraine (Fig. 2). It is composed of low-grade Cretaceous limestones flowing in a soft Late Cretaceous- Triassic carbonates and Quartenschiefer, Jurassic- -Ncogene matrix. This structure originated by manifold -Cretaceous Bundnerschiefer-type metasediments and deformation progressing from detachment of sedi- Paleogene flysch overlain by obducted serpentinites succession from its underthrust substratum and (Soták et al., 1994, 1997; cf. Baráth et al., this volume). árteiopment of a shallow fold-and-thrust belt (latest However, the Penninic provenance of the Iňačovce- Crsacectis - earliest Paleogene), dextral transpression -Krichevo unit was disclaimed by Vozár et al. (1996a). rnxr -zine - Early Miocene) and sinistral transtension in They proposed its direct correlation with the Szolnok tse -•estern sector (Miocene). unit, a subsurface Senonian-Paleogene flysch unit over- The Central Western Carpathians (CWC) south of the thrusting the Tisia terrane in the basement of the be ai the heart of the Carpathians, and are the key to Pannonian Basin in eastern Hungary (Fig. 2). Different inoersiaDding of their Alpine, as well as pre-Alpine history. Penninic-Vahic complexes were overridden by the The CWC consist of three principal crustal-scale superunits Slovakocarpathian units diachronously during the latest N to S): the Tatricum, Veporicum and Gemericum, Cretaceous - Paleogene and exhumed in the Miocene. several cover nappe systems (Fatric, Hronic and grouped into the Slovakocarpathian thrust system Tatricum Srfow). Thick-skinned Slovakocarpathian crustal comprise the pre-Alpine crystalline basement The Tatricum is an extensive thick-skinned crustal jod e Late Paleozoic-Mesozoic sedimentary cover. The sheet composed of the pre-Alpine (generally Variscan) nappe systems contain sedimentary (and rare volca- crystalline basement and its sedimentary cover. no íoc-cessions detached within the Late Paleozoic or According to the recent interpretation of the Carpathian Tnvšc incompetent strata. Based on the character of the seismic transect 2T (Tomek, 1993), the Tatric sheet is g?TaHinr basement and some special features of the tecto- approximately a 10 km thick, upward convex tabular mc r-ivanon. the CWC area is divided into three principal body rooted in the lower crust below the southward loca- tonic belts: the belt of "core mountains" (Tatra- ted Veporic wedge. Nevertheless, the marginal northern t Belt), the Vepor Belt and the Gemer Belt. Tatric zones (the Malé Karpaty, Považský Inovec and Malá Fatra Mts.) show detachment of Mesozoic comple- Tatra-Fatra Belt of core mountains xes and large-scale recumbent folding of the basement/cover interface. They may be regarded as The ecological structure of the Tatra-Fatra Belt of core a system of local basement sheets or nappes indicating (the Malé Karpaty, Považský Inovec, Tríbeč, important shortening along the northern Tatric edge vrchy, Žiar, Malá Fatra, Veľká Fatra, Nízke (Infratatricum - Plašienka et al., 1997; Korikovsky et al., Tmy and Vysoké Tatry Mts., Fig. 2), which are Late this volume). According to Tomek (1993), the Tatric ľäraary asymmetric horst structures, comprises from bot- sheet is underthrust by remnants of the Ligurian-Piemont •oniotop: oceanic crust (Vahic in the Carpathian terminology, see i of the Penninic-Vahic oceanic rock complexes; above) which overlies the Briangonnais (PKB) continen- Tame pre-Alpine crystalline basement and its Late tal splinter that is fully overthrust by the Central c-Mesozoic sedimentary cover; Carpathian units. A very low-grade metamorphic and * rre Fame (Krížna) Mesozoic cover nappe system; structural overprint in the surface Infratatric units reveals * re Hronic (Choč) cover nappe system; piling of some 5-7 km of tectonic load which was later * re overstepping Late Cretaceous (uncommon) and removed. Small-scale structural indicators, as well as the Tst^ry i abundant) post-nappe sedimentary and volca- macroscopic fold architecture confirm an outward, top- to-NW translation of thrust sheets. The Infratatric units are usually compared to the Lower Austroalpine nappes of the Eastern Alps (see discussion in Häusler et al., 1993). However, the main body of the Tatric sheet is Vatucum (term introduced by Maheľ, 1981; rede- probably Carpathian of their own and has not equiva- by Plašienka et al., 1995) is the term for the lents in the Eastern Alps. Carpathian extensions of the Ligurian-Piemont Despite some zones of the Tatricum exhibiting partial rasin and for the units derived from its substra- basement reactivation and nappe structures or large-scale te. for the (Southern) Penninic units. The likely recumbent folds, the Tatric basement has a generally e Vime unit exposed at the surface is the Belice well preserved Variscan structures without significant r -_-je Považský Inovec Mts. (Fig. 2). It consists of Alpine overprint. The basement is mainly composed 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians of crystalline rocks: medium- to high-grade Early The lithostratigraphical content of the Fatricum is rather Paleozoic volcano-sedimentary complexes (paragneis- similar to the Tatricum, with two complementary types ses, mica-schists, orthogneisses and amphibolites, phylli- of successions - the widespread basinal (Zliechov, or tes in the Malé Karpaty Mts. being an exception - cf. Krížna s.s.) and restricted ridge-type (Vysoká). For this Krist et al., 1992 and references therein) and several sui- unit pronouncedly alkaline volcanics (basanites) are cha- tes of Variscan granitoids intruding mostly the high- racteristic. They mostly bear character of hyaloclastites grade gneisso-migmatitic complexes (cf. Hovorka and (Hovorka and Spišiak, 1993). The Manin and some other Petrik, 1992; Petrik et al., 1994 and references therein). units occurring in the Periklippen belt are also conside- Banded amphibolite complexes are specified as the lep- red to be constituents of the Fatric system by some au- ty nite-amphibolite complex (LAC of Hovorka et al., thors, the others place them paleogeographically north of 1994). Metasedimentary complexes were formed mostly the Tatricum (see review by Plašienka, 1995b). The from greywacke protoliths. The low-grade rocks in the problem lies in the overlying units - the youngest, Malé Karpaty Mts. (Putiš in Plašienka et al., 1991) are Cenomanian flysch sediments of the Krížna unit proper partially convergent to the Gemeric Early Paleozoic low- (or Early Cretaceous marly limestones in its rear parts) -grade complexes. The presence of some pre-Variscan are overridden by the Late Paleozoic or Triassic comple- elements has been favoured by several authors (Krist et xes of the Hronic (Choč) cover nappe system. On cont- al., 1992). The crystalline basement complexes are in- rary, the Manin and related Periklippen units show lo- corporated into several thick-skinned Variscan nappe cally continuous (?) Early-Late Cretaceous successions structures. Generally, the predominant medium- to high- and the inferred Late Turonian overthrusting event is not -grade complexes overlie the medium-grade ones, the evident from the sedimentary record. Consequently, latter cropping out in a few tectonic windows within the there is no general agreement, whether Senonian sedi- Alpidic structure (Putiš, 1992). ments of these units represent termination of the conti- The sedimentary cover of the Tatricum consists of va- nuous Cretaceous succession, or the post-nappe overstep ried, although dominantly carbonate lithologies. The sequence classified as the Gosau group. Permian red-beds are widespread only in the Infratatric units, otherwise the basement is overlain by Scythian Hronicum quartzose sandstones and variegated shales. The Middle Triassic is represented by carbonate platform sediments, The Hronicum (Choč nappe s.l.) is a large cover nappe mostly dolostones, and the Late Triassic by continental system overlying the Krížna or Veľký Bok units (Fig. 2). Carpathian Keuper formation. Liassic syn-rift strata con- About two thousands of metres thick Late Paleozoic tain sandy crinoidal limestones and sandstones. The deepe- complex occurs in the southern part of the Tatra-Fatra ning post-rift sequence consists of spotted marls, siliceous Belt, whereas the youngest Late Jurassic and Early and nodular limestones, and Biancône-type well-bedded Cretaceous sediments are present only in the frontal cherty limestones in the basinal Šiprúň suc-cessions. In the nappe parts near the Periklippen zone. The Late swell successions (South Tatric ridge), the Middle and Paleozoic - Scythian Ipoltica group (Vozárová and Late Jurassic is represented by mostly shallow-water sedi- Vozár, 1988) is composed of Late Carboniferous shal- ments, and the Barremian - Aptian Urgonian limestones low-marine deltaic clastics penetrated by dioritic dykes. are also present. The marginal Infratatric successions These subvolcanic bodies represent an extensive Permian (North Tatric ridge) are marked by huge bodies of Jurassic volcanism of continental tholeiitic basalts ("melaphyres"; scarp breccias (Plašienka et al., 1991). Hyalobasanitic cf. Vozár, this volume) intercalated within thick red- lavas occur in places at the base of hemipelagic mid- beds. Middle to Late Triassic successions were derived -Cretaceous sequence which is terminated by Albian- from a broad dissected carbonate platform with reef Cenomanian siliciclastic flysch formation containing bo- cores often forming independent structural units over- dies of conglomerates with partly exotic clasts. The youn- thrusting neighbouring basinal successions. These "hig- gest known sediments are the Early Turonian marls which her nappes" (e.g. the Strážov nappe) were thought to re- are overlain by the Krížna cover nappe. present outliers of the highermost Silicic cover nappe system by some authors, but recent lithostratigraphic Fatricum (Polák et al., 1996; Plašienka et al., 1997) and structural (Kováč and Filo, 1992) studies revealed their close rela- The Fatricum (Krížna nappe s.l.) is a system of deta- tionships to other Hronic successions. Therefore the pre- ched sedimentary nappes overlying the Tatric cover. The sence of Silicic outliers was ruled out in the Tatra-Fatra Late Scythian shales and evaporites represent the main Belt. The Jurassic-Early Cretaceous succession of the décollement horizon. However, a wedge-like basement Hronicum is composed of pelagic, partly condensed sedi- duplex is present in the rear part of the nappe system ments terminated by Hauterivian terrigenous turbidites (Staré Hory and Rázdiel units; cf. Hók et al., 1994; rich in chrome spinel grains. The overstep Senonian Plašienka and Prokešová, 1996). Some higher detach- (Gosau group, only along the northern periphery - Fig. 2) ment horizons (Carpathian Keuper, mid-Cretaceous and Paleogene sediments typically overlap the Triassic marls) were activated in the frontal parts of the system. carbonates of the Hronicum in the Tatra-Fatra Belt. E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 7.,
HARMÓNIA
SUCC(A3,B3)
Fig. 3a. Schematic lithosiratigraphic column of the Malé Karpaty Mts. sĽiiline complexes < PutiS in PlaSienka et al., 1991). I - Pezinok S (Bratislava-Borinka and Pernek-Baba areas, respectively). :: - Pernek Succession (Pemek-Kuchyňa area). Ill - Harmónia SKcession. Symbols: 1 - basalts and their tuffs, 2 - volcanic breccias; ; - gabbros. gabbrodiorites, 4 - schists to quartzites with tuff admix- •rc. 5 - tuffites, 6 - amygdaloid basalto-andesites, 7 - limestones with rasak tuff admixture, 8 - limestones, 9 - marly shales, 10 - bituminous sáasts and quartzites, 11 - pale quartzites, 12 - clayey sandy shales, I? - shales, 14 - rhytmic clayey-graywacke sediments, 15 - graywacke ďD&iooes (locally lithic graywackes) intercalated with shales, 16 - the boundary between formations A, B, 17 - tectonic boundary between li- thoiogical sequences.
Vepor Belt
The principal Vepor Belt Nízke Tatry Mts-east, Slovenské nidohorie Mts.-west, Branisko Mts., Čierna hora Mts.) comprises: Fig, 3b, Lithostratigraphic scheme of southern Veporicum (Bezák and * the Veporic basement/cover thick-skinned sheet; Vozár, 1987). 1 - bedded quartzose sandstones, subarkoses, sandy sha- les, 2 - coarse- and medium-grained metamor-phosed sandstones, sand- * Jécollement sedimentary cover nappes of the Silicicum stones with pebbles, 3 - sandy metaconglomerates, locally layers of system; metamorphosed sandy shales, 4 - metamorphosed rhyolite volcaniclas- tics and rhyolites, 5 - cyclically alternating metamorphosed sandstones, * the Late Cretaceous-Tertiary cover rocks. shales and siltstones interlayered with graphitic schists, 6 - layers of in- termediate and basic volcaniclastic rocks, 7 - dominant metasandsto- Veporicum nes, small bodies of volcanic rocks, 8 - amphibolites, 9 - leucocratic granitoids, 10 - metaconglomerates, metaarcoses, 11 - greenschists, Based on surface investigations and deep seismic reflec- 12 - muscovite-chlorite schists, 13 - biotite-albite schists, 14 - light- tion line 2T (Tomek, 1993), the Veporicum sheet is an -coloured schists, 15 - light-coloured gneisses, 16 - a - serpentinites, b - imbricated crustal wedge, showing both the subhorizontal - metahornblendites, amphibole metadiorites, 17 - intercalations of nappe structures (Alpine and/or pre-Alpine; cf. Bezák, graphitic schists, 18 - metacarbonates, 19 - migmatized biotite phyli- tes, 20 - augen-structured metasandstones, 21 - garnet biotite-chlorite- 1991. 1994; Bezák et al., this volume; Putiš, 1991a, b, -muscovite schists, 22 - medium-grained biotite granitoids grading into 1 994) and steep oblique reverse faulting, probably listric nebulites to stromatites, 23 - banded and augen migmatized gneisses, on a crustal scale (Hók and Hraško, 1990; Tomek, 1993; 24 - enclaves of gneisses, 25 - thrust planes and reverse faults of the Nladarás et al., 1994). The Veporic sheet overrides the 1st order, 26 - thrust planes and reverse faults of the 2nd order, 27 - an- southern flanks of the Tatric unit, and/or the shortened, gular discordance. A - Kráľova Hoľa Complex, B - Ostrá Complex, C - - Klenovec and Hladomorná valley Complex, D - Sinec Complex, previously attenuated basement of the Fatric (Krížna) do- Revúca Group: E - Slatvina Formation, F - Rimava Formation. 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians
bosaits, tuffs Hnmíto-
sondstones with mmnnrx- graph. orgonic matter m eiaqucrtzites
m i co sch - g misses 3 quartzitic mftoquartzttes sandstones • • • if C** C+> C*-> <+> C& ^• a^ • ^ ° c~D • • • s-t— ^ C* •^5*"" mylonites, phyllonites sandy sholes <+> <*> \
S Thickness: 2 — * km 3. Qz-dioritic orthognetss Age: Lower Paleozoic I Cambrian - Silurian ? I layered amphibotites Fig. 3e. Lithostratigraphic columns of the Tatra Complex in the Považský Inovec Mts. and Strážovské vrchy Mts. (Putiš, original figure).
main (Plašienka, 1991). The surface expression of this overthrust plane is called the Čertovica Line which is con- Fig. 3c. Lithological profile of the KV-1 borehole. Pohronská Polhora sidered to be an intracontinental suture, formed after an ex- (Central Veporic zone). (Putiš, original figure). pulsion of the Krížna cover nappe (Biely and Fusán, 1967). Most of surface exposures of the Veporicum are composed of the crystalline basement rocks, the cover complexes are C*J r*j w •»
Ft H. \ jrsscan basement of the Veporic zone reactivated by Alpine nappe and thrust faults (Putiš, original figure). A - low grade metamorphic canpct. B • iow- to medium grade crystalline complex (Kohút Complex: phyllite, greenschist to amphibolite, mica-schist, talc-schist, black schist), C Tfhaai grade complex of the north Veporic (Hron Complex: mica-schist to gneiss, rare amphibolite, metaquartzite), D - medium to hight grade cmuiimc complex (leptinite-amphibolite complex: cpx-rt metabasite, layered amphibolite, diorite to tonalitic orthogneiss, metagabbro, serpentinite a»: r"-i> gneiss). E - medium (to high grade) crystalline complex (Čierny Balog and Ľubietová-Muráň Complexes: paragneiss, mica-schist to I3CSS. amphibolite. orthogneiss). F - tonalite, granite, granodiorite (303-295 Ma) of the Vepor pluton, G - high grade crystaline complex Onpiex: analogous with the D as a part of the Tatric basement), H - medium to high grade crystalline complex (Tatra Complex: gneiss, migma- ÍBÍ. jeaptuboliie. orthogneiss). I - granite to tonalite (cca 340 Ma). Structural symbols: triangles - Early Variscan thrust and suture zone; squares - - —jk \ anscan thrust and suture zone; comb line - Alpine reactivation nappe and thrust fault.
oner nappe system, however, there are many indications The exposed eastern part of the Veporic superunit in :•? southward shallowing and a marginal position of the Central Slovakia (the rest is covered by Tertiary sedi- Ydký Bok unit with respect to the Jurassic-Lower ments and volcanics) shows a dome structure with an CreĽceous Zliechov basin of the Fatric realm (Plašienka onion-like arrangement of the Variscan basement and -si Prokešová, 1996). Permomesozoic cover complexes. The Alpine meta-
330 Ma
Zemplin - type Panafrican basement
í -a- 3*. Variscan tectonostratigraphy of the Central Western Carpathians basement complexes (Putiš, original figure). Abbreviations of basement -oaptexes: PER = Pemek, PEZ = Pezinok, LAC = leptinite-amphibolite, KR = Kraklová, HD = Hladomomá dolina, RAK = Rakovec, GEL = = Gelnica. Zr = zircon, Mnz = monazite, Amph = amphibole, Ky = kyanite, And = andalusite. Fib = fibrolite, St = staurolite, Ms = muscovite, Sil = = ullimanite. Ar = 4"Ar - 39Ar. 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians morphic overprint reaches ca. 600 °C and 10 kbar in the Silicicum on its northern, passive margin (e.g. Kozur and deepest exposed basement unit (micaschists) and ca. Mock, 1973, 1987, 1997; Kovács, 1997; Haas et al., 450°C and 6 kbar in metasediments along the southern 1995). Nappes of the Silicicum were detached within the periphery of the dome (Janák and Plašienka, unpublished Late Permian evaporites. They are dominantly composed data). Estimates slightly over 500 °C at 8-9 kbar were of Scythian shallow-marine sediments and Triassic plat- obtained close to the Pohorelá thrust-fault in the central form carbonates of the shelf edge environment. Transition part of the Veporicum (Putiš et al., 1996, and this vo- from the back-reef lagoon, through the barrier reef bodies lume). However, these figures are considerably higher to the continental slope environments with pelagic facies than estimates of some other authors (cf. Kováčik et al., can be reconstructed. The Triassic carbonate platform this volume). Previously, the maximum P-T conditions complexes are thicker compared to other CWC units. This were estimated as ca. 500°C and 8 kbar (Vrána, 1980 for mature passive margin complex was, similarly as in other metagranitoids; Méres and Hovorka, 1991 for metapeli- Slovakocarpathian units, destroyed by Early Jurassic rif- tes). Thermochronological 40Ar/:,9Ar data indicate coo- ting. The youngest sediments known are the Oxfordian ra- ling and exhumation from ca. 110 Ma (amphiboles) to diolarites and olistostromes, Tithonian shallow-water li- 90-80 Ma (micas; see Maluski et al., 1993; Dallmeyer et mestones already representing the overstep sequence. The al., 1993, 1996; Kováčik et al., 1996). The Veporic me- Silicic nappes are typically topped by the Early Senonian tamorphic core complex was exhumed by a generally Gosau sediments, though these are only rarely preserved east-dipping low-angle normal fault accompanied by (Fig. 2). On the surface in the Vepor Belt, the Silicicum is a ductile shear zone with top-to-the-east shear sense in- represented by the Drienok nappe outlier that overthrusts dicators (e.g. Hók et al., 1993; Putiš, 1994; Madarás et the Choč nappe and the northern Veporic Veľký Bok al., 1996). Post-metamorphic elevation of the Veporic (Lučatín) cover. The Muráň nappe in the central dome culminated by a small intrusive body of the Late Veporicum overlies its Foederata cover similarly as the Cretaceous Rochovce granite. The metamorphic isograds Stratená nappe along the NE margin of the Veporic dome. are telescoped and sometimes discontinuous within this Here, a severe structural and metamorphic discordance extensional shear zone. The presumed units removed by exists between the unmetamorphosed Silicic nappes and unroofing involved basement/cover complexes of the the underlying Veporic complexes. From the reasoning re- Gemeric sheet and a higher stack of the Meliatic accre- garding the time relations between the cooling ages of the tion-collision units. footwall complexes and the age of the overstep Gosau se- The Veporic basement, similarly as the Tatric base- diments, which are generally coeval, a post-Gosau final ment, represents the inner Variscan zones. In the north, it emplacement of at least the Muráň and Stratená nappes is composed mostly of medium-grade metamorphic rocks has been proposed (Plašienka, 1997). (micaschists and para- and orthogneisses, amphibolites) that are intruded by the largest Carpathian plutonic body - Gemer Belt the composite Vepor granitoid pluton. The southern part of the Veporic basement consists of variegated metasedi- The Gemer Belt (Slovenské rudohorie Mts.-east, ments, mainly garnetiferous micaschists, in places inter- Slovenský kras Mts.) includes: calated by black shales and carbonates, or with rare bo- * the Gemeric Paleozoic (rarely up to Middle Triassic) dies of amphibolites, serpentinites and talc schists. basement/cover sheet; Whereas the northernmost Veporic zones were affected * Late Paleozoic-Mesozoic successions of the Meliatic by only low-grade Alpine metamorphic overprint Jaklovce and Bôrka nappes; (Korikovsky et al., this volume), preferably within mylo- * detachment cover nappes of the Silicic system; nite and phylonite zones (Putiš, 1991b), the central and * Senonian - Tertiary post-nappe cover. southern zones bear characteristics of strong Alpine reac- tivation in the greenschist to lower amphibolite facies Gemericum conditions (Putiš et al. 1996, and this volume). The basement of the Gemericum sheet is composed of Silicicum the Early Paleozoic to early Late Carboniferous, mostly low-grade metasediments and metavolcanics in-truded The Silicicum is the highermost and innermost cover by small bodies of Permian granites. Structurally this ba- nappe system in the CWC, also overlapping the IWC sement is closely confined to lithologically and meta- Meliata Belt (Fig. 2). The Silicic nappes were rooted in morphically similar Late Paleozoic volcanosedimentary either the southern or northern peripheries of the Meliatic successions grouped into several principal lithostrati- suture. In spite of numerous recent studies, the precise pa- graphic units. The erlier geological investigations linspastic position of the Triassic carbonate platforms of (Grecula, 1982) and the seismic line 2T (Tomek, 1993 the Silicicum still remains unresolved. For instance a posi- shows the Gemericum as a relatively thin nappe unit tion at the southern margin of the Meliatic ocean was clai- overlying the Veporicum. However, the line G1 (Vozár med by Hók et al. (1995) and Rakús (1996), on the con- et al., 1996a), transecting its central part, reveals the trary to most other authors placing the homeland of the Gemericum as a thick-skinned crustal sheet rooted in the E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 11.,
Meliatic suture. Although the Gemericum as a whole ;learly overrides the Veporicum along the paleo-Alpine -_inist contact known as the "Lubenik-Margecany Line", Three principal complexes are distinguished within the rifting Early Paleozoic rocks: the Gelnica, Rakovec and Klátov ľ ľmplexes (many authors use term group) which are embraced into the Volovec Group (Grecula, 1982; 1995; Rf 4a). The lower part (Betliar Formation) is detritic composed of phyllite after black laminated pelite to silt, 650 Ma reiitic phyllite occurs in the upper part with peculiar ly- fite and carbonate members. Carbonates are far more rare s iydites. The middle part of the Volovec Gropu Fig. 4a. Paleozoic lithostratigraphic column of the Gemericum Smolnik Formation) is made of variegated green phyllite, (Grecula, 1982). 1 - coarse laminated metapelite to metasandstone, 2 - - black schists with lydite and carbonate lenses, 3 - basalt-keratophyre aeain mostly laminated. Beside that, the flysch psammite volcanic rocks with stratiform ore-bearing horizont, 4 - psammitic and ID pelite and psammite assemblages representing characte- psephitic sequences, 5 - phyllites and schists, 6 - acid and intermediate EHĎC members of some nappes delimited together with volcanic rocks, 7 - carbonate; 8 - ultrabasic rocks, 9 - rhyolite and kera- • acanites of diabase-keratophyre formation occurring in tophyre, 10 - basaltic lava and pyroclastics, 11 - rhyolite domes. re base of this formation. Upper part of the Volovec Group (Hnilec Formation) is built of volcanic rocks. (1. c.), hence the sandstone is younger. The upper part of Ifcese are represented from the base by a variegated vol- Early Paleozoic should be Pre-Late Viséan (Kozur et al., canic complex present in all Early Paleozoic develop- 1976). The Late Paleozoic complexes are lying discor- neats followed by spatially differentiated volcanites. dantly on the Early Paleozoic footwall. Banc volcanites prevail in the north (Rakovec and The Late Paleozoic basin in the boundary zone of Klatov Complex) whereas rhyolite, dacite and andesite Gemericum and Veporicum was formed from beginning as taOd the sequences in the central and southerly parts of one common sedimentary basin being gradually wider and GeneriCum (Gelnica Complex). filled (Grecula, 1994). The source of the material of sedi- A.::empts to determine the ages of Early Paleozoic basin mentary basin was represented by rock complexes of fifing were unsuccessful. According to palynologic data Gemericum and Veporicum. These were folded and meta- ÉE black shale sequence is most frequently assumed to re- morphosed before the origin of Carboniferous basin, so in jicscut Late Silurian to Early Devonian (Snopková and the fundamental features also the Variscan nappe setting Snpko. 1979) however sporomorph assemblages occupy was completed. Generally also the present relations of rise the age span from Cambrian to Carboniferous. Zircon Veporicum and Gemericum were fixed, i.e. the nappe less ŕom four rhyolite localities in the upper part of Early overthrust of Gemeric units on the simultaneously formed Paleozoic complex using Pb/U method are about 350 m.a, nappe units of Veporicum. wťkjc is Late Devonian (Shcherbak et al., 1988). Other The North Gemeric (Rakovec and Klátov terranes) u± complexes may only be related to such dated levels Carboniferous complexes (Dobšiná Group; Vozárová and from superposition as younger or older. The lower boun- Vozár, 1988) consist from the Ochtiná Formation with ian :: Early Paleozoic remains problematic in lithologi- both the conglomerate-shale and magnesite developments. xai ell as in stratigraphic sense. Isotopic rock age of The upper formations are distinctive mainly in the *»-r: ; areas in the lower parts of Early Paleozoic is from Dobšiná-Rudňany development of Carboniferous. They are static zircons of sandstone determined as about 650 m.a. represented by the Rudňany Formation (conglomerate- 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians Fig. 4b. Variscan and Alpine tectonic strutures in the detail cross-section through the northern part of Gemeric area Nálepkovo - Bindt (Grecula, 1994), compiled using the geophysical modelling of the heavy, light and magnetic complexes (Grecula. Kucharii and Mikuška, 1992). 1 - formation of black metapelites, 2 - formations of the greenish metapelites, 3 - basalt-keratophyre volcanic complex, 4 - metapsammites, 5 - rocks of the diabase volcanism, 6 - gneisses and amphibolites (1 - 6 - Early Paleozoic). 7 - granite (Upper Carboniferous - Lower Permian), 8 - Carboniferous rock com- plexes, 9 - Permian complexes, 10 - footwal of the Rakovec nappe, 11 - Variscan nappe and overthrust sheets, 12 - faulting of nappes and nappes connected with Alpine transpression. 13 - ore veins (e.g. Max) of siderite-sulphidic formation. -sandstone development), the Zlatník Formation (volcanic Variscan nappes are fold nappes with characteristic rocks) and the uppermost Hámor Formation (conglome- structural and lithologic content reflecting certain parts rate-sandstone-shale development) .The South Gemeric of riftogenic sedimentary space. Central part of the rift Permian-Early Triassic Gočaltovo Group in its lower basin with oceanic crust is represented in the Rakovec part contains the Rožňava Formation (conglomerates, nappe. To the contrary, marginal parts of deep-sea de- sandstones and shales). pression preserved in the Kojšov nappe. Transition deve- The Permian sequences on the north ofGemericum are lopment with rock sequences of a passive continental represented by the Krompachy Group. It is divided to the margin is characteristic for the Mníšek nappe. Southerly basal Knola Formation (conglomerate-sandstone forma- nappes (Prakovce, Humel, Jedlovec and Medzev nappes) tion), the Petrova hora Formation (volcanogenic rocks) generated from sediments in dissected basin over conti- and the Novoveská Huta Formation (shale-sandstone one). nental crustal type. Metamorphic overprint of Gemeric rocks occurred in se- Alpine destruction of Variscan nappes is significant veral events. The assemblage of the gneiss (metasemipe- (Grecula, 1997) within shear and transpression zones of lite) and amphibolite distigueshed from the Late Devonian NE and NW strike with fan-type of thrusts-faults (Figs. 4b to Early Carboniferous (320-370 Ma; Kantor in Cambel et and 4c). Large horizontal slips occurred along them. Shear al, 1990). The mixture occurs as the relict of an earlier re- zones of horizontal slip movements played the main role gional metamorphism-M 1 of the a low-pressure (3-4 kbar) during Alpine events. They represent not only shear and conditions, well dis-tinguished in the chlorite-biotite slip zones but also that of spatial reduction generating local (500°C), biotite (550°C) and cummingtonite (650°C) thrusts mainly in Permian and Mesozoic units. Shear zones zone, respectively (Radvanec, 1992; 1994). and related deformations are very probably the result of During the Variscan collisional events a nappe tectonic global transpression during Paleo-Alpine events in the style was formed (Figs. 4b and 4c; Grecula, 1982). Western Carpathians. Variscan nappes originated already before the beginning of The Mesozoic sedimentary cover of the Gemericum is Carboniferous sedimentation and their formation terminated poorly known and seldom preserved. It probably consists before the beginning Permian to Triassic (Alpine) evolution of shallow-marine clastics (Scythian) and presumably cycle (Grecula, 1994). Middle Triassic carbonate platform sediments that occur E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 13., in the western part of the Gemericum, below outliers of (e.g. Kozur and Mock, 1996, 1997). Some Hungarian authors •Jie Meliatic Bôrka nappe. infer that the Gemer-Biikk unit (e.g. Kovács, 1992a, 1997) is part of the Pelso (Pelsonia) terrane (e.g. Haas et al., 1995) Meliaticum which was assembled with other Western Carpathian units only during the Miocene to create the "North Pannonian Unit" The Meliaticum is represented by the Bôrka and (Csontos et al., 1992), later renamed as the ALCAPA Unit Jaklovce nappe units (sensu Kozur and Mock, 1995, 1997; (Csontos, 1995). However, the Lubeník Line is clearly a pre- Mello et al., 1997; Németh, 1996 in the Gemer Belt, over- Tertiary structure and in spite of that several segments of the ling the Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic cover rocks of the Meliatic suture which were reactivated during the Tertiary, no Gemericum. The Bôrka nappe is of eminent importance far-reaching lateral transport along it was proved. On contrary, because of the presence of blueschists formed from the close pre-Tertiary evolutionary links between the Pelso ter- Middle Triassic basalts and Triassic-Jurassic slates rane and the CWC (e.g. margins of the Meliatic ocean present cf. Faryad, 1995; Faryad, Faryad and Henjes-Kunst, this in both megaunits) and the presence of clastic material of the •: iume). Some Meliatic nappe outliers contain bodies of CWC provenance in some overstep sequences in the Pelso rsmembered ophiolites, including serpentinized peridotites units (Transdanubicum - Paleogene, Biikkicum - Senonian; 2x1 tholeiitic basalts of the inferred Middle Triassic age cf. Trunkó, 1996), speak rather for their pre-Tertiary juxtapo- Hovorka, 1979; Ivan et al., 1994). Late Paleozoic-Scythian sition. Accordingly, the present relations of the CWC and retasediments and early Middle Triassic platform carbona- IWC units as depicted in Fig. 2 appear to be generally inheri- íí> are also present. Triassic oceanic rocks lacking blues- ted from the Late Jurassic-Cretaceous collision stage. :rjsts (Jaklovce unit) are located in a pinched synform in The southern limit of the IWC is the Mid-Hungarian NE part of the Gemer Belt (Fig. 2). However, they pro- lineament (Fig. 2; Zagreb-Zemplin discontinuity belt of bably represent an outlier of a Meliatic nappe overthrust Grecula and Varga, 1979), a large-scale Tertiary dextral from the south, and not an independent "Folkmár suture" wrench fault which juxtaposes Western Carpathian units : crmed from the northern branch of the Meliata ocean, as against the Tisia terrane (Tisza-Dacia Unit of Csontos, fc>umed by Kozur and Mock (1995, 1997). 1995). Within these boundaries, the IWC are subdivided into four tectonic belts (Fig. 2). These are the Meliata, Silicicum Transdanubian (Bakony), Biikk and Zemplín Belts. The Silicicum is represented by the Stratená nappe in Meliata Belt re Stratenská hornatina Mts. and the Galmus zone along re northern periphery of the Gemer Belt. Several small On the surface, the Meliata Belt covers the area of the :taiiers occur also in the central part (Končitá and Slovak Karst continuing to the Aggtelek Karst and S-adzim hills, Opátka nappe in the east). The Silica Rudabánya Mts. in northeastern Hungary. From bottom Tiicpe s.s. that occurs in the Slovak Karst region and in to top, it is built up by: rse Aggtelek Karst in northern Hungary is ranged alre- * Triassic-Jurassic oceanic accretionary complex of the jc> to the Meliata Belt of the Inner Western Meliaticum; C-srpathians. The dominantly Triassic carbonate comple- * Late Paleozoic to Jurassic active margin complex of tes of the Silica nappe are locally topped by remnants of the Turnaicum; Seaonian fresh-water limestones, conglomerates and pe- * Late Permian to Jurassic passive margin complex of ase marls of the overstepping Gosau group. the Silicicum; Inner Western Carpathians * Senonian and Tertiary cover complexes. Tte Inner Western Carpathians (IWC) encompass Meliaticum Pakozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary (mostly carbonatic) The outstanding tectonic importance of the Meliata unit aompiexes showing affinity to the South Alpine and Dinaridic s.s., as a representative of the Meliaticum superunit, was aias belts (e.g. Haas et al., 1995; Trunkó, 1996). They are firstly recognized by Kozur and Mock (1973). It consists incKtamorphosed or were only slightly metamorphosed du- of numerous slices, olistostrome and mélange-like bodies the Early Cretaceous (cf. Árkai et al., 1995; Lelkes- and olistoliths of platform carbonates (Anisian), pelagic Fdväi et al., 1996 and references therein). The boundary be- oceanic sediments (Late Anisian - Oxfordian) and dis- the CWC and IWC is formed by the suture membered ophiolites, all dispersed in mostly Jurassic dis- Emsenting the Meliatic ocean. Because this suture is mostly tal flysch matrix (Kozur and Mock, 1997). Meliatic com- •=3oed, there is no general agreement about its along-strike plexes show steeply dipping, generally fan-wise real Most probably it follows some important subsurface imbricated structure with clear top-to-the-north sense of SLcrysical anomaly zones Rába-Hurbanovo-Diósjenó- shearing at the northern margin of the suture and with the -ňrfhec-Rožňava-Trebišov (Fig. 2). However, based on the opposite along its southern margin (Hók et al., 1995). a5ni> of the Gemeric units to the southern Tethyan zones, Their upper parts have been partly incorporated into an UĽSI JUhcrs classify the Gemericum as a part of the IWC evaporitic mélange (similar to the Haselgebirge of the 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians Eastern Alps; cf. Réti, 1985) at the sole of the overriding, * rather hypothetical pre-Variscan high-grade crystalline generally flat-lying Silica cover nappe. basement; * Early Paleozoic (from the Ordovician to the Early Turnaicum Carboniferous), only slightly metamorphosed volcanose- dimentary formations (Balaton Highland), intruded by Very low grade metasedimentary complexes of the Late Paleozoic subalkaline granites (Velence Mts.); nappe units classified generally as the Turnaicum (or * thick Permian to Cretaceous sedimentary cover com- Tornaicum, more-or-less corresponding to units designa- plexes; ted by Kozur and Mock, 1997, as the "South- * Tertiary overstep sequences. -Rudabányaicum"), are regarded to be derived from the A wide stratigraphic range of the Early Paleozoic sedi- southern flanks of the former Meliatic ocean. They are ments and an absence of any stronger Variscan metamor- composed of mid-Carboniferous wildflysch formation phism and tectonism indicate the position of the IWC (Vozárová and Vozár, 1992a), Permian red-beds, mostly zones out of inner mobile Variscan zones. On the other basinal Triassic carbonates and Jurassic flysch formations hand, a thick crust below the Transdanubian Belt points to locally with small intrusions and abundant pebble mate- the presence of a continental basement under the rial of calc-alkaline volcanics. The Turnaic nappes over- Paleozoic formations. This might be the Cadomian or lie, and in principle are parts of the Meliatic accretionary Panafrican basement of the "Southern Continent", a drif- complex. The higher Silicic nappes show a distinct meta- ting Africa-related fragment in the lower plate position morphic and structural discordance at their bases. during the Variscan collision after locking of the South- -Variscan (Massif Central, or Rheic, or Prototethys) Silicicum ocean. This basement would be related to the Celtic ter- rane as a constituent of the Noric composite terrane The Silica-Aggtelek nappe is the type unit of the (Frisch and Neubauer, 1989), and/or the Intra-Alpine ter- Silicicum, forming large karst plateaux at the Slovakian rain of Stampfli (1996). It may be inferred that this base- /Hungarian border. It is marked by Late Permian evapori- ment appears at the bottom of Tertiary basins between the tes, very thick Scythian shallow-marine syn-rift sediments Plešivec and Darnó lines (Fig. 2) around the and a huge Triassic carbonate platform. The shelf edge set- Slovakian/Hungarian border where it was reached by ting of this platform is indicated by a distinct passage from some deep drillings and its fragments occur as xenoliths in the backreef and reef facies in the north (Wetterstein, Miocene andesites (Hovorka and Lukáčik, 1972). The Dachstein Fm.) to the slope and basinal pelagic facies in Veporic provenance of these high-grade metamorphic the south (Hallstatt, Zlambach Fm.). In general, the Silica- rocks, proposed by these authors, seems to be less pro- Aggtelek nappe covers subhorizontally the strongly distur- bable if the general course of the Meliatic suture is taken bed and often subvertically oriented beds of the underlying into consideration. Meliatic and Turnaic units (Reichwalder, 1982), though it The Permian-Triassic succession of the Transdanubi- is also affected by post-nappe large-scale folding related cum represents a strongly subsiding, extensive carbonate probably to Early Tertiary transpression. Some other sma- platform. The most conspicuous facies are Permian con- ler units of ambiguous position are sometimes affiliated to tinental red-beds substituted by shallow-marine evapori- the Silicicum as well, namely the Bódva and Szólôsardó tes and dolomites in the NE direction, similarly as in the nappes (Kovács, 1997). However, Kozur and Mock (1987, Belerophon Formation of the Southern Alps (Haas and 1997) range the Szólôsardó unit to their South- Budai, 1995; Haas et al., 1995). These are overlain by -Rudabányaicum (i.e. Turnaicum). the Scythian coastal deposits with restricted input of ter- rigenous material. An Anisian carbonate ramp was repla- Transdanubian Belt ced by Ladinian-Early Carnian carbonate platforms and intervening pelagic basins with remarkable acidic volca- Only the eastern part of the Transdanubian Belt (or nism (Buchenstein fm.) that reflect a rift event. Middle- Bakony Belt, cf. Kázmér, 1986) reaches the surface in -Late Carnian marly formation with considerable terrige- the Balaton Highland, Velence, Bakony, Vértes and nous influx (Raibl event) that sealed the Ladinian rugged Gerecse Mts. and Buda Hills (known altogether as the topography are followed by thick Norian-Early Liassic Transdanubian Central Range), located to the SW of the shelf carbonates. Pelagic Late Triassic facies occur in loop of the Danube river (Fig. 2), and in several small is- the SE part of the Transdanubian Belt (Buda Hills, lands east of the Danube near the village Csóvár. Csóvár islands, cf. Kozur and Mock, 1991; Kozur, 1993; Haas et al., 1997). They probably represent a shelf slope Transdanubicum facies approaching the Tethyan oceanic realm. The Jurassic-Early Cretaceous sediments of the The belt is probably built up by a single tectonic supe- Transdanubicum display variegated lithologies, often of runit, the Transdanubicum (designated also as the the pelagic swell "Ammonitico Rosso" facies with nu- Bakonyicum). The following rock complexes are present merous condensed horizons and hiatuses (cf. Császár from bottom to top: and Haas, 1984; Kázmér, 1986; Trunkó, 1996; Faupl et E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 15., il_ 1997). At the northern periphery of the Transdanu- Paraautochthon" (Fennsikum in terminology of Kozur and r;an Belt (Gerecse Mts.), neighbouring the Meliatic su- Mock, 1987, 1997) represents a Triassic carbonate platform tnre, an outstanding Early Cretaceous succession complex with noteworthy Ladinian calc-alkaline volca- rccurs. It consists of coarsening-upward flysch sequen- nism. The platform was drowned by the Early Jurassic and ce containing pebbles and heavy minerals of an ophioli- basinal pelagic sediments, often radiolarites deposited until :cc provenance, interpreted as witnesses of the closing the Oxfordian. The paraautochthonous units show an im- reriod of the Meliatic ocean located northwards (see re- bricated structure with a distinct southern vergency in the view by Császár and Árgyelán, 1994, and references Biikk Mts., opposite to the thrusting polarity recorded in therein). Internal zones are marked by coeval Urgonian- the northerly exposed Paleozoic complexes of the Szendró -i>pe buildups. Several independent horizons of bauxite Mts. These are overlain by outliers of the Szarvaskó- deposits originated during the Late Cretaceous. -Mónosbél nappe system (Csontos, 1988), consisting of Based on the surface data, the structure of the dismembered ophiolite complexes, including pillow-lavas ľransdanubian Belt seems to be quite simple, domina- of the Jurassic age (Balla et al., 1983; Downes et al., 1990), icd by a large SW-NE trending megasynform with the but slivers of Triassic oceanic rocks are present as well core filled with Jurassic-Cretaceous sediments. Pre- (Darnó Mts. - Dosztály and Józsa, 1992). These ophiolites Mesozoic complexes crop out along the SE limb of this probably represent obducted fragments of the oceanic crust rre-Senonian structure (Balla and Dudko, 1989). This of a back-arc basin opened due to southward (partly intra- _:mb is also complicated by SE-verging reverse faults. oceanic?) subduction of the Meliatic ocean during the The northern, covered limb juxtaposing the Rába- Jurassic (Fig. 7). The back-arc was closed immediately -Hurbanovo Line may have a nappe structure (reactiva- after suturing of the Meliatic ocean in this area. However, it ted as extensional low-angle faults during the Late may have extended southwestwards to connect the Tertiary), as inferred from the seismic data (Horváth, Dinaridic-Vardar ocean that was closed considerably later. 993) and from the near-suture position. However, In the NE part of the Btikk Mts. a nappe outlier of Late 3alla (1994) considers the Rába Line as a sub vertical Triassic platform carbonates occurs, described as the ^Tench-fault. The western part of the megasynform is Silicic Kissfensik nappe (Csontos, 1988). However, the >ealed by the Senonian sediments of the Gosau group. Silicic affiliation of this outlier has not been confirmed Late Cretaceous lamprophyre dykes penetrate the (cf. Kovács, 1997). Velence granite and Mesozoic sediments (Horváth and The Btikk Belt extends SW-ward into a strip be- Jdor, 1984; Kázmér, 1986). In the eastern part, the tween the Balaton-Darnó and Mid-Hungarian Lines, rverstepping sequence began by Eocene transgression. the so-called Middle Transdanubian unit or the Igal zone. It is completely covered with Tertiary sediments, Btikk Belt according to borehole data it consists of strongly dis- turbed and internally variable complexes of domi- The principal Biikk Belt (Igal-Bukk in a broader nantly Triassic formations showing contrasted affini- >ense), exhibited in the Darnó, Uppony, Szendró and ties to neighbouring units (cf. Bérczi-Makk et al., Biikk Mts. of northeastern Hungary, comprises: 1993). The northern part is composed mostly of Late • very low-grade Paleozoic complexes; Paleozoic-Triassic platform carbonates, the southern * Mesozoic formations of several nappe units; strip involves basinal sediments, olistostromes and dis- • Senonian post-nappe sediments (Uppony Mts.); membered Mesozoic ophiolites affected by a very low- * Tertiary overstep sedimentary and volcanic complexes. grade metamorphism (Kázmér, 1986; Árkai et al., The Ordovician-Permian sediments and rare volca- 1991). Probably the Igal zone, its southern part in par- "ics occur in the northern part of the belt (Fig. 2). ticular, represents an imbricated suture complex con- During the Variscan orogeny, they mostly represented a nected SW-ward with the northernmost exposures of carbonate platform (Uppony Mts.) of the passive margin Dinaridic ophiolites (Pamič, 1997). : f the "Southern Continent" terminated by syncollisional mid-Carboniferous flysch (Szendró Mts., akin to the Zemplín Belt Hochwipfel flysch formation, cf. Kovács, 1992b; Ebner, .992). An overstepping Permian sequence consists of The position and connections of the last, Zemplín Belt red-beds and shallow-marine carbonates. However, only of the IWC, are controversial. The only small surface ex- Alpine tectonism and metamorphism is documented posure of this belt in the Zemplínske vrchy Mts. in Árkai et al., 1995). Therefore the presence of a pre- south-eastern Slovakia exhibits high-grade crystalline Variscan basement in the deep substratum is likely. basement rocks of possibly pre-Variscan age (see Faryad and Vozárová, this volume). The Carboniferous of the Biikkicum Zemplinicum is represented by the Stephanian with the fluvial-limnic type sediments, characterized by grey- Mesozoic (Triassic - Jurassic) successions are generally wacke-arcose association of rocks and by a horizon of souped into the Biikkicum (Biikkium) superunit, consis- black shales with coal layers. There is gradual transition ting of two principal types of units. The lower "Biikk to the Permian. The Permian is variegated in continental 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians S V-R04 Hnačky hi m V-flO-5 500 0 -500 -1000 -1500 -2000 -2500 Fig. 4c. Variscan I nappes) and Alpine ifan-thrust s and ovcnhrusisi iccionic style depicted an the north• south trending profile through the western pan of Gcmrncum lGra«i 1994). Variscan nappes with the Early Paleozoic rock sequences and Iheir tectonic overprint in Alpine träJispJBiswjnal lories together with the Lite Pafiozoic and Triasť quences. I - Triassic carbonates and shales. 2- violet and reddish basal conglomerate with the attitude of sandstones and shales. 3 - green and violet shales. acid arid m mediary volcanics (2-4 - verrucano facies in the northern part of Gemericum), 5 - poly mict conglomerate with the unit údes of arcose sandstones and schists, 6 - quanziiŕ:t j the intercalations of arcose sandstones. 7 - black and gray laminated schists with the intercalations of sandstones. 8 • alternation of black schists mid micaceous sandM«a 9 - grey and black micaceous sandstones. 10 - green laminated schists, 11 - tine-Brained green (often amphi boli lie) sandstone with the ctasts of amphibolites and metabi (5-11 - Late Paleozoic with the overthrust and fan-like teclonic style in Alpine transpression zones), 12 • Gemeric granite (Upper Carboniferous-Permian) as a part of Van E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 17., r. jrd cnnallin* schists or Vcponcum. [J - tipper Permian and Juraiuc-Cicucwui granite bkxki in Alpine irinproaan zone Vanum nappes uonaii- 'láeojKíi; rocki of GemencumiT 15 - Rakovec ruppe iRikovec opbiohte comptei metabasites. varioui lypei Of pftyffitts. tateK metigibbroi. amphibolite. i* - Kliios nappe I KlilOv amphlfwliic-gneiij compkil. 17 - Kojiov nappe I derp-aaler metapeLtd. ran I) folcamc focts). IS - Mnliek nappe imeiaiilt- bsmodal roltuilc complex, porphyron!, large twdies of K-rhyoljies), 18a - rhyolite cornplei of the Mnlíek nappe. 19 - Prakovce nappe (thick comple* gray»acto, porphyrons), 20 - Hume! nappe 11 ami n.(ted meiasitisiones, black schists, lydiies, carbonates. locally rich siderite deposits), II - Jedrovec bbek and green schists, lydiies, rarely gahbtodiorite. basah-keraiophyre completes, stratiform polymetallic deposits 1.• Medzev nappe (me tape 11 - 14-18 - Gelnica complex. 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians to lagoonal facies with acid volcanics. Conglomerates, In a broader sense, the Magura, Oravic and Vahic units sandstones and quartzites occur in the Early Triassic and represent the Western Carpathian Pennine system. higher is developed the Triassic platform carbonates Geometrically, but not evolutionary, the Magura system is (Grecula and Egyiid, 1977). analogous to the Northern Peninic (Valais) zone, Oravic units were sheared off an intraoceanic continental ribbon Zemplinicum similar to the Briangonnais high and Vahic oceanic units show many similarities with the units derived from the According to deep reflection seismic data, the Ligurian-Piemont ocean in the Alps and Apennines. Zemplinicum superunit overthrusts units in the substratum (6) The Tatricum is a crustal sheet present in the of the Neogene Transcarpathian Basin, including the Western Carpathians only, but the Infratatric units may Iňačovce-Krichevo unit (Vozár et al., 1996b). Lateral links be well correlated with the Lower Austroalpine units; of the Zemplinicum are ambiguous, however. Vozárová (7) The Veporicum, a large crustal-scale basement and Vozár (1988, 1992b) considered it to be a Veporic ele- wedge best corresponds to the Middle Austroalpine ba- ment, whereas most other researchers found it to be akin to sement units with the typical Cretaceous metamorphic the Mecsek Belt of the Tisia terrane (e.g. Grecula and overprint; Egyiid, 1977; Grecula and Varga, 1979). Along the Mid- (8) The Gemericum is the highermost CWC thick- -Hungarian Line bounding the IWC from SE, the Zemplín skinned nappe sheet displaying affinities to the Upper Belt is juxtaposed to the Szolnok Belt (Fig. 2). This is com- Austoralpine basement units in the Central Eastern Alps posed of imbricated Senonian-Paleogene mostly flysch for- (Gurktal and Graz nappe systems) and partly also to mations showing affinities to some Central Carpathian fly- some units of the Grauwackenzone underlying the sches (Nagymarosy and Báldi-Béke, 1993). Evolutionary Northern Calcareous Alps; links to the Iňačovce-Krichevo unit (its upper structural le- (9) The Fatric (Krížna) cover nappe system is clearly vels) is proposed in Fig. 8. This tectonic situation implies a rooted between the Tatric and Veporic basement sheets loop closure of the CWC and IWC units in the substratum and from this point of view it has no analogies in the of the Transcarpathian Basin (Fig. 2) which excludes the Alps, albeit facies links with the Kieselkalk zone and possibility of a direct continuation of any CWC or IWC Frankelfels nappe in the Northern Calcareous Alps are continental units to the Eastern and Southern Carpathians obvious; the Fatricum cannot be referred to as an Upper and Balkans. On the other hand, the CWC-IWC system has Austroalpine element, however; its direct links with the Austroalpine-Southalpine system (10) The Hronic (Choč) cover nappe system, if the westwards, though the Tertiary evolution of the Alps and Mesozoic history is assumed, corresponds to the the Western Carpathians differed considerably. Bajuvaric-Tirolic nappe system of the Northern Calcareous Alps, though considerable differences exist, Links of pre-Tertiary units too (e.g. the huge Late Paleozoic volcanosedimentary Ipoltica Group, nowhere present in the Alps); Assuming the general trends of paleogeographic and (11) Nappes of the Silicicum are correlable with the paleotectonic evolution and lateral structural links of Upper Austroalpine Juvavic nappes in both the lithostra- units building the Western Carpathians as defined above, tigraphic and structural (overriding of Meliatic elements) the principal tectonic superunits may be grouped into se- aspects. veral orogenic-scale tectonic systems showing the follo- The units labelled (7) - (11) are essential for the cent- wing connections: ral zones of the Eastern Alps and Western Carpathians. (1) The Western Carpathian Foredeep is a part of spec- The commonly used term "Austroalpine units" is plau- tacular double-loop of frontal molasse zones of the sible for them. Nevertheless, taking into account consi- Alpine and Carpathian oroclines; derably different Tertiary history of the CWC with res- (2) The Silesian-Krosno units of the OWC are pect to the Alps, namely the almost unchanged Carpathian of their own, wedging out by the Waschberg Cretaceous edifice of the CWC, we adopt the new term zone in the easternmost Alps, but widening eastwards to Slovakocarpathian system proposed by Kozur and build up the Moldavide system, the main constituent of Mock (1997). No lateral connections with the Eastern the Outer Dacides in the Eastern Carpathians; Carpathian units are demonstrable for this system. (3) The Magura units, on the other hand, have direct (12) The position and lateral links of units coming from links to the Rhenodanubian flysch zone in the Eastern basins and margins of the Meliatic oceanic realm belong Carpathians, but disappear eastwards by merging with to the most debated in the recent Alpine and Carpathian the PKB in Ukraine; literature. The units ranged to the Meliaticum itself repre- (4) The Pieniny Klippen Belt, the Oravic units in parti- sent an important oceanic suture, therefore they should be cular, are typical for the Western Carpathians only, in considered as a principal dividing element in the both the evolutionary and structural aspects; Carpathian edifice. Unfortunately, there is no general (5) The Vahic Belice and Iňačovce-Krichevo units of agreement about the lateral prolongations and links to the the CWC are regarded to be Penninic oceanic elements Triassic-Jurassic Tethyan oceanic system of the Meliatic occurring in tectonic windows. ocean (compare, e.g. Kovács, 1997, and Kozur and E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 19., Mock, 1997; the whole problematics is thoroughly revie- described to belong to single, the Western Carpathian wed also by Trunkó, 1996). Before things will be more orogenic framework. For the last three, innermost : ear, we suggest to use a provisional term Meliata sys- Western Carpathian superunits we propose the unifying tem for the Meliaticum s.s. (incl. the Bôrka and Jaklovce term Hungarocarpathian system. tappes in the CWC Gemer Belt), Turnaicum (South- Rudabányaicum) and units derived from the Szarvaskó Overstep complexes back-arc basin. (13) The uppermost Austroalpine to South-Alpine affi- Subsequent to the main periods of deformation of the -jties of the Transdanubicum were postulated by many underlying units, the overstep sequences also exhibit ge- authors; neral younging from the inner towards the outer (14) The Biikkicum, more precisely the Biikk "paraau- Carpathian zones. For the IWC and CWC, the post-nappe -.ochthonous" units, display a lot of Dinaridic features; cover starts with Early Senonian sediments of the Gosau (15) The questionable position of the Zemplinicum Group. However, these are only rarely preserved along ias already mentioned, we infer its more-or-less inde- the outer margin of the CWC and in the IWC (Fig. 2), and pendent position with respect to both the CWC and the most of the CWC are covered only by deposits of the Tisia terrane. Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin (CCPB). CCPB Although important wrench movements may have sediments include Early Eocene transgressive, southwards taken place along the sutures of the Meliata system du- younging carbonate clastics and nummulitic limestones ring the Tertiary, the units from their both sides display followed by thick deepening Eocene-Oligocene turbiditic ;lose interrelationships in the Alpine, and even in the flysch complex. In the IWC, these are replaced by sedi- rre-Alpine times. We therefore consider all the units ments of the Buda Paleogene Basin. In the PKB, the Krakow <%íyRIAN oBASIN Bucuresti fffiffl 4on sen ^m tig. 5. General distribution of the Late Tertiary basins in the Carpathian realm. 1 - Pieniny Klippen Belt, 2 - Tertiary Molasse Zone, 3 - Flysch Belt, 4 - pre-Neogene units of inner orogenic zones, 5 - Neogene basins, 6 - neovolcanic areas. 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians Senonian and part of the Paleogene rocks are involved in southern outer Variscan zones of Central Europe (e.g. thrust tectonics and the overstep complex begins with the Plašienka, 1991; Vozárová and Vozár, 1992b; Ebner, Early Miocene sediments. These were furthermore depo- 1992; Putiš, 1992, 1994; Bezák, 1994; von Raumer and sited in the compressional basins of the wrench furrow Neubauer, 1993). The inner zones consist of three main ge- type (Marko et al., 1991). In the OWC, Early Miocene neralized superposed lithotectonic units (Bezák, 1994; rocks are only partly affected by out-of-sequence thrusting Bezák et al., this volume): (1) the gneisso-migmatitic in the inner Magura Belt, but largely incorporated in the Upper Unit intruded by granitoids, (2) the Middle Unit Silesian-Krosno nappes. The outermost Carpathian Flysch composed of gneisses, mica-schists, grani-toids and subor- nappes, representing the disturbed inner parts of the mo- dinate low grade metamorphic rocks, (3) the greenschist lasse foredeep, also involve Sarmatian deposits. facies Lower Unit. These were formed by meso-Variscan During the Miocene thrusting in the OWC, the hinter- (380-340 Ma) collisional crustal thickening and overprin- land Carpathian zones were largely influenced by litho- ted by neo-Variscan (340-260 Ma) hinterland extension spheric stretching, basin formation and volcanism (see re- and emplacement of granitoid plutons. The overthrust view by Kováč et al., this volume). The Western plane of the Upper Unit is often accompanied by the pre- Carpathian neovolcanics are generaly divided into four sence of the "leptynite-amphibolite complex" (LAC - types (Lexa et al., 1993). Dacite and rhyolite areal type Hovorka et al., 1992a, 1994, and this volume) and scarce volcanism associate with the initial stage of the back-arc remnants of rocks metamorphosed in eclogitic or granulitic extension (Early Miocene). Areal type of andesitic volca- facies (cf. Hovorka et al., 1992a; Janák et al., 1996; Putiš et nism is represented by widespread association of interme- al., this volume). These high grade rocks are believed to re- diate to basic andesites predominantly forming stratovol- present original lower crus-tal complexes exhumed due to canoes with considerable con-tent of differentiated rocks Variscan collision along the "Main Variscan Thrust Plane" and subvolcanic intrusive rocks (Early Badenian - Early (Hovorka et al., 1994). This thrust plane is best exposed in Panonian). From the geotectonic point of view, the areal the Tatra Mountains, where the associated high-grade duc- type of andesitic volcanism can be indirectly related to the tile shear zones indicate top-to-the-south thrust stacking subduction of Pieniny-Magura oceanic basement. Basalt- (Fritz et al., 1992; Janák, 1994). The pre-granitoid contrac- andesitic to andesitic volcanism is represented dominantly tional structures in the basement metamorphic rocks are by andesitic stratovolcanoes with scarce differentiated characterized by Jacko et al. (this volume). rocks and subvolcanic intrusives. They represent mainly The proposed Early Paleozoic-Carboniferous evolutio- developed island arc volcanics (Late Badenian to Middle nary scheme (Fig. 6) is based on the existence of indivi- Sarmatian). Alkali-basaltic to basanitic volcanism is re- dual basement complexes in form of nappe bodies. The presented by diatremes, maars, scoria cones and lava introduction of the term "Pre-Carpathian terrane" (Putiš, flows (Pannonian - Pontian and Quaternary). 1994) was aimed at stressing the lithological and paleotec- The lozenge-shaped Vienna Basin is a pull-apart tonic differences of some low-grade complexes (RAK, basin formed by late Early Miocene (Karpatian) sinistral PER, GEL, PEZ, HD) from those of the Noric terrane wrenching along the OWC and CWC boundary. Large (sensu Frisch and Neubauer, 1989). The CWC basement basins covering the inner Carpathian zones are related to rocks occur in three different domains that were separated the Pannonian Basin System (Fig. 5). The Early Mioce- by two Early Paleozoic (Prototethys and Paleotethys) ocea- ne NE-SW extension opened the Novohrad Basin nic basins (Fig. 6), and were definitively amalgamated du- (Nógrád) in southern Slovakia and northern Hungary at ring diachronous southward progressing collision. The first the CWC/IWC boundary. The Danube Basin and its stage of the collision, at the Late Devonian, occurred due northern finger-like embayments between pre-Late Ter- to closure of the Prototethys. The next stage of the colli- tiary core mountains of south-western Slovakia were for- sion, in the Early Carboniferous, is connected with closure med during the Middle-Late Miocene by NW-SE exten- of the Rakovec back-arc oceanic basin (RAK in Fig. 6) as sion, controlling the activity of NE-SW to NNE-SSW a part of the Paleotethys. This closure caused an accretion trending listric normal faults. The Transcarpathian of the Noric terrane to the Pre-Carpathian domain that was Basin in the east had a complicated history, its formation already welded to the overthickened Early Variscan crust was influenced by NE-SW extension followed by NE- of the Ligerian Cordillera (?). Nevertheless, subduction of -SW transpression (or NW-SE transtension). Several the Late Paleotethys ocean continued at the southern mar- smaller intramontane Neogene basins are restricted to gin of the Variscan collisional belt. western and central Slovakia, located between the core The higher grade pre-Alpine metamorphic comple- mountains of the Tatra-Fatra Belt (Fig. 5). xes of the Tatra-Fatra Belt (except the Malé Karpaty Mts. with the oceanic Pernek complex) - the Tatra ba- Paleotectonic history sement complex (TA in Fig. 6), with abundant grani- toids, exhibit similarities with the Moldanubian, Paleozoic evolution Helvetic and Penninic domains. Metasediments of the Tatra complex are inferred to have originated in a for- According to the present views, the Western Carpathian mer passive, later an active margin with dominant pre-Alpine basement developed generally in the inner and greywackes and pelites. E. liuaon and struciureof the W estern Carpathians: an overview 21., The varied medium-grade basement complexes of the al., 1992; Putiš, 1992). An earlier stage of postcollisional Vepor Belt resemble, at least partly, the Austroalpine collapse is also documented by 40Ar/39Ar cooling data on complexes. Variable lithologies of the LAC (basic, inter- amphiboles (357 ± 0,6 Ma, Dallmeyer et al., 1993, 1996) mediate, ultramafic, less pelitic protoliths, Fig. 6) and from amphibolite of the Veporic basement (Veľký the Čierny Balog complex (pelitic-psammitic, tonalitic, Zelený potok complex). A later stage of ca. 330 Ma was acidic, less basic protoliths, Fig. 6) could indicate an dated by the same method on muscovite of a granitic or- Early Paleozoic (back-arc?) rifting of a continental mar- thogneiss from the Tatra complex (Fig. 6) in the Nízke gin. The Hron-Kokava terrane complexes developed on Tatry Mts. (Dallmeyer et al.. 1993, 1996). a large passive continental margin characterized by a In general, four genetically related groups of Variscan few km thick flyschoid sequence (especially the Hron granitoids are distinguished within the Western complex), less carbonatic-skarnoid, basic, ultramafic and Carpathian pre-Alpine basement (Petrik et al., 1994; black shale intercalations (Kokava complex). Uher and Broska, 1996; Petrik and Kohút, this volume). Part of radiometric data within the North Veporic ba- The oldest group (ca. 380-400 Ma) embraces S-type pe- sement indicate pre-Variscan protolith ages of some raluminous, ductile deformed orthogneisses. The second Devonian-Carboniferous metamagmatic rocks. For group is represented by somewhat younger (around 350 example layered metadiorites-amphibolites of the Ma) undeformed anatectic granites and granodiorites Veľký Zelený potok complex (LAC) contain a zircon closely related to the main metamorphic events, the third population which consists of transparent euhedral or group consists of younger (ca. 300 Ma) large granodiori- subeuhedral prismatic pink-brown zoned grains. They tic to tonalitic massifs approaching the I-type, with typi- appear to be of magmatic origin. The fractions define a cal mafic enclaves. The last group is formed by isolated discordia line with a lower intercept age of 346 ± 0,9 smaller bodies of A-type postorogenic granites related to Ma (Kotov in Putiš et al., 1996, and this volume), inter- Permian rifting (280 Ma and younger) and the special preted as the primary emplacement age, or closely da- Gemeric Sn-bearing S-type granites. ting the age of immediately followed amphibolite fa- The Gemeric basement complexes are akin to the des metamorphic recrystallization. An upper intercept Noric terrane complexes (e.g. to the basement of the age of ca 514 Ma (one group, Kotov, personal commu- Southern Alps, low-grade complexes of the Upper nication) and 2066 Ma (another group) demonstrates Austroalpine Graz Paleozoic unit and the the presence of older zircon component in the source Grauwackenzone, as well as in the IWC Transdanubian rocks of those metadiorites. Similarly, the rhyolite-da- and Igal-Bukk Belts; cf. Frisch and Neubauer, 1989; von cite volcaniclastics of the Gelnica complex contain zir- Raumer and Neubauer, 1993). cons of a wide age spectrum: 352-577 Ma (U-Pb, In the southern accreted domain the Early Paleozoic Cambel et al., 1990; Shcherbak et al., 1988) indicating basin (Grecula, 1982) has been formed in the vicinity of the Early Carboniferous to Precambrian source rocks. a rift (?450 Ma) within a Pre-Carpathian terrane which The leptynite-amphibolite complexes (LAC) are usual- was originally of continental character with a successive ly located at the soles of the higher-grade metamorphic transition into an oceanic rift (420-400 Ma). At the same crustal sheets, e.g. the basis of the Tatra nappe in the time, the Paleotethys ocean separated the Pre-Carpathian Nízke Tatry Mts,- and Vysoké Tatry Mts.; the basis of and Noric terranes. In the vicinity of the axial part of the the Čierny Balog nappe (the Veľký Zelený potok com- rift there was formed a deep-water basin with oceanic plex), or they formed an individual Klátov nappe thrust crust and with successive development of the ophiolitic over the Rakovec one (Figs. 3g, 4c and 6). Therefore the complex (380-350 Ma; Rakovec complex) in a back-arc presense of LAC might indicate collisional suture zones position (Ivan, this volume) with respect to the within the thinned active continental margin occurring Paleotethys northward subduction which started in the north of Prototethys (Stampfli, 1996) and/or within the Late Devonian1'. The other parts of the basin were for- "Ligerian Cordillera" (Matte, 1986, 1991). Some relics med on the transitional and continental type of the crust of high-pressure rocks - retrograded eclogites (Hovorka with prevailing flyschoid sedimentation and calc-alka- et al., 1989; Janák et al., 1996 and this vol.; Putiš et al., line and alkaline volcanism (Gelnica complex). The this vol.) could reflect an advanced collisional stage or Gelnica complex deposited probably at the distal nor- an overthickened continental crust. The postorogenic collapse in the inner Variscan zones "Radvanec (1997a, b) presented a model in which the northward sub- of the ancestral Western Carpathians is marked by the duction of a Paleozoic oceanic domain in the inner Western formation of large anatectic granitoid plutons of either Carpathians zones persisted until the Early Mesozoic and was followed the Early Carboniferous (within the Tatra complex; cf. by Triassic collision and Jurassic exhumation of high-pressure meta- Cambel et al., 1990) or Late Carboniferous-Early morphics. Blueschist facies rocks in both, the northern Gemericum and Meliata units are regarded as the records of the only one, Late Permian age (within the Čierny Balog complex; cf. Paleozoic to Mesozoic subduction/collision process, and only the Bibikova et al., 1990; Petrik et al., 1994; Kotov et al., Carboniferous age of their protoliths is assumed. However, this model 1996; Kráľ et al., Petrik and Kohút, this volume). This considers only the metamorphic signatures of the units dealt with. It indicates a southward migration of orogenic processes does not take into account the general structural-tectonic evolution of the area and its time constraints, especially the Permian. Triassic and that is interpreted as a south-vergent collision (Fritz et Jurassic protolith ages of the Meliatic blueschists. 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians N tP) Pa-PAMtys >485 MiI Palaatethys rťtogňnesjs slage 390-350 fcfe -300tAi Permit n rittogenesis Fig. 6, Paleozoic evolution of the Western Carpathians domain (PuliSantl Grecula, original figure). Explanations: 1,2- Internet in n zone rocks [1 - Pre- Devonian, 2 - Devonian-Carboniferous) of the upper mantle and lower crust, 3, 4 - Paleoieihyan oceanic crust (4a - between the Norte and Pre- Carpathian lermnes} and the back-arc basin crust (3 - Rakovec and Pernek (7) basins), 4b - Late Paleotethyan oceanic crust between Gondwana promon- tory and Variscan Pre-Alpidic (Carpathian) lerrancs. 5 - Panafrican basement, 6 - basement complexes of the early Variscan collision belt. 7a - Paleozoic complexes of the Late Variscan collisional stage (Pre-Carpathian tenant metamorphic complexes and the Noric terrane slightly to unmetamorphosed complexes are undivided), 7b - Pre-Carpal luan terrane complexes, 8 Carboniferous complexes. 9a - Early Carboniferous granitoids. 9b - Late Carboniferous granitoids, 10 - pfulon i c-volcanic igneous rocks. 11 - Permian (Early Triassic) Abbreviations of basement complexes: T A - Tana. LA = = Lepty nite -amphj bolite, CB = Ciemj Balog. HR = Hron, KO = Kokava, KLI s Klimsko. FEZ = Pezinok. PER = Pernek. HD = Hladomomi dolina. RAK - Rakovec. KT = Klátov, OCH = Ochtini. PAB = Panafrican basement. Chrcnostnuigraphical aide was used after Gradsietne and Ogg. 1996. E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 23., thern margin of a Gondwana related continental frag- include the Rakovec oceanic suture zone (Devonian - ment with an older Cadomian (or Panafrican) basement - Early Carboniferous), and the Gelnica suspect terrane which could be a provenance of the material filling of (?Ordovician - Devonian volcanogenic flysch formations, the Gelnica basin (U/Pb age of clastic zircons from me- cf. Hovorka and Méres, this volume). Part of this accre- tapsammites is 650 Ma. She herb ak et al., 1988). tionary complex is built of Early Carboniferous volcano- Subduction of the Paleotethys ocean lasted up to the sedimentary formations (e.g. Ochtiná, Crmeľ, Krakfová) Triassic and finally led to opening of the Meliatic ocean which represent remnant basins or transtensional furrows (Figs. 6 and 7). The Earh Variscan convergent processes between amalgamated basement superunits. The mid- created the accretionary tenane from Early Paleozoic se- -Carboniferous olistostrome and flysch complexes dimentary-volcanic sequences This terrane represented (Turnaicum, Szendró Mts.) and mostly unmetamorpho- the basement on which from the original Rakovec and sed carbonate platform units in the IWC of northern Klátov oceanic space originated the isolated Late Carbo- Hungary were detached from the. Precambrian niferous sedimentary areas of the remnant basin type (Cadomian or Panafrican) crystalline basement of (Grecula, 1987, 1994; Vozárová and Vozár, 1992) or a Gondwana-related drifting "southern" continental frag- collision and post-caflisäai banns (Vozárová and Vozár, ment (Noric terrane). The basement of the Zemplín island 1997). These basins originated in the zone of obducted of SE Slovakia (cf. Grecula and Egyud, 1977; Faryad and ophiolite suite and das environment essentially affected Vozárová, this volume) may belong to this terrane (Putiš, also lithological filling of remnant basins (redeposited 1992). The post-collisional Late Variscan evolution in the material of the Early Paleozoic basic rocks). Post-con- southern zones of the Western Carpathian realm procee- vergent tectonic events in the western and southern parts ded by uplift and erosion and was followed by transten- of Gemeric domain earned the development of basins of sion indicated by subalkaline acid magmatism in the extensional type. tnancraUy oriented to remnant ba- Permian (Uher and Broska, 1996; Kotov et al., 1996; cf. sins (Nižná Slaná dqneaion: Grecula, 1994). In the eas- Figs. 6 and 7). tern part of Giiim !• mu the Carboniferous Crmelicum During the post-collisional Late Paleozoic evolution, basin is regarded by M. Grecula (in press) and Gazdačko Late Carboniferous shallow-marine molassic sediments (personal information) as a forearc type basin. The fore- and Permian red-beds were deposited in several longitu- arc type basins ittmncd a deep-marine underfilled cha- dinal basins in the later Slovakocarpathian area. The ori- racter throughout the* evolution. Emergent outer ridge ginal position of the Permian rift, with continental tho- of accretionary prism dominated as sediment supply for leiitic basalts (Ipoltica Group of the Hronic cover nappe the basin, following major uplift and exhumation of system; Vozárová and Vozár, 1988), is not exactly high-grade meomnphic rocks of the initial volcanic known, however. This rift was aborted later, but was zone roots. Crystalline source played more important a site of considerable Triassic post-rift subsidence. role as a source of denims causing locally anomalously quartz-rich rock composition. Their filling is preserved Mesozoic evolution in the western aixi extern pan of Gemericum in contact zone with the tectonic una Veporicum. Both types of Based on the sedimentary (almost continuous throug- Carboniferous basins were probable interconnected in hout the Mesozoic) and structural rock record, the the advanced su^e :: their development (in Triassic Mesozoic paleotectonic evolution of the ancient Western era). After climax of Variscan tectonic events the rem- Carpathian area can be differentiated generally into four nant basins vanished and after Asturian orogenic phase principal periods, partly overlapping in space and time: started the Permian continental molassic sedimentation. (1) platform stage (Early to Late Triassic), (2) rifting, Vozárová and Vozár (1997) divided Carboniferous- extensional tectonic regime, thinning of the crust -Permian basins to the deep-to shallow-marine post- (Middle Triassic - Middle Cretaceous), (3) compressio- Bretonian intrasutuni basins and shallow-marine post- nal tectonic regime, thickening of the crust (Late Sudetian peripheral basins which are unconformably co- Jurassic - Late Cretaceous), and (4) transpressional - vered by post-Sudetian continental sediments. transtensional tectonic regime and partial disintegration The development of the Late Paleosoic basins, formed of the stacked crust (Late Cretaceous). in the areas with extensional tectonics continued also du- The Mesozoic sedimentary cycle in the Slovakocarpathian ring Permian, and probable also in Triassic and Jurassic area began with Triassic epicontinental sedimentation on (Grecula, 1994). The extensional basins merged with the a stabilized, peneplenized post-Variscan continental Triassic-Jurassic sedimentary area of Meliaticum. The crust. Gradual, southward intensifying subsidence may recent field lithological evaluation by Gazdačko and have been caused by Meliatic back-arc rifting and eusta- Németh (personal information) suggests the presence of tic control (Michalik, 1994), but also by thermal down- Late Paleozoic rocks also in central part of Gemericum. warping (sag basin) as a process terminating the From above mentioned evolutionary model of the Variscan evolution, after the post-collisional delamina- CWC we can draw the next conclusion: In the southern tion of the thickened mantle lithosphere and extensive zones of the present Western Carpathians, the Variscan Permian rifting. Scythian piedmont-beach clastics and convergence gradually ceased. The low grade terranes Middle Triassic carbonate platforms covered the whole 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians Slovakocarpathian area. The Late Anisian breakaway of The northward migration of the Jurassic-Cretaceous the Meliatic rift had its expressions mainly in the sou- orogenic contraction in the CWC is revealed by the thern Slovakocarpathian and in the Hungarocarpathian onset and termination of the synorogenic terrigenous zones, where the carbonate ramp was disintegrated into flysch sedimentation occurring in the foreland trench- elevating and subsiding domains (Fig. 7). The siliciclas- type basins: Liassic to Oxfordian in the Meliaticum, tic Lunz (Raibl) event finished the syn-rift sequence of Middle Jurassic-Oxfordian in the Silicicum, this restricted Early Alpine distension period. Broad Late Valanginian-Hauterivian in the Hronicum. early Albian- Triassic carbonate platforms covered the southern -early Cenomanian in the Fatricum, late Albian-early Slovakocarpathian zones, establishing a mature passive Turonian in the Tatricum and Senonian in the Vahicum margin of the Meliatic ocean. Inner (northern) lagoonal (west) to Eocene (east). Shortening and nappe stacking to terrestrial Late Triassic Carpathian Keuper zones of prograded in the same manner (cf. Plašienka, 1997). the Tatricum and Fatricum (Krížna) domains probably Locking of the Meliatic ocean took place before the directly communicated with the Germanic Keuper Basin Kimmeridgian (Kozur, 1991). Glaucophanized basalts in the north. The southern, Hungarocarpathian margin of from the base of the Meliatic accretionary complex the Meliatic ocean strongly subsided during the Triassic (Bôrka nappe) overridding the southern, Gemeric margin and was affected by arc volcanism in the neighbourhood of the Slovakocarpathian system yielded the Late of the Paleotethyan subduction zone (Fig. 7). Jurassic age of the HP-LT metamorphism (150-160 Ma, At the beginning of the Jurassic, the Slovakocarpathian 40Ar/39Ar on phengites - Maluski et al., 1993, Dallmeyer area suffered a strong tensional impulse. Rebuilding of the et al., 1996; Faryad and Henjes-Kunst. this volume). paleogeographic pattern took place at that time and longi- Shortening prograded by crustal thickening in the sout- tudinal deep-marine basins and elevated highs were estab- hern Slovakocarpathian zones during the Early lished for the next 100 Ma (Fig. 7). The Slovakocarpathian Cretaceous. Paleotectonic evolution of the Veporic core domain, together with the Austroalpine realm, was separa- complex progressed from (1) deep burial during the la- ted by the Penninic (Vahic) oceanic rift from the European test Jurassic - earliest Cretaceous in a lower plate posi- shelf to form an independent microplate (Kreios plate of tion of the Meliatic suture, (2) early Cretaceous thermal Michalik and Kováč, 1982). The 50-100 km broad trough equilibration and softening, (3) mid-Cretaceous exhuma- of the Fatric domain was formed between the Tatric and tion by east-verging unroofing due to underplating of the Veporic zones, which became a sedimentary area of the more northern Tatric-Fatric crustal sheet, elevation is later Krížna cover nappe. A similar, but probably narrower well constrained by thermochronological data (reviewed trough appeared inside the Tatricum, separated by the ele- by Plašienka, 1997), (4) transpression (late Cretaceous) vated South Tatric ridge. This Šiprúň basin and the Vahic and later transtension (Early Tertiary) accompanying and (South Penninic) ocean were divided by a narrow, fault post-dating exhumation. The Veporicum is a part of the bounded basement high - the North Tatric ridge. The cli- nucleus of the Cretaceous West Carpathian orogenic lid, max of the distension period is heralded by small subma- the western part of which was largely destroyed by rine extrusions of hyalobasanitic lavas of upper-mantle ori- young Tertiary extension. The uplift was accommodated gin during the late Early Cretaceous (Hovorka and Spišiak, by eastward unroofing of the overlying units (Gemeric 1988, 1993; Spišiak and Hovorka, 1997). and probably also some higher "exotic" units). The distension event in the Slovakocarpathian areas Structurally, the underthrusting of zones with attenua- was contemporaneous with the commencement of the ted continental crust in the Slovakocarpathian system convergence along the southern margin of the Meliatic (e.g. the Fatricum - see Plašienka et al., this volume) is ocean and development of an active margin. Units from recorded by the paragenesis of the first Alpidic deforma- the northern periphery of the IWC record an active mar- tion stage AD,: subhorizontal ductile/brittle shear zones, gin setting till the Oxfordian in the east and up to Albian large recumbent folds and basement/cover nappes for- in the west (Gerecse Mts.). However, the terrigenous med under very low- to low-grade metamorphic condi- clastic imput in the synorogenic sediments was very tions. Basement shortening finally led to the collision of weak, indicating a low topographic expression of the ac- domains with thicker crust (e.g. South Tatric ridge vs. tive margin. Also the hinterland Hungarocarpathian the northern tip of the Veporic wedge after underthrus- areas were flooded, albeit representing elevated pelagic ting of the Fatric basement), expressed by the AD2 stage: swells. Thus olistostromes contain mostly intrabasinal orogen-parallel macrofolds with subvertical axial plane sedimentary and calc-alkaline volcanic material. cleavages, local backthrusting and transpression. Both Several lines of evidence point to the presence of a stages display a foreland-ward (northward) polarity narrow back-arc basin related to the southward subduc- (Plašienka, 1995a). tion of the Meliatic ocean during the Middle - Late During the Aptian - Cenomanian, the compression axis Jurassic, preserved in the Igal zone (?) and in the Biikk shifted northwards to the area of northern Veporicum Mts. (Szarvaskó ophiolites). These were obducted south- and Fatricum. An underthrusting zone was set up along wards in the latest Jurassic - earliest Cretaceous, after the north Veporic edge, in which attenuated continental the final locking of the Meliatic ocean in the meridian of crust of the Fatric (Krížna) Mesozoic basin was thrusted the Gemericum (Fig. 7). underneath the Veporicum (Jaroš, 1971; Plašienka, E. liuaon and struciureof the Western Carpathians: an overview 24., EUROPE PALEOTETHYS Meliatic back-are rilling CWC MARGIN MELIATIC OCEAN IWC MARGIN 200 Ma — 150km 160 Ma SZARVASK* BACK-ARC BAStN OMVCUÍ VAHPCUM TATRICUM FATRICUM VEPORICUM Apt-ar 120 Ma MEUAT1C COLLISION STACK OfiA.OJW VAHICUM TATRICUM FATRICUM BKKOJM Turonian, 90 Ma ORAVfCUM VAHICUM FATRIC AND HRONIC NAPPES MELIATIC SUTURE B-KKICUM Fig. 7. Temaise Me* ; tectonic evolution of the Central and Inner Western Carpathians (Plašienka. original figure), viewed in cross-sections (roughly N-5 .-n^r-.tcti in the present coordinates). 1983. 1991; Plašienka and Prokeäová, 1996). The thern flanks of the Fairic realm, the Vcrký Bok unit, re- Mesozoic filling of the Fairic basin was detached, shor- mained partly confined to the north Veporic basement tened and later iin the late Turonian) gravitationally gli- forming a system of large-scale recumbent folds affected ded northwards to overlie the Tatric realm as a hu«e by very low grade metamorphism. The higher. Hronic Krížna nappe system. The sedimentary cover of the sou- and Silicic nappe systems are composed of numerous 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians sheets differing by their lithostratigraphic content and basins above the active CWC thrust front. The frontal structural position. These are rootless décollement, flat- thrust stack of accretionary wedge overthrust the sou- lying superficial nappes, emplaced after the Krížna thern passive margin of the North European plate, where nappe overthrust. thrust loading led to its flexural downbending (Fig. 8). As it is indicated by the sedimentary record of some Depocentres of residual flysch basins were shifted to- units of the northern Tatric margin, the shortening reached wards the platform foreland (Krosno Basin) passing gra- this area at the Turonian/Senonian boundary (Plašienka, dually into foredeep molasse sedimentation in the Early 1995a, b, 1997). From this time onward, probably until Miocene. Oblique convergence had far-reaching conse- the Paleocene, the inferred oceanic crust of the Penninic quences in the rear, thickest part of the accretionary (Vahic) domain was subducted southwards below the wedge and in the frontal parts of rigid Tatric buttress. Tatricum. After the collision of its both margins - the ac- Here, the activity of a dextral wrench corridor generated tive Tatric and the passive Oravic ones at the broad positive flower structure, closed Paleogene basins Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary, the compressional tectonic and created small Early Miocene compressional basins regime changed to the transpressional one to form the of wrench-fault furrow type controlled by dextral shears complicated structural pattern of the Klippen and and reverse faulting (Kováč et al., 1997). Periklippen Belts of western Slovakia. The eastern sector The gradual along-arc closing of Alpine-Carpathian of the PKB records dextral wrenching throughout the Late subduction zone (from the west towards the east) led to Cretaceous - Paleogene (Ratschbacher et al., 1993; extrusion of the CWC and IWC domains from the Nemčok and Nemčok, 1994; Plašienka et al., 1998) which Alpine collision (Ratschbacher et al., 1991), associated was probably kinematically linked to the Miocene ope- with continuous crustal shortening of the orogenic front. ning of the Transcarpathian basin by the pull-apart mecha- Compression forced folding and thrusting of flysch nism and exhumation of the Penninic Iňačovce-Krichevo trough deposits creating the OWC accretionary prism. unit in its substratum (cf. Baráth et al., this volume). Rapid subsidence and high sedimentation rate characteri- During the Senonian, peripheries of the CWC area zed evolution of the internal zone of the Eastern were submerged below the sea level again. However, the Carpathian foredeep (Meulenkamp et al., 1996). remnants of the Gosau post-nappe sedimentary forma- The Early Miocene oblique collision of the Western tions are only scarcely preserved at the actual erosional Carpathian orogen with the North European Platform led surface. The Brezová Group of the northern part of the to a change of movement direction of the overriding Malé Karpaty Mts. (as a prolongation of the Northern plate and was accompanied by counterclockwise rotation Calcareous Alps and substratum of the Vienna Basin) is and uplift of rigid basement blocks, creating the present an exception. Here the Gosau sediments were deposited "core mountains" (Kováč et al., 1994), inside the in a fore-arc compressional basins at the active northern Carpathian collage. Block rotation probably occurred CWC margin (Wagreich and Marschalko, 1995). over an gently inclined crustal detachment zone between Epicontinental Senonian sea (presumably Campanian, the Tatric basement and the underlying, Theologically mainly as a consequence of the pronounced sea-level weak Penninic-Vahic complexes. The collision was as- rise) covered also the IWC domain and the units of the sociated with compressional tectonics in frontal parts of Silicicum, the latter being finally emplaced onto the the overriding plate, where a turn from dextral to sinist- Veporic and Gemeric areas probably only afterwards. ral transpression can be observed in this time. In the western part of the Carpathians this change led to an ac- Cenozoic evolution tivation of a sinistral displacement zone at the Eastern Alpine-Western Carpathian boundary, where the Vienna A destructive plate margin existed along the outer Basin opened by a pull-apart mechanism in transtensio- CWC edge during the whole Paleogene and voluminous nal tectonic regime (Fodor, 1995). In the eastern part of flysch sedimentation affected not only the lower plate the orogen, the twisting effect of the moving plate was (Magura Basin), but, due to its downwarping, the frontal compensated by dextral transtension which led to ope- parts of the overriding continental plate as well (Central ning of the East Slovakian (Transcarpathian) Basin Carpathian Paleogene Flysch Basin). The flexure was (Kováč et al., 1995). generated possibly by subcrustal erosion of lower crustal During the Middle Miocene, the compressional tecto- oceanic elements accreted to the upper plate during the nic regime was active only in the accretionary prism in preceding subduction periods (as proposed by Wagreich, the orogenic front. Deep subsurface load of the down- 1995, for the Late Cretaceous subsidence along the nor- going plate forced the flexure of the platform margin, thern Eastern Alpine margin), and/or by trench suction where the outer zone of the Carpathian foredeep develo- and subduction zone roll-back effect. The Buda ped (Krzywiec and Jochym, 1997). The subduction roll- Paleogene Basin in the internal Western Carpathian back effect led to extension of the overriding plate, asso- zones has been interpreted as a flexural retroarc basin by ciated with synrift subsidence in the back-arc area (e.g. Tarietal. (1993). the Vienna, Danube and Transcarpathian Basins - Kováč Further compression at the beginning of the Neogene et al., 1993, 1995, 1997; Lankreijer et al., 1995). The li- resulted in accelerated closing of the Paleogene fore-arc thospheric stretching and rise of the mantle below the £. -Mtnon and structure of the Western Carpathians: an overview 24r Fig. 8. A sketc- or t T=^ar. ar.e^rtnem of the Alpine-Carpathian orogen (Kováč et al, 1994). 1 - Neogene basins, 2 - foreland basins, 3 - Pieniny Klqspea ^tji - - Kŕmce-JtndKv: and Szolnok units, 5 - orientation of principal compression and extension, 6 - last overthrust move- ments. ALCAPA NORTFE ft—A— mm IUYI«L. BUKK - Bukk Belt E.A. - Eastern Alps, C.C.P.B. - Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin, C.W.C. - - Central Wesien CIRMAES- NCA- VRIEU Calcareous Alps. T.C.R. - Transdanubian Central Range, TISZA-DACIA - South Pannonian mic- roplate. ZEM - r*— Lac. 24c Geological evolution of the Western Carpathians Pannonian Basin System was accompanied by volumi- sent IWC represent the Variscan foreland composed of nous acid, and later intermediate calc-alkaline volcanism a pre-Variscan basement and its low-grade to unmeta- (Lexa et al., 1993). morphosed Paleozoic cover. Assuming this distribution Subduction at the front of the Western Carpathians of the principal Variscan tectonic zones and the ver- ceased by the Late Miocene (Fig. 8). The back-arc ex- gency of some important thrust contacts preserved in the tension was induced by subduction pull in the Eastern Tatric basement, the general southwards polarity of the Carpathians, and/or by the post-rift thermal subsidence Variscan orogeny in the ancestral Western Carpathians, above upwelled hot mantle material. Intense sedimenta- likewise in the Alps, is inferred. tion occurred only in the Danube Basin. In the The frontal parts of the Variscan orogen, likely along Quaternary, a positive tectonic inversion is observed in the axis of the accretionary wedge (between the Alpine the Western Carpathians, and only some depocentres in Gemericum in the north and Turnaicum in the south), the Vienna and Danube Basins are still subsiding. were affected by Permian-Triassic rifting that culmina- ted by Middle Triassic opening of the Meliatic ocean. A back-arc position of the Meliatic oceanic basin with Conclusions respect to the southerly located Paleotethys subduction is supposed. The Meliatic basin separated two distinct The paper summarizes the actual knowledge about the Triassic facies belts - the later IWC domain with position, regional tectonic division, composition, struc- Hungarocarpathian units in the south shows South ture, links to the neighbouring domains and Phanerozoic Alpine - Dinaridic links, while the northern margin evol- evolution of the units constituting the present Western ved as a passive margin passing northwards into epicon- Carpathians. Following the main objective of the IGCP tinental areas marked by the "Germanic" facies trend. Project No 276 "Paleozoic geodynamic domains and This pattern was destroyed by extensive Early Jurassic their Alpidic evolution in the Tethys", the paper is focu- rifting coeval with the first manifestations of conver- sed on the Paleozoic rock complexes and their pre- gence along the southern margin of the Meliatic ocean. Alpine and paleo-Alpine tectonic evolution which im- During the whole Jurassic, the consumption of the pressed the main features of their recent structures and Meliatic ocean was compensated by widening of the compositions. The Cenozoic evolution has only partly Penninic-Vahic oceanic rift which separated the later obliterated these features, mostly by burial of large parts Austroalpine-Slovakocarpathian units from the North of the pre-Mesozoic, as well as Mesozoic rock comple- European Platform. Extension of distal parts of the lower xes below in places a very thick Tertiary sedimentary plate continued during the Cretaceous when the and volcanic cover. Slovakocarpathian units were accreted step-by-step to For the sake of brevity, a triple general tectonic divi- the northern tip of the orogenic wedge prograding from sion into the Outer, Central and Inner Western the Meliatic suture. Due to the Meliatic collision, the Carpathians (OWC, CWC and IWC, respectively) is southern Austroalpine-Slovakocarpathian units experien- adopted. The Tertiary OWC connect the Eastern Alps ced considerable crustal thickening and then orogenic and the Carpathians into a unified system which encloses collapse and exhumation of metamorphic core complexes crustal blocks with differing composition and evolution during the Late Cretaceous. At the Cretaceous/Paleogene inside the Carpathian orocline. The Western Carpathian boundary most of the Penninic-Vahic oceanic rift was domain shows direct links to the Eastern and Southern also consumed by southward underthrusting below the Alps. The CWC Slovakocarpathian system is a continua- outer CWC edge. This collided with the Oravic (PKB) tion of the Austroalpine system, the IWC continental ribbon, but some remnant basins (Iňačovce- Hungarocarpathian system is connected with the Krichevo in the east) remained open until the Eocene. Southalpine-Dinaridic units. Both systems have no direct During the late Early Tertiary, the convergence reloca- connections to the Eastern Carpathians and Balkans. The ted into the Magura units of the OWC. These were scra- southern limit of the IWC is in contact with the Tisia ter- ped off probably oceanic crust substratum to create rane, a continental fragment showing some European a huge accretionary complex which was, along with the margin affinities, but encircled by oceanic sutures pro- Silesian-Krosno units detached mostly from the distal bably from all sides. European margin, pushed over the southern flanks of the Provisional reconstruction of the Variscan orogeny in North European Platform in the Neogene. The foreland the Western Carpathian area reveals that the basement shortening and nappe stacking was associated with the complexes of the CWC (Tatra-Fatra and Vepor Belts) re- hinterland distension, formation of the Pannonian Basin present the internal orogenic zones with medium- to System and extensive volcanism. high-grade metamorphism of thick Early Paleozoic vol- canosedimentary complexes intruded by large granitoid Acknowledgements. The paper has benefitted from dis- plutons originated during several periods which differ by cussions of the authors with many prominent Slovak, genetical types of granitoids. The southernmost CWC Austrian, Hungarian, Czech and Polish geologists about zones (Gemer Belt), represent the outer, low-grade the dominant structures, lateral links and principal evolu- Variscan accretionary complex. Units forming the pre- tionary features of the main Western Carpathian units. £. -Mtnon and structure of the Western Carpathians: an overview 24r Csontos, L., Nagymarosy, A., Horváth, F. & Kováč, M., 1992: Tertiary M.J. Brettle. Liiuáj of Lhapool is thanked for sug- evolution of the Intra-Carpathian area: a model. Tectonophysics. gestions to improve Ac paper and far the language cor- 208. 221 - 241. rection of an eaAcr voaonof fee manuscript. This work Dallmeyer, R.D., Neubauer, F., Putiš, M„ 1993: "Ar/^Ar mineral age also contributes 10 fee nut*eh project No 3052 (D.P., controls for the Pre-Alpine and Alpine tectonic evolution of nappe M.K. and MJ>.) appafei by the Grant Agency for complexes in the Western Carpathians. In Pitoňák. P. & Spišiak. J. (eds): Pre-Alpine events in the Western Carpathians' realm. Science, Slovana and ID fee project K3CP No 276 (P. G. Internát. Conf. Excurs. Guide, Stará Lesná, 11 - 20. and D. H.) 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