Buried Neogene volcanic structures in Hungary

Abstract

Surface Neogene volcanics in Hungary are abundantly documented in the literature, but buried volcanic structures are little known. Early burial of the volcanic centers beneath latest Miocene to Pliocene sediments preserved much of their original relief, permitting their classification into genetic types. More than two-thirds of Hungary is covered by thick Neogene and Quaternary sediments, below which buried volcanic eruptive centers and the extent of their products may only be recognized by complex geologic-geophysical methods. Our study is based on the data of several thousand wells, more than 60,000 km of seismic sections, as well as airborne and surface geophysical (gravimetric, magnetic, electromagnetic, radiometric) data. Results of chemical, mineralogical studies and K/Ar dating of deep cores were also included. The data were evaluated in terms of the regional deep structure of the Carpathian-Balkan region, the Miocene evolution of which was determined by the position, movement and welding of indivi...