Evaporites in Albania and their impact on the thrusting processes

Abstract

The Upper Triassic evaporites are widespread in Albania, Greece, and Montenegro (mainly on External zones). They belong to the Alpine orogene system of the Periadriatic chains. The Upper Triassic age of the evaporites up to date had been determined by spore-pollen examinations only for the Ionian zone. For the Kruja and Korabi zones there are no determinations. All the evaporite outcrops in the Ionian zone (Dumrea’s, Glina’s Zavrohona’s, Delvina’s, Picar-Kardhiqi’s, Bashaj’s, Xara’s, Filat’s etc) result from eruption under the effect of thrust tectonics. The wells drilled both in Albania and Greece have shown a wide extension of the evaporites on the surface. The evaporite outcrops are absent in the Kruja zone in Albania. Evaporitic diapirs have extruded through the thrusting faults of the zones, belts and units. In some cases they have flowed nearly vertically in the center of the carbonate anticlinal structures. The External zones resulted from the orogenic activity over which evaporites have played a large role with the form of folds and thrust belts. Especially, they have helped the thrusting process of the structural belts and tectonic zones.