Large counterclockwise rotation of the Inner West Carpathian Paleogene Flysch—Evidence from paleomagnetic investigations of the Podhale Flysch (Poland)

Abstract

We are reporting the first paleomagnetic results from the Podhale Flysch, which crops out in the area between the Pieniny Klippen Belt and the Tatra Mts., where claystones and mudstones were drilled at 10 localities, mainly from subhorizontal strata. In all cases, the magnetic fabric was found to be typical of undeformed sediments, with well developed magnetic lineation (aligned with the sedimentary transport direction) at some of the localities; the dominant magnetic mineral was identified as magnetite, accompanied by iron sulphides. For six of the localities, with one exception for those with poorly developed lineation, we obtained statistically well-defined paleomagnetic mean directions, on AF or on combined AF and thermal demagnetization.The overall-mean paleomagnetic direction is D=298° 1=53° k=121, a95=6°, in tectonic coordinates. Similar direction was observed for Inner Carpathian flysch from the Levoča basin (Slovakia). We conclude, that the flysch of the two basins must have travelled a few hundred kilometres to the North, after the early Miocene tectonic phase: this displacement was accompanied by about 60° counterclockwise rotation with respect to Stable Europe.