Large scale rotations in North Hungary during the Neogene as indicated by palaeomagnetic data

Abstract

Abstract Tertiary igneous and sedimentary rocks were collected for palaeomagnetic study at about 90 localities from the North Hungarian Central Range. Rock ages range from the late Eocene to the Mid-Miocene but the majority of the samples are Early Miocene in age. After laboratory treatment 66 localities yielded palaeomagnetic results, which fall into two groups. The first group is characterized by a westerly declination rotation of 70–90° accompanied by shallowed inclinations, and the second group is characterized by a declination rotation of only 30° in the same sense. The first group is older and comprises rocks of late Eocene to early Miocene age, whereas the second group comes from rocks of late Ottnangian to Karpatian age. These results are indicative of two successive tectonic rotations, one in the late Ottnangian and another just preceding the Badenian. The first rotation was accompanied by a northward shift of the area.