Mélanges against the background of the geodynamic development of the Pieniny Klippen Belt

The Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) is located in the suture zone between the Central and Outer (Flysch) Carpathians. Its structure is an effect of prolonged processes of the Cretaceous–Miocene folding, thrusting and uplifting. In this zone, tectonic components of different ages and features, including strike-slip-bounded tectonic blocks, thrust units, as well as toe-thrusts and olistostromes, result in the present-day mélange characteristics of the PKB, where individual tectonic units are difficult to distinguish. In the PKB, both tectonic and sedimentary events triggered the mélange creation. The name “Klippen Belt” is derived from cliffs (German Klippen). These cliffs form harder, more erosion-resistant elements of the mélange, residing within less competent clastic deposits, sandstones, shales and marls that form flysch complexes. The cliffs often represent olistoliths, which glided down from elevated areas to the deeper basinal zones. Two olistostrome belts were distinguished. The older one resulted from subduction of the southern part of the Alpine Tethys, and the younger originated in response to the northward shift of the accretionary wedge. The other cliffs were placed within the surrounding clastic by tectonic deformational processes. The flower structure of the PKB was formed during the collision and strike-slip movement of the lithospheric plates. This structure is limited on both sides by deep-rooted faults. Several evolutionary stages could be distinguished in these areas. The rift-related stage is expressed by the opening of the Alpine Tethys that contains two major basins—Magura and Pieniny (Złatne) basins, separated by Czorsztyn Ridge. The reorganization of the Alpine Tethys basins and the development of the accretionary prism happened during the synorogenic stage. This process was initiated by the movement of the Central Carpathians. Thick flysch sequences with olistostromes were deposited in these basins. The Czorsztyn Ridge was destroyed during the late orogenic stages.

The authors present results of the first high-resolution deep seismic reflection survey in the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) in Poland. This survey sheds new light on the matter of olistostromes and the mélange character of the PKB. The sedimentary mass-transport deposits represented by olistoliths and olistostromes manifest themselves by different petrophysical parameters of rocks (velocity, density and resistivity) and seismic attributes. Seismic attributes are very effective in the interpretation of the geology of complex mélanges. The authors used selected attributes: low-pass filter, energy, energy gradient, dip-steered median filter, Prewitt filter, Laplacian edge enhancing filter and square root of the energy gradient. These attributes emphasize changes of the seismic image inside mélange zones. The distinguished olistoliths are now inside imbricated thrust structures and they are tectonically rearranged. Polygenetic mélanges in the PKB originated as a result of sedimentary and tectonic processes. The PKB in the investigated area forms several north-vergent thrust sheets belonging to the Złatne and Hulina nappes. Both nappes contain large chaotic, non-reflective olistoliths as well as the smaller mainly high-reflective olistoliths. Olistoliths are arranged parallel to the flysch layering and thrusts. The results presented confirm the postulated two olistostrome belts within the PKB structure. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Polygenetic mélanges collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/polygenetic-melanges

The Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) in the Western Carpathian branch of the Alpine-Carpathian-Dinaridic orogenic system is considered to be the surficial representation of the Alpine-Tethys suture. It is a few kilometres wide and about 600 km long unit between the Outer Western Carpathians and Central Western Carpathians and does not show typical characteristics of a suture (Plašienka et al., 1997; Schmid et al., 2008). In fact, the structural relationship between the PKB and surrounding units is ambiguous. The PKB is a sub-vertical unit with mainly shallow marine limestone and flysch deposits in a conspicuous “block-in-matrix” structure (Plašienka et al., 1997). This structure has been explained mainly by two theories: sedimentary structures formed by gravity sliding; and post-sedimentation tectonic shearing due to strike-slip movement affecting the heterolithic composition of the unit (Plašienka et al., 2012; Golonka et al., 2015). The presence of “exotic” sediments in the PKB and the southernmost units of the OWC along with their shallow marine deposition environment led to the theory proposing the presence of a continental sliver called the Czorsztyn Ridge in the Alpine Tethys, dividing it into two oceanic/marine basins: the Magura Ocean to the north and the Vahic Ocean to the south (Plašienka, 2018).A passive seismic experiment was designed and installed to provide insight into the deep lithospheric structure across the PKB, testing the presence of a tectonic suture along with relaminated remnants of the Czorsztyn Ridge, and potential remnants of subducted or underthrusted lithosphere. Eighteen broadband stations have been deployed in a ~N-S transect under the umbrella of the AdriaArray initiative, cutting across the PKB and the Neotethian Meliata suture to the south. The data obtained during up to three years will complement 10 other permanent and temporary broadband stations, forming an approximate 250 km long profile and will be primarily used to perform receiver function analysis and to build structural and velocity models of the lithosphere (i.e., Schiffer, 2014; Schiffer et al., 2023) beneath the Western Carpathians.Gravity and magnetic data will be used to construct a 3-D model of the subsurface complementing the seismic experiment. Preliminary assessment of the data has shown that the PKB is represented by an anomaly reaching at least until the 15 kms depth and, therefore, is a deep-seated feature. It leads to a tentative conclusion that the PKB’s “block-in-matrix” structure is rather of tectonic origin. The qualitative analysis of potential field data reveals the presence of three major elements in the deep basement of the northern Carpathians corresponding to the ALCAPA, European Platform, and a previously undefined wedge-shaped block under the Eastern Carpathians. The PKB follows the boundary between the ALCAPA and the remaining two domains.

The authors interpret the structure of the Central Carpathian-North European plates suture zone in Poland, where three main Carpathian tectonic units: the Central Carpathian, Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) and Outer Carpathian are present. In general, the PKB follows this zone. Several deep bore-holes were drilled in this region and the seismic lines were tied to bore-hole data and geological maps. The Polish PKB belongs to the complex geological structure stretching from Vienna in Austria to Romania. The rocks included in the PKB tectonic components were deposited within the paleogeographic realm known as the Alpine Tethys, mainly during the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous times. Both strike-slip and thrust components occur within the Polish section of the PKB. The strongly tectonized, few kilometer wide PKB zone is limited by a flower structure marked by two major faults, linked to the strike-slip zone. These faults reach the North European Platform (part of the North European Plate).The flysch sequences, arranged into a series of north-vergent thrust-sheets, constitute the main component of the PKB in the survey zone. They contain olistoliths, which are mainly Jurassic-Early Cretaceous in age. The PKB tectonic components of different age, strike-slip, thrust as well as toe-thrusts and olistostromes are mixed together, giving the present-day mélange character of this belt, where individual units are hard to distinguish. Two olistostrome belts (mélange units) exist within the PKB structure. The seismic lines show the Central Carpathian Paleogene rocks covering the Paleozoic Central Carpathian Basement south of the PKB. The Subtatric covers the High-Tatric autochthonic and allochthone rocks. The Central Carpathian Plate is thrust over the North European Platform in the Podhale region. The allochthonous Outer Carpathians consist of several nappes (thrust-sheets) verging northward. They are thrust over each other and over the North European Platform which dips gently southward.

The authors interpret the structure of the Central Carpathian-North European plates suture zone in Poland, where three main Carpathian tectonic units: the Central Carpathian, Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) and Outer Carpathian are present. In general, the PKB follows this zone. Several deep bore-holes were drilled in this region and the seismic lines were tied to bore-hole data and geological maps. The Polish PKB belongs to the complex geological structure stretching from Vienna in Austria to Romania. The rocks included in the PKB tectonic components were deposited within the paleogeographic realm known as the Alpine Tethys, mainly during the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous times. Both strike-slip and thrust components occur within the Polish section of the PKB. The strongly tectonized, few kilometer wide PKB zone is limited by a flower structure marked by two major faults, linked to the strike-slip zone. These faults reach the North European Platform (part of the North European Plate). The flysch sequences, arranged into a series of north-vergent thrust-sheets, constitute the main component of the PKB in the survey zone. They contain olistoliths, which are mainly Jurassic-Early Cretaceous in age. The PKB tectonic components of different age, strike-slip, thrust as well as toe-thrusts and olistostromes are mixed together, giving the present-day melange character of this belt, where individual units are hard to distinguish. Two olistostrome belts (melange units) exist within the PKB structure. The seismic lines show the Central Carpathian Paleogene rocks covering the Paleozoic Central Carpathian Basement south of the PKB. The Subtatric covers the High-Tatric autochthonic and allochthone rocks. The Central Carpathian Plate is thrust over the North European Platform in the Podhale region. The allochthonous Outer Carpathians consist of several nappes (thrust-sheets) verging northward. They are thrust over each other and over the North European Platform which dips gently southward.

A geological structural study has been conducted along the tectonic contact zone of the Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin (CCPB) and Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) in the eastern Podhale and western Spisska Magura areas. It concerned mostly the Central Carpathian Paleogene flysch strata and, to a lesser degree, the Upper Cretaceous rocks of the PKB. Tectonic deformation structures genetically related to the important tectonic boundary in question occur within a c. 1.5–2 km-wide strip of the Paleogene flysch rocks adjacent from the south to the PKB. Two parallel structural domains have been distinguished within this strip: the contact zone proper in the north and the peri-Pieniny monocline in the south. Most of the minor faults documented in the Paleogene flysch bear a record of dextral motion parallel to the contact zone. Some dextral-reverse oblique slip faults of NE-SW and W-E trends have also been recognized. Discrepancies in the orientation and sense of movement on strike-slip faults in the Paleogene flysch rocks and those in marlstones of the “klippen envelope” of the PKB were encountered. They probably reflect differences in the structural history of both the adjacent rock complexes, as the Upper Cretaceous deposits of the PKB must have experienced more deformation events and, in general, were affected by much more intense strain than those of the CCPB. Contractional structures, such as south-vergent reverse faults and recumbent folds which point to ca N-S tectonic shortening, have also been found in the Paleogene rocks. The entirety of the structural features found in the CCPB is characteristic of a transpressional regime. The regionally consistent coexistence of structures resulting from strike-slip movements and tectonic shortening, as well as features pointing directly to a transpressional regime, prove the transpressional dextral nature of the contact between the CCPB and PKB.

Magnetic fabric and weak deformation in sandstones of accretionary prisms of the Flysch and Klippen Belts of the Western Carpathians: Mostly offscraping indicated

The Pieniny Klippen Belt of the Western Carpathians is a peculiar tectonic and geomorphological zone that is only a few km wide, but up to 600 km long. It separates the External Western Carpathians from the Central Western Carpathians. The Pieniny Klippen Belt is exceptional by its picturesque rugged landscape, being formed by numerous, and often isolated cliffy hills called “klippen” surrounded by a smooth relief composing the “klippen mantle”. The majority of klippen is composed of comparatively hard, Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous limestones, surrounded by softer in places Lower Jurassic, but mostly Upper Cretaceous to Middle Eocene shales, marls and flysch deposits. In these geological settings, the selective erosion created a very contrasting mosaic of landforms in a relatively small area. In the Pieniny Mts., it has the form of a mountain range with relatively high rock peaks and deep river gorges. The Middle Ages enriched some klippen with castles, which have been preserved to the present, especially in the form of mysterious ruins. All these attributes make the Pieniny Klippen Belt one of the most valuable and interesting landforms in Slovakia, with significant geotouristic potential.KeywordsWestern CarpathiansPieniny Klippen BeltTectonic mélangeLimestone klippenRock controlSelective erosion

The area studied, known as the Małe (Little) Pieniny Mts., belongs to the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB), a suture zone that separates the Central Carpathians from the Outer Carpathian accretionary wedge. Along its northern boundary the PKB is separated from the Paleogene to Early Miocene flysch deposits of the Magura Nappe by a narrow, strongly deformed belt belonging to the Grajcarek tectonic Unit. This unit is composed of Jurassic, Cretaceous and Paleocene pelagic and flysch deposits. The Klippen units of the PKB are represented by Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous carbonate deposits overlain by Upper Cretaceous variegated marls and flysch deposits. We describe geological and biostratigraphic evidence concerning the palaeogeographic, stratigraphic and structural relationships between the Pieniny Klippen Belt and the Magura Nappe, that significantly modify previously held views on the evolution of the Małe Pieniny Mts. and the Polish sector of the PKB.

An interpretation of the deep structure of the Pieniny Klippen Belt in Poland is presented, utilizing a high-resolution deep seismic reflection survey. The studied profiles reach a depth of around 23 km. The seismic lines depict the structure and mutual relationships between the main domains analyzed—the Central Carpathians (CC), the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) and the Outer Carpathians. The seismic lines show the Central Carpathian Paleogene (CCP) sediments covering the Tatric units and overlying Krížna and Choč nappes of the CC south of the PKB. The entire nappe pile comprising the CC units is thrust over sedimentary rocks that probably derived from the European Plate, representing a mixture of autochthonous platform Paleozoic to Neogene sediments and slices of Outer Carpathian and PKB rocks. The older crystalline basement of the European Plate is suspected to be below these sedimentary rocks. The reflections below 20 km depth show a possible boundary between different crustal elements within this plate. The PKB is part a of 3–5 km wide flower structure, limited by fault zones that include faults cutting across sediments of the CCP and the Magura Nappe. The fault marking the southern limit of the PKB is particularly well visible in the seismic sections. The Albian–Lower Miocene flysch sequences, constituting the main components of the PKB, form north-vergent thrust-sheets. During the Albian to Miocene the PKB originated as an accretionary prism in front of the moving CC Plate, followed by plate rotation and strike-slip processes. The entire CC nappe pile is thrust over the Precambrian and Lower Paleozoic crystalline basement of the European Plate and probably slices of the PKP. The Outer Carpathians display an allochthonous character above the European Plate and comprise several north-verging imbricated nappes (thrust-sheets). The European plate dips gently southwards below the PKB and the CC Plate, cut by several deep-reaching faults.

The Pieniny Klippen Belt in the Western Carpathians of northeastern Slovakia: Structural evidence for transpression

This volume of 30 chapters authored by 107 geologists and geophysicists from Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the USA provides a comprehensive and understandable account of geology and hydrocarbon resources of the entire Carpathian system from northeastern Austria to southern Romania, including the Neogene foredeep, the foreland platform both in front and beneath the thrust belt, the Carpathian thrust belt, and the late and post orogenic intermontane basins. Principal chapters on regional geology are supplemented by thematic contributions on geodynamic reconstructions, regional geophysical investigations, hydrocarbon systems, and case studies of major oil and gas fields. To date, close to 7 billion barrels of oil and more than 53 trillion cubic feet of natural gas have been produced from the entire Carpathian system. Additional new reserves may be found, especially at deeper structural levels below the Neogene foredeep and the thin-skinned Carpathian thrust belt. Seventeen chapters of Memoir 84 have been printed in full. The remaining chapters have been printed as abstracts only, with the full paper for all 30 chapters as .pdf files on the CD-ROM in the back of this publication. The publication is intended as a source of information to schools, governmental and private institutions, oil companies, and potential investors.

The dynamic geological features of the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) in southern Poland are nowadays a focal point of researchers as it is recognised as an active zone of crustal discontinuity. In the present study, we employed long-term analysis of ground-based global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements (from 2004 to 2020) to probe the crustal deformation, strain rates, and rotational rates in the PKB unit and the surrounding region, i.e., Magura Nappe (MN) and Podhale Flysch (PF) units. Measured velocities from GNSS observables are modelled by the auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) method to comprehend the long-term tectonic deformation. Our results showed that the ARIMA-modelled velocity varied from ~ 0.15 to ~ 8.86 mm/yr, indicating about 8.71 mm/yr difference along all units. Such differences suggest that crustal slip along the active thrusts and folds is the major factor causing regional deformation. The strain rates in PKB are also varying from the western to the eastern part. The rotational rates in PKB show a counterclockwise (CCW) pattern similar to the strain rates. These patterns suggesting that the PKB was rotated in the CCW direction with a large angle during the Miocene period. Finally, we analysed the seismicity for a period from 2004 to 2020 by using Bayesian moment tensor inversion and multivariate Bayesian inversion. The Bayesian inversion was applied based on bootstrapping chain analysis to figure out the earthquake mechanism using moment tensor inversion for the mainshock that occurred in Poland on 20 July 2018. The inversion results for the 2018 earthquake resolved a thrusting mechanism with nodal plane-1 having a strike of 346°, dip of 32°, and rake of 92° and a nodal plane-2 with a strike of 163°, dip of 58°, and rake of 89°. Since the seismicity in the Poland region has experienced less significant earthquakes in the last century, it is reasonable to attribute this lower seismic activity to the correspondingly low slip rates discerned through geodetic monitoring efforts.

The Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) represents a boundary zone between the Outer and Central Western Carpathians and is interpreted as a separate branch of the north-westernmost Tethyan Ocean (Pieniny Klippen Basin – PKBs). In whole PKBs history at least three phosphatic events took place: (i) Early Bajocian, (ii) Berriasian and (iii) Albian times. The several facies successions accumulated in subtidal/neritic shelf environments of the submarine swell (so-called Czorsztyn Ridge and its southeastern slope), while palaeogeographical orientation of this Czorsztyn Ridge was from NE to SW. These successions can be distinguished, from shallowest zone (Czorsztyn Succession) trough transitional zone (Niedzica and Czertezik successions) up to deepest one (Branisko and Pieniny successions) in the axial part of this basin.In the late Early Bajocian time (i), just after Czorsztyn Ridge originated by tectonic uplift, sedimentary features recorded condensation episode during start of crinoidal limestones sedimentation (even up to 150m in thickness). The base of the crinoidal limestones are very sharp and directly overlying, with stratigraphical hiatus (ca. 2Ma), the oxygen-depleted dark/black Fleckenkalk/Fleckenmergel-type deposits of Toarcian-lowermost Bajocian in age. This part of crinoidal limestones consists of phosphatic concretions pavements, large phosphatic macrooncoids (up to 8-10cm), light-greenish clasts of micritic limestones, pyrite concretions, and fossils as ammonites, brachiopods and bivalves. Phosphatic concretions (up to 6cm) occur in almost all PKB successions exclusively within lowermost part (first 1.0m above base) of crinoidal beds, which is isochronous event. On the other hand, very rapid change of sedimentation from oxygen-depleted environments (during Toarcian-earliest Bajocian) to carbonate sedimentation is record of rapid vertical tectonic uplift of the Czorsztyn Ridge and adjacent areas and may be also reflect palaeoceanographical changes after this tectonic movements and origin of upwelling currents, for which such condensation and phosphatic structures are typical. The second (ii), Berriasian episode of phosphatisation within PKBs has been connected with post-Tithonian time tectonic uplifting of the Czorsztyn Ridge and surroundings, including Niedzica Succession. The presence of phosphate-rich deposits (phosphorites and microbial phosphate macrooncoids) in this succession, which should be localized in a palinspastic reconstruction near shelf-edge slope boundary, supported idea of upwelling currents as well. In the PKBs this idea is additionally supported by Berriasian brachiopods/crinoids-rich beds of the Czorsztyn Succession and their distribution probably have also been controlled by the upwelling currents, where nutrient-rich oceanic water formed such conditions which caused the proliferation of benthos. The third (iii), Albian episode of phosphatisation of marly deposits on sea-floor occupied by the Czorsztyn Succession zone are represented by phosphatic: stromatolites, lithoclasts and microbialite-coatted bioclasts within beds of different thickness (a few cm up to dozen ones). Usually, these are on the base of Albian marls/marly limestones which covered erosional surfaces of older limestones with several fossil-karst phenomena originated as effect of at least two episodes of tectonic uplift and emersions of the Czorsztyn Ridge/Czorsztyn Succession zone.

Volcanic rocks in the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) of the Western Carpathians have been the focus of geologists for over a century (e.g. Uhlig, 1890; Małkowski, 1921). Miocene volcanism is most common in the PKB. However, there are infrequent occurrences of Cretaceous volcanic rocks. Several magmatic bodies of Cretaceous age have already been described in the PKB, including basalts at Hanigovce and Biała Woda, as well as peperites at Vršatec, and Velykyi Kamenets. The magmatic body in Vršatec occurs within the Upper Cretaceous marlstones of the Lalinok Formation, the age of which was previously determined to be younger than 100 Ma (Spišiak et al., 2011). Our new U-Pb zircon dating indicates the magmatic age to be ca. 80 Ma. This new age can be used as a benchmark for the forthcoming provenance studies of the surrounding clastic rocks in the PKB and the Outer Carpathians flysch.