Outline of the geology of Slovenia

Abstract

Taking into consideration the Alps/Dinarides connection, the western part of the Zagorje-Mid-Transdanubian (or Sava) Zone (ZMTZ) in Slovenia, which is located between the Eastern and Southern Alps, includes disconnected outcrops of the northwesternmost Internal Dinaridic units. The northern part of the ZMTZ in Slovenia, which is close to the Periadriatic Lineament, is mainly composed of an Albian-Cenomanian to Late Cretaceous flysch sequence, underlain by Jurassic basinal sediments, which can be correlated to the Sava-Vardar Flysch. The outcrops are located in frontal parts of the Julian-Savinja Nappe. The southern part of the ZMTZ in Slovenia includes the Sava Nappe (or the Slovenian Trough), which is thrust upon the northern margin of the Adriatic-Dinaridic carbonate platform, e.g. the External Dinarides and Southern Alps, respectively. It is composed of Aptian to Cenomanian clastics and carbonates, disconformably overlain by Late Cretaceous carbonate flysch. It can be correlated to the Bosnian Fysch in the Central Dinarides. Both the Northern and Southern Zones can be followed westward up to Italian frontier. All presented data indicate a spatial connection between the northwesternmost Dinarides and the easternmost Alps during Alpine geodynamic evolution. Their apparent lack of connection in the present structure of the Dinarides and Alps is the result of the postorogenic indenting of Adria or of the African promontory, and related strike-slip faulting.