Magura Nappe Research Articles

Crustal deformation from GNSS measurement and earthquake mechanism along Pieniny Klippen Belt, Southern Poland

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.

Heavy minerals of the aeolian sediments in the East Slovak Basin (Western Carpathians) – Implications for their origin, transport process and sedimentary history

Aeolian sediments usually indicate glacial or periglacial arid-climate conditions, and knowledge of their sedimentary character and mineral composition can reveal the locality’s palaeo-environment and palaeo-geographic history. Reconstruction is provided by heavy-mineral surface micro-textural and geochemical analysis, and this detected the source area, source rocks and transport conditions for the Würmian wind-blown sands which form several dune types in the East Slovak Basin. The heavy-mineral morphology, surface micro-textures and low mineral maturity of the aeolian sediments preserve traces of past sub-aquatic environments and local aeolian transport. The heavy-mineral geochemistry suggests initial detrital derivation from local sources. This was formed by re-worked and re-mobilised Magura Nappe flysch sandstones in the Western Carpathians, with likely contribution of the Pieniny Klippen Belt flysch sediments indicated in sporadic pyrope-rich garnet. The associated detrital pyroxene and amphibole geochemistry denotes primary andesite source rocks which dominate lithology in the surrounding Neogene volcanic mountain chains. These are the Slanské vrchy, Vihorlatské vrchy and Zemplínske vrchy Mountains. The further occurrence of detrital hydrogrossular indicates derivation from contact-metamorphic zones associated with the volcanic rocks. Although different garnet types in the distinct dune profile zones may have resulted from heavy mineral re-sorting during active dune movement, they suggest sources changed by local wind directions. Orientation of basic linear features of the dunes derived from the digital terrain model indicates (paleo)wind generally from the north.

Geodynamic Studies in the Pieniny Klippen Belt in 2004–2020

ABSTRACT The Pieniny Geodynamic Test Field is situated in the middle of the region between the Inner and Outer Carpathians. Geodynamic research conducted in the past in the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) region were suggestive of neotectonic activity. The goal of the investigation was to determine whether the nearby structures, the Podhale Flysh (FP) and the Magura Nappe (MN), are affected by neotectonic activity in the PKB. The goal of the study was to ascertain the velocity and direction of motion of stations situated close to the Pieniny Geodynamic Test Field’s 3 main structures. Twelve GNSS stations, including 6 in the PKB, 3 in the MN, and 3 in the FP, make up the Pieniny Geodynamic Test Field. Three GNSS sites in the Tatra Mountains (TM) complete the entire geodynamic test field. The satellite observations made between 2004 and 2020 (excluding the year 2005 due to lack of observation) were investigated to identify the horizontal movements. Using the IGb14 reference system, the station’s positions and velocities were calculated. First, daily sessions were used to process the horizontal coordinates of the points for an average observation epoch in a given year. Sixteen measurement epochs were included in the long-time solution. Based on the horizontal velocity residues in the north–south and east–west directions, the station’s movement was calculated. The collected results were compared to information from the EUREF Permanent GNSS Network (EUREF) and to the findings of prior research on the tectonic activity of the PKB. The results of horizontal displacements calculated using GNSS measurements in the area of the PKB and nearby structures—the MN and the FP are presented and analyzed in this article.

Neoproterozoic ophiolite exotic blocks in the Outer Western Carpathians, southern Poland: a record of the fast ocean-floor cooling and alterations

Ophiolitic blocks, represented by metagabbro and serpentinite containing relict pyroxene, olivine, baddeleyite, zirconolite, Ni-pyrite and pyrrhotite, were found as exotic blocks in an olistostrome in the Magura Nappe, Outer Western Carpathians. The geochemical and isotopic features of the blocks suggest they represent mantle-derived rocks, with within-plate geochemistry signatures, modified by subduction, with lithospheric mantle input. A U-Pb apatite cooling age (614 ±3 Ma) is within age uncertainty of a published U-Pb zircon magmatic crystallization age (~614 Ma) implying rapid post-crystallization cooling. Pervasive alteration with replacement of primary minerals by low-temperature assemblages is observed in all rock fragments and is interpreted as contemporaneous with shearing. The secondary mineral assemblages and temperature modelling allow the interpretation that the pervasive ocean-floor metamorphism is the alteration in these meta-mafic rocks. These ophiolitic fragments can be linked to the Neoproterozoic break up of Rodinia/Pannotia.

The Upper Cretaceous variegated shales in the Ropianka Formation of the Magura Nappe (Outer Carpathians) – age and lithostratigraphic position

The lithological characteristics and age analysis of the variegated Farony Shale are presented for the first time. The Farony Shale occurs in the Lubomierz and Rabka areas in the Bystrica Subunit. It is located within medium- and thin-bedded sandy dominated turbidites of the Campanian–Paleocene Ropianka Formation. It is comprised of red shales laminated or interlayered with strongly bioturbated green shales. Exposures of the Farony Shale are observed along a distance of ~25 km, in the form of a narrow belt. The age of the variegated deposits is estimated based on agglutinated foraminifera to late Campanian–earliest Maastrichtian. Their deposition was associated with low-energy conditions and a temporary limitation of the supply of sandy material to the inner part of the Magura Basin.

Stratigraphy and geological structure of the Magura Nappe in the south-western part of the Gorce Mountains, Outer Carpathians, Poland

Stratigraphy and geological structure of the Magura Nappe in the south-western part of the Gorce Mountains, Outer Carpathians, Poland

Facies analysis of gravity flow deposits of an ancient foreland basin (Magura Nappe, Western Carpathians, Slovakia)

Facies analysis of gravity flow deposits of an ancient foreland basin (Magura Nappe, Western Carpathians, Slovakia)

Paleocurrent analysis and paleogeography of the Biele Karpaty Unit (Magura Nappe, Outer Western Carpathians)

Paleocurrent analysis and paleogeography of the Biele Karpaty Unit (Magura Nappe, Outer Western Carpathians)

Geotouristic bicycle path around Nowy Targ (Carpathians, Poland)

The area in the vicinity of Nowy Targ is located within the northern part of the Orawa-Nowy Targ Basin and the southern slopes of the Gorce Mountains in the Polish sector of the Outer Carpathians. Geologically, the region is built of the Upper Cretaceous–Palaeogene turbiditic deposits representing sedimentary successions of the Krynica Subunit of the Magura Nappe and the Neogene–Quaternary fresh-water deposits filling the Orawa-Nowy Targ Basin. The Magura Nappe in the described area is represented by the thick-bedded sandstones of the Magura Formation and thin-and medium-bedded sandstone-shale deposits of the Malcov Formation, which are well-exposed in numerous outcrops, especially in the Łopuszna stream valley. The Magura Nappe deposits were folded and cut by a fault system in the Miocene. The presented area displays varied geomorphological relief and picturesque landscapes. Moreover, rare species of fauna and flora occurring here, as well as the still-alive culture of the Podhale Highlanders and continuously improving tourist infrastructure additionally contribute to the development of geotourism in this area. In addition, this area is an increasingly popular place among cyclists, thanks to the development of a network of bicycle paths, therefore the proposed geotourist bicycle path will extend the offer for this group of tourists.

Campanian–Paleocene Jaworzynka Formation in its type area (Magura Nappe, Outer Carpathians)

The Campanian–Paleocene Jaworzynka Formation, a part of the Magura Nappe succession in the Polish Outer Carpathians, is described in terms of its detailed litho- and biostratigraphy. The formation stretches along the marginal part of the Siary Unit, from the Jaworzynka stratotype area in the Silesian Beskid Mts up to the Mszana Dolna area in the Beskid Wyspowy Mts. Its equivalent in the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts of the Czech Republic is the Soláň Formation. In the stratotype area, the formation displays complex structure. We distinguish four lithological units, i.e., Biotite Sandstone and Shale (I), Shale (II), Mutne Sandstone Member (III) and Thin-bedded Turbidite (IV) and provide the first detailed biostratigraphy of particular units. The first unit forms the most prominent part of the formation. It was deposited in the Middle Campanian–earliest Maastrichtian within the upper part of Caudammina gigantea Zone up to the lower part of the Rzehakina inclusa Zone. The second unit occurs only locally and its age is limited to the Maastrichtian, to the Rzehakina inclusa Zone. The third unit is composed of thick-bedded sandstones that in some parts may form more than the half of the total thickness of the formation. It is Late Maastrichtian–Danian in age and is placed in the upper part of the Rzehakina inclusa Zone and the lower part of the Rzehakina fissistomata Zone. It is usually covered by a thin package of thin-bedded turbiditic sandstone and shales of Danian–Thanetian age with foraminifera of the Rzehakina fissistomata Zone.

Sedimentological and geochemical characterisation of the Lower Oligocene Menilite shales from the Magura, Dukla, and Silesian nappes, Polish Outer Carpathians - A new concept

The Oligocene Menilite Beds (Formation) represent the most important hydrocarbon source rock in the Carpathian Belt. The formation is laterally uniform across long distances but it shows strong internal heterogeneity that reflects changes in depositional environments, which controls the source rock potential. The age of the Menilite Formation in the study area is Lower Oligocene – Rupellian - Lower Chattian (nannofossil zone NP22-NP24). Generally, Menilite Beds are dominated by fine-grained (claystone, mudstone, and siltstone) facies, but in some areas they are replaced by thick sandy facies or both types are present. In the study area, both types of facies are present; however, only fine-grained facies have been sedimentologically analysed here because these types can also provide good analytical material for organic geochemistry. The conducted research was aimed at verifying the concepts discussed in the literature that the Menilite Beds were formed in one or more different sedimentary basins, and thus also different palaeogeographic conditions in a small area of the Polish Carpathians, which is located on the border of three tectonic units, precisely in the research area. Therefore, a comparison of these areas was carried out both in terms of facies interpretation and geochemical characteristics. The sedimentological features of 11 different sections of the Menilite Beds from seven localities have been examined: two connected to the Magura Nappe, six to the Dukla Nappe (including tectonic windows) and three to the Silesian Nappe, and total of eight facies (F1 to F8) have been distinguished. Facies F1 from Magura Nappe shows aerobic deposition conditions for sediments with a decisive majority of terrestrial material originating from both angio- and gymnosperms, but from Dukla Nappe facies F1 biomarkers indicate a mixed type of marine-terrestrial matter, with a majority of the terrestrial substance and low-oxygen conditions of the sedimentation environment, with an indication of a lacustrine or marine-lacustrine environment, while in Silesian Nappe facies F1 shows marine and typically anoxic features of sedimentation environment. Facies F2, which is presence in all units, characterise a high content of terrestrial-type substance or there is no clear domination of a terrestrial, marine, or lacustrine component. Facies F2 in Magura Nappe has many features in common with facies F1 but differs higher share of angiosperms (high content of terrestrial-type substance), compared to in the Dukla and Silesian units. It does not show clear features or biomarkers that can be unambiguously interpreted to indicate one specific type of sedimentation condition. Facies F3, which was found in the Silesian unit, stands out due to its high deposition environment anoxicity index and a lack of markers proving a share of angiosperms with higher content of algae-type material. The structures found within these facies shows clear lamination, which frequently accompanies algae mats, hence its sedimentation environment may be similar to lacustrine conditions. Facies F4 is present only in the Dukla unit with all its geochemical features and indicates the deltaic and marine shallow-water aerobic conditions of its deposition environment, which has a share of organic matter of marine and terrestrial types. Facies F5, which is only present in the Silesian Nappe, originated in an anaerobic environment. A high input of organic matter from freshwater and terrestrial origins, indicated by biomarkers, is consistent with shallow-water deposition. Facies F6, present in the Magura Nappe, similar like in Dukla Nappe in most cases stands out due to its low generation potential and high deposition environment aerobicity indices. The origin of organic matter is typically terrestrial originating from angiosperms matter that was deposited probably in lacustrine environment, contrary to the domination of gymnosperms observed in F1 and F2 in the Dukla unit. Stratification of this facies with light and dark colours of fine-grained deposits can indicate cyclically oxidation changes in the sedimentary basin. Generally, biomarker data suggest varied types of organic matter from marine in the Silesian Nappe through mixed in the Dukla Nappe to typically terrestrial in the Magura Nappe which may indicate a deposition in separate basins with their periodical joining. Most of the geochemical parameters indicate also varying redox conditions during deposition in shallow water. Additionally, a variety of the sedimentary structures within accompanying thin-bedded sandstone beds were also recognised. These sedimentary structures provide a possibility to interpret the sedimentary environments of those facies. Most of them are connected to wide-type shallow-water sedimentary environments and are found in the zones between the storm-wave base and the fair-weather water wave base (facies F2, F4, F5 and F6). The analysis confirmed the variability of the sedimentation conditions of the Menilite Beds in terms of the deposition conditions, which can also be used to infer the paleogeographic variability of the original deposition areas.

Geology of the Magura Nappe, south-western Gorce Mountains (Outer Carpathians, Poland)

ABSTRACT The studied area, located in the south-western part of the Gorce Mountains, is built of flysch deposits representing the Krynica and Bystrica Subunits of the Magura Nappe. Here, in the Late Cretaceous–Early Miocene part of the lithostratigraphic succession of the Krynica Subunit, four formations containing several members were distinguished, whereas in the Bystrica Subunit, only one Middle Eocene–Oligocene formation was identified. The Turbacz and Kudłoń Thrust Sheets in the tectonic structure of the Krynica Subunit and the southernmost fragment of the Tobołów Thrust Sheet in the Bystrica Subunit are prominent. Several folds occur in the studied area. Numerous transverse and oblique faults are also present. The result of the present geological investigations in the study area was the creation of a geological map of the Magura Nappe deposits in the Gorce Mountains. In general, a high-resolution digital elevation model contributed significantly to the progress of this geological research.

Central European Variscan Basement in the Outer Carpathians: A Case Study from the Magura Nappe, Outer Western Carpathians, Poland

Exotic crystalline blocks within the Outer Carpathian flysch have the potential to establish the nature of their eroded basement source(s) and thus to reconstruct the paleogeography of the Outer Carpathians. Petrological investigations (including mineral analyses) coupled with zircon and apatite U-Pb dating were performed on an exotic crystalline block within Eocene siliciclastic rocks in the Rača Zone of the Magura Nappe in the Outer Western Carpathians, Poland. This exotic block is a large (c. 1 m diameter) pink porphyritic granitoid block found in the Osielczyk Stream, southeast of Osielec village in the Makowski Beskid mountains. The timing of magmatic crystallization is constrained by a U-Pb zircon age of 315.9 ± 2.6 Ma (MSWD = 0.69), while inherited zircon cores yield Archean (c. 2780 Ma), Cadomian (541.8 ± 6.7 Ma; MSWD = 0.53), Devonian (417 ± 11 Ma; MSWD = 0.57) and Early Variscan (c. 374 Ma) ages. Apatites from the same sample yield a Tera Wasserburg lower intercept U-Pb age of 311.3 ± 7.5 (MSWD = 0.87). The granitoid exhibits geochemical characteristics typical of I-type granites and εNd(316 Ma) = 2.15 (with a TDM model age of 1.18 Ga) and 87Sr/86Sr(316 Ma) = 0.704710. These data suggest a likely source region in the Saxo-Danubian Granite Belt, which possibly formed the basement of the Fore-Magura Ridge.

Last scene in the large scale rotations of the Western Carpathians as reflected in paleomagnetic constraints

This paper provides an overview of the paleomagnetic results which constrain the post-Paleogene tectonic development of the Western Carpathians. A group of these results are relevant to the last stage of the Tertiary folding and thrusting of the Silesian, Dukla and Magura nappes of the Outer Western Carpathian and were obtained from Paleogene-Lower Miocene flysch sediments. Both the pre- and post-folding remanences indicate about 50° CCW vertical axis rotation with respect to the present orientation. This is about a 60° rotation relative to stable Europe. It follows that the general orientation of the Silesian and more internal nappes were NW-SE, at least until the mid-Miocene. The CCW vertical axis rotation was co-ordinated with that of the Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin. The termination of the rotation can be estimated from the paleomagnetic data available from the Pieniny andesites which intruded the Pieniny Klippen Belt and the southern part of the Magura Nappe as well as from those obtained for the Neogene intramontane basins which opened up in the Outer and in the Central Western Carpathians. The paleomagnetic vectors for the andesites form two groups. The first group suggests about 45° CCW rotation relative to north, while the second shows no rotation. At the present stage of our knowledge it seems likely that some of the andesite bodies were intruded around 18 Ma, which is the oldest isotope age for the intrusions of the Wżar Mts, while some other bodies could have been emplaced after the rotation, around 11 Ma, which is the youngest isotope age for the Brijarka quarry. Vertical axis CCW rotation was also observed on sediments older than 11.6 Ma in the Orava-Nowy Targ Intramontane Basin which saddles the Magura Nappe and the Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin. However, this rotation was related to fault zone activity and was not attributed to the general rotation of the Outer Western Carpathian nappe system. Paleomagnetic results from the Nowy Sącz Intramontane Basin, which opened over the Magura Nappe, and those for the Central Western Carpathian Turiec Intramontane Basin do not indicate vertical axis rotation. In the first case, the loosely controlled age limit of the termination of the rotation is around 12 Ma. Well constrained results from the second basin imply that the rotation was definitely over by 8 Ma. Based on the above observations, and aware of the problem of often loose age control on the formation and deformation of the deposits of the intramontane basins, it is tentatively concluded that the large scale CCW rotation of the Central Western Carpathians, together with the Magura, Dukla and Silesian nappes, must have started after 18 Ma and terminated around 11 Ma.

Geological setting and lithological inventory of the Czarna Woda conglomerates (Magura Nappe, Polish Outer Carpathians)

During the late Oligocene to early Miocene the residual Magura Basin was located along the front of the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB). This basin was supplied with clastic material derived from a south-eastern direction. In the Małe (Little) Pieniny Mts. in Poland, the late Oligocene/ early Miocene Kremna Fm. of the Magura Nappe (Krynica subunit) occurs both in front of the PKB as well as in the tectonic windows within the PKB. Lenses of exotic conglomerates in the Kremna Fm. contain frequent clasts of Mesozoic limestones (e.g. limestones with “filaments” microfacies and Urgonian limestones) and Eocene shallow-water limestones. Fragments of crystalline and volcanic rocks occur subordinately. The provenance of these exotic rocks could be probably connected with Eocene exhumation and erosion of the SE part of the Dacia and Tisza Mega-Units.

Geometry and topology of tectonolineaments in the Gorce Mts. (Outer Carpathians) in Poland

The present study was focused on analysis of the geometrical and topological features of the lineament network in the Gorce Mountains, Polish Outer Carpathians. The source data was a 1m high-resolution LiDAR digital elevation model (DEM). Network topology was analysed using the NetworkGT toolset for ArcGIS software. The topological analysis represented the first attempt to apply research of this type in the Polish Carpathians. Five lithostratigraphic units occurring in the research area, characteristic of the Krynica Zone of the Magura Nappe, were selected for analysis. Topology was studied for each of the units separately as well as for the whole area. It was found that the units were differentiated in terms of some topological parameters, such as 2D intensity. Moreover, latitudinal trends were observed due to the presence of wide fault zones. The geometry of the network is consistent with the general Carpathian overview. Sets of conjugate strike slip-faults with splaying ends were identified. In the southern part of the area, the strike of the oldest faults was E-W. This shows that on the scale of the observation (hundreds to thousands of metres), the network was a product of general thrusting processes rather than derivative of a local structural plan. The applicability of both topological analyses and high-resolution DEM as supplementary to classical methods in a study of the Outer Carpathians was confirmed with analysis conducted, despite the identification of some limitations, such as GIS-operator-related bias. The scale of the analyses is linked, in a multi-scale approach, to structural network analyses.

Surface microtextures and new U–Pb dating of detrital zircons from the Eocene Strihovce sandstones in the Magura Nappe of the External Western Carpathians: implications for their provenance

Heavy mineral morphological, chemical and isotopic features are strong discriminative parameters in provenance studies. This paper focuses on the micro-textural signatures of detrital zircon grains obtained by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and U–Pb geochronological dating from the Strihovce Formation sandstones of the Magura Nappe in the External Western Carpathians. Our focus provides an important contribution to understanding the provenance of these sedimentary rocks. Although the SEM images reveal few dissolution features, they highlight many marks of mechanical processes which occur during detrital zircon transport. The detrital zircon U–Pb ages range from Mesoarchean–Neoproterozoic through Cambrian to Permian and Late Cretaceous. The pronounced peak at approximately 480 Ma Ordovician indicates the culmination of the peri-Gondwanan magmatic event. In conjunction with Archean to Proterozoic zircon inheritance, it implies Cadomian affinity of the potential source terranes which supplied the Magura Basin. The approximate ages of 379 Ma for the Late Devonian peak and 264 Ma for the Permian relate to widespread magmatism and/or rhyolite volcanism. These sources could be associated with the Carpathian basement units and the Apuseni terranes of the Tisza/Dacia mega-units. Most importantly, the sub-hedral Proterozoic zircons may signal the input of ‘first-cycle’ material from relatively closer surroundings, including the South-Magura Ridge to the Magura Basin.

Comparison of the 2‐D and Quasi‐3‐D Geoelectric Models of the Ukrainian Eastern Carpathians and Their Link to the Tectonic Structure

AbstractWe present results of a study of the electrical conductivity distribution beneath the Ukrainian Eastern Carpathians where the Carpathian arc turns to the southeast and reaches the maximum curvature further in the Romanian territory. We have used the magnetotelluric and magnetovariational data in the period range of 1–6,000 s collected by geoelectric groups from several countries during deep induction experiments, which covered the studied area by a number of field stations clustered along profiles crossing the Carpathian arc. In this work, we compare the 2‐D and quasi‐3‐D thin sheet inverse models, which allow us to constrain both the geometry and electrical properties of the anomalous conductivity structures beneath the Carpathians. Comparison of the inverse results with the Carpathians tectonics indicates that the Carpathian conductivity anomaly within the Polish and Slovak territory is located approximately between the Magura nappe front and the Pieniny Klippen Belt. In Ukraine, where the Magura nappe narrows and disappears, the anomaly reaches the front of the Outer Carpathians. The resulting quasi‐3‐D model of the conductivity structure beneath the Carpathians is compared with other geophysical and geological data within the region. The relation of the position of the conductors to the heat flow models and to location of the earthquakes sources indicates possible geological mechanisms, such as saline pore fluids, thin films of grain boundary graphite, or partial melting, connected with recent activation zones.

Biostratigraphic constraints for a Lutetian age of the Harrersdorf Unit (Rhenodanubian Zone): Implication for basement structure of the northern Vienna Basin (Austria)

Abstract The formations underlying the Neogene infill of the Vienna Basin are still poorly documented. Until now correlation of subsurface lithostratigraphic units with those of the Rhenodanubian nappe system and the Magura nappe system, outcropping at the basin margins, has been based on extrapolations. A recent drilling campaign in the Bernhardsthal oil field of the northern Vienna Basin in Austria reached the pre-Neogene basement and provided cuttings for biostratigraphic and paleoecological analyses. Based on these data, acquired by using detailed micro- and nanno-paleontological analyses, a Lutetian age (middle Eocene) and a bathyal depositional environment for the Flysch of the Harrersdorf Unit was documented. The lithological similarity of the drilling with the Steinberg Flysch Formation of the Greifenstein Nappe and its Lutetian age suggests, that the middle Eocene part of the Harrersdorf Unit represents a continuation of the Greifenstein Nappe of the Rhenodanubian Flysch, rather than a frontal part of the Rača Nappe of the Magura Flysch as previously thought.

Deep structure of the Pieniny Klippen Belt in Poland

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.