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Key words: Tectonics, kinematics, palinspastic restoration, Alps, Carpathians, Dinarides, Adriatic plate
Abstract
A map-view palinspastic restoration of tectonic units in the Alps, Carpath- (4) The external Dinarides experienced Neogene shortening of over 200km
ians and Dinarides reveals the plate tectonic configuration before the onset in the south, contemporaneous with dextral wrench movements in the internal
of Miocene to recent deformations. Estimates of shortening and extension Dinarides and the easterly adjacent Carpatho-Balkan orogen. (5) NS conver-
from the entire orogenic system allow for a semi-quantitative restoration of gence between the European and Adriatic plates amounts to some 200km at a
translations and rotations of tectonic units during the last 20Ma. Our res- longitude of 14E, in line with post-20Ma subduction of Adriatic lithosphere
toration yielded the following results: (1) The Balaton Fault and its eastern underneath the Eastern Alps, corroborating the discussion of results based on
extension along the northern margin of the Mid-Hungarian Fault Zone align high-resolution teleseismic tomography.
with the Periadriatic Fault, a geometry that allows for the eastward lateral The displacement of the Adriatic Plate indenter led to a change in subduc-
extrusion of the Alpine-Carpathian-Pannonian (ALCAPA) Mega-Unit. The tion polarity along a transect through the easternmost Alps and to substantial
Mid-Hungarian Fault Zone accommodated simultaneous strike-perpendicu- Neogene shortening in the eastern Southern Alps and external Dinarides.
lar shortening and strike-slip movements, concomitant with strike-parallel ex- While we confirm that slab-pull and rollback of oceanic lithosphere subducted
tension. (2) The Mid-Hungarian Fault Zone is also the locus of a former plate beneath the Carpathians triggered back-arc extension in the Pannonian Basin
boundary transforming opposed subduction polarities between Alps (includ- and much of the concomitant folding and thrusting in the Carpathians, we
ing Western Carpathians) and Dinarides. (3) The ALCAPA Mega-Unit was propose that the rotational displacement of this indenter provided a second
affected by 290km extension and fits into an area W of present-day Budapest important driving force for the severe Neogene modifications of the Alpine-
in its restored position, while the Tisza-Dacia Mega-Unit was affected by up Carpathian-Dinaridic orogenic system.
to 180km extension during its emplacement into the Carpathian embayment.
1. Introduction polarity (Schmid et al. 2008): in the Western and Eastern Alps
as well as in the Carpathians thrusts face the European fore-
1.1 Plate tectonic setting land, whereas in the Southern Alps and the Dinarides thrusts
face the Adriatic foreland. In a pioneering article, Laubscher
The Alps, Carpathians and Dinarides form a topographically (1971) suggested that the Alps and the Dinarides owe their
continuous, yet highly curved orogenic belt, which bifurcates different structural facing to opposing subduction polarities.
and encircles the Pannonian Basin. They are part of the much Deep reflection seismic profiling and seismic tomography have
larger system of Circum-Mediterranean orogens (Fig.1). De- since shown that the western and central segments of the Alps
spite such a continuous topographic expression, this orogenic are underlain by a south-dipping lithospheric slab, attributed
system is characterised by dramatically diachronous deforma- to subducted European lower lithosphere (Schmid et al. 1996,
tion stages along-strike. Its various parts comprise different 2004a; Schmid & Kissling 2000), whereas the Dinarides and
paleogeographic domains, and major thrusts have opposing Hellenides are underlain by a northeast-dipping lithospheric
1Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Bernoullistrasse 32, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel.
2Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck.
3Institute of Geophysics, ETH Hnggerberg, CH-8093 Zrich, Switzerland.
*Corresponding author, now at: Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan.
E-mail: kamilu@ntu.edu.tw, Tel: +886-2-2363 6450 #205
**Now at: StatoilHydro ASA, 4035 Stavanger, Norway.
range of Fig. 2
European Plate r
50N C a p East European 50N
t
a
h platform
i a
ns
Atlantic p s
l
45N Ocean Di 45N
A
Carpa
na
rid G
Black Sea Caureater
A
ho
pe
c as
es
P yr -Balkan us
nn
ene
-H
es Po n
in
t i d es
es
elle
s Sea Bi
ic t l is
B et
es
-Z
Taurides ag
ro
a s
an S e
Albor
35N lt
35N
ea Fau
t l as Arabian
hA
H ig Plate
D ea d S
30N 30N
km
0 250 500 1000 1500 African Plate
0 10
C a r p a Neotethys junction
13
t t h obducted Western Vardar ophiolites
Molasse Basin e s i a & Meliata Neotethys
W
n obducted Eastern Vardar ophiolites
80 9
Bohemian s
>1
Munich
Massiv
Kosice
Lake Constance 50 Tisza Mega-Unit
Wien
Bratislava Dacia Mega-Unit
40 3
0
15 1
42 3
64 3
C 18 Cernovcy
113 3
Bkk
86 3
47 RE Prebalkan, Danubian,
109 3
75 4 R Mts. Helvetic, Brianconnais
F.
Tauern 0
o
Budapest
n
Pienides
E
ar
Debrecen Inner Balkanides
D
20 5 10
as
80 e
F.
F.
n
t
30 2 80
t Zo 10
ie
l
50 7
r
Fau
ba
3
ica
rian 13
Ra
50 7
nga
ud
P e r ia
d r ia to n F. -Hu Cluj
Gi
t ic F - Bala Mid Pannonian
. East European
Carp
46 6
Basin Bacau
Platform
56 6
56 6
Milano Transylvanian
72 6
Verona Medvednica Mts.
Trieste Basin
Zagreb
athians
0
130 1
Alps & West Carpathians s
South Carpathian
ALCAPA Mega-Unit Sava
Zone
Beograd
southern margin of Meliata
A
F.
Pitesti
dr
ia
Eoalpine high-pressure belt
S p l i t - Ka
Bucharesti
tic
northern margin of Meliata,
rlo
Cern a -Jiu
S
va
Lower Austroalpine & Tatric c Sarajevo
Moesian Platform
ea
F.
Thrust sheets derived from Adriatic plate
.
Southern Alps
kF
C arp atho-Balk
Dubrovnik Sofia
11
Fig.2.Tectonic map of the Alps, Carpathians and Dinarides (simplified after Schmid et al. 2008), serving as a base for the Early Miocene restoration. Geographic names are in italics. Abbreviations:
F.=fault, Mts.=mountains, RREC=Raba River extensional corridor. The estimates on the magnitude of Neogene (post-20Ma) displacements (in km) were derived from the following sources given
in superscripts: 1) Schmid et al. (1996), 2) Grasemann & Mancktelow (1993), 3) Frisch et al. (1998), 4) Fgenschuh et al. (1997), 5) Genser & Neubauer (1989), 6) Schnborn (1992, 1999), 7) Nussbaum
(2000), 8) Tari (1996), 9) Roca et al. (1995), 10) Roure et al. (1993), 11) Fgenschuh & Schmid (2005). See Fig.4 regarding extension estimates in the Pannonian Basin.
fault unspecified
extension directions:
996
i, 1
Tar 9
B 99
50 C' l. , 1
d l tot= 17
9 re
ta
t=
d o
D' Fo
dl to 7
B 14
0 t=
8 01 A dl to 8 E'
dl= t=
7
dl to
A Cluj
D
E
Bucharesti
In order to restore geometry and location of the eastern In a next step, the eastern margin of ALCAPA was trans-
parts of ALCAPA prior to rotation, a 23 clockwise rotation lated westward along a roughly EW-trending trajectory by
around a pivot point located at the SW tip of the Raba River c. 280300km, corresponding to the extension value arrived
Fault was applied to ALCAPA. Such a rotation leads to a linear at by the above described estimates. The available time con-
striking Rhenodanubian Magura Flysch Belt and results in straints suggest that at 20Ma the easternmost tip of ALCAPA
a position of the northern edge of ALCAPA that is in agree- was just getting in contact with the Tisza-Dacia Mega-Unit, as
ment with previous studies (Morley 1996; Behrmann et al. evidenced by Burdigalian SE-directed thrusting in the Pienides
2000; Fig.5a). Moreover, this rotation also straightens out the (Tischler et al. 2007; Mrton et al. 2007).
Periadriatic Fault and its extension into Hungary (Fodor et al.
1998). We consider the Darno Fault, which separates ALCAPA
2.5 Restoring the Tisza-Dacia Mega-Unit
from the Bkk Mountains, to represent part of the Periadri-
atic Fault (Schmid et al. 2008). We applied an additional 30 For those parts of the Pannonian Basin, which are floored
clockwise rotation (i.e. 23+30=53) to the Bkk Mountains in by the Tisza-Dacia Mega-Unit, extension values appear to
order to align the Darno Fault along-strike with the main trend decrease systematically SE-ward away from the Mid-Hun-
of the Periadriatic Fault. garian Fault Zone towards the un-extended Transylvanian
23 CW
sion
ex ten
of futu
re present-day
trace Fault PKB
Ra b a outlines of
ALCAPA
rotation pivot for ALCAPA
Mega-Unit
(south tip of Raba Fault)
external tip of
Un ia
a- ac
53CW Pienide thrust belt
it
eg D
Eastern Alps & Periadriatic Fault at 20 Ma
M sza-
restored after Frisch et al. 1998
Ti
southern margin of Meliata
Szolnok - Sava
Eo-Alpine high-pressure belt
rotation pivot for Bkk Mts.
northern margin of Meliata (south tip of Darno Fault)
traces of faults active during restored northern boundary of ALCAPA Mega-Unit
lateral extrusion of ALCAPA
after Behrmann et al. (2000)
arbitrary point being restored this study (prior to restoration of extension)
PKB Pieniny Klippen Belt after Morley (1996)
C'
cross sections for estimating
magnitude of Neogene
b
C extension (Fig. 4)
amount of restoration
C'
derived from the
extension estimates D'
(Fig. 4) 9)
99
l. 1
e ta E'
or
od
(F
ti on
undeformed ec
European foreland n dir
sio
present-day ten
external foredeep outlines of ex
tectonic units
Tisza Mega-Unit C
Dacia Mega-Unit D
E
obducted
Eastern Vardar ophiolites
Fig.5.Reconstruction of (a) the ALCAPA and (b) Tisza-Dacia mega-units according to the constraints described in the text.
r a
trace of fu
m
45N, 640E lt
Raba uF a
23
e n
30
t
present-day
coast
46
56
50
72
50
38
56
53
Bucharesti
45
c.
190 km
20 20 5
amount and sense 20
of rotation applied
to tectonic units
in a forward step 0
CCW CW Sofia
40
16.5 Burgas
c.
faults active after 20 Ma
c.
100 70
faults active
already before 20 Ma
displacements implied
70
46
c.
Fig.6.Restoration of tectonic units in the Alps, Carpathians and Dinarides domain for the Early Miocene. Colours and patterns of tectonic units corresponds to those in Fig.2.
6E 8E 10E 12E 14E 16E 18E 20E
Basin (Krzsek & Bally 2006) and the Moesian Foreland
48N 0 200 km 48N
(Fig.4). This is also compatible with the fact that the Neo- Battaglia et al.
gene fault-bounded basins that affect the northwestern part 2004 Weber et al. 2006
of the Apuseni Mountains shallow out towards southeast
(Sndulescu et al. 1978); this directly indicates decreasing 46N Anderson & Jackson 1987 46N
this study
amounts of extension towards SE. The restored configura-
tion of Tisza-Dacia was arrived at by shortening the entire
mega-unit along transects CC' to EE' by the corresponding Calais et al.
44N 44N
2002
extension values (Fig.5b).
For reconstructing the position of the external, leading
edge of Tisza-Dacia (external with respect to the Carpathian 42N 42N
thrust facing) during the Early Miocene, we adopted the res-
toration of Fgenschuh & Schmid (2005). This restoration is
mainly constrained by retro-deforming 65km of dextral strike- position of
40N Adriatic Sea coastline 40N
slip displacement of the Tisza-Dacia Mega-Unit relative to the restored to 20 Ma
Moesian foreland along the curved Timok Fault (see Figure9c
6E 8E 10E 12E 14E 16E 18E 20E
in Fgenschuh & Schmid 2005; Moser 2001).
Fig.7.Comparison of the rotation pole of the Adriatic plate indenter derived
in this study (black) with previously derived poles (from the inversion of seis-
2.6 Restoring the location of the Adriatic Plate motectonic and/or geodetic data). The assumption of a largely rigid, rotating
Adriatic plate indenter implies an increase of displacement away from the
The Early Miocene position of the Adriatic Plate was recon- rotation pole (shown by arrows that are concentric around the rotation pole).
structed by retro-deforming 1) the Neogene shortening re- The coastline of the Italian part of the Adriatic Sea (lying on the stable Adri-
corded in the Southern Alps, 2) the Neogene dextral strike slip atic plate) would thus be restored back to a position shown by the dashed
line.
displacements along the Periadriatic and Giudicarie Faults, and
3) the post-20Ma shortening across the Western Alps.
In the Southern Alps west of the Giudicarie Fault the
magnitude of Neogene shortening systematically decreases Periadriatic-Balaton Fault system represents a stretching fault
from east to west (Schnborn 1992, 1999) and approaches in the sense of Means (1989).
zero along the ECORS-CROP profile near Torino (Schmid & In restoring the Adriatic Plate to its Early Miocene posi-
Kissling 2000, outside of Fig.2). The available estimates on the tion, we took into account an extra 30km of dextral displace-
magnitude of Neogene shortening in the Southern Alps east of ment that is not related to extrusion of the eastern part of the
the Giudicarie Fault are minimum estimates only (Nussbaum Alps as a constituent of ALCAPA. This extra displacement is
2000) and hence it is unclear whether the systematic increase the result of EW extension across the Lepontine dome in the
of shortening continues further towards east. We consider Central Alps, which is largely accommodated along the Sim-
the Giudicarie Fault kinematically and temporally related to plon normal fault (just outside the western margin of Fig.2;
post-20Ma shortening within the Southern Alps (Stipp et al. Grasemann & Mancktelow 1993).
2004) and therefore eliminated the later offset of the Peri- Post-20Ma shortening across the Western Alps occurred
adriatic Fault (Schmid et al. 1999) by the Giudicarie Fault. beyond the area covered by Figs.2 and 6, but was taken into ac-
The restoration of the Southern Alps east of the Giudicarie count since it had an effect on the relative movements between
Fault is hence constrained by assuming an initially straight the Adriatic Plate and the ALCAPA Mega-Unit. Neogene
Periadriatic Fault and satisfying the minimum shortening shortening across the Western Alps is relatively small, however,
estimates of Nussbaum (2000). Note, however, that there is and varies from about 35km near Geneva (e.g. Gratier et al.
no general agreement about an initially straight Periadriatic 1989) to less than 10km further to the south in the area of the
Fault (see e.g. Viola et al. 2001 for a contrasting opinion). Our Argentera Massiv (e.g. Lickorish & Ford 1998).
palinspastic restoration (Fig.6) reveals that the Periadriatic The three categories of interrelated constraints on the
Fault aligns with the Balaton Fault and its eastern extension Neogene motion of the Adriatic Plate mentioned above jointly
along the northern margin of the Mid-Hungarian Fault Zone indicate that it underwent a combination of translation and si-
(Fig.2), a geometry that allows for the eastward lateral extru- multaneous rotation. Once the north-directed displacement of
sion of the ALCAPA Mega-Unit. the Adriatic Plate related to shortening in the Southern Alps
The magnitude of Neogene dextral strike slip movements has been restored to the pre-20Ma situation, a 20 counter-
along the Periadriatic Fault and its eastern extension var- clockwise rotation had to be applied to the Adriatic Plate that
ies along strike. This is an effect of the EW extension of the is described by a pivot pole located in the vicinity of Torino (at
ALCAPA Mega-Unit during its lateral extrusion and displace- 45N and 640E, Figs.6 and 7). We emphasise that this rota-
ment with respect to the Southern Alps, which were not affected tion is a product of the above-mentioned constraints obtained
by this EW extension (Ratschbacher et al. 1991). Hence, the from outside the Adriatic Plate. Independent estimates how-
2.7 Restoring the tectonic units of the Dinarides 3.1 Implications for the Southern Alps Dinarides realm
The restoration of the major units of the Dinarides is not based The Early Miocene restoration presented in Fig.6 implies
on quantitative estimates of post-20Ma shortening but is in- that the Neogene rotational northward motion of the Adri-
directly constrained by the retro-deformations applied to the atic plate with respect to the stable foreland of the European
Adriatic Plate and the Tisza-Dacia Mega-Unit. Within the plate resulted in some 190km total NS shortening in the Tri-
Dinaridic-Southern Alpine domain we allowed for displace- este Eastern Alps area, at a longitude of 13E to 15E. This
ments along the following faults that were active during the shortening is partitioned between south-directed thrusting in
past 20 Ma: (1) South-directed thrusting in the eastward con- the Southern Alps, shortening within the ALCAPA Mega-Unit
tinuation of the Miocene Alpine retro-wedge (Southern Alps and very minor N-directed thrusting onto the northern Alpine
and their continuation into Slovenia and Hungary; Schmid et foreland. Due to the counter-clockwise rotation of the Adriatic
al. 2008 and references therein), (2) ongoing shortening along plate shortening in the Southern Alps decreases westward to-
the frontal thrust of the Dinarides offshore Dalmatia (e.g. Ben- wards the rotation pivot point (Fig.6). This decrease in short-
nett et al. 2008) and in line with evidence for thrusts affecting ening is compatible with estimates of Miocene NS shortening
Pliocene to Quaternary sediments in the Albanian foredeep, across the Alps of Eastern Switzerland amounting to 61km
offshore Montenegro and Albania (Picha 2002), (3) transpres- during the last 19Ma (Schmid et al. 1996).
sion along the Split-Karlovac Fault (Chorowicz 1970, 1975 and Conversely, the counter-clockwise rotation of the Adriatic
Geological Map of former Yugoslavia) and (4) thrusting along plate indenter implies that with increasing distance E-ward
the frontal thrust of the High-Karst Unit and Budva-Cukali away from the rotation pivot point the magnitude of shorten-
Zone, respectively, which override the Dalmatian Zone and its ing progressively increases (Fig.7). In keeping with this rela-
southward continuation, the Kruja Zone of Albania (Aubouin tionship, small changes in the assumed rotation angle lead to
& Ndojaj 1964) and the Gavrovo-Tripolitza Zone of Greece drastic variations in the magnitude of shortening in the SE-most
(Jacobshagen 1986). This thrusting affects also Mid-Miocene parts of the Dinarides, for which the deduced total shortening of
sediments according to new data (de Capoa et al. 1995; Mikes 235km is subject to large uncertainties. We interpret this short-
et al. 2008). The partitioning of displacements across the faults ening (25+210km in Fig.6) to have been predominantly taken
chosen in Fig.6 is not constrained by hard data and will be dis- up in the external Dinarides (offshore Dalmatia, along the Split-
cussed below. Karlovac Fault, along the frontal thrust of the High-Karst Unit
The internal edge of the Tisza-Dacia Mega-Unit (internal and, further south, in front of and within the Budva-Cukali-Pin-
with respect to the external one facing the Carpathian thrusts) dos Zone). It is very difficult to assess how this total post-20Ma
is located adjacent to the Sava Zone, which is considered as shortening in the external Dinarides is partitioned between the
forming the suture zone between Dinarides and Tisza-Dacia thrusts at the front and at the rear of the Dalmatian Zone (and its
Mega-Unit (Schmid et al. 2008; Ustaszewski et al. submit- southward continuation, the Gavrovo-Tripolitza Zone). In Fig.6
ted). Final closure of the Neotethyan oceanic basins along the we gave preference to large amounts of shortening at the rear
Sava Zone had occurred in Maastrichtian to Early Paleogene of the Dalmatian Zone since the amount of shortening in front
times (Pami 1993, 2002). This is constrained by the observa- of the Kruja Zone, i.e. offshore Albania appears to be relatively
tion that Early Miocene syn-rift sediments of the Pannonian small (Picha 2002) while by far more substantial shortening oc-
Basin system seal Mid-Eocene siliciclastics, which are affected curred across the more internal Budva-Cukali or Krasta-Pindos
by the last stages of post-collisional thrusting (Tari 2002; Usta Zone during the Neogene (Kilias et al. 2001). Note that Neo-
szewski et al. submitted). Consequently, the internal Dina- gene to recent shortening in the Hellenides, however, occurred
rides are assumed to have remained attached to the Tisza- in a more external domain, in front of the Gavrovo-Tripolitza
Dacia Mega-Unit during the last 20Ma. Hence the position of Zone (van Hinsbergen et al. 2005).
the internal Dinarides 20Ma is essentially controlled by the The deduced differential northward displacement of the
restoration of the Tisza-Dacia Mega-Unit. Nevertheless, some Adriatic plate implies that the thrusts of the Dinarides also
minor geometrical adjustments were required across the Sava accommodated dextral strike-slip displacements. Substantial
Zone (Fig.6). These adjustments, which are relatively minor strike-slip faulting apparently overprinted the thrust faults of
and uncontrolled by data, are thought to relate to extensional the internal Dinarides and the Sava-Vardar suture of the Sava
and subsequent Pliocene to recent inversion tectonics along Zone (see also Morley 1996). Dextral transpression is directly
the southern margin of the Pannonian Basin in Croatia and evidenced by the presently observed steep dip ofthese thrusts
Serbia (Tomljenovi & Csontos 2001; Safti et al. 2003). Dex- (see profile 5 of Plate2 in Schmid et al. 2008).
3.4 Implications regarding the present-day lithosphere-scale configuration that is observed in the Eastern
lithosphere-scale configuration Alps according to recent results of high-resolution teleseismic
mantle tomography (Lippitsch et al. 2003; Schmid et al. 2004a,b;
Our reconstruction has bearings on the interpretation of the Kissling et al. 2006). This work demonstrated the existence of
present-day lithospheric configuration of the Alpine-Car- a NNE-dipping lithospheric slab (Adriatic slab) underneath
pathian-Dinaridic orogenic system (Figs.8 & 9). In particular, the Eastern Alps in the area east of the Giudicarie Fault (Fig.9b;
it potentially provides an explanation for the change in the Lippitsch et al. 2003), while another slab (European slab)
Milano
Beograd
no
Bucharesti
sl
Fig.10.Contours of the upper mantle-lithosphere boundary of the Adriatic slab at 100km depth as inferred from the 3D Vp-model of Lippitsch et al. (2003, their
Fig.12) in comparison with the contours of the eastern limit of the Adriatic lithosphere underneath the Dinarides using the horizontal depth slices at 100km
depth of Piromallo & Morelli (2003, their Fig.8) and Bijwaard & Spakman (2000; our Fig.8b). The contours were derived by tracing the transition from posi-
tive to negative Vp variations of each model along the presumed NE edge of the Adriatic lithosphere. The contours are superimposed onto the outlines of the
tectonic units of Fig.2. See text for further details.
just as it caused strong thermal attenuation of the lithosphere 2000), is not yet fully understood. The Carpathian embayment
underneath the Pannonian Basin itself, creating pathways for was formerly underlain, according to most authors (e.g. Balla
asthenosphere-derived melts. 1982; Mason et al. 1998), at least partly by oceanic lithosphere.
Fig.11 presents a 3D sketch, which integrates the present- Subduction and slab retreat (e.g. Royden 1988; Wortel & Spak-
day crustal structure of the Alpine-Carpathian-Dinaridic sys- man 2000; Sperner et al. 2002, 2005), starting at around 20Ma in
tem (Schmid et al. 2008) with the present-day lithosphere-scale the area of the Carpathian embayment, created the necessary
configuration inferred from the results of mantle tomography space that allowed for the invasion of the ALCAPA, Tisza and
discussed above. This sketch allows for a brief discussion of the Dacia mega-units and the formation of the highly arcuate Al-
mechanisms, which could have led to changes of the original pine-Carpathian orogenic system. However this retreat, associ-
lithospheric configuration that induced the severe post-20Ma ated with severe crustal thinning and upwelling of the asthe-
crustal displacements, rotations and deformations that are evi- nosphere underneath the Pannonian Basin, cannot be the only
dent from comparing Figures 2 and 6. driving force for this substantial post-20Ma reorganization.
Clearly, the post-20Ma emplacement of a once continuous Rotation and north-directed translation of the Adriatic
Adriatic slab underneath the Eastern Alps was only possible Plate indenter, also including the underpinnings of the adja-
once the European slab underneath the Eastern Alps gave way cent Dinaridic orogen, provided a second and probably equally
by slab break-off, a process that initiated earlier, i.e. between important driving force for these modifications. The displace-
40 and 35Ma, in the transition area between Western and East- ment of the Adriatic Plate, of course in combination with slab
ern Alps (von Blanckenburg & Davis 1995) but took place at break off or retreat of the European Plate, led to the change
around 20Ma in the Eastern Alps and the area of the Carpath- in subduction polarity along the transect through the eastern-
ian embayment. Whether or not this break-off was a continuous most Alps depicted in Fig.11. Due to the simultaneous counter-
process, systematically migrating eastward (Spakman & Wortel clockwise rotation of the Adriatic Plate indenter, its effects in
2
0
0
Eu
km
for ropea
ela
n n
Mioc
ene d
thrus
t belt
E
E ur
ur op
m o
an pe ea
tle an n c
A LCA PA
ru
E lit
ho st
ur
as o sp Tisza
p he
spthe ea re
he no n
re -
a
c. 200 km
Vrance
A Adriatic crust slab
l
Te pin one u-
th e mantle Sava Z Ceahla
ys d base Severin
ck
Adriatic here
t t enuate roll ba
lithosp ll y a e
therma e lithospher
of t h
Adriatic re
osphe
asthen
Fig.11. Interpretative block diagram showing present-day lithospheric structures in the Eastern Alps, Carpathians and northern Dinarides. The horizontal lid of the block represents a simplified
version of the tectonic map presented in Fig.2; the vertical block walls are interpretative representations of the vertical tomographic sections (Fig.9a and c). The MOHO depth in the NS-trending,
western edge of the block is roughly after Brckl et al. (2007). In the EW-trending edge of the block, no seismic MOHO is shown, but the fossil crust-mantle boundary in order to better document
the lithosphere tectonics. In addition to tectonic stretching, the lithosphere underneath the Pannonian Basin is also strongly thermally attenuated, giving a possible explanation for the absence of the
Adriatic lithospheric slab underneath the Dinarides.
terms of post-20Ma shortening are relatively minor in the Battaglia, M., Murray, M.H., Serpelloni, E. & R., B. 2004: The Adriatic region:
An independent microplate within the Africa-Eurasia collision zone.
Western Alps, but become increasingly important eastwards Geophysical Research Letters 31, L09605, doi:10.1029/2004GL019723.
(NS transect corresponding to the western edge of the block Behrmann, J.H., Stiasny, S., Milicka, J. & Pereszlenyi, M. 2000: Quantitative
model in Fig.11). After the Latest Miocene to Pliocene, i.e. reconstruction of orogenic convergence in the northeast Carpathians.
theonset of intra-plate folding and overall Quaternary inver- Tectonophysics 319, 111127.
Bennett, R.A., Hreinsdttir, S., Buble, G., Baic, T., Marjanovi, M., Casale, G.,
sion (e.g. Matenco et al. 2006; Cloetingh et al. 2007) compres-
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We acknowledge financial support through the Swiss National Science Foun- mechanical modelling. In: Gee, D.G. & Stephenson, R.A. (Eds.): Euro-
dation (projects Tisza Nrs. 200021-101883/1 and 200020-109278/1). We thank pean Lithosphere Dynamics, Geological Society London Memoirs 32,
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