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Miocene tectonics of the Maramures area (Northern Romania): implications for the Mid-Hungarian fault zone

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Abstract

The interplay between the emplacement of crustal blocks (e.g. “ALCAPA”, “Tisza”, “Dacia”) and subduction retreat is a key issue for understanding the Miocene tectonic history of the Carpathians. Coeval thrusting and basin formation is linked by transfer zones, such as the Mid-Hungarian fault zone, which seperates ALCAPA from Tisza-Dacia. The presented study provides new kinematic data from this transfer zone. Early Burdigalian (20.5 to ∼18.5 Ma) SE-directed thrusting of the easternmost tip of ALCAPA (Pienides), over Tisza-Dacia is linked to movements along the Mid-Hungarian fault zone and the Periadriatic line, accommodating the lateral extrusion of ALCAPA. Minor Late Burdigalian (∼18.5 to 16 Ma) NE-SW extension is interpreted as related to back-arc extension. Post Burdigalian (post-16 Ma) NE–SW shortening and NW–SE extension correlate with “soft collision” of Tisza-Dacia with the European foreland coupled with southward migration of active subduction. During this stage the Bogdan-Voda and Dragos-Voda faults were kinematically linked to the Mid-Hungarian fault zone. Sinistral transpression (16 to 12 Ma) at the Bogdan-Voda fault was followed by sinistral transtension (12–10 Ma) along the coupled Bogdan-Dragos-Voda fault system. During the transtensional stage left-lateral offset was reduced eastwards by SW trending normal faults, the fault system finally terminating in an extensional horse-tail splay.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful for an excellent introduction into the geology of the area by M. Săndulescu and L. Maţenco and for all the discussions we had with them and with all the other Romanian colleagues. We would also like to particularly mention the fruitful interactions with L. Csontos, L. Fodor, S. Kovács, M. Marin, E. Márton, C. Pero, D. Radu, D. Badescu and C. Krezsek during our study. M. Marin is gratefully acknowledged for providing additional data from the eastern part of the study area. The careful and constructive review by L. Ratschbacher significantly improved a first version of the text. This work was financed by NF-projects Nr. 21-64979.01, Nr. 200020-105136/1 and Nr. 200021-101882/1, granted to B.F. and S.Sch., respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut, Basel University, Bernoullistr. 32, 4056, Basel, Switzerland

    M. Tischler, H. R. Gröger & S. M. Schmid

  2. Institute for Geology and Paleontology, Innsbruck University, Innrain 52f, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    B. Fügenschuh

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  1. M. Tischler
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  2. H. R. Gröger
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  3. B. Fügenschuh
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  4. S. M. Schmid
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Correspondence to M. Tischler.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Table 1.

Table 1 Tabular overview on fault-slip data
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Appendix 2

Figure  9.

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Fault-slip data (Early Burdigalian top SE-thrusting of the Pienides)

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Appendix 3

Figure  10.

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Fault-slip data (Late Burdigalian NE–SW extension)

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Appendix 4

Figure  11.

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Fault-slip data (post-Burdigalan transpressional stage)

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Appendix 5

Figure  12.

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figure 12

Fault-slip data (post-Burdigalian transtensional stage, eastern stations)

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Appendix 6

Figure  13.

Fig. 13
figure 13

Fault-slip data (post-Burdigalian transtensional stage, western stations)

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Tischler, M., Gröger, H.R., Fügenschuh, B. et al. Miocene tectonics of the Maramures area (Northern Romania): implications for the Mid-Hungarian fault zone. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 96, 473–496 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-006-0110-x

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