Original paper
The Western Outer Carpathians: Origin and evolution
Golonka, Jan; Waśkowska, Anna; Ślączka, Andrzej
Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften Band 170 Heft 3-4 (2019), p. 229 - 254
261 references
published: Dec 23, 2019
published online: Sep 30, 2019
manuscript accepted: Jul 6, 2019
manuscript revision received: Jun 6, 2019
manuscript revision requested: May 13, 2019
manuscript received: Feb 21, 2019
ArtNo. ESP171017003001, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
The structure of the Western Outer Carpathians on Austrian, Slovak, Czech and Polish territory is an effect of prolonged processes of Cretaceous to Miocene folding, nappe transport and uplifting. The Outer Carpathian nappes are thrust over each other and over the North European Platform consisting of crystalline basement covered by Palaeozoic to Miocene sedimentary rocks. The Jurassic–Lower Miocene deposits of these nappes correspond to more or less separate sedimentary basins that display a different lithostratigraphic development. Several evolutionary stages could be distinguished in the Western Outer Carpathians. The synrift–postrift stage is expressed by the opening of the Alpine Tethys and the Protosilesian Basin and formation of two major domains – Magura and Silesian. The uplifted (Baška-Inwałd Ridge and Pavlov Carbonate Platform) and basinal zones (Bachowice and Mikulov basins) were formed within the North European Platform during this opening. The movement of the Central Carpathian plate led to the development of an accretionary wedge and reorganisation of the Outer Carpathian basins during the synorogenic stage. The Magura Basin, Dukla Basin and Foremagura group of basins developed within the Magura Domain while the Silesian Basin, Skole Basin and Subsilesian Sedimentary Area developed within the Silesian Domain. Thick flysch sequences with olistostromes were deposited in these basins. The ridges dividing the basins were destroyed during the late orogenic stages and only two basins remained: Krosno and Magura. Several formations deposited within the Western Outer Carpathians basins contain organic-rich rocks, which can represent unconventional resources known as shale gas and shale oil. The Jurassic Mikulov Formation of the Mikulov Basin, the Lower Cretaceous Veřovice and Spas formations of the Protosilesian Basin and the Rudawka Rymanowska Menilite Formation of the Krosno Basin contain organic-rich rocks, which can represent unconventional resources known as shale gas and shale oil. Parts of the anoxic shales were buried to depths of a few thousand metres during the folding and overthrusting movements. The best structural conditions for unconventional hydrocarbon exploration occur at the depth of few thousand metres within the North European Platform below the Carpathian nappes and within the Silesian, Skole and Dukla nappes. The organic-rich rocks within the Alpine Tethys and Magura Basin require further investigations.
Keywords
Western Outer Carpathians • palaeogeography • regional geology • lithostratigraphy