Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous Alps
Abstract The Late Cretaceous orogeny followed by the Eocene collision of the Adriatic with the European plate dissected the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) by a number of well-studied strike-slip fault systems accommodating N-S shortening and E-W stretching. However, the post-Miocene fault activity i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-10-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22737-5 |
| _version_ | 1811336314378780672 |
|---|---|
| author | Jacek Szczygieł Ivo Baroň Rostislav Melichar Lukas Plan Ivanka Mitrović-Woodell Eva Kaminsky Denis Scholz Bernhard Grasemann |
| author_facet | Jacek Szczygieł Ivo Baroň Rostislav Melichar Lukas Plan Ivanka Mitrović-Woodell Eva Kaminsky Denis Scholz Bernhard Grasemann |
| author_sort | Jacek Szczygieł |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Late Cretaceous orogeny followed by the Eocene collision of the Adriatic with the European plate dissected the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) by a number of well-studied strike-slip fault systems accommodating N-S shortening and E-W stretching. However, the post-Miocene fault activity is poorly constrained due to lack of Neogene faulted sediments, and glacial erosion of geomorphic indicators. Using the protected environment of caves, we fill the knowledge gap in the post-Miocene evolution of the NCA by paleostress analysis of 172 reactivated faults that offset passages in 28 caves near major faults. Constrained maximum age of caves, our results indicate that the NCA have been subjected to N to NE trending compression since Pliocene. Faulted speleothems dated with 230Th/U method, indicate that the recorded present-day stress state did not significantly change during the last 0.5 Ma. In contrast to the previously proposed post-Miocene N-S extension of NCA, but in agreement with what was observed in Vienna and Pannonian basins, we conclude that the eastward extrusion resulting from N-S convergence has continued despite a distinct slowdown of plate tectonic velocities in the late Miocene. The N-S extension affected only the Alpine front during Pliocene Molasse basin inversion, while at the scale of the Alpine orogen the NCA underwent successive N-S shortening and E-W stretching. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:37:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-360658351d9349cfbb79ff1dbae7f787 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:37:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-360658351d9349cfbb79ff1dbae7f7872022-12-22T02:37:17ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-10-0112111010.1038/s41598-022-22737-5Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous AlpsJacek Szczygieł0Ivo Baroň1Rostislav Melichar2Lukas Plan3Ivanka Mitrović-Woodell4Eva Kaminsky5Denis Scholz6Bernhard Grasemann7Department of Geology, University of ViennaInstitute of Rock Structure and Mechanics, The Czech Academy of SciencesDepartment of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masaryk UniversityKarst and Cave Group, Natural History MuseumDepartment of Geology, University of ViennaInstitute of Soil Physics and Rural Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Life SciencesInstitute for Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University MainzDepartment of Geology, University of ViennaAbstract The Late Cretaceous orogeny followed by the Eocene collision of the Adriatic with the European plate dissected the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) by a number of well-studied strike-slip fault systems accommodating N-S shortening and E-W stretching. However, the post-Miocene fault activity is poorly constrained due to lack of Neogene faulted sediments, and glacial erosion of geomorphic indicators. Using the protected environment of caves, we fill the knowledge gap in the post-Miocene evolution of the NCA by paleostress analysis of 172 reactivated faults that offset passages in 28 caves near major faults. Constrained maximum age of caves, our results indicate that the NCA have been subjected to N to NE trending compression since Pliocene. Faulted speleothems dated with 230Th/U method, indicate that the recorded present-day stress state did not significantly change during the last 0.5 Ma. In contrast to the previously proposed post-Miocene N-S extension of NCA, but in agreement with what was observed in Vienna and Pannonian basins, we conclude that the eastward extrusion resulting from N-S convergence has continued despite a distinct slowdown of plate tectonic velocities in the late Miocene. The N-S extension affected only the Alpine front during Pliocene Molasse basin inversion, while at the scale of the Alpine orogen the NCA underwent successive N-S shortening and E-W stretching.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22737-5 |
| spellingShingle | Jacek Szczygieł Ivo Baroň Rostislav Melichar Lukas Plan Ivanka Mitrović-Woodell Eva Kaminsky Denis Scholz Bernhard Grasemann Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous Alps Scientific Reports |
| title | Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous Alps |
| title_full | Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous Alps |
| title_fullStr | Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous Alps |
| title_full_unstemmed | Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous Alps |
| title_short | Post-Miocene tectonics of the Northern Calcareous Alps |
| title_sort | post miocene tectonics of the northern calcareous alps |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22737-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jacekszczygieł postmiocenetectonicsofthenortherncalcareousalps AT ivobaron postmiocenetectonicsofthenortherncalcareousalps AT rostislavmelichar postmiocenetectonicsofthenortherncalcareousalps AT lukasplan postmiocenetectonicsofthenortherncalcareousalps AT ivankamitrovicwoodell postmiocenetectonicsofthenortherncalcareousalps AT evakaminsky postmiocenetectonicsofthenortherncalcareousalps AT denisscholz postmiocenetectonicsofthenortherncalcareousalps AT bernhardgrasemann postmiocenetectonicsofthenortherncalcareousalps |