Thermal evolution of the Malá Fatra Mountains (Central Western Carpathians): insights from zircon and apatite fission track thermochronology

Abstract:The development of the Turiec Basin and landscape evolution in its catchment has been reconstructed by methods of geological research (structural geology, sedimentology, paleoecology, and geochronological data) as well as by geophysics and geomorphology. The basin and its surrounding mountains were a subject of a mass balance study during periods of tectonic activity, accompanied by considerable altitudinal differentiation of relief and also during quiet periods, characterized by a development of planation surfaces in the mountains. The coarse clastic alluvial fans deposited beneath the offshore pelitic sediments document the rapid Middle Miocene uplift of mountains on the margin of the Turiec Basin. The Late Miocene finegrained sedimentation represents the main fill of this basin and its origin was associated with the formation of planation surfaces in the surrounding mountains. The rapid uplift of the western and northern parts of the catchment area during the latest Miocene and Early Pliocene times further generated the deposition of coarse-grained alluvial fans. The Late Pliocene basin inversion, due to uplift of the whole Western Carpathians mountain chain, was associated with the formation of the Early Quaternary pediment and ultimately with the formation of the Turiec river terrace systems.

Section: Late Miocene Epoch Of Subsidence Burial Of the Pre-neogene supporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Mass Balance Approach Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Neogene and Quaternary development of the Turiec Basin and landscape in its catchment: a tentative mass balance model

Kováč¹,

Hók²,

Minár³

et al. 2011

“…Most of them can be related to the Paleogene/Neogene gravitational collapse and lateral extension of the CWC nappe stacks leading to fast cooling and exhumation of CWC crystalline complexes confirmed by fission track data (e.g. Kováč et al 1994;Danišík et al 2008Danišík et al , 2010 and/or by movements in the Central Slovak Fault System (Kováč & Hók 1993).…”

Section: Jurassic To Lower Cretaceous Complex (J-k1)mentioning

confidence: 96%

Structural pattern and emplacement mechanisms of the Krížna cover nappe (Central Western Carpathians)

Prokešová¹,

Plašienka²,

Milovský³

2012

Abstract:The Central Western Carpathians are characterized by both the thick-and thin-skinned thrust tectonics that originated during the Cretaceous. The Krížna Unit (Fatric Superunit) with a thickness of only a few km is the most widespread cover nappe system that completely overthrusts the Tatric basement/cover superunit over an area of about 12 thousands square km. In searching for a reliable model of its origin and emplacement, we have collected structural data throughout the nappe body from its hinterland backstop (Veporic Superunit) to its frontal parts. Fluid inclusion (FI) data from carbonate cataclastic rocks occurring at the nappe sole provided useful information about the p-T conditions during the nappe transport. The crucial phenomena considered for formulation of our evolutionary model are: (1) the nappe was derived from a broad rifted basinal area bounded by elevated domains; (2) the nappe body is composed of alternating, rheologically very variable sedimentary rock complexes, hence creating a mechanically stratified multilayer; (3) presence of soft strata serving as décollement horizons; (4) stress and strain gradients increasing towards the backstop; (5) progressive internal deformation at very low-grade conditions partitioned into several deformation stages reflecting varying external constraints for the nappe movement; (6) a very weak nappe sole formed by cataclasites indicating fluid-assisted nappe transport during all stages; (7) injection of hot overpressured fluids from external sources (deformed basement units) facilitating frontal ramp overthrusting under supralithostatic conditions. It was found that no simple mechanical model can be applied, but that all known principal emplacement mechanisms and driving forces temporarily participated in progressive structural evolution of the nappe. The rear compression operated during the early stages, when the sedimentary succession was detached, shortened and transported over the frontal ramp. Subsequently, gravity spreading and gliding governed the final nappe emplacement over the unconstrained basinal foreland.

“…Published ZFT data from the Tatra Belt yielded ages of ~70 Ma in the Považský Inovec Mts (Kováč et al 1994), ~53 Ma in the Tribeč Mts (Kováč et al 1994), and ~45 to 70 Ma in the Malá Fatra Mts and the basement of the Turiec Basin (Danišík et al 2010;Králiková 2013;Králiková et al 2014). In the southern zone of the CWC, the Veporic Unit yielded ZFT age of ~65-75 Ma (Plašienka et al 2007;Králiková 2013;Vojtko et al 2013) and the Gemeric Unit provided ZFT ages between ~62 and 88 Ma (Plašienka et al 2007).…”

Section: The Second Tectonic Stage (Ts-2; ~80-45 Ma)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cretaceous—Quaternary tectonic evolution of the Tatra Mts (Western Carpathians): constraints from structural, sedimentary, geomorphological, and fission track data

Králiková¹,

Vojtko²,

Sliva³

et al. 2014

Abstract:The Tatra Mts area, located in the northernmost part of Central Western Carpathians on the border between Slovakia and Poland, underwent a complex Alpine tectonic evolution. This study integrates structural, sedimentary, and geomorphological data combined with fission track data from the Variscan granite rocks to discuss the Cretaceous to Quaternary tectonic and landscape evolution of the Tatra Mts. The presented data can be correlated with five principal tectonic stages (TS), including neotectonics. TS-1 (~95-80 Ma) is related to mid-Cretaceous nappe stacking when the Tatric Unit was overlain by Mesozoic sequences of the Fatric and Hronic Nappes. After nappe stacking the Tatric crystalline basement was exhumed (and cooled) in response to the Late Cretaceous/Paleogene orogenic collapse followed by orogen-parallel extension. This is supported by 70 to 60 Ma old zircon fission track ages. Extensional tectonics were replaced by transpression to transtension during the Late Paleocene to Eocene (TS-2; ~80-45 Ma). TS-3 (~45-20 Ma) is documented by thick Oligocene-lowermost Miocene sediments of the Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin which kept the underlying Tatric crystalline basement at elevated temperatures (ca. >120 °C and <200 °C). The TS-4 (~20-7 Ma) is linked to slow Miocene exhumation rate of the Tatric crystalline basement, as it is indicated by apatite fission track data of 9-12 Ma. The final shaping of the Tatra Mts has been linked to accelerated tectonic activity since the Pliocene (TS-5; ~7-0 Ma).