GEOLOGIJA 40, 325-331 (1997), Ljubljana 1998
Paleomagnetic, Tectonic and Stratigraphie Correlation
of Tertia^ Formations in Slovenia and Hungary along
the Periadriatic and Mid-Hungarian Tectonic Zone
(Preliminary Communication)
Paleomagnetska, tektonska in stratigrafska korelacija terciarja vzdolž
periadriatske cone v Sloveniji in srednjemadžarske tektonske cone
(Predhodno obvestilo)
Bogomir Jelen', Emo Márton\ László Fodor\ Maria Báldi*, Jože Čar\
Helena Rifelj', Dragomir Skaberne' & Marko Vrabec^
^Institute for Geology, Geotechnics and Geophysics, Dimičeva 14, 1109 Ljubljana, Slovenia
^Eötvös Loránd Geophysical Institute of Hungary, Columbus u. 17-23, 1145 Budapest, Hungary
'Department of Applied and Environmental Geology, Eötvös Loránd University, Múzeum
krt. 4/A, 1088 Budapest, Hungary
''Rákóczi u. 42, 2096 üröm, Hungary
^Geological Department, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana
Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Key words: Paleomagnetism, structural geology, tectonics, stratigraphy. Tertiary,
Slovenia, Hungary
Ključne besede: paleomagnetizem, strukturna geologija, tektonika, stratigrafija,
terciar, Slovenija, Madžarska
Introduction
A project with the above title vjas conducted from 1995-1996 as a part of the Slo-
venian-Hungarian intergovernmental science and technology cooperation program
under the No. 21/95. Although the thorough reporting of results u^ill be published so-
on, we provide here a preliminary account of our activities and preliminary results.
Preliminary Communication
The understanding of the stratigraphy of the Tertiary in Eastern Slovenia was im-
proved with the application of a tectonostratigraphic model (Jelen et al., 1992).
Stratigraphie research showed that the Donat tectonic zone is a contact between two
tectonostratigraphic units, and that the role of the zone is equivalent to the role of
the Buda line in Hungary (Jelen et al., 1992). This new aspects of the correlation
326_В. Jelen, E. Márton, L. Fodor, M. Báldi, J. Čar, H. Rifelj, D. Skaberne & M. Vrabec
of the Tertiary formations within the Periadriatic zone, the mid-Hungarian tectonic
zone, and the adjacent areas, are important from the viewpoint of the continental
escape tectonics along the Periadriatic zone, and mid-Hungarian zone (Jelen,
1994) because of the collision of the European and African tectonic plates (K á z m é r,
1984; Kázmér & Kovács, 1985). In the escape process the units of the Carpa-
tho-Pannonian area must have moved eastward. Thus, the formerly uniform Paleoge-
ne basin may be found today in two pieces, the northern part in Hungary and sou-
thern Slovakia, and the southern part in Slovenia (C s o n t o s et al., 1992). The dex-
tral separation of these pieces was estimated by Kázmér (1984) to be 450-500 km
and by Tari (1994) to be 350-550 km.
Since the first application of the escape theory to the Alpine-Carpathian-Pannoni-
an region in the last decade, many studies have dealt with different aspects of it. Ho-
wever, the problem is very complex, and several questions have remained unanswe-
red. Our project concentrated on the following aspects of this problem:
1.	Direct stratigraphie comparison (not using information from the literature only)
of the Slovenian and the Hungarian Paleogene basins.
2.	The study of the manner and timing of the tectonic movements in the "source"
area of the displaced continental slivers in N Slovenia.
For these purposes, paleomagnetic method was applied for the first time in the
Tertiary of Eastern Slovenia, along with microtectonic measurements and analysis
which revealed the orientation of paleostress axes, enabled the separation of diffe-
rent stress regimes and their timing, and constrained the kinematics of movements
along faults.
For direct stratigraphical comparison, the Slovenian team with the guidance of
the Hungarian party made two field trips to Hungary and examined the following
Tertiary formations (middle Eocene through Karpatian): Darvastó Formation, Szöc
Formation, Padrag Formation, Dorog Formation, Szépvôlgy Formation, Piszke For-
mation, Buda Formation, Tard Formation, lower part of Kiscell Formation, Iharkut
Formation, Mäny Formation, Csatka Formation, Eger Formation, Szécsény Forma-
tion, Pétervására and Budafok Formation, Gyulakeszi rhyolite tuff horizons, Garáb
Formation and Egyházasgerge Formation. Micropaleontologic samples were taken
for the biostratigraphic correlation. Nannoplankton biostratigraphy and biochrono-
logy of the Slovenian sections was established by M. Báldi. Lithostratigraphy, fora-
miniferal biostratigraphy and biochronology and stratigraphie correlation were per-
formed at the Institute for Geology, Geotechnics and Geophysics, Ljubljana.
The stratigraphie correlation gave important results. Stratigraphie equivalents of
the Szépvôlgy Limestone, Buda Marl and Tard Clay and sedimentary transition from
Eocene beds into Oligocene beds have been found for the first time in Slovenia. Bio-
stratigraphic analysis revealed nannoplankton biochronozone NP 21 and planktonic
foraminifera biochronozone 7P17/P18 (uppermost Priabonian) for the Slovenian equ-
ivalent of the Szépvôlgy Limestone, nannoplankton biochronozone NP 21 and plank-
tonic foraminifera biochronozone PI8 (uppermost Priabonian and lowermost
Rupelian) for the Slovenian equivalent of the Buda Marl, and nannoplankton bio-
chronozones from NP 21 through the lower part of NP 23 and planktonic foraminife-
ra biochronozones from P18 through aproximately PI9 (lower Rupelian) for the Slo-
venian equivalent of the Tard Clay. These stratigraphie units which were found from
Luče area (upper Savinja valley) in the west to Rogaška Slatina area in the east charac-
terize a tectonostratigraphic unit bounded by Donat tectonic zone (in sensu Jelen et
al., 1992) and Celje fault (in sensu В u s e r, 1979).
Paleomagnetic, Tectonic and Stratigraphie Correlation of Tertiary_327
Structural measurment were carried out by a joint Hungarian-Slovenian team at
90 localities in Slovenia along the eastern terminantion of the Periadriatic zone and
in the surrounding areas. The measured data were analysed and different deformati-
on phases were separated. Paleostress calculations were carried out for sites where
permitted by the data sets (the presence of slickensided fault planes). Tectonic and
structural analyses and interpretations were made at the Department of Applied and
Environmental Geology of Eötvös Loránd University and at the Department of Geo-
logy, University of Ljubljana.
Our analysis demonstrates repeated, progressive dextral transpression of the study
area within and in-between the large shear zones of Periadriatic-Šoštanj and Sava-
Celje faults. The brittle deformation is characterized by NW-SE to N-S compression
and perpendicular tension. The penetrative strike-slip faulting was accompanied
with folding and verticalization of beds (as in the Donat tectonic zone). Between the
shear zones, in a rather rigid Savinja block, sinistral transpression occured in the
west (Smrekovec area), and dextral transtension in the east due to the accompanying
mechanisms of deformation. These observations indicate a modified tectonic model
of relatively rigid domino blocks rotating clockwise between the two dextral strike-
slip zones.
Dextral transpresion started in Early Miocene and occured in several more inten-
sive periods until the recent time.
Detailed study of the young transtensional activity and the relative timing of tec-
tonic events was made in the Velenje basin area with use of the subsurface data.
The paleomagnetic studies involved drilling and orienting of paleomagnetic sam-
ples in the field by a Hungarian-Slovenian team. So far 69 localities (577 samples) we-
re measured, demagnetized in several steps and finally evaluated from paleomagnetic
point of view in the Paleomagnetic Laboratory of Eötvös Loránd Geophysical Institu-
te of Hungary. About half of the samples were collected and processed before the start
of the present project, but the conclusions we make here are based on all observations.
The main results of the paleomagnetic studies are the following:
1.	A relatively large area (with Eastern Alpine basement) north of the Periadriatic
lineament and the Ljutomer fault is characterised by 30-40° uniform counterclockwi-
se rotation. The age of the rotation is post-Badenian, not yet constrained more preci-
sely. This area must have moved as a single microplate.
2.	In the area with Dinaric basement, south of the Sava-Celje fault system, data
from the Tertiary show very moderate (up to 20°) clockwise rotation.
3.	The zone between the above described rotated blocks is a complex shear zone,
characterised mostly by large (60-140°) clockwise rotations. The distribution of the
paleomagnetic declinations in time indicates that the rotations occured in at least
two tectonic phases, the first taking place in late Karpatian (about 16.5 Ma) and the
second in post-Pontian (younger than 6 Ma) time.
4.	In certain places, counterclockwise rotated or apparently non-rotated localities
are found. This might be explained by the complex internal structure of the shear zo-
nes themselves which are right-lateral, yet allow counterclockwise rotation between
a pair of secondary sinistral shear zones.
The orientation of stress axes, the presence and amount of tectonic rotation of the
blocks, the chronology of deformation, and the resulting fault patterns were compa-
red to similar data from central, north-eastern and southern Hungary. Our research
confirmed the earlier suggestions that the Slovenian and the north-eastern Hungari-
an Paleogene basin segments must have formed a single uniform basin. Contrary to
328_В. Jelen, E. Márton, L. Fodor, M. Báldi, J. Čar, H. Rifelj, D. Skaberne & M. Vrabec
the current opinion, our results imply that the Slovenian part of the Paleogene basin
is not a homogeneous unit, but rather an assemblage of tectonic slices that originated
in different Paleogene basins. The Early Miocene dextral slip along the Periadriatic
fault system and the shear zone of Slovenia continued into the mid-Hungarian zone
between the Lake Balaton and the Mecsek area.
The results of this project are important for the future geodynamic interpretations
and reconstructions of the Alpine-Dinaric-Carpathian-Pannonian region. The stress
field evolution of the study area, the young rotations indicated by paleomagnetic me-
asurements, the chronology of intesive tectonic periods and related faulting, especi-
ally the indications for the Quaternary to Recent activity, are meaningful for the regi-
onal seismic risk evaluation. The structural correlation with the Hungarian side of
the study area, where hydrocarbon resources are present, gives new insights for the
hydrocarbon exploration in Slovenia.
Our studies answered several questions concerning the stratigraphie and tectonic
evolution of the Alpine-Carpatho-Pannonian area. At the same time, they suggest
new fields of investigation especially in constraining the timing of the young move-
ments, exact reconstruction of the formerly Paleogene basin and diagenesis.
Acknowledgement
The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Science and Technology of Slovenia, to
the Hungarian National Committee for Technological Development, to OTKA (Hun-
garian National Science Foundation) research grants (number T 017008 and F
014186), and to Dr. B. Ogorelec, Head of the Department of Petrology and Paleonto-
logy of the Institute for Geology, Geotechnics and Geophysics in Ljubljana, for ma-
king this research possible.
Paleomagnetska, tektonska in stratigrafska korelacija terciarja vzdolž
periadriatske cone v Sloveniji in srednjemadžarske tektonske cone
Uvod
V letih 1995-1996 je v okviru slovensko-madžarskega medvladnega programa o
znanstveno-tehnološkem sodelovanju tekel projekt št. 21/95 z zgornjim naslovom.
Čeprav bodo objave kmalu tiskane, želimo predhodno poročati o projektu in njegovih
rezultatih.
Predhodno obvestilo
Razumevanje stratigrafske zgradbe terciarja vzhodne Slovenije se je popolnoma
spremenilo s postavitvijo tektonostratigrafskega modela (Jelen et al., 1992).
Novi vidik smo vzeli za ključnega pri potrjevanju hipoteze o bočnem iztisnjenju de-
la kontinentalne skorje v vzhodnih Alpah (zasilni prevod angleškega izraza lateral ex-
trusion ali tudi continental escape) (Jelen, 1994), ki sta jo postavila Kázmér
(1984) in Kázmér in Kovács (1985). V okviru hipoteze sta domnevala o 450-500
Paleomagnetska, tektonska in stratigrafska korelacija terciarja..._З^
km dolgem desnem zmiku ob periadriatskem lineamentu in balatonski liniji; še neko-
liko daljšega, 350-550 km, pa Tari (1994). Csontos s sodelavci (1992) so zatem
domnevali o razmaknitvi prvotno enotnega paleogenskega bazena na slovenski paleo-
genski bazen (SPB) in madžarski paleogenski bazen (MPB). Čeprav so se od postavitve
hipoteze o bočnem iztisnjenju v E Alpah mnoge raziskave ukvarjale s številnimi
problemi iztisnjenja, zaradi zapletenosti še vedno niso pojasnjeni vsi njegovi vidiki.
S projektom smo se lotili naslednjih dveh vidikov:
1.	neposredne stratigrafske korelacije SPB in MPB,
2.	načina in časovnega poteka tektonskih premikanj v severni in vzhodni Sloveniji,
ki je po Csontosu s sodelavci (1992) izhodišče pobega.
Da bi dobili kriterije za presojanje, smo si v MPB ogledali razvoje terciarnih for-
macij od srednjega eocena do karpatija: formacijo Darvastó, formacijo Szöc, forma-
cijo Padrag, formacijo Dorog, formacijo Szépvôlgy, formaciji Piszka in Buda, forma-
cijo Tard, spodnji del formacije Kiscell, formacije Szécsény, Pétervására in Budafok,
spodnjemiocenske Gyulakesci horizonte riolitnih tufov in formaciji Gáráb ter
Egyházasgerge in vzeli mikropaleontološke vzorce za biostratigrafsko korelacijo. Na
novo smo morali raziskati stratigrafsko zgradbo v tektonostratigrafski enoti SPB
med donačko tektonsko cono (v smislu Jelen et al., 1992) in celjskim prelomom (v
smislu B u s e r j a, 1979). V periadriatski coni in v podaljšku srednjemadžarske tek-
tonske cone v Slovenijo ter južno in severno od njiju smo izvedli mikrotektonske me-
ritve in strukturno analizo ter opravili paleomagnetske meritve zasukov tektonskih
blokov. Sledili so korelacijski postopki. Paleomagnetske meritve in interpretacije so
bile opravljene v Paleomagnetskem laboratoriju Geofizikalnega inštituta Eötvös
Loránd v Budimpešti, tektonska in strukturna analiza ter interpretacije pa na Oddel-
ku za uporabno geologijo in okolje budipeštanske univerze Eötvös Loránd in na Od-
delku za geologijo Naravoslovnotehniške fakultete v Ljubljani. Nanoplanktonsko bi-
ostratigrafijo in biokronologijo je za slovenske razvoje razvrstila dr M. Baldi. Na Inš-
titutu za geologijo, geotehniko in geofiziko v Ljubljani pa smo prispevali litostrati-
grafijo, foraminiferno biostratigrafijo z biokronologijo in stratigrafsko korelacijo.
Stratigrafska raziskava je dala pomembne kriterije za presojanje. Prvič smo v Slo-
veniji ugotovili sedimentacijski prehod iz eocenskih v oligocenske plasti in da so kar-
bonatni in siliciklastični razvoji med donačko prelomno cono in celjskim prelomom
stratigrafski ekvivalenti razvojem v MPB: Szépvôlgy apnencem, Buda laporjem in
Tard glinam. Karbonatni razvoj, ekvivaleten Szépvôlgy apnencem, pripada nano-
planktonski biokronoconi NP21 oziroma planktonski foraminiferni biokronoconi
7P17/P18 (najvišji priabonij). Razvoj, ekvivalenten Buda laporjem, pripada biokrono-
coni NP 21 oziroma P18 (najvišji priabonij in najnižji rupelij). Razvoj, ekvivalenten
Tard glinam, pripada biokronoconam od NP 21 do spodnjega dela NP 23 oziroma od
P18 do približno P19 (spodnji rupelij). Dosedanji raziskovalci so tem ekvivalentom,
ki so bili ugotovljeni od Luč v zgornji Savinjski dolini do Rogaške Slatine, določali
drugačne starosti.
Mikrotektonske meritve smo opravili na 90 golicah. Rezultat terenskih meritev,
določitev smeri glavnih napetosti in tektonske analize ter reinterpretacije listov
osnovne geološke karte Slovenije 1:100 000 je nova strukturna karta severne in vzho-
dne Slovenije. Ugotovljeni so bili različni tipi in časovna obdobja deformiranja. V
območju velenjskega bazena smo z analizo podpovršinskih podatkov podrobno preu-
čili mlado transtenzijsko aktivnost in relativno kronologijo tektonskih dogodkov.
Desna progresivna transpresija, ki se je začela v spodnjem miocenu, traja z izrazi-
tejšimi obdobji do danes. Izraža se v dveh močnih strižnih conah: (1) med periadriat-
330_В. Jelen, E. Márton, L. Fodor, M. Báldi, J. Čar, H. Rifelj, D. Skaberne & M. Vrabec
skim lineamentom in šoštanjskim prelomom in (2) ob savsko-celjskem prelomu. Vmes
je relativno togi savinjski blok, na zahodu deformiran s transpresijskimi in na vzho-
du s transtenzijskimi razmerami. Penetrativne zmike je spremljalo gubanje in verti-
kalizacija plasti (npr. v Donački prelomni coni). Disjunktivne tektonske deformacije
so posledica tlačnih napetosti v smereh NW-SE do N-S in nateznih napetosti pravo-
kotno na smer tlačnih napetosti.
Za paleomagnetsko raziskavo zasukov tektonskih blokov smo na 69 lokacijah vzeli
577 orientiranih jeder. Približno polovica vzorcev je bila odvzeta, merjena in inter-
pretirana že pred začetkom projekta.
Glavni rezultati paleomagnetske raziskave so naslednji:
1.	Severno od periadriatskega lineamenta in ljutomerskega preloma, kjer so v po-
dlagi terciarja kamenine vzhodnoalpskega razvoja, neogenske sedimentne kamenine
enotno izkazujejo rotacijo za 30-40° v nasprotni smeri urinega kazalca. Zasuk se je
zgodil po badeniju in še ni natančneje datiran. Območje se je sukalo kot mikroplošča.
2.	Južno od savskega in celjskega preloma, kjer leži terciar na dinaridih, so ugo-
tovljeni zasuki do 20° v smeri urinega kazalca.
3.	Med blokoma z vzhodnoalpsko in dinarsko podlago je zapleteno zgrajena prev-
ladujoče desno zmična strižna cona z velikimi zasuki (60-140°) v smeri urinega kazal-
ca. Porazdelitev paleomagnetskih deklinacij v času kaže na vsaj dve tektonski fazi
kot povzročiteljici zasukov. Prva se je dogodila v poznem karpatiju pred =16,5 milijo-
nov let in druga po pontiju pred manj kot 6 milijonov let.
4.	Znotraj strižne cone so ugotovljeni tudi zasuki v nasprotni smeri od urinega ka-
zalca in ničelne rotacije. Razlagamo si jih s podrejenimi deformacijami v desnozmi-
čnih strižnih conah, ko med dvema sekundarnima levostrižnima conama pride do za-
suka v nasprotni smeri urinega kazalca.
Tektonska, paleomagnetska in stratigrafska korelacija je pokazala, da se slovenska
strižna cona nadaljuje v srednjemadžarsko tektonsko (strižno) cono med Balatonskim
jezerom in Mecsekom in da SPB leži južno od strižne cone, MPB, ki je bil z desnim
zmikom premeščen daleč na vzhod, pa severno od strižne cone. Menimo, da je projek-
tna raziskava potrdila hipotezi K á z m é r j a (1984), Kázmérjá in Kovácsa
(1985) in Csontosa s sodelavci (1992). V nasprotju s prejšnjimi raziskavami smo
ugotovili, da SPB ni homogena enota, temveč je sestavljena iz tektonskih fragmentov,
ki izhajajo iz različnih paleogenskih bazenov.
Rezultati projekta so pomembni za bodoče geodinamske interpretacije in rekon-
strukcije Alpske-Dinarske-Karpatske-Panonske regije. Evolucija napetostnega polja,
mladi zasuki tektonskih blokov in dodanašnje tektonske aktivnosti bodo zelo po-
membni za oceno seizmične tveganosti. Nekatere raziskovane strukture so na Ma-
džarskem nosilke fosilnih ogljikovodikov, zato bodo lahko rezultati strukturne kore-
lacije v pomoč bodočemu iskanju nafte in plina v Sloveniji.
S projektom smo odgovorili na več vprašanj povezanih z bočnim iztisnjenjem kon-
tinentalne skorje v vzhodnih Alpah. Hkrati pa so se postavila nova vprašanja, kot
npr.: datiranje mladih tektonskih premikov, rekonstrukcija prvotnega bazena in po-
tek diageneze bazenskih sedimentov.
Paleomagnetska, tektonska in stratigrafska korelacija terciarja..._331
Zahvala
Raziskavo so omogočili Ministrstvo za znanost in tehnologijo Republike Slovenije
in Nacionalni komite za tehnološki razvoj Republike Madžarske s slovensko-madžar-
skim medvladnim projektom št. 21/95, Ministrstvo za znanost in tehnologijo Republi-
ke Slovenije s projektoma št. Jl-7018-0215 in Jl-7017-0215 iz nacionalnega razisko-
valnega programa, OTKA (Hungarian National Science Foundation) s projektoma št.
TO 17008 in FO14186 in vodja Oddelka za petrologijo in paleontologijo na Inštitutu za
geologijo, geotehniko in geofiziko dr. B. Ogorelec, za kar se jim avtorji iskreno zahva-
ljujemo.
References
B u s e r, S. 1979: Tolmač lista Celje (Geology of Sheet Celje). - Zvezni geološki zavod, 72 pp.,
Beograd.
Csontos, L., Nagymarosy, A., Horváth, F. & Kovác, M. 1992: Tertiary evo-
lution of the Intra-Carpathian area: a model. - Tectonophysics, 208, 221-241, Amsterdam.
Jelen, B. 1994: Koncepti nove znanstvene paradigme za stratigrafsko paleontologijo. -
Glasnik slovenske matice, 18, 1-2, 18-29, Ljubljana.
Jelen, B., A n i č i Ć, B., B r e z i g a r. A., B u s e r. S., Cimerman, F., Drobne,
K., Monostori, M., Kedves, M., P a v š i č, J. & Skaberne, D. 1992: Model of po-
sitional relationships for Upper Paleogene and Miocene strata in Slovenia. Interdisciplinary
conference on the Miocene with emphasis on the Umbria-Marche sequence, Ancona, 11-15 No-
vember - Abstracts and field trips, 71-72, Ancona.
Kázmér, M. 1984: Continental escape of the Bakony - Drauzug Unit in the Paleogene. -
General Geological Review, 20, 53-101, Budapest.
Kázmér, M. & Kovács, S. 1985: Permian-Paleogene paleogeography along the ea-
stern part of the Insubric-Periadriatic Lineament System: evidence for continental escape of the
Bakony - Drauzug Unit. - Acta Geol. Hung., 28, 1/2, 71-84, Budapest.
Tari, G. 1994: Alpine tectonics of the Pannonian basin. - Unpubl. PhD Thesis, Rice Uni-
versity, Houston, 501 pp. Texas.