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Abstract
The Pannonian basinCarpathian system displays pronounced lateral variation in lithopsheric structure and sedimentary basin conguration. The tectonic history of the system is characterised by a polyphase history with Late Miocene extension in the Pannonian basin and
simultaneously occurring compression in the Carpathian arc.
Pre-existing structures play a key role in subsequent basin reactivation, explaining anomalous features in subsidence characteristics and
inferred thinning factors. The area exhibits a relatively high level of neotectonic activity, imaged by high resolution seismic data, intraplate
seismicity and stress indicator data. Major parts of the system have experienced a rapid late Neogene uplift and erosion, amounting up to
several kilometres in the Romanian Carpathians.
A major part of the present basin conguration, previously primarily attributed to basin formation mechanisms such as stretching in the
Pannonian basin and lithospheric exure in the Carpathians, appears to be strongly affected by recent deformation, postdating basin
formation of the Pannonian basin and the Carpathian foredeep.
These ndings affect modelling predictions of basin subsidence, sediment sourcing, thermal evolution and hydrodynamic regime with
implications for hydrocarbon play-concepts in the area. q 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: PannonianCarpathian system; Lithospheric memory; Stress eld controls
1. Introduction
The PannonianCarpathian, Dinarides region has been the
focus of a considerable body of recent research focussing on
the integration of geophysical and geological data, making it
a key area for integrated basin studies. At the same time the
area has attracted considerable attention in the context of its
potential for hydrocarbons and in the light of renewed interest in the evaluation of petroleum plays in the Pannonian
basin and surrounding thrust belts (Popescu, 1994; Teleki,
Mattick, & Kokai, 1994; Wessely & Liebl, 1996).
A vast database, containing geophysical and geological
data, has been established in the last decades as a result of a
major international research effort for this area, largely
carried out in the framework of European programmes
such as the EU-Integrated Basin Studies Programme (Cloetingh, Durand, & Puigdefabregas, 1995; Cloetingh, Sassi, &
Horvath, 1993; Durand, Jolivet, Horvath, & Horvath, 1999),
the ALCAPA and PANCARDI programmes (Neubauer,
* Corresponding author. Tel.: 131-022-337-341; fax: 131-206-462-457.
E-mail address: cloeting@geo.vu.nl (S. Cloetingh).
0264-8172/01/$ - see front matter q 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0264-817 2(00)00040-4
Fig. 1. Typical characteristics of major lithospheric elements of the Pannonian basinCarpathian system conguration (after Horvath & Cloetingh, 1996).
Note the inferred excessive amount of subcrustal thinning and fault reactivation. 1. European foreland, 2. Alpine crust, 3. Neogene sediments, 4. Moho, 5.
Thermal base lithosphere, 6. Thrust faults, 7. Normal faults.
Fig. 2. Map of Moho depth (km) of the Carpathian Pannonian area constrained by seismics, reection data, heatow and quantitative subsidence modelling
adopting the depth dependent stretching model (Lenkey, 1999).
Fig. 3. Compilation of stress indicator data for present-day (upper panel) and palaeo stress at 17.515 Ma (lower panel) corresponding to timing of basin
formation in the Pannonian basin system (Bada, 1999). 1. Direction of s 3 (tensional stress eld). 2. Direction of s 1 (strikeslip stress eld). 3. Direction of s 1
(compressional stress eld). 4. Generalised direction of compression. 5. Generalised direction of tension.
Fig. 5. Effect of late stage compressional and extensional reactivation of extensional basin on basin geometry and hydrodynamic regime. An increase in the
level of late stage compression enhances the development of shoulder uplift leading to simultaneous subsidence in the basin centre and enhanced compaction
driven uid ow, whereas an increase in the level of intraplate stress yields the opposite effect (van Balen & Cloetingh, 1995).
10
thermo-mechanical properties in the area, with weak lithosphere in the Pannonian basin itself making it prone to late
stage basin reactivation.
Dynamic basin models of the interplay of lithospheric
stresses and lithospheric memory in the Pannonian basin
Carpathian arc can explain a number of anomalous patterns
in basin subsidence, sediment sourcing, heatow, and crustal and basin structure deviating from prediction generated
by rst generation basin models based on kinematic
concepts.
Acknowledgements
Frank Horvath, Franz Neubauer, Francois Roure, Reini
Zoetemeijer, Gabor Bada and Giovanni Bertotti are thanked
for inspiring discussions and comments on this paper. This
is NSG contribution number 20000602.
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