628
rope (Fig. 12.41a) and is relatively young. Its evolution is affected by continental escape in the eastern
Alps, caused by the indentation of the Adriatic
microplate into the European plate in the Neogene,
and the collision of several smaller plates farther east
with the European plate. The Pannonian basin is currendy interpreted by most authors as a retroarc
transtensional "successor" basin showing features of
both extension and lateral displacement (cf. Sect.
12.8). It also experienced periods of compression and
large-sca1e bending causing zones of uplift and subsidence and thus changing thicknesses of Pliocene
and Quaternary sediments. At the east-west directed
mid-Hungarian line, the Pannonian basin is separated
along a north-dipping detachment fault into a northern and southern crustal block. Here, both normal
and reverse faulting (inversion) was observed in seismic lines (not shown in Fig. 12.41).
From east to west the basin is about 800 km long and from
north to south 400 km wide. The Pannonian region was
deformed during the final stage of thrusting and folding in
the outer part of the Carpathians and Dinarides. Thrusting
was directed outward from the Pannonian basin toward the
European platform and the Adriatic region. Extension of
the Pannonian plate fragment occurred along a conjugate
system of faults and was accompanied by plate rotation and
strike-slip (Fig. 12.41a). Size and shape of the resulting
special troughs including pull-apart basins (cf. Sect. 12.8)
vary considerably, but their long axes more or less follow
the directions ofthe dominant fault system.
Earlier studies in the Pannonian basin have been summarized by Royden and Horväth (1988). The brief description of the basin mainly follows this comprehensive work.
More specific topics have been dealt with by Burchfiel and
Royden (1988), Mattick et al. 1988; Nikolaevet al. (1989),
Csat6 (1993). New results and interpretations about the
evolution ofthe Pannonian basin have been presented, e.g.,
by Horvath (1993), Tari et al. (1993), Mann (1997), Tari
and Pamic 1998, Csontos and Nagymarosy (1998), and
Bada et al. (1999).
Sediment Successions
The subbasins of the Pannonian system were successively filled from north or east to south and southwest. Paleogene sediments occur only in limited
areas. The northemmost subbasins near the mountain
belt (Vienna and Transcarpathian basins, Fig.
12.41a,b) subsided and were mainly filled in the
early to middle Miocene, i.e., prior to the basins farther south (Danube, Zala, Drava, Mako and Bekes
basins) where rapid subsidence began in the middle
Miocene. Neogene sediments also overlie the internal
Mesozoic thrust sheets of the surrounding mountain
belts, for example below the Vienna basin.
A general trend in basin filling is caused by the
migration of extension and subsidence is indicated in
Fig. 12.41e,t). Generally, the basins display shallowing-upward sediment successions (Fig. 12.41g). The
Chapter 12 Basin Evolution and Sediments
Neogene-Quatemary sediments exceed 7 km in thickness in some subbasins. The subduction-re1ated deformation of the Pannonian basin was accompanied
by Miocene ca1calkaline vo1canism and younger alkali basalts. Their material contributed to the filling
of the basins.
Commonly, Neogene continental or transgressive marine
sediments are overlain by shallow-marine shales and marls
with sandy intercalations. During the early, marine deepwater stage of the basins, predominantly marly, hemipelagic sediments with turbidites and submarine fans including gravity mass flows were deposited. The depths of the
troughs may have been in the order of 1000 m; stagnant
water conditions occurred in several basins. Variable facies
and thicknesses of the sediments as weil as unconformities
are common, due to synsedimentary faulting, uplift and
tilting of individual blocks.
As subsidence slowed, the basins were filled by prodelta
and delta front sediments. In the middle to late MiocenelPliocene, a large, relatively deep freshwater lake existed. This accumulated up to 2000 m of Pliocene sediments in the southem basin. The final stages were characterized by delta plains, brackish and freshwater lakes, and
fluvial deposits ofthe evolving Dantibe River and its tributaries.
The tectonically induced complications in the basin fills
are also known from the Vienna basin (Fig. 12.41b,c). This
hosts a significant oil and gas field and has therefore been
thoroughly explored by numerous drill holes during the last
60 years (Wessely 1988, cf. Sect. 12.8).
The Aegean Sea
Pannonian-type intramontane backarc basins which
are deformed by continuing mountain building proces ses and continental escape are also found in other
regions. The Aegean Sea behind the Hellenie arc in
the eastern Mediterranean may be regarded as a modem example of such a basin which is still inundated
by the Sea (Fig. 12.40e).
This area is underlain by thinned continental crust and subjected to rapid extension (2-6 crnla during the last 70
years). Recent measurements by means ofthe Global Positioning System (GPS) have yielded a N-S extension rate of
3 crnla. In total, the crust appears to have extended in the
order of 100%, and the basin started to subside in the Miocene. Turkey, i.e. the Anatolian platt: south of the North
Anatolian transform fault, moves westward towards the
Aegean Sea at a rate of 3 crnla. As a result of these plate
motions, the northern Aegean Sea developed, and a number
of young graben structures opened in western Turkey and
in the Aegean Sea (Fig. 12.40e; cf. Sect. 12.1.4). It seems
that these are not bounded by steep normal faults, but are
rather associated with low-angle detachment zones as discussed in Sect. 12.1.2. The Aegean Sea with its many islands is a weil known volcanic province. The northern rnargin of this retroarc basi'1 is emerged and represents a former Alpine collision zone.
For further information see, e.g., Le Pichon (1982),
Jacobshagen and Giese (1986), Jackson and McKenzie
rope (Fig. 12.41a) and is relatively young. Its evolution is affected by continental escape in the eastern
Alps, caused by the indentation of the Adriatic
microplate into the European plate in the Neogene,
and the collision of several smaller plates farther east
with the European plate. The Pannonian basin is currendy interpreted by most authors as a retroarc
transtensional "successor" basin showing features of
both extension and lateral displacement (cf. Sect.
12.8). It also experienced periods of compression and
large-sca1e bending causing zones of uplift and subsidence and thus changing thicknesses of Pliocene
and Quaternary sediments. At the east-west directed
mid-Hungarian line, the Pannonian basin is separated
along a north-dipping detachment fault into a northern and southern crustal block. Here, both normal
and reverse faulting (inversion) was observed in seismic lines (not shown in Fig. 12.41).
From east to west the basin is about 800 km long and from
north to south 400 km wide. The Pannonian region was
deformed during the final stage of thrusting and folding in
the outer part of the Carpathians and Dinarides. Thrusting
was directed outward from the Pannonian basin toward the
European platform and the Adriatic region. Extension of
the Pannonian plate fragment occurred along a conjugate
system of faults and was accompanied by plate rotation and
strike-slip (Fig. 12.41a). Size and shape of the resulting
special troughs including pull-apart basins (cf. Sect. 12.8)
vary considerably, but their long axes more or less follow
the directions ofthe dominant fault system.
Earlier studies in the Pannonian basin have been summarized by Royden and Horväth (1988). The brief description of the basin mainly follows this comprehensive work.
More specific topics have been dealt with by Burchfiel and
Royden (1988), Mattick et al. 1988; Nikolaevet al. (1989),
Csat6 (1993). New results and interpretations about the
evolution ofthe Pannonian basin have been presented, e.g.,
by Horvath (1993), Tari et al. (1993), Mann (1997), Tari
and Pamic 1998, Csontos and Nagymarosy (1998), and
Bada et al. (1999).
Sediment Successions
The subbasins of the Pannonian system were successively filled from north or east to south and southwest. Paleogene sediments occur only in limited
areas. The northemmost subbasins near the mountain
belt (Vienna and Transcarpathian basins, Fig.
12.41a,b) subsided and were mainly filled in the
early to middle Miocene, i.e., prior to the basins farther south (Danube, Zala, Drava, Mako and Bekes
basins) where rapid subsidence began in the middle
Miocene. Neogene sediments also overlie the internal
Mesozoic thrust sheets of the surrounding mountain
belts, for example below the Vienna basin.
A general trend in basin filling is caused by the
migration of extension and subsidence is indicated in
Fig. 12.41e,t). Generally, the basins display shallowing-upward sediment successions (Fig. 12.41g). The
Chapter 12 Basin Evolution and Sediments
Neogene-Quatemary sediments exceed 7 km in thickness in some subbasins. The subduction-re1ated deformation of the Pannonian basin was accompanied
by Miocene ca1calkaline vo1canism and younger alkali basalts. Their material contributed to the filling
of the basins.
Commonly, Neogene continental or transgressive marine
sediments are overlain by shallow-marine shales and marls
with sandy intercalations. During the early, marine deepwater stage of the basins, predominantly marly, hemipelagic sediments with turbidites and submarine fans including gravity mass flows were deposited. The depths of the
troughs may have been in the order of 1000 m; stagnant
water conditions occurred in several basins. Variable facies
and thicknesses of the sediments as weil as unconformities
are common, due to synsedimentary faulting, uplift and
tilting of individual blocks.
As subsidence slowed, the basins were filled by prodelta
and delta front sediments. In the middle to late MiocenelPliocene, a large, relatively deep freshwater lake existed. This accumulated up to 2000 m of Pliocene sediments in the southem basin. The final stages were characterized by delta plains, brackish and freshwater lakes, and
fluvial deposits ofthe evolving Dantibe River and its tributaries.
The tectonically induced complications in the basin fills
are also known from the Vienna basin (Fig. 12.41b,c). This
hosts a significant oil and gas field and has therefore been
thoroughly explored by numerous drill holes during the last
60 years (Wessely 1988, cf. Sect. 12.8).
The Aegean Sea
Pannonian-type intramontane backarc basins which
are deformed by continuing mountain building proces ses and continental escape are also found in other
regions. The Aegean Sea behind the Hellenie arc in
the eastern Mediterranean may be regarded as a modem example of such a basin which is still inundated
by the Sea (Fig. 12.40e).
This area is underlain by thinned continental crust and subjected to rapid extension (2-6 crnla during the last 70
years). Recent measurements by means ofthe Global Positioning System (GPS) have yielded a N-S extension rate of
3 crnla. In total, the crust appears to have extended in the
order of 100%, and the basin started to subside in the Miocene. Turkey, i.e. the Anatolian platt: south of the North
Anatolian transform fault, moves westward towards the
Aegean Sea at a rate of 3 crnla. As a result of these plate
motions, the northern Aegean Sea developed, and a number
of young graben structures opened in western Turkey and
in the Aegean Sea (Fig. 12.40e; cf. Sect. 12.1.4). It seems
that these are not bounded by steep normal faults, but are
rather associated with low-angle detachment zones as discussed in Sect. 12.1.2. The Aegean Sea with its many islands is a weil known volcanic province. The northern rnargin of this retroarc basi'1 is emerged and represents a former Alpine collision zone.
For further information see, e.g., Le Pichon (1982),
Jacobshagen and Giese (1986), Jackson and McKenzie