Late Miocene sedimentary record of the Danube/Kisalföld Basin: interregional correlation of depositional systems, stratigraphy and structural evolution

Abstract

The Danube / Kisalföld Basin is the north-western sub-basin of the Pannonian Basin System. The lithostratigraphic subdivision of the several-km-thick Upper Miocene to Pliocene sedimentary succession related to Lake Pannon has been developed independently in Slovakia and Hungary. A study of the sedimentary formations across the entire basin led us to claim that these formations are identical or similar between the two basin parts to such an extent that their correlation is indeed a matter of nomenclature only. Nemčiňany corresponds to the Kálla Formation, representing locally derived coarse clastics along the basin margins (11- 9.5 Ma). The deep lacustrine sediments are collectively designated the Ivanka Formation in Slovakia, while in Hungary they are subdivided into Szák (fine-grained transgressive deposits above basement highs, 10.5 - 8.9 Ma), Endrőd (deep lacustrine marls, 11.6 -10 Ma), Szolnok (turbidites, 10.5 - 9.2 Ma) and Algyő Formations (fine-grained slope deposits, 10 - 9 Ma). The Beladice Formation represents shallow lacustrine deltaic deposits, fully corresponding to Újfalu (10.5 - 8.7 Ma). The overlying fluvial deposits are the Volkovce and Zagyva Formations (10 - 6 Ma). The synoptic description and characterization of these sediments offer a basin-wide insight into the development of the basin during the Late Miocene. The turbidite systems, the slope, the overlying deltaic and fluvial systems are all genetically related and are coeval at any time slice after the regression of Lake Pannon initiated about 10 Ma ago. All these formations get younger towards the S, SE as the progradation of the shelf-slope went on. The basin got filled up to lake level by 8.7 Ma, since then fluvial deposition dominated.

Keywords

• Late Miocene
• Tortonian
• Pannonian
• lithostratigraphy
• Pannonian Basin
• turbidites
• delta
• alluvial