Western Carpathians
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| Western Carpathians | |
| Range | |
 Mała Bystra in the Vysoké Tatry Mts.
|
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| Countries | Slovakia, Austria, Bohemia, Poland, Hungary |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Gerlachovský štít |
| - elevation | 2,655 m (8,711 ft) |
| - coordinates | 49°10′2″N 20°7′52″E / 49.16722°N 20.13111°E |
| Geology | granite, limestone, sandstone, andesite |
| Orogeny | alpine orogeny |
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Western Carpathians are mountain range and geomorphologycal province in the western part of the Carpathian Mountains. Mountain belt covers the territory of Moravia, Slovakia, Poland (Northern part), Hungary (Southeastern part) and Austria (Southwestern salient). Area of the Western Carpathians is about 70000 km². The highest elevation is the Gerlachovský štít (2,655m).
Western Carpathians are part of northern branch of alpine orogeny, that was formed due to closure of Tethys ocean.
[edit] Geographical definition
Western Carpathians are almost all around the perimeter quite sharply defined by surface depressions. On the Northwest and North they are separated from Bohemian Massif by Forecarpathian Lowland and Lesser Poland Upland; on the Southwest, South and Southeast mountain chain decrease into a Pannonian Plain, that is significant boundary between the Alps, Dinarides and main mass of East Carpathians[1]. Border between the Western Carpathians and Eastern Alps are Hainburg Hills so called Carnuntian gate. On the East and Northeast the mountains are bounded by East Slovak and Sandomierz Basin, but the border is less striking and passes through highland terrain, that continues to Eastern Carpathians.
[edit] Geology
Western Carpathians are part of Alpide belt. In the West they longitudinally join the Alps, but the exact boundary is hidden under the Neogene sedimentary fill of Vienna Basin. On the East, boundary with Eastern Carpathians, is placed to the vallery of the Hornád or Uzh River. Northern boundary with East European craton and Bohemian Massif is well marked by thrust of nappes of flysh belt. Southern boundary is less clear, because later postorogenetic evolution caused formation of basins, penetrating the mountain chain non-uniformly.
Western Carpathians are characteristic with complicated geological structure, that is formed since Paleozoic. Oldest paleozoic rocks experienced first stage of deformation during the Hercynian orogeny, but younger Alpine overprint is common. Alpine orogeny affected the area in several stages from Jurassic till Neogene. During this period parts of Tethys Ocean were subducted under the African plate and Western Carpathian blocs were trusted over the margin of the Eurasian plate.
Tectonic units of the Western Carpathians are arranged in belt-like order, with the external units in the North and internal units in the South. Alpine evolution of the Western Carpathians is dominated by extension and closure of two or three oceanic domains[2]: Triassic-Jurassic Meliata-Halstatt Ocean, Jurassic-Cretaceous Piemont-Vahic Ocean/Zone and Cretaceous-Tertiary Valais-Magura Ocean. After a subduction of the Meliata Ocean, the Internal Western Carpathians were formed. Suturing of Vahic domain finalized thrusting in Central Western Carpathians and consuming the crust of Carpathian Flysch Basins caused formation of External West Carpathian accretionary wedge.
[edit] References
- ^ Vladár, J. (Editor) 1982: Encyklopédia Slovenska. VI. zväzok T-Ž. Bratislava, Veda, p. 497 (Slovak)
- ^ Plašienka, D., 2002: Origin and growth of the Western Carpathian orogenetic wedge during the mesozoic. Geologica Carpathica Special Issues, 53, Proceedings of XVII. Congress of Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association Bratislava, September 1st - 4th 2002
