BASIC LINES OF TECTONIC EVOLUTION AND DISINTEGRATION OF THE WESTERN CARPATHIAN HERCYNIDES

- analogical rock types (e.g. Ordovician orthogneisses, leptyno-amphibolite complexes containing eclogites),

- similar tectono-metamorphic evolution (high pressure Silurian metamorphism connected with the subduction, followed by the Devonian collision with the development of middle-crustal tectonic units and, finally the Late Palaeozoic tectonic stage with evolution of transpressional shear zones, low grade metamorphism and rifting),

- South vergent thrusting of Hercynian nappes

The Western Carpathian Hercynian basement in several stages of the tectonic development was gradually transported from the place of their origin along huge strike-slip zones towards northeast, to the present position between North European platform and intra Alpine zones represented by Tiszia. Disinegration of Hercynian-formed continental crust started already from Late Paleozoic and continued during the Alpine orogeny in the Mesozoic and Neogene. The Alpine orogeny superimposed the Hercynian crystalline basement in the Western Carpathians in two principal stages, Early and Late Alpine. The Early Alpine development was controlled by closing of the Triassic-Jurrasic oceanic domain between European and Apulia plate as a fragment of Africa. This process finished in Late Cretaceous by forming the main Alpine thrust system. The Neogene Late Alpine evolution of the Western Carpathian basement was coeval with large-scale lateral eastward movement from the Eastern Alps towards the Carpathian–Pannonian realm. A large jump in the position of the Moho discontinuity at the boundary of the European platform and Western Carpathian area provides an evidence for large thrusting.