M. Majdański

Transcurrent nature of the Teisseyre–Tornquist Zone in Central Europe: results of the POLCRUST-01 deep reflection seismic profile

Teisseyre–Tornquist Zone (TTZ) corresponds to a crustal boundary between the Precambrian East European Platform (EEP) and the Palaeozoic West European Platform. Although the zone has been controlling Phanerozoic evolution of large parts of Central Europe, its course, geometry and origin are still poorly constrained. Deep reflection seismic profile POLCRUST-01, recently acquired in SE Poland, for the first time allowed a precise comparison of the Ediacaran and later tectonic patterns to the deep crustal features of the TTZ and adjacent areas. The TTZ corresponds to the subvertical Tomaszów Fault separating the Radom–Kraśnik Elevation, composed of the typical EEP crust, from the Biłgoraj–Narol Block (BNB) in the SW, with a thinned crystalline basement showing affinities to the EEP crust. The BNB is a part of the larger Caledonian Łysogóry Terrane as evidenced by its Lower Palaeozoic stratigraphy and gravity data. Thus, for the first time, the proximal Baltican affinity of this unit has been documented unambiguously. The Łysogóry Terrane is delimited from the SW by the subvertical Cieszanów Fault Zone, corresponding to the Holy Cross Suture. The adjacent Małopolska Terrane is characterized by a distinct Early Palaeozoic stratigraphy, and lower-middle crust exhibiting SW-dipping reflective packages interpreted as NE-verging thrust and shear zones of a Neoproterozoic orogen. The observations from the POLCRUST-01 profile and regional comparisons indicate that the TTZ is a major Caledonian transcurrent zone between Poland and East Romania. In central Poland, the TTZ likely forms a narrow subvertical contact between the EEP and a proximal Kuiavia Terrane, as constrained by the deep refraction seismic data. To the NW, the zone extends towards the Pomeranian part of the Caledonide fold-and-thrust belt related to the Avalonia–Baltica collision zone (Thor Suture). South-east of Poland the TTZ corresponds to the Rava Ruska Fault Zone established as a Caledonian suture separating adjacent terrane, probably of a Baltican affinity. The East Romanian part of the TTZ conforms with the Sfântu Gheorghe Fault separating reworked EEP crust of the Pre-Dobrogean Depression from the North Dobrogea unit bearing a strong Variscan and Cimmerian overprint.

The structure of the crust in TESZ area by kriging interpolation

A precise 3D model of the crust is necessary to start any tectonic or geodynamic interpretation. It is also essential for seismic interpretations of structures lying below as well as for correct analysis of shallow structures using reflection seismics. During the last decades, a number of wide-angle refraction experiments were performed on the territory of central and eastern Europe (POLONAISE’97, CELEBRATION 2000, SUDETES 2003), resulting in many high quality 2D models. It is an interesting and complicated transition zone between Precambrian and Palaeozoic Platforms. This paper presents 3D model of the velocity distribution in the crust and upper mantle interpolated from 2D models of the structure along 33 profiles. The obtained model extends to a depth of 50 km and accurately describes the main features of the crustal structures of Poland and surrounding areas. Different interpolation techniques (Kriging, linear) are compared to assure maximum precision. The final model with estimated uncertainty is an interesting reference of the area for other studies.

Geological structure of the northern part of the Eastern Black Sea from regional seismic reflection data including the DOBRE-2 CDP profile

Abstract The margin of the northeastern Black Sea is formed by the Crimea and Kerch peninsulas, which separate it from the Azov Sea to the north. The age and architecture of the sedimentary successions in this area are described from exploration reflection seismic profiling acquired in the area, in addition to the regional DOBRE-2 CDP profile acquired in 2007. The sediments range in age from Mesozoic to Quaternary and can be divided into five seismo-stratigraphic complexes linked to the tectono-sedimentological evolution of the area. The present regional basin architecture consists of a series of basement structural highs separating a series of sedimentary depocentres and is mainly a consequence of the compressional tectonic regime affecting the area since the Eocene. This has focused shortening deformation and uplift along the axis of the Crimea–Caucasus Inversion Zone on the Kerch Peninsula and Kerch Shelf of the Black Sea. Two major sedimentary basins that mainly formed during this time – the Sorokin Trough in the Black Sea and the Indolo-Kuban Trough to the north of the Kerch Peninsula in the Azov Sea – formed as marginal troughs to the main inversion zone.

Seismic velocity estimation from post-critical wide-angle reflections in layered structures

The travel time inversion of wide-angle seismic data is a technique commonly used in the deep seismic sounding. We propose an application of this technique to a smaller scale of a sedimentary layer, where the characteristics of seismic observations changes significantly. Field observations confirmed by synthetic analysis recognize the dominant amplitudes of wide-angle post-critical reflections. A case study is presented in this paper, of a joint interpretation of conventional reflection seismic with reflection imaging, combined with the wide-angle travel time inversion of additional full-spread observations. A joint interpretation results in a precise recognition of the seismic velocity distribution, that is further used for the seismic depth conversion with the uncertainty analysis of the depth of the reflecting horizons. Despite the salt layer in the studied structure this method is able to precisely recognize the seismic velocities of the sub-salt structures.