Dominant events in the northern Danube Basin palaeogeography – a tool for specification of the Upper Miocene and Pliocene stratigraphy

Late Neogene palaeogeography and geodynamics of the Danube Basin is characterized by wide rifting of the back arc basin, its gradual infill, followed by the Pliocene uplift and denudation. Basin development is well recorded in its sedimentary succession, where three 3rd order sequence stratigraphy cycles were documented. DB1 cycle comprising the Lower and Middle Pannonian sediments (A – E zones sensu Papp, 1951) deposited in time span 11.6 – (9.7?) 8.9 Ma is represented in Slovakia by the Ivanka and Beladice formations, in Hungary (where the formations are defined as appearance of sedimentary facies in time and space) the equivalents are: deepwater setting marls, clays and sandy turbidites of the Endr d and Szolnok formations, towards overlying strata by deposits of the basin palaeoslope or delta-slope represented by the Algy Formation and the final shallow water setting deposits of marches, lagoons, coastal and delta plain built up by clays, sands with coal seams, represented by the újfalu Formation. DB2 cycle comprises the Upper Pannonian sediments of the Danube Basin (F, G & H zones sensu Papp, 1951) deposited in time span (9.7?) 8.9 – 6.3? Ma and is represented by the uppermost part of the Beladice and Volkovce formations, in Hungary by the Zagyva Formation. Sedimentary environment can be characterized as alluvial – with wide range of facies – from fluvial, deltaic, ephemeral lake to marches and dry land deposits. DB3 cycle comprises the Pliocene sediments of the Danube Basin Slovak part represented by the Kolárovo Formation, dated 4.1? – 2.6 Ma. The formation was deposited in fluvial to lake, and alluvial environment.