Devonian-Cretaceous repeated subsidence and uplift along the Teisseyre-Tornquist zone in SE Poland — Insight from seismic data interpretation

The Teisseyre-Tornquist Zone that separates the East European Craton from the Palaeozoic Platform forms one of the most fundamental lithospheric boundaries in Europe. Devonian to Cretaceous-Paleogene evolution of the SE segment of this zone was analyzed using high-quality seismic reflection data that provided detailed information regarding entire Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary cover, with particular focus on problems of Late Carboniferous and Late Cretaceous-Paleogene basin inversion and uplift. Two previously proposed models of development and inversion of the Devonian-Carboniferous Lublin Basin seem to only partly explain configuration of this sedimentary basin. A new model includes Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous reverse faulting within the cratonic area NE from the Kock fault zone, possibly first far-field effect of the Variscan orogeny. This was followed by Late Carboniferous inversion of the Lublin Basin. Inversion tectonics was associated with strike-slip movements along the Ursynów-Kazimierz fault zone, and thrusting along the Kock fault zone possibly triggered by deeper strike-slip movements. Late Carboniferous inversion-related deformations along the NE boundary of the Lublin Basin were associated with some degree of ductile (quasi-diapiric) deformation facilitated by thick series of Silurian shales. During Mesozoic extension and development of the Mid-Polish Trough major fault zones within the Lublin Basin remained mostly inactive, and subsidence centre moved to the SW, towards the Nowe Miasto-Zawichost fault zone and further to the SW into the present-day Holy Cross Mts. area. Late Cretaceous-Paleogene inversion of the Mid-Polish Trough and formation of the Mid-Polish Swell was associated with reactivation of inherited deeper fault zones, and included also some strike-slip faulting. The study area provides well-documented example of the foreland plate within which repeated basin inversion related to compressive/transpressive deformations was triggered by active orogenic processes at the plate margin (i.e. Variscan or Carpathian orogeny) and involved important strike-slip reactivation of crustal scale inherited fault zones belonging to the Teisseyre-Tornquist Zone.