Stratigraphische und tektonische Verknüpfungen kontinentaler Sedimente des Neogens im Ägäis-Raum

Research carried out on lacustrine Gastropods of Neogene age from sediments of continental faciès (“molasse”) on some Aegean islands (Kos, Rhodes, Naxos, Eremonisia, Makares, Paros, Anaphi, Crete, Samos, Chios, Euboea) led to the conclusion that certain strata are much older than hitherto suggested. During Serravallian and Tortonian times limnic and fluviatile sediments must have been by far more widespread in the Aegean Region than earlier supposed. It can be shown furthermore that most of these older series of sediments south of the ?Medean Christalline Belt” and on the top of the ?Attic-Cycladic Complex” are allochthonous or parautochthonous. They obviously became involved in movements of the “Central” and “Western Hellenic Nappes” as defined byJacobshagen et al., 1978. Similar events in the Northern Apennines are known by the catchword “Loiano-Effect”. During Tortonian times decoupling occured within these nappe piles. Subunits consisting in part of Neogene strata, sometimes still connected to their ophiolitic basement, started to move separately into northern (Cyclades) or southern (Kos-Island) directions. A compounded nappe, in this paper called “Aegean Nappe”, consisting of parts of the “Pelagonian Nappe”, the “Ophiolite Nappe” and slices of the “molasse”-series emerged. Locally marine sediments of Lower to Middle Miocene age suggested to be autochthonous were overthrust or cut up in front of the moving nappe (Kos, Rhodes). On some islands of the Cyclades (Naxos, Paros, Eremonisia, Makares, Mykonos) remnants of the “Aegean Nappe” rest on top of the “Lower Unit” of the “Attic-Cycladic complex” as defined byAltherr et al., 1979, and are equivalent to the “Upper Unit” of authors. The paroxysm of those decouplings happened during the upper Tortonian (8–10 Ma); it presumably influenced sedimentary processes of that time on Crete. The view is taken that the movements of nappes were caused by local crustal rising and, hence, gravity controlled.