Geological structure and stratigraphy of the Transcarpathian Basin, NE Pannonian Super Basin, Ukraine

The pre-Neogene basement of the Transcarpathian Basin has a heterogeneous faulted and folded structure, composed mainly of Paleozoic and Meso-Cenozoic rocks separated from the overlying Neogene basin fill by a major unconformity. In this overview paper the regional geology including the structure and stratigraphy of the entire Phanerozoic strata of the Transcarpathian Basin are described based on lithological and palaeontological data. The pre-Neogene basement of the Transcarpathian Basin, within the Ukrainian segment (the Uzhhorod-Solotvyn and Peri-Pannonian Unit), consists of the pre-Alpine and Alpine structural complex corresponding to various stages in the evolution of the region. The pre-Alpine structural complex is represented by Paleozoic (Upper Devonian-Lower Carboniferous) carbonate-siliciclastic strata. During the Eo-Alpine structural substage (Triassic-Upper Cretaceous) various formations were deposited including Triassic siliciclastic-carbonate and volcanogenic-siliciclastic strata, Jurassic and Cretaceous carbonate-siliciclastic strata and uppermost Cretaceous marl-limestone strata. During the Meso-Alpine structural substage (Eocene- Lower Miocene) mostly siliciclastic strata were deposited. The Neogene “molasse” deposits of the Neo-Alpine transtensional Transcarpathian Basin include various Middle Miocene to Pliocene formations forming a locally thicker than 3.5 km basin fill. A correlation with the Neogene formations of the East Slovakian Basin, as the western continuation of the Transcarpathian Basin, is also provided based on paleontological data.