THE MEDITERRANEAN LOWER CRETACEOUS

In the Apennines, Grand jacquet et al. (1972) have described considerable
movements of Albian age.
The Eastern Alps are justifiably accepted as the classical model of Early Cretaceous
tectonic manifestations. Tt is known that in this area the Upper Cretaceous
Gosau Beds overlie transgressively and discordantly an older basement. According
to Toi 1 m an n (1963; 1969), the Cretaceous movements in the Eastern Alps
form two main complexes:
—• The first complex comprises the pre-Cenomanian (Austrian phase after
Stille) and the pre-Gosau (Mediterranean) phase. According to Tollmann, at the
lime of this folding the large nappes were formed, in which Austrian-Alpine units
follow one above the other, on the one hand, and in addition to this — the napping
of the Pieniny zone over the Ultrapieniny zone, on the other.
— The second complex groups comprise the post-Gosau phases (Illyrian and
Pyrenean).
Tollman n' s interpretation is disputed by many authors (e. g. A r g yr
i a d i s, 1974), therefore only indisputable facts will be presented here.
1. Hauterivian-Barremian folding is established (Austrian-Alpine phase),
during which the nappe of the Juvanids was formed (the upper complex of the nappes
in the Northern calcareous Alps, including the Halstatt and Dachstein nappes),
and it overlies the Tyrolides. This is evidenced by the Aptian breccia originating
from these nappes, discovered by M e d w e n i t s с h (1955).
2. The Austrian (pre-Cenomanian) folding was established for the first time
by S t i 11 e in 1924, who defined it as the main phase for the Eastern Alps. This
phase marked the formation or the reconstruction of a number of folds and / or
nappes, and especially the strong shifting of the upper Austrian-Alpine nappes above
the Pieniny zone (Tollmann, 1963; 1969).
3. It is established that there are no traces of rocks earlier than the Lower Cretaceous
in the Austrian Alps. Argyriadis (1974) emphasized the following
facts:
— The youngest rocks in the Pieniny are Jurassic.
— In the lower Austrian-Alpine nappes the youngest sediments are Neocomian.
— Tn the middle Austrian-Alpine nappes the section ends with Upper Jurassic
limestones containing aptychi.
— In the upper Austrian-Alpine nappes the section ends with Neocomian sediments
which are covered by post-tectonic Gosau Beds.
All this is evidence that the most intensive movements in the Austrian Alps
are pre-Cenomanian.
Rather strong Early Cretaceous movements in the Romanian Carpathians
are known from Persany (the southern part of the Eastern Carpathians) and in the
South Carpathians. They coincide with the Austrian phase. Considerable horizontal
movements are manifested, whereby the Lower Cretaceous rocks are folded and
in some places they form nappes. They are covered by Cenomanian sediments.
There exist individual local tectonic manifestations even before the Albian,
but they are of limited importance.
The Austrian phase is intensively manifested in the Apuseni as well. The basic
nappes were formed during this phase, whereas the first clearly transgressive sediments,
lying both over the nappes and over the autochthone, are Senonian (Sand
u 1 e s с u, 1968).
As it was pointed out, intensive Aptian-Albian tectonic movements are discovered
in the Caucasus as well.
The brief analysis of the folding movements during the Early Cretaceous in the
Mediterranean Region indicates that they were manifested several times in different
parts of the region, starting with the Berriasian until the end of the Albian.
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