Paleostress and kinematic evolution of the orogen-parallel NW-SE striking faults in the NW External Dinarides of Slovenia unraveled by mesoscale fault-slip data anaysis

Abstract

The late Eocene to Recent dynamics of the NW External Dinarides in Slovenia are described. The study is focused on the orogen-parallel NW-SE striking family of faults, which represent the main source of seismic hazard in the NW External Dinarides today. Approximately 1700 faultslip datasets were collected at 70 locations and used for palaeostress analysis. Structural relationships observed in the field, allowed the construction of a relative chronology between the documented fault and shear joint sets, facilitating the reconstruction of their kinematic evolution and the chronology of palaeostress phases. Four post-Palaeocene stress tensor groups are documented corresponding to four distinct tectonic phases. The first phase is marked by NE-SW directed compression attributed to Late Eocene top-to-SW thrusting of External Dinarides. The second phase is characterized by NE-SW oriented tension, documented by normal slips recorded on NW-SE striking faults. This tension is interpreted as an expression of the Early to Middle Miocene back-arc extension in the Pannonian basin system that also affected the studied part of the External Dinarides. The third phase is manifested by approximately E-W oriented compression with approximately N-S oriented tension in a strike-slip stress regime, causing sinistral reactivation of NW-SE trending faults. Geodynamically, this phase can be correlated with the Late Miocene short pulse of E-W directed compression, documented in parts of the Pannonian basin system. The youngest phase is characterized by approximately N-S oriented compression and approximately E-W oriented tension in a strike-slip stress regime, which caused dextral reactivation of NW-SE striking faults. This phase correlates with the recent inversive/transpressive phase, well-established from seismological data.