DEVINSKE-KARPATY - CLIMATICALLY AND TECTO NICALLY DETERMINED FORMS

The Male Karpaty is a long (100 km) and narrow mountainous range of me dium height. It is situated between the Vienna and Danube lowlands. Th e Danube crosses the southern part of the mountain range (Porta Hungar ica, Devin gate). This part is named ''Devinske Karpaty'' (''Theben-Ka rpaten''). The relief of Devinske Karpaty can be interpreted only in a wider spatial context. Differences as well as similarities and obviou s spatial continuity in the neighbouring Pezinske Karpaty (Bosing-Karp aten) made us consider this area as a whole. Many morphological lines cross the mountain range in different directions, forming a distinct g rid (URBANEK 1993). These lines strongly determine the orientation and other features of most geomorphological forms. In this way the grid d epicts the principal spatial organisation of forms in the area studied . Many of the lines correspond to geological faults, evidently or supp osedly. Because the grid forms a continuous framework we may assume th at the whole network is composed of faults and splits. If this assumpt ion is correct the mountain range is a horst with individual blocks. T hree generations of climatically determined forms can be distinguished (LUKNIS 1977, MAZUR 1965, 1965, URBANEK 1966, 1992), but the spatial organization of these generations differs in the northern and southern parts. They are vertically and horizontally differentiated in the are a of the Pezinske Karpaty. The old Pannonian surface (middle level) is to be found in the central part of the mountains. The Plio-Pleistocen e pediment (river level) has the position of foot-hills. The Pleistoce ne alluvial fans are located on the foot of the mountains. The spatial differentiation mentioned above is missing in the Devinske Karpaty. T he Pannonian level, the Plio-Pleistocene pediment and the oldest river terrace (Danube) merge into one polygenetic plane of erosion. Only yo unger terraces are vertically differentiated. The differences in the s patial organization of climatically determined forms are the results o f different tectonic processes. There are two periods of tectonic move ments in the Pezinske Karpaty (LUKNIS 1977, URBANEK 1966). The first o ne destroyed the Pannonian plain erosion and created a horst. Then the Plio-Pleistocene pediment formed at the foot. This development was in terrupted by a new lifting of the horst. The first, perhaps more inten sive period of movements is lacking in the Devinske Karpaty. The Plio- Pleistocene pediment and also the oldest Pleistocene river terrace had developed on the Pannonian plain without radically destroying it. Lat er this polygenetic plain had been tectonically uplifted and dissected by the Danube and its tributaries.