QUANTITATIVE SUBSIDENCE ANALYSIS AND FORWARD MODELING OF THE VIENNA AND DANUBE BASINS - THIN-SKINNED VERSUS THICK-SKINNED EXTENSION

We present the results of a quantitative study of the tectonic evoluti on of the Vienna and Danube basins by comparing tectonic subsidence hi stories derived from backstripping of more than 90 wells from Slovakia , Hungary and Austria, with the predictions from forward tectonic mode lling, Subsidence analysis and forward modelling, using a modified, no n-uniform, extension model address the tectonic relations between diff erent depocentres and the nature of tectonic subsidence. We derived st retching values for the Vienna basin between 1.04 and 1.30 for the cru stal extension (delta) and between 1.00 (in the northern part) and 1.6 0 (southern part) for the lithospheric extension (beta). The Danube ba sin is characterized by crustal extension values (delta) between 1.09 and 1.30 and lithospheric extension values (beta) between 1.00 (northe rn part) and 1.60 (southern part). The Vienna basin shows a trend from thin-skinned extension in the northwestern part to whole lithospheric extension in the central-southern part. The subsidence history of the northwestern part of the Danube basin also reflects a thin-skinned ex tensional basin formation mechanism. The central and southern parts of the Danube basin show an important component of lithospheric extensio n. The basin evolution is strongly influenced by the rotating stress f ield through Miocene times, expressed in different phases of fault rea ctivation that are observed in the subsidence history.