Geology of Romania

Abstract

Located at the southwestern end of the Trans-European Suture Zone (TESZ), the territory of Romania includes several major Alpine terranes of East European (Moldavian and Scythian platforms) or of West European affinity (Foreapulian, Getic, Euxinic terranes and the North Dobrogean Orogen). The pre-Alpine terranes from the basement of the Alpine terranes of West European affinity have a peri-Gondwanan provenance of Avalonian type (late-Neoproterozoic peri-Amazonian), Cadomian type (late-Neoproterozoic peri-North-African), or Carpathian type (essentially Ordovician, peri-North-African). Carpathian-type terranes were described in the Apuseni Mountains (Someș, Biharia, Baia de Arieș), in East Carpathians (Bretila, Tulgheș, Negrișoara, Rebra), and in the Getic Domain of South Carpathians (Cumpǎna upper unit of the Sebeș-Lotru Terrane, Leaota, Bughea, Caraș, Padeș, Fǎgǎraș). Cadomian type includes the Lotru lower unit of the Sebeș-Lotru Terrane. Drǎgșan and Lainici-Pǎiuș terranes from the Danubian Domain of South Carpathians, the Histria and Altȋn Tepe from Central Dobrogea, the east Moesia from South Dobrogea and Boclugea, Megina, Orliga, Uzum Bair from the basement of the North Dobrogean Orogen are all Avalonian type. The carbonate rocks are important in the basement of Baia de Arieș, Negrișoara, Rebra, Fǎgǎraș, and Lainici-Pǎiuș terranes. The Mesozoic carbonate rocks anterior to the Alpine terranes amalgamation cover significant surfaces in the Carpathians and Dobrogea, where Romania’s main karst regions occur. Karst-like features are also known on evaporites of Cenozoic age occurring in the Transylvanian Basin and Carpathian foreland.