Paleocurrent analysis and paleogeography of the Biele Karpaty Unit (Magura Nappe, Outer Western Carpathians).

New paleocurrent directions of the gravity flow sediments were measured in the Slovak part of the Biele Karpaty Mts. Paleocurrent directions were sorted and grouped according to lithostratigraphic units and lithotypes. The sedimentation area of the Biele Karpaty Unit was located in the westernmost part of the Magura Basin. Paleocurrent analysis proves the direct connection between the former sedimentary area of the Biele Karpaty Unit with the Magura Basin and the Rhenodanubian Basin during the Late Cretaceous to middle Eocene. The transport of the distal turbidites was parallel to the southern edge of the basin in the Ondrášovec Mb (Campanian). One lateral proximal source of debris flows of the Drietomica Mb (Maastrichtian), several lateral sources of debris flows of the Chabová Mb (Danian), several lateral sources from SE and one massive source of turbidites of the Javorina Mb (Campanian—Maastrichtian) and one massive source of the Svodnice Fm (Danian—Ypresian) turbidites supplied quartz–carbonate material in to the basin from NE. The occurrence of glauconite Sst and Magura type Sst proves the connection with the rest of the Magura Basin at the end of the sedimentation of the Svodnice Fm (Danian—Ypresian), when the paleocurrent directions tend from NE from Bystrica Mb in the eastern part of the region and were fed from the Fore-Magura Ridge and Southern Magura Ridge. The paleocurrents directed also from NW from Greifenstein Fm of the Rhenodanubian Flysch in the western part of the region. The sea floor relief in the studied area was mostly flat until the Campanian. Since the Maastrichtian, the relatively flat sea floor has been segmented into shallow paleo-valleys and elevations, which was manifested in significant thickness fluctuations of accumulated deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]