Pieniny Klippen Belt

Klippes, which are the most characteristic features of the belt, are Jurassic to lower Cretaceous lenses - rigid blocks of limestone, tectonically separated from their unknown substratum.

Large scale crustal shortening caused rocks of different tectonic units and origin to be thrusted over each other and now lying juxtaposed.

The development of Pieniny Klippen Belt started on passive margin of European platform in Lower Jurassic with rifting and tectonic subsidence of Oravic unit.

In Turonian times frontal elements of the Fatric Nappe System of the Inner Western Carpathians were emplaced onto the southern parts of the Vahic Ocean.

Whole area was again deformed in second phase of orogeny in the Upper Paleogene to Lower Miocene when sinistral transpression and amalgamation with hinterland part of closed Magura Ocean caused formation of typical "klippen" tectonic style due to counterclockwise rotation of ALCAPA microplate.

Extensional deformation on the eastern and western edge of the belt interacted with development of the Vienna and Transcarpathian basin.

After the marine regression at the end of Miocene younger marls and turbidites were eroded faster than more competent Jurassic limestones forming distinctly looking klippes.