Deep seismic reflection profile in Central Europe reveals complex pattern of Paleozoic and Alpine accretion at the East European Craton margin

The first deep reflection seismic profile was acquired across the Teisseyre-Tornquist Zone (TTZ), a major European suture zone, southeast of the Avalonia-Baltica collision zone, portraying different tectonic deformation styles (thick- versus thin-skinned) and Phanerozoic crustal accretion episodes over a relatively short distance (240km). The overall crustal structure preserves image of the Neoproterozoic passive margin setting but with a significant overprint of the repetitive tectonic convergence (Cadomian to Alpine) acting at the Baltica margin. In contrast to the Avalonia-Baltica collision zone, here the polygenetic crustal accretion occurring at the cratonic margin was ultimately shaped by significant strike-slip faulting. TTZ is imaged as a narrow (10-15km) transform zone separating the thinned East European cratonic crust from the Maopolska Block.