Geology of the Lower Subtatric Nappe, Kopy Sołtysie area, Eastern Tatra Mts (West Carpathians, Poland)

Stratigraphic sequence of the Lower Subtatric Succession in the eastern part of the Polish Tatra Mountains includes 15 Triassic, Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous mappable lithostratigraphic units of formation ranks. Some formations include also non-mappable lithostratigraphic units of local significance, of member and bed ranks. This stratigraphic succession is typical of the Lower Subtatric Nappe (= Križna Nappe) which originated during the meso-Cretaceous (Turonian) Mediterranean orogenic phase. The older post-nappe cover (?Upper Cretaceous or ?Paleocene-Lower Eocene), unconformable upon the Lower Subtatric Nappe, is represented by an unfossiliferous Gosau-facies conglomerate (Rusinowa Fm.) consisting of Triassic to Lower Cretaceous rock fragments derived from this nappe. The Lower Subtatric Nappe has been subdivided into several second-order thrust-sheets (partial-nappes vel daughter units) of restricted lateral extension, thrust one over another from north to south (retro-arc). The Gosau-facies conglomerate (Rusinowa Fm.) takes part in the thrust-sheet architecture which was accomplished in the Tatra Mts prior to the Middle Eocene transgression, either during the Laramian (Cretaceous/Paleocene boundary) or the Pyrenean (Middle Eocene) orogenic phases. The younger post-nappe cover consists of the Middle Eocene basal conglomerates and nummulitic limestones succeeded by a thick Podhale Flysch complex (Oligo- cene). A dense transversal (vertical to strike-slip) fault system which dissects rocks of the Lower Subtatric Nappe, its daughter units and post-nappe covers, had formed due to meridional stress active during the Middle Miocene.This fault system plays an important part in correct recognition and correlation of particular tectonic units.