TheVienna Basin[1] (German:Wiener Becken,Czech:Vídeňská pánev,Slovak:Viedenská kotlina,Hungarian:Bécsi-medence) is a geologically young tectonic burial basin andsedimentary basin in the seam area between theAlps, theCarpathians and thePannonian Plain. Although it topographically separates the Alps from theWestern Carpathians, it connects them geologically via corresponding rocks underground.
The fairly level area has the shape of aspindle,[clarification needed] over an area of 50 km (31 mi) by 200 km (120 mi). In the north it stretches up to theMarchfeld plateau beyond theDanube River. In the southeast, theLeitha Mountains separate it from theLittle Hungarian Plain. In the west, it borders on theGutenstein Alps andVienna Woods mountain ranges of theNorthern Limestone Alps. The Danube enters the basin at the Vienna Gatewater gap near Mt.Leopoldsberg, it leaves atDevín Gate in theLittle Carpathians east ofHainburg.
From the late 12th century onwards, the fortresses ofWiener Neustadt and Hainburg were erected at the southeastern and eastern rim as a defensive wall against attacks from theHungarian lands downstream the Danube River. Nevertheless, the forces of KingMatthias Corvinus entered the Vienna Basin during theAustrian-Hungarian War in 1485 to begin theSiege of Vienna. It was again invaded byOttoman troops, who besieged the city in1529 and1683.
More than 80% of the basin area belongs to the Austrian states ofLower Austria andVienna. The northern parts on theMorava (March) andThaya rivers are part of theCzech Republic andSlovakia. Along the southern and western rim,geothermal andmineral watersprings occur in severalspa towns such asBaden,Bad Vöslau andBad Fischau-Brunn.
Parts:
The Bor Lowland and Chvojnice Hills are known collectively as Záhorská nížina (Záhorie Lowland).
The Vienna Basin formations are a series ofsedimentary layers that were deposited in theNeogene. It is situated on top of the Alpine fold and thrust belt, located at the junction betweenthe Eastern Alps, the Carpathians, and the Pannonian Basin system. The Vienna Basin has been influenced by the evolution of each of these geologic systems.[2] The basin is characterized by four distinct tectonic phases; (1) EarlyMiocenepiggyback basin, (2) Middle–Late Miocenepull-apart basin, (3) Late Miocene–Pliocene compression and basin inversion, and (4)Quaternary basin formation.[3][4] The basin has been studied intensively starting with classical paleontological–stratigraphical papers and then continuing since the beginning ofhydrocarbon exploration more than 100 years ago. The Vienna Basin fault system on which the basin lies remains seismically active. Significant earthquakes that propagated across the Vienna Basin include theNeulengbach earthquake of 1590, and the strongearthquake that hitCarnuntum in the mid-4th century.
48°12′20″N16°22′26″E / 48.20556°N 16.37389°E /48.20556; 16.37389
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