The significance of the Marija Reka fault (Slovenia)

Abstract

At the northwestern margin of the Outer Dinarides several faults with different kinematic characteristics are passing in the west - east direction, from the Barcis - Staro selo fault in the Friuli region, to the Marija Reka fault in the Sava folds. They were hypothetically connected into the strike-slip zone. Because of its extension across the whole Slovenian territory, we named it Slovenian strike-slip zone. It is no longer active. The zone is supposed to originate during the last phase of the Southern Alps nappe thrusting to the rest of Dinarides, when the present boundary between the two units was formed. It probably started to develop before the Middle Oligocene and was active still after Sarmatian. According to the present data dextral movements place along this zone.