Caves are ideal environments for preserving quantifiable deformational indicators in orogenic areas, as they are conditioned by regional tectonics. The caves and karst of Isverna, developed in the Barremian-Aptian limestones of the Danubian sedimentary nappes (Southern Carpathians, SW Romania), expose formerly undetected evidence of compressional tectonics, overlapping older structures related to décollement and deformation of the underlying Turonian-Senonian tectonic mélange. The Danubian domain (the distal part of the Moesian Platform) was incorporated into the Carpathian Orogen during the Late Cretaceous subduction of the Ceahlău–Severin Ocean and collision with the continental Dacia mega-unit. Subsequent Eocene–Oligocene orogen–parallel extension led to the development of a metamorphic core complex and detachment faults, constructing a complicated arcuate fault system around the Moesian Platform during the Late Miocene strike-slip deformation. The integrated analysis of structural, kinematic, and geomorphological data indicates a connection between the strike-slip deformation and the subsequent shortening, exhumation and surface exposure of Cerna Nappe within the Isverna shear zone. Four main evolutionary stages of the Danubian thin-skinned units in the central Mehedinți Mountains were distinguished from cave and karst geology, and illustrated in a detailed 3D model: i) Initial décollement and mélange deformation during the Alpine nappe stacking; ii) Extensional décollement toward SE; iii) Dextral shearing and WNW-ESE contraction; iv) Karstification and cave development. Most structural and kinematic markers recorded within the limestones of the Cerna Nappe date from stage (iii), whereas older structures were better preserved in the tectonic mélange of the Lainici Nappe. The resulting model could be further integrated into the polyphase tectonic evolution of the Southern Carpathians and their relation with the Moesian Platform. This study demonstrates the utility of caves and karst for constraining the chronology of tectonic deformations in complex structural systems and for reconstructing more refined conceptual 3D models.

中文翻译：

---

从推覆堆积到走滑变形：多瑙河薄皮单元（罗马尼亚南喀尔巴阡山脉）洞穴和喀斯特地质学完善的高山构造叠印


洞穴是保存造山地区可量化变形指标的理想环境，因为它们受到区域构造的影响。伊斯维尔纳的洞穴和喀斯特发育于多瑙河沉积推覆带（罗马尼亚西南部喀尔巴阡山脉）的巴列姆阶-阿普阶石灰岩中，暴露了以前未被发现的挤压构造证据，重叠了与底层土伦阶-塞农阶构造的滑脱和变形相关的较旧结构。混杂。多瑙河域（莫斯地台的远端部分）在白垩纪晚期恰赫劳-塞维林洋俯冲并与大陆达契亚巨型单元碰撞期间并入喀尔巴阡造山带。随后的始新世-渐新世造山带平行伸展导致了变质核杂岩和滑脱断层的发育，在晚中新世走滑变形过程中在莫斯地台周围构建了复杂的弓形断层系统。对结构、运动学和地貌数据的综合分析表明，走滑变形与随后伊斯韦尔纳剪切带内塞尔纳推覆体的缩短、折返和地表暴露之间存在联系。梅赫丁山脉中部多瑙河薄皮单元的四个主要演化阶段与洞穴和喀斯特地质学有所区别，并在详细的 3D 模型中进行了说明： i) 高山推覆堆积过程中的初始滑脱和混杂变形； ii) 向 SE 方向扩展脱钩； iii) 右旋剪切和 WNW-ESE 收缩； iv) 岩溶作用和洞穴发育。 塞尔纳推覆体石灰岩中记录的大多数结构和运动学标记可追溯到第 (iii) 阶段，而较古老的结构在莱尼奇推覆体的构造混杂岩中保存得更好。由此产生的模型可以进一步整合到南喀尔巴阡山脉的多期构造演化及其与莫斯地台的关系中。这项研究展示了洞穴和喀斯特在限制复杂结构系统中构造变形的年代和重建更精细的概念 3D 模型方面的效用。