Vienna Basin
The Vienna Basin[1] (German: Wiener Becken, Czech: Vídeňská pánev, Slovak: Viedenská kotlina, Slovenian: Dunajska kotlina) is a sedimentary basin between the Alps and the Carpathian Mountains. More than 50% of the Vienna Basin is located in Lower Austria, the rest is in Vienna, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The fairly level area has the shape of a spindle, over an area of 50 kilometres by 200 kilometres.
It forms a defensible valley from attacks from downstream on the Danube, (Hungary).
The Battle of Vienna, 1529, had Ottoman Turks against the walls of the city.
Parts:
- The Vienna Basin proper. The part within the Czech Republic is called Dolnomoravský úval (the Lower Moravian Vale), whilst that within Slovakia is called Borská nížina (the Bor Lowland)
- Marchfeld in Austria
- Leitha Mountains (Leitha-Gebirge) in Austria
- Chvojnice Hills (Chvojnická pahorkatina) in Slovakia
The Bor Lowland and Chvojnice Hills are known collectively as Záhorská nížina (the Záhorie Lowland).
[edit] Geology
The Vienna Basin formations are a series of sedimentary layers that were deposited in the Neogene. It was formed by pull apart mechanism[2] and the Vienna Transform fault on which the Vienna Basin lies remains seismically active. Significant earthquakes that propagated across the Vienna Basin include the Neulengbach earthquake of 1590, and the strong temblor that hit Carnuntum in the mid-4th century.
[edit] References
- ^ Rees, Henry (1974). Italy, Switzerland and Austria. A Geographical Study. Harrap, London, ISBN 0-245-51993-9.
- ^ Plašienka, D., Grecula, P., Putiš, M., Kováč, M. a Hovorka, D., 1997: Evolution and structure of the Western Carpathians: an overview. Mineralia Slovaca - Monograph, Košice, s. 1 – 24
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 48°12′20″N 16°22′26″E / 48.20556°N 16.37389°E
