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Contents

INTRODUCTION (ZSOLT KERCSMÁR)

GEOLOGICAL BUILD-UP OF THE REGIONS OF HUNGARY (TAMÁS BUDAI)
Dunántúli-középhegység (Transdanubian Range)
Északi-középhegység (North Hungarian Range)
The Mecsek and the Villány Hills
Dunántúli-dombság (Transdanubian Hills)
Kisalföld (Little Hungarian Plain) and Alpokalja
Alföld (Great Hungarian Plain)

GEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPERFICIAL FORMATIONS OF HUNGARY (TAMÁS BUDAI - TB, GÁBOR CSILLAG - GCS, ZSOLT KERCSMÁR - ZSK, ILDIKÓ SELMECZI - IS, ORSOLYA SZTANÓ - OSZ)
Palaeozoic (undivided) (TB)
Ordovician-Silurian (TB)
Ordovician-Devonian (TB)
Silurian-Devonian (TB)
Devonian (TB)
Carboniferous (TB)
Permian (TB)
Triassic (TB)
  Lower Triassic
  Middle Triassic
  Middle-Upper Triassic
  Upper Triassic
  Triassic-Jurassic (TB)
Triassic-Cretaceous (TB)
Jurassic
  Lower-Middle Jurassic (TB)
  Middle-Upper Jurassic (TB)
  Jurassic (undivided) (TB)
Jurassic-Cretaceous (TB)
Cretaceous
  Lower Cretaceous (TB)
  Lower-Upper Cretaceous (TB)
  Upper Cretaceous (TB, ZsK)
Eocene (ZsK)
Eocene-Oligocene (ZsK)
Oligocene (ZsK)
Oligocene-Miocene (IS, ZsK)
Miocene
  Lower Miocene (IS)
  Lower-Middle Miocene (IS)
  Middle Miocene (IS)
  Middle-Upper Miocene (IS)
  Upper Miocene (GCs, OSz)
Miocene-Pliocene (GCs, OSz)
Miocene-Pleistocene (GCs)
Pliocene (GCs)
Pliocene-Pleistocene (GCs)
Pleistocene (GCs)
Pleistocene-Holocene (GCs)
Holocene (GCs)

REFERENCES
INDEX
CONTRIBUTORS TO THE VOLUME

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Introduction

Geological mapping is the oldest research method for establishing a base for geological knowledge (LYELL 1830). The visible and concrete result of this method is a geological map of our wider and narrower environment, complete with an explanatory book; the purpose of the latter is to help with the interpretation. The development of new geological research methods, and the information gathered from these, help towards discovering more about the geological build-up of a particular country - in this case Hungary. Furthermore, it necessitates the compilation of new detailed geological maps which provide an overview of Hungary in accordance with the most up-to-date knowledge and technology available, along with explanatory books helping their interpretation (KERCSMÁR et al. 2015).

The first "classical" geological map depicting the whole Carpathian Basin (and thus, the whole territory of Hungary) was published in Vienna, at the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (HAUER 1867). It was followed thirty years later (in 1896) by the 1:1,000,000-scale Geological Map of Hungary, which was published by the Hungarian Geological Society and the Hungarian Royal Geological Institute, under the patronage of Andor Semsey (BÖCKH et al. 1896). After another thirty years, in 1922, a new geological map was published of Hungary at a scale of 1:900,000 (LÓCZY, PAPP 1922). Later a 1:300,000-scale map was compiled, representing the new area of the country, which lost two-thirds of its territory after WW1 (BALOGH et al. 1956). The latest published geological overview map (1:500,000) of Hungary dates back 30 years (FÜLÖP et al. 1984). However, no explanatory book was made to accompany this map. Since that time our knowledge about the geology of the country has been expanded with (i) the geological mapping of several regions (KORPÁS ed. 1998; BUDAI et al. 1999, GYALOG, HORVÁTH eds 2004, SZENTPÉTERY, LESS eds 2006, PELIKÁN, BUDAI eds 2005, BUDAI, FODOR eds 2009) (ii) with stratigraphic and litostratigraphic summaries (GYALOG ed. 1996, BÉRCZI, JÁMBOR eds 1999, GYALOG, BUDAI eds 2004), and (iii) with comprehensive monographic works (FÜLÖP 1990, 1994; HAAS 2004).

At the beginning of the 1990s a lithostratigraphy-based uniform legend system of the geological formations of Hungary was established. This was in line with the objectives laid down in the frame of the EOFT project (Egységes Földtani Térképrendszerek = "Unified National Geological Map System") of the Geological Institute of Hungary (GYALOG ed. 1996). Based on this uniform classification, ten years later a 1:100,000-scale digital geological map, was compiled (GYALOG ed. 2005). On the basis of the 1:100,000-scale map series (containing 88 map sheets), four years later a Geological Atlas of Hungary was published (BUDAI, GYALOG eds 2009). It contained a 1:200,000-scale geological map, compiled on the basis of the map (GYALOG, BUDAI eds 2009).

From these the two maps (the basis of which is a digital database), the newest overview surface geological map (1:500,000) of Hungary was created (with appropriate merging according to the scale) (GYALOG 2013). This map was published 30 years after the mapping of FÜLÖP et al. (1984); it depicts the geological formations of Hungary not by their lithological characteristics, but on the basis of their respective lithostratigraphic bases, as approved by the Hungarian Stratigraphic Commission. Lithostratigraphic units older than Pleistocene, as well as Pleistocene and Holocene formations were considered alongside integrated stratigraphic, facies, genetical and distribution information.

According to this, in contrast with former practice, the explanatory book of the map is not limited to the brief description of the lithology and the palaeontology. It contains the description of the lithostratigraphic units according to our current knowledge, revealing also the relationship of one unit to the other. The book is special also from another aspect: experts of the respective geological ages were asked to write the chapters of the explanatory book; however, they did not participate in the compilation of the map. As a consequence, there are some theoretical contradictions in connection with the aggregation and depiction of several formations; these points are explained along with the descriptions of the formations. A typical problem was that some important formations are not shown on the maps due to the small scale used and the aggregations. These rock units are described in the explanatory book and are marked with a superscript star after the name of the formation (for example Pisznice Limestone*). The authors of the explanatory book put the most recent stratigraphic results in the descriptions. These results, however, were changing even during the time of the writing and compilation of the book. At the right place, mostly due to the stratigraphic modifications affecting the Miocene chapters (for example at the beginning of chapter Upper Miocene), a brief description of the changes is attached to the given stratigraphic units. Where the new results have not been published yet, but have been already approved by the stratigraphic working groups, we refer to them with "personal communication".

The surface geological explanatory book is related to the explanatory book "Geology of the pre-Cenozoic basement of Hungary", published at the end of 2014 (HAAS, BUDAI eds 2014). As a consequence, the description of the surface pre-Cenozic formations is less detailed than that of the Cenozoic formations. A detailed description of the pre-Cenozoic units and the interpretation of the relationships are found in the work of HAAS, BUDAI ed. (2014).

The two new explanatory books made for the newest, 1:500,000-scale geological maps are the most complete and most recent summaries of the geology of Hungary. Their combined use provides fresh and concise geological information on the geology of Hungary.

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