Proceedings of the 12th International INQUA meeting on paleoseismology, active tectonic and archaeoseismology

468 1 2 T H I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N Q U A M E E T I N G O N PA L E O S E I S M O L O G Y , A C T I V E T E C T O N I C S A N D A R C H A E O S E I S M O L O G Y ( PATA ) , O C T O B E R 6 T H - 1 1 T H , 2 0 2 4 , L O S A N D E S , C H I L E PATA Days 2024 K E Y W O R D S paleoseismology; seismicity; neotectonics; scarp diffusion; Carpathians (1) Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia, Sosnowiec, Poland (2) Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Krakow, Kraków, Poland (3) Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland (4) Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland (5) Institute of Geological Sciences, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany *Email: jacek.szczygiel@us.edu.pl / Jacek Szczygieł (1) Jerzy Zasadni (2) Piotr Kłapyta (3) Marta Woszczycka (1) Krzysztof Gaidzik (1) Maciej Mendecki (1) Artur Sobczyk (4) Christoph Grützner (5) LATE PLEISTOCENE SURFACE FAULT RUPTURE IN THE SLOWLY-DEFORMING PODHALE BASIN (WESTERN CARPATHIANS): IMPLICATIONS FOR PALEOSEISMOLOGY AND GEODYNAMICS A B S T R A C T Upon analysis of a newly released LiDAR DEM, we identified a scarp potentially indicative of an unrecognized fault within the Palaeogene flysch rocks of the Podhale Basin, situated north of the TatraMountains. This discovery prompted the first comprehensive paleoseismic investigation in the Western Carpathians. Our study utilized a combination of remote and field mapping analyses, near-surface geophysics, trenching, and scarp diffusion modelling. While the dataset did not yield straightforward conclusions, we could deduce the dextral kinematics of the fault. Moreover, our findings shed light on the Late Pleistocene dynamics of the Western Carpathians at large. I N T R O D U C T I O N Regions characterized by low deformation rates and minimal relative displacements, such as continental interiors or mature mountain ranges like theWesternCarpathians,maypose significant but often overlooked seismic risks. Secondary earthquake effects, such as landslides, are more frequently documented than surface ruptures due to the lower seismic event magnitudes required to trigger them. However, attributing secondary deformations to specific causes often remains speculative. Therefore, it is imperative to document fault surface ruptures to gain insights into past seismic events. An analysis of LiDAR DEM data in the SE Podhale area (Fig. 1) revealed the presence of a 3 km-long morphological scarp near the village of Brzegi (Fig. 2), potentially indicating a surface fault rupture in the Podhale Basin. Our