Fold-and-thrust shortening in the western part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin

The western frame-margin of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin provides good case studies for structural evolution of the fold-and-thrust belt. This study is concerned with tectonic junctions taking place on the Late Variscan front of the Moravosilesian Fold Zone and coal basin. Clues of evolution of fold-and-thrust belt were reconstructed on the base of six cross-sections and using balancing procedure to calculate the shortening. These structural cross-sections illustrated the two principal positive and negative inversion processes of Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The fold shortening varies in range of 25 up to 30% and in low range of 4 up to 18%. The thrust shortening is contrary to fold shortening and changed range of about 10% up to 50%. In the central part of fold-and-thrust belt summarised shortening is 55%, which gradually decreases northward up to 35% and southward up to 30%