A systematic reevaluation of high-quality reflection seismic data has been carried out recently in Hungary, and the nine seismic sections shown in this paper illustrate the typical structural styles associated with the formation of the Pannonian basin. The Pannonian basin is a result of crustal extension that culminated during the middle Miocene and has continued locally with greatly reduced intensity until recent times.

Deep sedimentary troughs are usually bounded by a set of normal faults. Large displacement along listric normal faults resulted in tilting of originally horizontal strata and the formation of a regional unconformity between middle Miocene and Pannonian sedimentary rocks. Normal faults are connected to a system of coeval strike-slip faults which often show a normal component of displacement. Curvature, splaying, and side-stepping of strike-slip fault segments occur frequently. This has given rise to contemporaneous formation of closely spaced zones of extension and local compression.

Interpretation of seismic sections combined with other geological data has led to a Neogene tectonic map of the Pannonian basin and the neighboring areas. A simple stress field can be inferred for Neogene time from the observed deformations. The Pannonian basin has been characterized by north-south compressive stress, with locally and/or temporarily larger vertical stress, and east-west minimum principal stress.