Pre-Mesozoic Geology in the Alps

Produktbeschreibung

The Alps are an arched mountain chain stretching 1500 km between Vienna and Graz in Austria and Genova in Italy. They resulted from the collision of the African and Laurasian plates during Mesozoic and Tertiary times. The high standard of knowledge attained over the last 30 years by the working groups on "Alpine Metamorphism" is well known and helped considerably to recognize pre-Mesozoic elements in the Alps. In Part I of this book the subdivision of the major Alpine units and pre-Mesozoic pal inspastic reconstructions are covered before discussion of the pre-Mesozoic geology in Parts II, III and IV It is understood that the Mesozoic and later events overprinted pre-existing structures veiling the earlier history and the nature of protoliths. Although the Alpine overprint does not facilitate the recognition of older struc tures, pre-Mesozoic basement units were recognized during the first beginnings of geological observations in the Alps, about 200 years ago. Fifty percent of the Alpine domain is underlain by basement units that have been unconformably covered since Permian and Mesozoic times. This basement appears today in a complex pattern among the Alpine structures. The history of their discovery and explanation, parallel with a growing sophistication of research methods, are the subject of the introductory chapter of Part II. 

Inhaltsverzeichnis

I: Pre-Mesozoic Basement and Alpine Structures, Map with indication of the
discussed areas and index of contributions.- The Structure of the Alps: An
Introduction.- Basement-Cover Relationship in the Western Alps. Constraints for
the Pre-Triassic Reconstructions.- Palinspastic Reconstruction of the
Pre-Triassic Basement Units in the Alps: The Central Alps.- Palinspastic
Reconstruction of the Pre-Triassic Basement Units in the Alps: The Eastern
Alps.- II: Pre-Mesozoic Basement of the Alps, Index of contributions.- History
of Geological Investigations in the Pre-Triassic Basement of the Alps.-
Stratigraphy, Biogeography and Climatic Relationships of the Alpine Palaeozoic.-
The Pre-Alpine Evolution of the Continental Crust of the Central Alps - An
Overview.- Ultramafic Rocks in the Pre-Mesozoic Basement of the Central and
External Western Alps.- Pre-Alpidic Ore Deposits in the Central, Eastern and
Southern Alps.- Palaeomagnetic Data from the Palaeozoic Basement of the Alps.-
Late Variscan Magmatic Evolution of the Alpine Basement.- Late Palaeozoic -
Early Mesozoic Plate Reorganization: Evolution and Demise of the Variscan Fold
Belt.- III: Specific Descriptions of Pre-Alpine Basement.- 1: The Helvetic
Realm, Map with indication of the discussed areas and index of contributions.-
The Pre-Alpine Evolution of the External Massifs.- Geodynamic Significance of
Basic and Bimodal Magmatism in the External Domain.- 2: Penninic Realm, Map with
indication of the discussed areas and index of contributions.- Elements of the
Palaeozoic History of the Ligurian Alps.- Passing Through the Briançon Zone
(Briançonnais, France).- The Pre-Alpine Basement of the Briançonnais (Wallis,
Switzerland).- The Dora - Maira Massif.- Evolution of Austro-Alpine and Upper
Penninic Basement in theNorthwestern Alps from Variscan Convergence to
Post-Variscan Extension.- The Lepontine Area, a Geochronological Summary.-
Evolution of the Penninic Basement of the Eastern Alps.- The Habach-Formation
and the Zentralgneis - A Key in Understanding the Palaeozoic Evolution of the
Tauern Window (Eastern Alps).- The Zentralgneise of the Tauern Window (Eastern
Alps): Insight into an Intra-Alpine Variscan Batholith.- 3: Austro-Alpine Realm,
Map with indication of the discussed areas and index of contributions.- The
Classic Fossiliferous Palaeozoic Units of the Eastern and Southern Alps.- The
Austro-Alpine Quartzphyllites and Related Palaeozoic Formations.- Palaeozoic
Volcanism of the Eastern Alps and its Palaeotectonic Significance.- The
Pre-Alpine Basement of the Lower Austro-Alpine Nappes in the Bernina Massif
(Grisons, Switzerland; Valtellina, Italy).- Evolution of the Silvretta Nappe.-
Evolution of the Ötztal-Stubai, Scarl-Campo and Ulten Basement Units.-
Austro-Alpine Basement Complex to the South of the Tauern Window.- The
Austro-Alpine Metamorphic Basement East of the Tauern Window.- Late-and
Post-Variscan Sediments of the Eastern and Southern Alps.- 4: Southern Alps, Map
with indication of the discussed areas and index of contributions.- Ivrea Zone
and Adjacent Southern Alpine Basement.- Pre-Alpine Structural and Metamorphic
Histories in the Orobic Southern Alps, Italy.- The South-Alpine Metamorphic
Basement in the Eastern Alps.- The Pre-Alpine Basement in the Alpi Apuane
(Northern Apennines, Italy).- IV: Conclusions, Index of contributions.- Late
Precambrian and Palaeozoic Evolution of the Alpine Basement - An Overview.- The
Alpine Basement - Linkage Between Variscides and East-Mediterranean Mountain
Belts.