Pre-Mesozoic Geology in the Alps

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XVIII

   PDF

2. Pre-Mesozoic Basement and Alpine Structures

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. The Structure of the Alps: An Introduction

      • O. Adrian Pfiffner

      Pages 3-5

   3. Basement-Cover Relationship in the Western Alps Constraints for Pre-Triassic Reconstructions

      • P. C. de Graciansky

      Pages 7-28

   4. Palinspastic Reconstruction of the Pre-Triassic Basement Units in the Alps: The Central Alps

      • O. Adrian Pfiffner

      Pages 29-39

   5. Palinspastic Reconstruction of the Pre-Triassic Basement Units in the Alps: The Eastern Alps

      • L. Ratschbacher, W. Frisch

      Pages 41-51

3. Pre-Mesozoic Basement of the Alps

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 53-53

      PDF

   2. History of Geological Investigations in the Pre-Triassic Basement of the Alps

      • J. F. von Raumer, F. Neubauer

      Pages 55-63

   3. Stratigraphy, Biogeography and Climatic Relationships of the Alpine Palaeozoic

      • H. P. Schönlaub

      Pages 65-91

   4. The Pre-Alpine Evolution of the Continental Crust of the Central Alps — An Overview

      • D. Gebauer

      Pages 93-117

   5. Ultramafic Rocks in the Pre-Mesozoic Basement of the Central and External Western Alps

      • H. R. Pfeifer, G. Biino, R. P. Ménot, P. Stille

      Pages 119-143

   6. Pre-Alpidic Ore Deposits in the Central, Eastern and Southern Alps

      • V. Köppel, F. Neubauer, E. Schroll

      Pages 145-162

   7. Palaeomagnetic Data from the Palaeozoic Basement of the Alps

      • H. J. Mauritsch

      Pages 163-169

   8. Late Variscan Magmatic Evolution of the Alpine Basement

      • B. Bonin, P. Brändlein, F. Bussy, J. Desmons, U. Eggenberger, F. Finger et al.

      Pages 171-201

   9. Late Palaeozoic — Early Mesozoic Plate Reorganization: Evolution and Demise of the Variscan Fold Belt

      • P. A. Ziegler

      Pages 203-216

4. Specific Descriptions of Pre-Alpine Basement

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 217-217

      PDF

   2. The Helvetic Realm

      1. The Pre-Alpine Evolution of the External Massifs

         • J. F. von Raumer, R. P. Ménot, J. Abrecht, G. Biino

         Pages 221-240

      2. Geodynamic Significance of Basic and Bimodal Magmatism in the External Domain

         • R. P. Ménot, J. L. Paquette

         Pages 241-254

   3. Penninic Realm

      1. Elements of the Palaeozoic History of the Ligurian Alps

         • L. Cortesogno, G. Dallagiovanna, L. Gaggero, M. Vanossi

         Pages 257-277

      2. Passing Through the Briançon Zone

         • J. Desmons, D. Mercier

         Pages 279-295

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.

• Alpen
• Batholith
• Gebirge
• Paläozoikum
• Trias
• evolution
• formation
• geography
• geology
• metamorphism
• ore deposit
• sediment
• stratigraphy
• tectonics
• volcanism

• Institut für Mineralogie und Petrographie, Universität Pérolles, Fribourg, Switzerland

  J. F. Raumer

• Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Karl-Franzens-Universität, Graz, Austria

  Franz Neubauer

Policies and ethics