3-D structure of the lithosphere beneath the southern Rhine Graben area

Continuous GPS and broad-scale deformation across the Rhine Graben and the Alps

“…The axis of maximum horizontal compressional stress rotated from NNE-SSW to a NNW-SSE and NW-SE direction about 20 Ma ago (Glahn and Granet 1992;Schumacher 2002). Graben subsidence ceased in the southern Rhine Graben and was followed by the midMiocene updoming of the Vosges-Black Forest complex (Laubscher 1982;Glahn and Granet 1992) (Fig.1). The doming was accompanied by volcanic activity more or less continuously throughout the Cenozoic, but peaked during the Miocene and again during the Quaternary in the Eifel area (Fig.…”

“…Moreover, predominantly strike-slip mechanisms of earthquakes are derived from fault plane solutions (Villemin et al 1986;Bonjer 1997;Plenefisch and Bonjer 1997). In contrast, the northwestern branch of the Rhine rift, which crosscuts through the Rhenish Massif, is presently experiencing active rifting (Glahn and Granet 1992). Precision levelling indicates that this area is presently being uplifted at a rate of 0.4-0.6 mm/year, with maxima of more than 1 mm/year reached in the Eifel (Ziegler 1992) (Fig.…”

“…1). Shoulder uplift and subsidence of the graben, as reflected by its sedimentary infill, show a clear difference in the evolution of the northern part of the Upper Rhine Graben between Mainz and Heidelberg and the southern part between Strasbourg and Basle (Villemin et al 1986;Glahn and Granet 1992). Today the southern Rhine Graben is characterized by small uplift/subsidence rates (Ma¨lzer and Schlemmer 1975;Zippelt and Ma¨lzer 1981), about +0.2 to À0.1 mm/year (Ziegler 1992), which are not significant (Ro´zsa et al this volume; Schlatter et al this volume).…”

Gravity anomalies and subsurface geology in the Westerwald volcanic area, Germany

“…The Rhenish massif, as well as the Rhinegraben rift, are considered to be one of the obvious recent tectonic events that affected the area and may have contributed to the development of the volcanic fields. Several geological, geophysical, and age-dating surveys in the Rhenish massif have taken place over the past 20 years in order to improve the understanding of the geodynamic and tectonic situation of the region (Drisler and Jacoby 1983;Illies and Fuchs 1983;Lippolt 1983;Mengel and Wedepohl 1983;Semmel 1983;Wedepohl 1982;Edel and Fluck 1989;Giese et al 1990; Glahn and Granet 1992). The studies have generally concentrated on the lithospheric structure and volcanic areas, whereas very little has been directed toward the investigation of the Westerwald volcanics (Lippolt and Todt 1978).…”

A multi-scale approach to study the lithospheric structure of the southern Upper Rhine Graben: from seismic tomography through reflection seismics to surface geology

“…Panza et al (1980) were the first to present a European scale model of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system based on seismic surface and body waves, and showed a significantly thinned lithosphere underneath the Rhine Graben. Later tomographic studies studies were based on a network that was specially designed to verify the distinct long wavelength uplift of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system (Granet 1986;Glahn and Granet 1992;Glahn et al 1993;Achauer 2002). These studies showed that the the influence of the graben is limited to the crust and that the presence of a mantle diapir can be excluded.…”