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

Tesauro, Magdala; Hollenstein, Christine; Egli, R.; Geiger, Alain; Kahle, H.‐G.

doi:10.1007/s00531-004-0453-0

Cited by 45 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Assuming shortening to have occurred between 2.9 Ma and the present day, this yields minimum horizontal displacement rates in the order of 0.05 mm/a, corresponding to a strain rate in the order of 2·10 -16 s -1 across the folded area. This value is in agreement with strain rates calculated from GPS-derived velocities that are in the order of 4·10 -16 s -1 (Tesauro et al 2005, their fig. 3).…”

Section: Kinematic Framework Of Neotectonic Activity In the Southern Urgsupporting

confidence: 90%

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Latest Pliocene to recent thick-skinned tectonics at the Upper Rhine Graben – Jura Mountains junction

2007

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The southernmost Upper Rhine Graben and adjacent Jura experienced basement-rooted shortening that occurred after the deposition of the Pliocene fluvial "Sundgau gravels". Folds affecting the base of these gravels systematically trend NE to ENE. Combined evidence from reflection seismic lines and contour maps of the base-Tertiary and base-Pliocene levels indicates that these folds probably formed by thick-skinned reactivation of both NNE-SSW and WSW-ENE-striking faults. This thick-skinned shortening is NW-SE oriented, i.e. parallel to the maximum horizontal stresses inferred from seismotectonics. NNE-SSW-striking faults (paralleling the Upper Rhine Graben) have been reactivated in sinistral strike-slip mode. However, dextrally transpressive reactivation of the WSW-ENE-trending faults that belong to the Rhine-Bresse Transfer Zone is interpreted to predominate.Deflections of recent river courses around the crests of en-échelon-aligned surface anticlines suggest that the deformation is ongoing at present.Retro-deformation of the folds affecting the base of the Sundgau gravels indicates horizontal displacement rates of about 0.05 mm/a. This corresponds to a minimum strain rate in the order of 2·10 -16 s -1 , given the maximum time span of 2.9 Ma for this deformation, i.e. the biostratigraphically determined minimum age of the gravels. A change from thin-skinned tectonics, that prevailed during the main phase of Jura folding, to very probably still ongoing thick-skinned tectonics is inferred to have occurred in the Late Pliocene. We speculate that this change might be linked to the incipient inversion of Permo-Carboniferous troughs within the Alpine foreland in general. This inversion in dextrally transpressive or purely compressive mode along a WNW-ESE-trending basement fault, that is part of the Rhine-Bresse Transfer Zone, which in turn was prestructured during the formation of the Permo-Carboniferous troughs, could have triggered the 1356 Basel earthquake.

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Section: Kinematic Framework Of Neotectonic Activity In the Southern Urgsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Stations located between 4°and 16°E, comprising the domain of the Alps and the northern Alpine foreland, show horizontal displacement rates between 0.1 and 2.9 mm/a relative to Eurasia (Tesauro et al 2005, their fig. 2).…”

Section: Seismicity and Recent Displacement Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Latest Pliocene to recent thick-skinned tectonics at the Upper Rhine Graben – Jura Mountains junction

2007

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“…This study concerns the whole Western Alps and its forelands, and is based on the most reliable GPS-related velocity field currently available for the area ( Tesauro et al 2005). The velocity field is derived from the combination of previously published GPS data acquired in both permanent and campaign mode.…”

Section: Gps Velocity Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of strain rate in the Western Alps using geodesy: comparisons with seismotectonics

et al. 2008

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The contrasted seismotectonic regime of the Western Alps is characterized by radial extension in the high chain, combined with local compressive areas at the foothill of the belt, and everywhere occurrence of transcurrent tectonics. Here, we compare this seismotectonic regime to a large-scale compilation of GPS measurements in the Western Alpine realm. Our analysis is based on the raw GPS database, which give the measured velocity field with respect to the so called "stable Europe", and an interpolated velocity field, in order to smooth the database on a more regular mesh. Both strain rate and rotational components of the deformation are investigated. The strain rate field shows patch-like structure, with extensional areas located in the core and to the North of the belt and compressional areas located in its periphery. Although the GPS deformation fields (both raw and interpolated) are more spatially variable than the seismotectonic field, a good qualitative correlation is established with the seismotectonic regionalization of the deformation. The rotation rate fields (both raw and interpolated) present counterclockwise rotations in the innermost part of the belt and a surprising continuous zone of clockwise rotations following the arc-shape geometry of the Western Alps along their external border. We interpret this new result in term of a counterclockwise rotation of the Apulia plate with respect to the stable Europe. This tectonic scheme may induce clockwise rotations of crustal block along the large strike-slip fault system, which runs in the outer part of the belt, from the Rhône-Simplon fault to the Belledonne fault and Southeastward, to the High-Durance and Argentera fault.

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“…Also shown is the extent of the Late-Paleozoic Burgundy Trough System in the subsurface of the RBTZ (lower right). AJ Ajoie area, AMF Avant-Monts Fault, AMZ Avant-Monts Zone, BG Bresse Graben, BZ Besançon Zone, CH Chailluz Thrust, FB Faisceau Bisontin, LSH La Serre Horst, MP Montbéliard Plateau, RBTZ Rhine-Bresse Transfer Zone, URG Upper Rhine Graben S104 Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) (2010) 99 (Suppl 1):S103-S122 throughout the northwestern Alpine foreland, close to the margin of error inherent to current GPS technology (Tesauro et al 2005). Despite this, there are indications for recent deformation within the area provided by pioneering studies in tectonic geomorphology (Dreyfuss and Glangeaud 1950;Liniger 1967;Théobald et al 1977;Campy 1984).…”

Section: Introduction and Objectives Of This Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Feedback between erosion and active deformation: geomorphic constraints from the frontal Jura fold-and-thrust belt (eastern France)

Madritsch¹,

Fabbri²,

Hagedorn³

et al. 2009

Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

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A regional tectono-geomorphic analysis indicates a Pliocene to recent rock uplift of the outermost segment of the Jura fold-and-thrust belt, which spatially coincides with the intra-continental Rhine-Bresse Transfer Zone. Elevated remnants of the partly eroded Middle Pliocene Sundgau-Forêt de Chaux Gravels identified by heavy mineral analyses allow for a paleo-topographic reconstruction that yields minimum regional Latest Pliocene to recent rock uplift rates of 0.05 ± 0.02 mm/year. This uplift also affected the Pleistocene evolution of the Ognon and Doubs drainage basins and is interpreted as being tectonically controlled. While the Ognon River was deflected from the uplifted region the Doubs deeply incised into it.Focused incision of the Doubs possibly sustained ongoing deformation along anticlines which were initiated during the Neogene evolution of the thin-skinned Jura fold-and-thrust belt. At present, this erosion-related active deformation is taking place synchronously with thick-skinned tectonics, controlling the inversion of the Rhine-Bresse Transfer Zone. This suggests local decoupling between seismogenic basement faulting and erosion-related deformation of the Mesozoic cover sequences.

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

Cited by 45 publications

References 36 publications

Latest Pliocene to recent thick-skinned tectonics at the Upper Rhine Graben – Jura Mountains junction

Latest Pliocene to recent thick-skinned tectonics at the Upper Rhine Graben – Jura Mountains junction

Quantification of strain rate in the Western Alps using geodesy: comparisons with seismotectonics

Feedback between erosion and active deformation: geomorphic constraints from the frontal Jura fold-and-thrust belt (eastern France)

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