Karavanke
Alps
Hans P. Schönlaub, GeoPark Carnic Alps
Structural correlations between Carnic/Gailtal Alps
and Eastern Karavanke Alps
Karavanke Alps
Carnic/Gailtal Alps
Northern Karavanke Alps Foreland
??
Northern Karavanke Alps Mesozoic Gailtal Alps Mesozoic („Drauzug“)
Eisenkappel Paleozoic
??
Eisenkappel Granite
Nötsch Granite
Eisenkappel Crystalline Complex Gailtal Crystalline Complex
Karavanke Tonalite
Gailtal Tonalite
Seeberg Paleozoic
Carnic Alps Paleozoic
Southern Karavanke Alps Mesozoic Carnic Alps Mesozoic
Tectonic subdivision of the Eastern Karavanke Alps
Quarternary
Tertiary
Northern Karavanke Alps Mesozoic
Eisenkappel Paleozoic (Diabase Unit)
Karavanke Granite
Karavanke Crystalline Complex
Karavanke Tonalite
Southern Karavanke Alps Mesozoic
Seeberg Paleozoic (“Seeberg Aufbruch“)
Fault
P. L.
Northern Karavanke Alps – Triassic Seeberg Palaeozoic
Kamniško Savinjske/
Steiner Alps – Triassic Koschuta – Triassic
N-S cross section of the eastern Karavanke Alps (after F. Kupsch et al., 1971, modified by F. K. Bauer, 1973 and H. P. Schönlaub). Eisenkappel Palaeozoic
Granite & Eisenkappel Crystalline
1: Post-Variscan Permian and Upper Carboniferous, 2: Banded Limestone units, 3: Devonian limestone, 4 : undated volcanics, 5: Hochwipfel Fm., 6: undated shales (Seeberg Shale), 7: Upper Ordovician and Silurian, 8: Upper Ordovician volcanics, 9: Eisenkappel Granite, 10: Pillow lavas of Eisenkappel, 11: Diabase sill of Palaeozoic of Eisenkappel, 12: Werfen Fm., 13: Alpine Muschelkalk Fm., 14: Partnach Fm., 14: Wetterstein Lst. (dolomitic reef debris), 16: Wetterstein Lst. (calcareous reef debris), 17: Wetterstein Lst. (lagoonal facies), 18: Raibl Fm., 19: Rhaetian-Jurassic, 20: Schlern Dolomite, 21: Tertiary, 22: Dachstein Lst. (reef debris facies), 23: Dachstein Lst. (lagoonal facies).
Bad Eisenkappel/Železna Kapla
Zimpasserkogel Kamniško Savinjske/
Steiner Alps
Areal view of the Gail Valley with the Carnic Alps (left) and the Gailtal Alps (right)
Gailtal Crystalline Complex
Carnic Alps Paleozoic
Gailtal Crystalline Complex
Gailtal Alps Mesozoic Periadriatic Line
Tonalites
View into the Gail Valley from East showing Carnic Alps in the South and Gailtal Alps to the North
http://gisgba.geologie.ac.at/PublishedMaps/
Nötsch Carboniferous Nötsch Granite
Nötsch Granite
Geological Map of the Carboniferous of Nötsch
Gailtal Crystalline Complex Gailtal Alps Mesozoic
Summit of Hochobir (2139 m) –
Northern Karavanke Mesozoic)
Eisenkappler Hütte (1555 m)
Gailtal Crystalline Complex Nötsch Granite and Amphibolite
Gailtal Crystalline
Complex
Eisenkappel Tonalite of Remschenig Valley (above)
Carnic Alps
Karavanke Alps
Alps
Tuff - Ignimbrite
Stratigraphic subdivision of the Carnic and Karavanke Alps Paleozoic
(Hubmann et al., 2003, modified from Schönlaub, 1985)
Composite section of the ~80 m thick
Trögener Group of Upper Ordovician to
Upper Devonian age followed by Lower
Carboniferous cherts and the Hochwipfel
Fm. (after Moshammer, 1989, 1990).
Limestones and shales of the 80 m
thick Trögen Group dissected into
6 tectonic slices in the Trögen
River
Seeberg Pass
Eisenkappel
http://gisgba.geologie.ac.at/PublishedMaps/
Seeberg Pass Storschitz Zimpasser Eisenkappel Eisenkappel Storschitz Seeberg Pass Zimpasser http://gisgba.geologie.ac.at/PublishedMaps/
Carnic Alps Paleozoic: Kellerwand with Eiskar glacier, Hohe Warte, Biegengebirge (left) and
Rauchkofel mountain (right) representing different Devonian limestone environments
Sunrise at Kellerwand cliff (Devonian fore-reef),
first recognized by Leopold v. Buch 1824
Lake Wolayer
with mountain
Seekopf (2554 m)
Seewarte mountain (2595 m), centre of
Devonian shallow water deposits with Lake Wolayer
Southern cliff of mountain Rauchkofel showing Upper Ordovician to
Lower Devonian rock sequences
Southern face of Rauchkofel mountain with bedded Rauchkofel Fm.
(Lower Devonian -Lochkovian)
Geological map of the Seeberg area (compiled by F. K. Bauer, 1981)
PasterkRapold
Seeberg Paleozoic: Distribution of different facies types in the Devonian and Lower
Carboniferous of the Seeberg area (after Tessensohn, 1975)
Rapold
Rapold cliff with upside-down Upper
Devonian sequence of reef-debris
limestones with fissures and sedimentary
gap between basal Famennian and Lower
Carboniferous (after Tessensohn, 1975).
Rapold cliff
~1100 m altitude
Base of small Pasterk rock with
greyish crinoid-coral bearing
limestones of Lochkovian to Pragian
age. Containing the historically
famous “
Bronteus
Trilobite Fauna“ of
Frech (1887)
Small Pasterk cliff Big Pasterk
Sketch of 250 m thick Devonian reef complex of Storschitz with duplicated backreef and reef facies. 1 = Backreef algal limestone, 2 reef core with corals and stromatoporoids, 3 fault bounded Upper Carboniferous (after
Tessensohn, 1975).
Kamniško Savinjske/Steiner Alps
Sunset in Karavanke Alps
(Foto Gailberger)
Information panels Trögen Gorge,
Silberbründl
The changing face
of the Earth
Paläogeographie des alpinen Raumes in der Obertrias Alpine
Shelf(
Development of Alpine Shelf on northern part of Apulian Promontory of the African Plate
Upper Triassic palaeogeography
: Development of Alpine shelf on northern part of
Apulian Spur (Adriatic Promontory).
INFO-BOX
Age Triassic (251 – 199.6 m. y.)
General development
- increasing production of lime due to rich and diverse organisms
(corals, bivalves, brachiopods, ammonoids, porifera, algae etc.)
on a shallow marine shelf with development of extended reefs in
Middle and Upper Triassic times, lagoons and deep water realms - continuous subsidence over some 50 m.y. resulted in more than
3000 m thick sediment accumulation
Palaeogeography
- passive continental margin with wide shelf area extending across Apulian Promontory as part of African Plate
Sketch from the Bohemian Massif towards south with opening Tethys Ocean in Middle to Upper Triassic times
INFO-BOX
Age Jurassic (199.6 – 145.5 m. y.)
General development
- Penninic Ocean formed between Africa and Europe
- marine sedimentary basin subsided differently due to mobile crust - limestone sedimentation restricted to submarine swells, clayish
and marly sediments deposited in deeper parts Palaeogeography
- breakup of Pangaea
- Atlantic Ocean opened followed by Penninic Ocean ~165 m.y. ago
- sedimentation of the later Limestone Alps on the northern part of
the Apulian Promontory which was separated from the Helvetic Shelf on the other coast (= European Plate) by the Penninic Ocean
PaläogeographiePALAEOGEOGRAPHY des alpinen Raumes im Oberjura
Pangaea broke up, Penninic Ocean opened. Sedimentation of the later Limestone Alps on the northern part of the Apulian Promontory which is separated from the Helvetic Shelf on the other coast (= European Plate) by the Penninic Ocean. Tethys Ocean started closing
Eastalpine Shelf
Helvetic Shelf
Upper Jurassic palaeogeography: Pangaea broke up, Penninic Ocean opened. Sedimentation of the later Limestone Alps on the northern part of the Apulian Spur which was separated from the Helvetic Shelf on the other coast (= European Plate) by the Penninic Ocean. Tethys Ocean started closing.
Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous
Sketch from the Bohemian Massif and its cover, the Helvetic Shelf, with opening of the Penninic Ocean, to the Eastalpine Shelf during the Upper Jurassic and
Lower Cretaceous
Tethys Ocean is being subducted
INFO-BOX
Age Lower Cretaceous (145.5 – 100 m. y.)
General development
- widening of the Penninic Ocean through production of new oceanic
crust, upon which the “Bündner Schiefer“ (schistes lustrès) were
deposited
- intracontinental subduction within the Austroalpine (Eastalpine) tectonic unit ~135 m.y. ago caused shortening and tectonic subdivision of the Austroalpine into a lower and upper tectonic unit with formation of Austroalpine nappes
Palaeogeography
- breakup of Pangaea continued
- Adriatic Promontory separated from African Plate
- Adriatic Microplate started independent drifting
Pillow lava of the Penninic Ocean floor at Idalpe, Tyrol
Pillow lava of the Penninic Ocean floor of the Penninic Ocean floor of
Prasinite of quarry Hinterbichl near
Prägraten,
Eastern Tyrol
–
reworked and schistosed Jurassic ocean crust
INFO-BOX
Age Upper Cretaceous (100 – 65.5 m. y.)
General development
- Adriatic Microplate approached Europe - Penninic Ocean started closing - formation of an accretionary wedge (change from passive to active
continental margin)
- oceanic lithosphere and sediments of Penninic Ocean (flysch-type
Bündner Schiefer/“schistes lustrés“) deformed into Penninic nappes
- Eo-alpine high p/t metamorphism around 90 m.y affected less distinct the upper tectonic units including limestone areas Palaeogeography
- upper nappes formed shallow Austroalpine sedimentary basins subdivided by islands with deposition of Gosau sediments
Upper Cretaceous paleogeography: Apulia approached Europe, Penninic Ocean started closing with deposition of thick Flysch deposits which subsequently were transformed into Penninic nappes. Shelf subdivided by islands with Gosau sedimentation. Eo-alpine high p/t metamorphism in deeper crust.
Upper Cretaceous to Eocene
Sketch from the Bohemian Massif and its cover, the Helvetic Shelf – Flysch trough of Penninic Ocean – early Alps in Upper Cretaceous to Eocene time
European Plate Adriatic Plate/Apulia
INFO-BOX
Age Paleogene (65.5 – 23 m. y.)
General development
- approx. 50 m.y. ago Penninic Ocean was completely closed - southern margin of European Plate was subducted under the
Austroalpine orogenic wedge until some 40 m.y. with formation of Helvetic and Subpenninic nappes, respectively
- Variscan granites transformed to orthogneisses
- temperature-controlled “young-alpine“ metamorphism
(“Tauernkristallisation“)
- 40 - 30 m.y. ago slab break-off of lithospheric plate resulted in ascent of hot melts between Austro- and Southalpine (= later Periadriatic Line) which crystallized to granites and tonalites in the crust and volcanoes on the surface, respectively
- Adriatic Plate started south-directed thrusting - thickening of crust underneath the central Alps
- ~30 m.y. ago adjustment movements starting with slow uplift Palaeogeography
- landscape evolution of Austroalpine with hills east of Brenner and low mountains to the west
Oligocene paleogeography: Penninic Ocean has completely closed, rise of Austro-alpine Unit started and Molasse Basin formed.
Oligocene
Sketch from the Bohemian Massif across the Molasse Basin to the northward thrusting Alpine nappes during Oligocene times
E u r o p e a n P l a t e
Reconstruction of the Eastern Alps during the „Augenstein-landscape“ in the late Oligocene when the
Northern Limestone Alps were not fully exhumed
Later Tauern Window mountains
INFO-BOX
Age Paleogene (65 – 23 m. y.)
General development
- beginning in the Eocene a foreland basin (“Paratethys“) gradually
subsided due to the superimposed load of the overriding Alps on European Plate
- until ~15 m.y. filling with debris from the rising Alps and the Bohemian Massif
- rich animal and floral heritage Palaeogeography
- shallow marine sedimentary molasse basin of Paratehys surrounding
INFO-BOX
Age Neogene (23 – 2.4 m. y.)
General development
- N-S shortening resulted in indenter of Southern Alps some 20 m.y ago - rapid E-W lithospheric extension and stretching in Pannonian Basin - development of a system of lateral displacements north and south
of the Alpine chain
- lateral extrusion of Eastern Alps against Pannonian Basin
- thinning of central part of Eastern Alps due to normal slip faulting - start of exhumation of Hohe Tauern 15-13 m.y. ago
- internal deformation continued – formation of Alpine fissures
- formation of intra-Alpine Molasse Basins Palaeogeography
- since approx. 10 m.y. uplift of Alps with rates of some 5 mm/y, later slowing down to 0.5 mm/y
- sedimentation in Molasse Basin continued until 4 m.y. when fresh
Sketch of the Alpine-Carpathian area during the middle Miocene: large crustal wedges of the Austroalpine Unit were squeezed out towards the east due to a south-north directed compression (after Peresson & Decker, 1997, modified)
Adriatic Plate
African mantle
Geological N – S section of the Eastern and Southern Alps from Traunsee in Upper Austria to Bohinjsko jezero in Slovenia (after Froitzheim et al. 2008, Schuster & Stüwe, 2010, Stuewe & Homberger, 2011, mod.)
Major steps of Alpine plate tectonic evolution
- The Adriatic Plate was part of the African Plate until the Lower Cretaceous (“Adriatic/Apulia Promontory“) - subsequently the Adriatic Plate broke up and started to drift independently
- while the Austroalpine unit was detached from the Adriatic Plate during the Lower Cretaceous, the Southalpine was sheared off in southern direction during the Paleogene
- today the Austroalpine and Southalpine units are part of the Alpine orogenic wedge which is overlying the plate boundary of the European and Adriatic Plate in the subsurface
- anticlockwise rotation of the Adriatic Plate continues today with movements of some mm/y triggering seismicity in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Tectonic block diagram of the Eastern and Southern Alps
(Graphics: M. Brüggemann-Ledolter, Geological Survey of Austria)
TECTONIC UNITS DERIVED FROM ADRIATIC MICROPLATE