Ostalpin
Back to AustroalpineRepresentation and status
- Color CMYK
- N/A
- Color RGB
- R: 241 G: 239 B: 237
- Rank
- tectonic domain
- Validity
- Unit is in Use
- Status
- valid
Nomenclature
- Deutsch
- Ostalpin
- Français
- Austroalpin
- Italiano
- Austroalpino
- English
- Austroalpine
- Origin of the Name
-
Siehe lexic.swissgeol.ch
- Historical Variants
-
ostalpine Zone = Austriden (Staub 1934), Falde Austridi (Godenzi 1963), Ostalpine Decken (Trümpy 1974), Ostalpin = Austroalpin (Bögel 1976), East Alpine, Austro-Alpine nappes, sistema Austroalpino = falde Austroalpine (Dal Piaz et al. 1992a), ostalpine Decken (Spillmann 1993), Dominio tettonico Austroalpino (Montrasio et al. 2012), Austroalpine (TK500 / Gouffon et al. 2025)
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
-
non: Ostalpen [geographisch]
Description
- Description
-
Tektonisch höchstes Element der Alpen, bestehend aus kontinentalem Grundgebirge und Sedimenten der adriatischen Platte.
Kristalline Grundgebirge des Apulischen Terrane und deren, z.T. abgescherter, permo-mesozoicher Sedimentbedeckung.
Hierarchy and sequence
- Subordinate units
Geography
- Geographical extent
- Alpes orientales et E des Grisons
Palaenography and tectonic
- Paleogeography
-
Adriatic continental margin
:
southern, passive continental margin / platform
- Tectonic unit (resp. main category)
- Kind of protolith
-
- tectonic
References
- Definition
-
(2024) :
Tectonic Map of Switzerland 1:500000, Explanatory notes. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo, Wabern
p.83: The Austroalpine nappes of eastern Switzerland represent the westernmost part of the much larger area of the Austroalpine domain exposed in Austria (Schmid et al. 2004, Froitzheim et al. 2008, Schuster 2015). The Austroalpine nappes represent allochthons derived from the Adriatic plate. Their initial paleogeographical position was to the southeast of the Piemonte-Liguria Ocean (Schmid et al. 2008). The main episode of W- to NW- directed transport of nappe stacking is of Cretaceous age (“Eoalpine” orogeny). Later, all these units became thrusted over the Penninic nappes towards the north during the Cenozoic, along a thrust that defines the outer limits of the Lower Engadine and the Tauern windows (see overview by Froitzheim et al. 1994 regarding the Swiss part). Moreover, thermochronometric studies postulate significant top-S or top-SE normal fault reactivations near the base of the Austroalpine nappe stack postdating top-N thrusting (Price et al. 2018).
The Austroalpine domain comprises two types of nappes. One type consists mainly of pre-Triassic crystalline basement rocks including their Permian – Mesozoic cover rocks (“basement-cover nappe”). The other type consists of detached allochthonous sedimentary cover rocks. Because of the superposition of two orogenic cycles in the Austroalpine domain, its subdivision has always been difficult and controversial.
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Oberostalpin
- Rank
- tectonic domain
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
The Upper Austroalpine embraces those units originating from the Adriatic continental plate that are interpreted to originally have been relatively more proximal in respect to the distal continental margin units preserved in the Lower Austroalpine, which it overthrust. The Upper Austroalpine units underwent less deformation during the opening of the Piemonte-Liguria Ocean and generally appear less intensely deformed during the Alpine orogeny. Many of them are basement-cover nappes, except for the small Roggenstock-Mördergruebi Nappe, the nappes of the Northern Calcareous Alps and the Quattervals Nappe, which are made up entirely of sedimentary rocks.
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Nördliche Kalkalpen
- Rank
- tectonic domain
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
The Northern Calcareous Alps consists of a nappe stack made up exclusively of sedimentary rocks, ranging from the Permian to the Late Cretaceous, occupying the entire northern part of the Austroalpine. These nappes were detached from their crystalline basement during the Late Cretaceous, as inferred from synorogenic Cretaceous deposits. They were affected by top-NW thrusting in the Cretaceous, followed by top-N thrusting in the Cenozoic. This led to a complicated internal structure.
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Juvavikum
- Rank
- tectonic domain
- Status
- informal term
- In short
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Höchste Einheit der Nördliche Kalkalpen.
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Tirolikum
- Rank
- tectonic domain
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
Mittlere Einheit der Nördliche Kalkalpen
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Krabachjoch-Decke
- Name Origin
- Rank
- nappe
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
The Krabachjoch Nappe is the upper tectonic unit of the Tirolic Nappe System (Upper Austroalpine) in the Northern Calcareous Alps. It has an exclusively Triassic stratigraphic sequence ranging from «Alpiner Buntsandstein» (Chazforà-/Fuorn-Fm.) up to «Hauptdolomit».
- Age
- Triassic
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Inntal-Decke
- Name Origin
- Rank
- nappe
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
The Inntal Nappe is the lower tectonic unit of the Tirolic Nappe System (Upper Austroalpine) in the Northern Calcareous Alps. The stratigraphic sequence is characterised by thick Triassic deposits (up to 1700 m of Middle Triassic platform and basin sediments and over 2000 m of peritidal sediments of the Hauptdolomit Group).
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Bajuvarikum
- Rank
- tectonic domain
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
Tiefste, nordwestlichte Einheit der Nördliche Kalkalpen
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Lechtal-Decke
- Name Origin
-
Lechtal (Österreich), Vorarlberg
- Rank
- nappe
- Status
- valid
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- <p>"Lechtaler Hauptmulde" sensu Tollmann (1970a, 1976b), "Zürser Synklinorium" sensu May & Eisbacher (1999)</p>
- In short
-
The Lechtal Nappe is the upper tectonic unit of the Bajuvaric Nappe System (Upper Austroalpine) in the Northern Calcareous Alps. Its stratigraphic sequence is characterised by thick and widespread Jurassic and Cretaceous basin sediments, as well as local shallow sediments («Zürser Schwelle»).
In the northern Rätikon mountain range, between Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, it is intersected by out-of-sequence thrust faults, which divided it into several slices (Schesaplana, Gorfion, Augstenberg, Ochsenkopf, Heubühl and Drei Schwestern slices) and also lead to the exposure of isolated lenses of the Arosa Zone. The «Northern Mittagspitz Zone», in the eastern Rätikon, and the Madrisa Slice, which is isolated north of Klosters between the Silvretta Nappe above and the Upper Penninic Arosa Zone below, are considered to be inverted slivers derived from the Lechtal Nappe.
- Age
- Spätes Karbon
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Schesaplana-Schuppe
- Name Origin
-
Massiv/Gipfel der Schesaplana (GR) [«sassa plauna» = ebener Felsblock]
- Rank
- tectonic slice
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
The Schesaplana Slice is a tectonic subunit of the Lechtal Nappe at its southwestern border.
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Gorfion-Schuppe
- Name Origin
- Rank
- tectonic slice
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
The Gorfion Slice is a tectonic subunit of the Lechtal Nappe at its southwestern border.
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Augstenberg-Schuppe
- Name Origin
- Rank
- tectonic slice
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
The Augstenberg Slice is a tectonic subunit of the Lechtal Nappe at its southwestern border.
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Ochsenkopf-Schuppe
- Name Origin
- Rank
- tectonic slice
- Status
- local name (informal)
- In short
-
The Ochsenkopf Slice is a tectonic subunit of the western part of the Lechtal Nappe.
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Heubühl-Schuppe
- Name Origin
-
Heubühl = Heubüal (LI), Saminatal
- Rank
- tectonic slice
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
The Heubühl Slice is a tectonic subunit of the Lechtal Nappe at its southwestern border. It has an exclusively Triassic stratigraphic sequence ranging from «Alpiner Buntsandstein» (Chazforà-/Fuorn-Fm.) up to «Hauptdolomit».
- Age
- Late Permian
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Drei-Schwestern-Schuppe
- Name Origin
- Rank
- tectonic slice
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
The Drei Schwestern Slice is a tectonic subunit of the Lechtal Nappe at its northwestern border. It has an exclusively Triassic stratigraphic sequence ranging from «Alpiner Buntsandstein» (Chazforà-/Fuorn-Fm.) up to «Hauptdolomit».
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«Nördliche Mittagsspitz-Zone»
- Name Origin
-
Mittagsspitz
- Rank
- tectonic zone
- Status
- local name (informal)
- In short
-
The «Northern Mittagspitz Zone», in the eastern Rätikon, is considered to be an inverted sliver derived from the Lechtal Nappe.
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Madrisa-Schuppe
- Name Origin
- Rank
- tectonic zone
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
The Madrisa Slice, which is isolated north of Klosters between the Silvretta Nappe above and the Upper Penninic Arosa Zone below, is considered to be an inverted sliver derived from the Lechtal Nappe.
- Age
- Permian
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Allgäu-Decke
- Name Origin
- Rank
- nappe
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
The Allgäu Nappe is the lower tectonic unit of the Bajuvaric Nappe System (Upper Austroalpine) in the Northern Calcareous Alps.
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Walsertal-Zone
- Name Origin
-
Walsertal (Österreich)
- Rank
- tectonic zone
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
Melange-Zone mit wenige Ophiolithe, die eine Fortsetzung der Arosa-Decke zwischen Lichtenstein und dem Allgäu (direkt den Rhenodanubischen Flysch überlagernd) darstellt.
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Falkenstein-Zug
- Rank
- tectonic zone
- Status
- local name (informal)
-
«Cenoman-Randschuppe»
- Rank
- tectonic slice
- Status
- incorrect name (though informally used)
- Valid term
- Walsertal-Zone
- In short
-
The Cenoman-Randschuppe consists of an imbricate zone of slivers formed at the active margin between the Adriatic continental plate and the Piemonte-Liguria Ocean. It lies at the northern rim of the Upper Austroalpine (Northern Calcareous Alps) and consists of flysch-like coarse-grained deposits.
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Unterostalpin
- Rank
- tectonic domain
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
The Lower Austroalpine comprises tectonic units that are derived from the former distal continental margin of the Adriatic plate, which was affected by Jurassic extensional detachment faults. The strongly deformed pre- and syn-rift strata became intensely reshaped and reworked during the closure of the Piemonte-Liguria Ocean and subsequent Alpine continental collision.
The facies of syn- and post-rift sediments of the Lower Austroalpine has remarkable similarities with those found in the Canavese area around the town of Ivrea, which is a part of the South Alpine derived of the western part of the Adria.