Geodynamics of the Alps consists of three volumes. This second volume presents the pre-collisional history of the Alps. It discusses the Variscan orogeny in the Alpine realm, the inferred paleo-geography, the structure and processes affecting continental margins and the mantle structure in the pre-orogenic Alpine realm. It concludes by describing oceanic and continental subduction processes. The aim of this book is to create a space for experts on Alpine research to present the state of the art of specific subjects and provide their own interpretations.

Geodynamics of the Alps consists of three volumes. This third volume is entirely dedicated to Alpine collision. It describes and interprets elements of the Alpine chain, including Alpine magmatism, the formation of external massifs, the foreland basin, the exhumation of the internal part of the chain and the northern deformation front of the Alps. The aim of this book is to create a space for experts on Alpine research to present the state of the art of specific subjects and provide their own interpretations.

Geodynamics of the Alps consists of three volumes. This first volume describes the recent and present-day structure and tectonic setting of the Alpine chain, from the lithospheric mantle to brittle crust and surface topography. It also provides a historical overview of Alpine research, with two chapters covering specific Alpine regions (Corsica and the Eastern Alps) through all phases of Alpine history. The aim of this book is to create a space for experts on Alpine research to present the state of the art of specific subjects and provide their own interpretations.

This volume contains papers giving an interdisciplinary review of 12 major rift systems from North and South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. These papers are written by an international group of academic and industrial specialists each of whom is most knowledgeable about the respective rift. The analyzed rifts were selected on the basis of availability of an as-complete-as-possible geological and geophysical data base. Thirteen papers deal with geodynamic processes governing the evolution of rifts.A comprehensive digest of the available stratigraphic, structural, geophysical and petrological data, together with an extensive list of references, is provided for each of the analyzed rift systems. The megatectonic setting and dynamics of evolution of each basin is discussed. Geodynamic models are tested against the record of the analyzed rifts.The question of "active" as against "passive" rifting is addressed. The rifts analyzed range in age from Precambrian to Recent and cover a wide spectrum of megatectonic settings. There is discussion of the evolution of rifts in a plate-tectonic frame. The case histories are followed by discussions addressing the global setting of rifts and geodynamic processes active during the development of rifted basins.

This book presents a new synthesis of the major metallogenic provinces of Europe and the geodynamic processes involved that can lead to the formation of world-class ore deposits. It represents the culmination of a 5-year research programme, GEODE, set up by the European Science Foundation, that brought together researchers across Europe from a wide range of disciplines into collaborative research projects. They focused on five metallogenic provinces across Europe; the Precambrian Fennoscandian Shield, the Upper Palaeozoic Urals, the Variscides of France and SW Iberia, the Alpine–Balkan–Carpathian–Dinaride belt and sediment-hosted deposits of Europe. Because of the long and well-known tectonic history of Europe and the diversity of ore deposits, linkages between geodynamics and ore deposit evolution have been established and new insights into mineralizing fluids and ore formation processes have been gained. Presented as a set of individual review papers and a final synthesis, this book offers a coherent and structured appraisal of geodynamics and metallogeny in Europe, with valuable lessons for mineral exploration and research throughout the world.

Volume 2 provides an overview of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic evolution of Central Europe. This period commenced with the destruction of Pangaea and ended with the formation of the Alps and Carpathians and the subsequent Ice Ages. Separate summary chapters on the Permian to Cretaceous tectonics and the Alpine evolution are also included. The final chapter provides an overview of the fossils fuels, ore and industrial minerals in the region.

Geodynamics concerns the dynamics of the earth's global motion, of the earth's interior motion and its interaction with surface features, together with the mechanical processes in the deformation and rupture of geological structures. Its final object is to determine the driving mechanism of these motions. It is highly interdisciplinary. In providing the basic geological, geophysical infromation required for a comprehensive mechanical analysis, there are also many mechanical problems involved, which means the problem is coupled intricately with geophysics, rock mechanics, seismology, structural geology, etc. This is Part II of the Proceedings of an IUTAM/IASPEI Symposium on Mechanics Problems in Geodynamics held in Beijing, September 1994. It discusses different aspects of mechanics problems in geodynamics involving the earth's rotation, tectonic analyses of various parts of the world, mineral physics and flow in the mantle, seismic source studies and wave propagation and application of the DDA method in tectonic analysis.

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.