Fold and fault geometry in the western Helvetic nappes of Switzerland and France and its implication for the evolution of the arc of the western Alps

J. G. Ramsay

doi:10.1144/GSL.SP.1989.045.01.02

Summary

The main features of the fold and fault geometry of the Helvetic nappes and Chaînes Subalpines of Switzerland and France have been determined by the construction of tie lines between outcropping hinge points of folds and cut-off points of strata against thrusts. Longitudinal correlation of these structures is now possible. Folds are very persistent along their hinge lines and can often be followed for tens of kilometres. Fold hinges and thrust plane cut-off lines are extremely regularly oriented. The Alpine structures developed in the external massifs are obliquely superposed on previously emplaced nappes. The overall structural pattern is attributed to a progressive change of the relative displacement directions between the northern (European) plate and southern (Apulian) plate from N-S, through NW-SE, concluding with movements in an E-W sense. The well known structural culminations and depressions are interpreted as the result of the latest shortening in an E-W direction and not to complex ramp geometry or to duplex stacking.

References

1. Arbenz P.
(1912) La structure des Alpes de la Suisse centrale. Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles 34:401–425.
OpenUrl
1. Arbenz P.
(1913) Die Faltenbogen der Zentral-und Ostschweiz. Viertelijahresschrift der naturforschenden Gesellschaft Zürich 58:16–34.
OpenUrl
1. Argand E.
(1911) Les nappes de recouvrement des Alpes occidentales. Matériaux pour la carte géologique Suisse no. 27 et carte speciale no. 64.
1. Badoux H.
(1972) Tectonique de la nappe de Morcles entre Rhône et Lizerne. Matériaux pour la carte géologique de la Suisse, nouvelle Série 143.
1. Bertrand M.
(1884) Rapports de structure des Alpes de Glaris et du Bassin houiller du nord. Bulletin de la Société Géológique de France 12:318–330.
OpenUrl
1. Boyer S. C.,
2. Elliot D.
(1982) Thrust systems. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists 66:1196–1230.
OpenUrl Abstract
1. Callaway C.
(1883) The age of the newer gneissic rocks of the northern Highlands. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 39:355–422.
OpenUrl
1. Collet L.
(1927) The Structure of the Alps (Arnold & Co. London).
1. Collet L.
(1927) La nappe de Morcles entre Arve et Rhône. Matériaux pour la Carte géologique de la Suisse 79.
1. Dahlstrom C. D. A.
(1969) Balanced cross sections. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 6:743–747.
OpenUrl Abstract
1. Dietrich D.,
2. Durney D.
(1986) Change of direction of overthrust shear in the Helvetic nappes of western Switzerland. Journal of Structural Geology 8:389–398.
OpenUrl CrossRef Web of Science
1. Durney D.
(1972) Deformation history of the western Helvetic nappes Valais. Switzerland. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of London.
1. Durney D.,
2. Ramsay J. G.
(1973) in Gravity and Tectonics, Incremental strains measured by syntectonic crystal growths, eds Dejong K., Scholten R. (Wiley, New York), pp 67–96.
1. Elliott D.,
2. Johnson M. R. W.
(1980) Structural evolution in the northern part of the Moine thrust belt, NW Scotland. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 71:69–96.
OpenUrl
1. Escher Von Der Lindt A.
(1841) Verhandlungen der Schweizerischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Zürich, Geologische Karte des Cantons Glarus und seiner Umgebungen, ebst Profilen.
1. Ferrazzini B.,
2. Schuler P.
(1979) Eine Abwicklungskarte des Helvetikums zwischen Rhone und Reuss. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae 72:439–454.
OpenUrl
1. Heim A.
(1921) Geologie der Schweiz (Tauchnitz, Leipzig), 2/1, pp 259–476.
OpenUrl
1. Hsü K.
(1979) Thin skinned plate tectonics during neo-Alpine orogenesis. American Journal of Science 279:353–366.
OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text
1. Huggenberger P.
(1985) Faltenmodelle und Verformungsverteilung in Deckenstrukturen am Beispiel der Morcles Decke (Helvetikum der Westschweiz). Unpublished Dissertion, ETH-Zürich, pp 1–326. 7861.
OpenUrl
1. Langenberg W.,
2. Charlesworth H.,
3. La Riviere A.
(1987) Computer constructed cross sections of the Morcles nappe. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae 80:655–667.
OpenUrl Web of Science
1. Lugeon M.
(1901) Les grandes nappes de recouvrement des Alpes du Chablais et de la Suisse. Bulletin de la Société géologique de France 1:723–825.
OpenUrl
1. Lugeon N.
(1914) Les Hautes Alpes calcaires entre la Lizerne et la Kander. Matériaux pour la Carte géologique de la Suisse 30.
1. Peach B. N.,
2. Horne J.
(1888) Report on the recent work of the Geological Survey in the North West Highlands of Scotland. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 44:378–441.
OpenUrl
1. Ramsay J. G.
(1981) in Thrust and Nappe Tectonics, Tectonics of the Helvetic Alps, Special Publications of the Geological Society, eds McClay K. R., Price N. J. no. 9, pp 293–309.
OpenUrl
1. Ramsay J. G.,
2. Casey M.,
3. Kligfield R.
(1983) Role of shear in development of the Helvetic fold-thrust belt of Switzerland. Geology 11:439–442.
OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text
1. Ramsay J. G.,
2. Huber M.
(1983) The Techniques of Modern Structural Geology (Academic Press, London), 1, pp 1–307.
OpenUrl
1. Ramsay J. G.,
2. Huber M.
(1987) The Techniques of Modern Structural Geology (Academic Press, London), 2, pp 308–700.
OpenUrl
1. Törnebohm A. E.
(1883) Om Dalformationens geologiska Alder. Geologiska Föreningens Stockholm Förhandlingar 6:622.
OpenUrl
1. Törnebohm A. E.
(1888) Om Fjällproblemet. Geologiska Föreningens Stockholm Förhandlingar 10:328.
OpenUrl
1. Trümpy R.
(1980) Geology of Switzerland, a Guide-Book. Part A, an outline of the Geology of Switzerland (Wepf & Co. Basel).

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[1] Arbenz P.
(1912) La structure des Alpes de la Suisse centrale. Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles 34:401–425.
OpenUrl

[2] Arbenz P.

[3] Arbenz P.
(1913) Die Faltenbogen der Zentral-und Ostschweiz. Viertelijahresschrift der naturforschenden Gesellschaft Zürich 58:16–34.
OpenUrl

[4] Arbenz P.

[5] Argand E.
(1911) Les nappes de recouvrement des Alpes occidentales. Matériaux pour la carte géologique Suisse no. 27 et carte speciale no. 64.

[6] Argand E.

[7] Badoux H.
(1972) Tectonique de la nappe de Morcles entre Rhône et Lizerne. Matériaux pour la carte géologique de la Suisse, nouvelle Série 143.

[8] Badoux H.

[9] Bertrand M.
(1884) Rapports de structure des Alpes de Glaris et du Bassin houiller du nord. Bulletin de la Société Géológique de France 12:318–330.
OpenUrl

[10] Bertrand M.

[11] Boyer S. C.,
Elliot D.
(1982) Thrust systems. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists 66:1196–1230.
OpenUrl Abstract

[12] Boyer S. C.,

[13] Elliot D.

[14] Callaway C.
(1883) The age of the newer gneissic rocks of the northern Highlands. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 39:355–422.
OpenUrl

[15] Callaway C.

[16] Collet L.
(1927) The Structure of the Alps (Arnold & Co. London).

[17] Collet L.

[18] Collet L.
(1927) La nappe de Morcles entre Arve et Rhône. Matériaux pour la Carte géologique de la Suisse 79.

[19] Collet L.

[20] Dahlstrom C. D. A.
(1969) Balanced cross sections. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 6:743–747.
OpenUrl Abstract

[21] Dahlstrom C. D. A.

[22] Dietrich D.,
Durney D.
(1986) Change of direction of overthrust shear in the Helvetic nappes of western Switzerland. Journal of Structural Geology 8:389–398.
OpenUrl CrossRef Web of Science

[23] Dietrich D.,

[24] Durney D.

[25] Durney D.
(1972) Deformation history of the western Helvetic nappes Valais. Switzerland. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of London.

[26] Durney D.

[27] Durney D.,
Ramsay J. G.
(1973) in Gravity and Tectonics, Incremental strains measured by syntectonic crystal growths, eds Dejong K., Scholten R. (Wiley, New York), pp 67–96.

[28] Durney D.,

[29] Ramsay J. G.

[30] Elliott D.,
Johnson M. R. W.
(1980) Structural evolution in the northern part of the Moine thrust belt, NW Scotland. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 71:69–96.
OpenUrl

[31] Elliott D.,

[32] Johnson M. R. W.

[33] Escher Von Der Lindt A.
(1841) Verhandlungen der Schweizerischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Zürich, Geologische Karte des Cantons Glarus und seiner Umgebungen, ebst Profilen.

[34] Escher Von Der Lindt A.

[35] Ferrazzini B.,
Schuler P.
(1979) Eine Abwicklungskarte des Helvetikums zwischen Rhone und Reuss. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae 72:439–454.
OpenUrl

[36] Ferrazzini B.,

[37] Schuler P.

[38] Heim A.
(1921) Geologie der Schweiz (Tauchnitz, Leipzig), 2/1, pp 259–476.
OpenUrl

[39] Heim A.

[40] Hsü K.
(1979) Thin skinned plate tectonics during neo-Alpine orogenesis. American Journal of Science 279:353–366.
OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text

[41] Hsü K.

[42] Huggenberger P.
(1985) Faltenmodelle und Verformungsverteilung in Deckenstrukturen am Beispiel der Morcles Decke (Helvetikum der Westschweiz). Unpublished Dissertion, ETH-Zürich, pp 1–326. 7861.
OpenUrl

[43] Huggenberger P.

[44] Langenberg W.,
Charlesworth H.,
La Riviere A.
(1987) Computer constructed cross sections of the Morcles nappe. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae 80:655–667.
OpenUrl Web of Science

[45] Langenberg W.,

[46] Charlesworth H.,

[47] La Riviere A.

[48] Lugeon M.
(1901) Les grandes nappes de recouvrement des Alpes du Chablais et de la Suisse. Bulletin de la Société géologique de France 1:723–825.
OpenUrl

[49] Lugeon M.

[50] Lugeon N.
(1914) Les Hautes Alpes calcaires entre la Lizerne et la Kander. Matériaux pour la Carte géologique de la Suisse 30.

[51] Lugeon N.

[52] Peach B. N.,
Horne J.
(1888) Report on the recent work of the Geological Survey in the North West Highlands of Scotland. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 44:378–441.
OpenUrl

[53] Peach B. N.,

[54] Horne J.

[55] Ramsay J. G.
(1981) in Thrust and Nappe Tectonics, Tectonics of the Helvetic Alps, Special Publications of the Geological Society, eds McClay K. R., Price N. J. no. 9, pp 293–309.
OpenUrl

[56] Ramsay J. G.

[57] Ramsay J. G.,
Casey M.,
Kligfield R.
(1983) Role of shear in development of the Helvetic fold-thrust belt of Switzerland. Geology 11:439–442.
OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text

[58] Ramsay J. G.,

[59] Casey M.,

[60] Kligfield R.

[61] Ramsay J. G.,
Huber M.
(1983) The Techniques of Modern Structural Geology (Academic Press, London), 1, pp 1–307.
OpenUrl

[62] Ramsay J. G.,

[63] Huber M.

[64] Ramsay J. G.,
Huber M.
(1987) The Techniques of Modern Structural Geology (Academic Press, London), 2, pp 308–700.
OpenUrl

[65] Ramsay J. G.,

[66] Huber M.

[67] Törnebohm A. E.
(1883) Om Dalformationens geologiska Alder. Geologiska Föreningens Stockholm Förhandlingar 6:622.
OpenUrl

[68] Törnebohm A. E.

[69] Törnebohm A. E.
(1888) Om Fjällproblemet. Geologiska Föreningens Stockholm Förhandlingar 10:328.
OpenUrl

[70] Törnebohm A. E.

[71] Trümpy R.
(1980) Geology of Switzerland, a Guide-Book. Part A, an outline of the Geology of Switzerland (Wepf & Co. Basel).

[72] Trümpy R.

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Fold and fault geometry in the western Helvetic nappes of Switzerland and France and its implication for the evolution of the arc of the western Alps

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References

In this volume

Fold and fault geometry in the western Helvetic nappes of Switzerland and France and its implication for the evolution of the arc of the western Alps

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Fold and fault geometry in the western Helvetic nappes of Switzerland and France and its implication for the evolution of the arc of the western Alps

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