Geology of the Alps


Book Description

The Alps, with their outstanding outcrop conditions, represent a superb natural laboratory for many geological processes, and have played a crucial role in the history of geology. This book gives an up-to-date and holistic overview of the key aspects of Alpine geology. After a brief presentation of the plate tectonic framework, the rock suites are discussed, starting with the pre-Triassic crystalline basement, followed by Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary sequences. The lithological description of the rock types is supplemented by a discussion of their paleogeographic and plate tectonic contexts. The book goes on to describe the structure of the Alps (including the Jura Mountains and the Alpine foreland to the north and south) illustrated by numerous cross-sections. The evolution of the Alps as a mountain chain incorporates a discussion of the Alpine metamorphic history and a compilation of orogenic timetables. The final sections cover the evolution of Alpine drainage patterns and the region’s glacial history. Readership: The book is essential reading for students and lecturers on Alpine courses and excursions, and all earth-scientists interested in the geology of the region.




Coccolithophores


Book Description

This introduction to one of the most common phytoplankton types provides broad coverage from molecular and cellular biology all the way to its impact on the global carbon cycle and climate. Individual chapters focus on coccolithophore biology, ecology, evolutionary phylogeny and impact on current and past global changes. The book addresses fundamental questions about the interaction between the biota and the environment at various temporal and spatial scales.




Tectonics of Strike-slip Restraining and Releasing Bends


Book Description

This volume addresses the tectonic complexity and diversity of strike-slip restraining and releasing bends with 18 contributions divided into four thematic sections: a topical review of fault bends and their global distribution; bends, sedimentary basins and earthquake hazards; restraining bends, transpressional deformation and basement controls on development; releasing bends, transtensional deformation and fluid flow.




Regional Geology and Tectonics: Phanerozoic Passive Margins, Cratonic Basins and Global Tectonic Maps


Book Description

Expert petroleum geologists David Roberts and Albert Bally bring you Regional Geology and Tectonics: Phanerozoic Passive Margins, Cratonic Basins and Global Tectonic Maps, volume three in a three-volume series covering Phanerozoic regional geology and tectonics. Its key focus is on both volcanic and non-volcanic passive margins, and the importance of salt and shale driven by sedimentary tectonics to their evolution. Recent innovative research on such critical locations as Iberia, Newfoundland, China, and the North Sea are incorporated to provide practical real-world case studies in regional geology and tectonics. The vast amount of volcanic data now available to form accurate hydrocarbon assessments and analysis at passive margin locations is also included into this thorough yet accessible reference. - Named a 2013 Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association's Choice publication - A "how-to" practical reference that discusses the impact of the development of passive margins and cratonic basins on the structural evolution of the Earth in regional geology and tectonic applications. - Incorporates the increased availability of industry data to present regional seismic lines and cross-sections, leading to more accurate analysis and assessment of targeted hydrocarbon systems - Analyses of passive margins and cratonic basins in East Africa, China, Siberia, the Gulf of Suez, and the Laptev Sea in the Russian Arctic provide immediately implementable petroleum exploration applications - Summaries of analogue and theoretical models are provided as an essential backdrop to the structure and stratigraphy of various geological settings.




Regional Geology and Tectonics: Phanerozoic Passive Margins, Cratonic Basins and Global Tectonic Maps


Book Description

Expert petroleum geologists David Roberts and Albert Bally bring you Regional Geology and Tectonics: Principles of Geologic Analysis, volume one in a three-volume series covering Phanerozoic regional geology and tectonics. It has been written to provide you with a detailed overview of geologic rift systems, passive margins, and cratonic basins, it features the basic principles necessary to grasping the conceptual approaches to hydrocarbon exploration in a broad range of geological settings globally. A "how-to" regional geology primer that provides a detailed overview of tectonics, rift systems.




The Variscan Orogeny


Book Description

This volume summarizes the state of the art of Variscan geology from Iberia to the Bohemian Massif. The European Variscan belt consists of two orogens: the older, northern and the younger, southern. The northern Variscan realm was dominated by Late Devonian–Carboniferous rifting, subduction and collisional events as defined by sedimentary records, crustal growth, recycling of continental crust and large-scale deformations. In contrast, the southern European crust was reworked by major Late Carboniferous collision followed by Permian wrenching. The Late Carboniferous–Permian orogeny overprinted the previously accreted system in the north, but with much lower intensity, resulting in magmatic recycling and extensional tectonics. These two main orogenic cycles do not reflect episodic evolution of a single orogenic system but a complete change in orientation of stress field, thermal regime, degree of reworking and recycling of European crust, reflecting a major switch in plate configurations at the Early–Late Carboniferous boundary.







Tracing Tectonic Deformation Using the Sedimentary Record


Book Description

The study of sediments and sedimentary basins in terms of their tectonic environment requires a multidisciplinary approach and has increasingly drawn both techniques and objectives from fields outside sedimentology. Studies presented in this volume range across a wide spectrum from the analysis of sedimentary sequence architecture at basin scale down to the chemical properties of individual grains, and include studies from a range of tectonic settings.