Abstract
This study concentrates on the Eastern Alps and their transition into the surrounding Bohemian Massif, the Pannonian Basin, the Carpathians and the Dinarides. The geodynamic setting is characterized by the ∼N-S directed headon collision between the European and Adriatic- Apulian plates in the central part of the Eastern Alps, leading to the E-directed lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps into the Pannonian Basin, and the transition of the Eastern Alps to the Dinarides. New seismic data about the lithosphere in this area has been derived from the wide-angle reflection and refraction experiments CELEBRATION 2000 and ALP 2002. A 3D model of the P-wave crustal velocity has been generated by tomographic methods. Further, a map of the Moho discontinuity has been constructed. Both stacking techniques and travel time inversion have been applied. Interactive modeling by 2D ray tracing along selected lines has been used to supplement the 3D evaluation. The tomographic model of the crust supplies continuous information about the P-wave velocity only in the upper crust. Bouguer gravity data has been implemented to better constrain the velocity of the lower crust by the use of a velocity-density relation. For the uppermost 10 km, the density has been derived from the seismic model. For the lower crust, a linear velocity-depth function has been deduced removing the gravity effect of the Moho topography from the Bouguer gravity. The residual gravity shows a significant regional pattern that can be related to geologic provinces (e.g. Bohemian Massif, Molasse, Pannonian Basin, and Vienna Basin) and the geodynamic situation (existence of a tectonic block forming a triple junction with the European and Adriatic-Apulian plates). An integrated model has been constructed, which fits well seismic and gravimetric data and is very close to Airy-isostatic equilibrium.
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Brückl, E., Mitterbauer, U., Behm, M. (2006). Studies on Crustal Structure and Gravity in the Eastern Alps. In: Sansò, F., Gil, A.J. (eds) Geodetic Deformation Monitoring: From Geophysical to Engineering Roles. International Association of Geodesy Symposia, vol 131. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-38596-7_22
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