Abstract
The regional stress field in the northern foreland of the Alps has been investigated by in situ stress determinations. More than 1000 strain relief measurements were made with resistance strain gages in boreholes carried out in mines, tunnels and deep quarries. The stresses calculated and data from other authors were used to get a detailed idea of the stress field in the region under consideration. The measurements confirm a continuous trend of compressive stresses from the Alps to the northern foreland. The largest stresses were observed in the Central Alps, the lowest in the Rhinegraben and, surprisingly, in the central part of the Rhenish Massif. The horizontal stresses exceed the vertical ones at most places. This observed behaviour of the stresses has been checked by other data from seismic surveys and measurements in deep oil and gas wells of the Molasse basin north of the Alps.
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Greiner, G., Lohr, J. (1980). Tectonic Stresses in the Northern Foreland of the Alpine System Measurements and Interpretation. In: Scheidegger, A.E. (eds) Tectonic Stresses in the Alpine-Mediterranean Region. Rock Mechanics / Felsmechanik / Mécanique des Roches, vol 9. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-8588-9_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-8588-9_2
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