Article
Geology
Oscar Fernandez, Mario Habermueller, Bernhard Grasemann
Summary: New outcrop evidence shows that the Hallstatt diapir grew passively during the Triassic and extruded to the seabed during the Jurassic, challenging the traditional interpretation of its formation and some views on the orogenic events in the Eastern Alps.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Patrick Oswald, Jasper Moernaut, Stefano C. Fabbri, Marc De Batist, Irka Hajdas, Hugo Ortner, Sebastian Titzler, Michael Strasser
Summary: The Eastern European Alps exhibit slow active deformation with low to moderate seismicity, and historical and instrumental earthquake records may be insufficient for seismic hazard assessment, necessitating high-quality paleoseismic data. A rare paleoseismic dataset from the inner-alpine lake Achensee provides evidence of on-fault and off-fault paleoseismic activity, suggesting seismic events with inferred moment magnitudes similar to 6-6.5. Additional levels with only off-fault evidence document severe seismic shaking related to historical and Holocene earthquakes, highlighting the importance of studying both on-fault and off-fault paleoseismic evidence.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Franz Neubauer, Yongjiang Liu, Yunpeng Dong, Ruihong Chang, Johann Genser, Sihua Yuan
Summary: This study summarizes the evolutionary history of the Austroalpine and Southalpine basement units in the Southern Alps and emphasizes their crucial role in the Alpine-Mediterranean mountain belts. It involves various geological processes like plate collision, ophiolite formation, magmatic activity, and rifting.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Philipp Strauss, Pablo Granado, Josep Anton Munoz, Katharina Bohm, Ralf Schuster
Summary: In this study, a crustal scale model for the Neo-Tethys margin in the Northern Calcareous Alps was obtained by restoring regional cross-sections of carbonate platforms. The thermal evolution of the margin was modeled and a detailed timeline for the evolution was established. The study suggests that salt-floored carbonate platforms can be used to characterize the margin's evolution.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Spela Pungarsek, Jasna Dolenc Koce, Martina Bacic, Michael H. J. Barfuss, Peter Schoenswetter, Bozo Frajman
Summary: This study examined the relationships among different species of Luzula sect. Luzula in the Eastern Alps using relative genome size and karyotype estimations, as well as AFLP fingerprinting. The study found the co-occurrence of multiple ploidies and species at the same localities, with partial fragmentation of chromosomes leading to the recurrent formation of agmatoploid individuals. Further research is needed to determine if this pattern is common in Luzula sect. Luzula and if ecological niche segregation supports the frequent co-occurrence of closely related cytotypes in mixed populations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christoph Daxer, Jyh-Jaan Steven Huang, Stefan Weginger, Michael Hilbe, Michael Strasser, Jasper Moernaut
Summary: This study tests the seismic hazard curves in southern Austria using a lacustrine turbidite record. The results show that the recent seismic activity agrees with the standard PSHA approach, but the regional seismicity on longer timescales has been disregarded.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Fabian Fleischer, Jan-Christoph Otto, Robert R. Junker, Daniel Hoelbling
Summary: Debris cover on glaciers is a key component influencing climate-glacier dynamics and glacier lifespan. The study in the Eastern Alps of Austria shows an increase of over 10% in debris cover on glaciers from 1996 to 2015, while glaciers retreated in response to climate warming. Different mountain ranges exhibit significant regional variability in debris cover on glaciers.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Christoph Daxer, Marcel Ortler, Stefano C. Fabbri, Michael Hilbe, Irka Hajdas, Nathalie Dubois, Thomas Piechl, Christa Hammerl, Michael Strasser, Jasper Moernaut
Summary: Lake sediments are increasingly used to reconstruct recurrence intervals of large earthquakes. This study examines the sedimentary infill of two large lakes in Austria over the past 800 years to trace the seismic signatures of historical earthquakes. The results suggest exponential size-scaling relationships between seismic intensity and the number or volume of mass-transport deposits and the cumulative thickness of turbidites. Lake paleoseismology is demonstrated to be a powerful tool for obtaining quantitative information on the seismic intensity distribution of paleo-earthquakes.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Minxia Liu, Guojuan Zhang, Fengling Yin, Siyuan Wang, Le Li
Summary: This study explores the elevation patterns of species, functions, and phylogenetic diversity in alpine meadows on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and their effects on ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). The results show that species and phylogenetic diversity increase and then decrease with elevation, while functional diversity indices show the opposite trend. There are significant correlations between biodiversity and ecosystem functions, with species richness and functional richness having a greater impact on EMF.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Simon Schorn, Michael I. H. Hartnady, Johann F. A. Diener, Chris Clark, Chris Harris
Summary: This study in the Austrian Eastern Alps focuses on rare pegmatitic segregations in epidote eclogites and paragneisses, analyzing their formation mechanisms and the influence of fluids and melts on metamorphism. The research reveals the importance of fluid transfer and small-scale melting in eclogites, shedding light on the geological processes in the region.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Chiara Montemagni, Stefano Zanchetta, Martina Rocca, Igor M. Villa, Corrado Morelli, Volkmar Mair, Andrea Zanchi
Summary: The Vinschgau Shear Zone (VSZ) is an important component of the Austroalpine domain, and its evolution during the Eo-Alpine Orogeny has been studied using detailed structural and petrochronological analyses. The fieldwork-based analyses indicate that the VSZ had a dip angle of 30-50 degrees and an E-W-trending stretching lineation. The shearing temperature was around 350-400 degrees Celsius. 40Ar/39Ar dating shows that the deformation of the VSZ occurred in the Late Cretaceous, with ages ranging from 80 to 97 million years.
Article
Ecology
Can Zhang, Xiangzhen Kong, Bin Xue, Cheng Zhao, Xiangdong Yang, Longjuan Cheng, Qi Lin, Ke Zhang, Ji Shen
Summary: This study reveals that alpine lakes on the Tibetan Plateau are highly sensitive to global change and are affected by anthropogenic activities. The impacts of climate warming and nutrient deposition on lake ecosystems are simultaneous and interactive. The study also found that the ecological consequences of these impacts are gradually worsening over time. Therefore, more efforts are needed for the restoration and management of these lakes.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
N. Levi, M. Habermueller, U. Exner, G. Wiesmayr, K. Decker
Summary: The study revealed active out-of-sequence thrusting in the Imbricated Molasse Basin near the Alpine front thrust, indicating significant impact on the local structural evolution. Stress data from boreholes confirmed the current activity of these thrusts, with geomechanical modeling supporting a thrust regime in the region. The observation of active thrusting in the area aligns with Pleistocene out-of-sequence thrusts in the external tectonic units of the Eastern Alps.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ilaria Fracasso, Anna Dinella, Giammarchi Francesco, Nadia Marinchel, Piotr Kolaczek, Piotr Kolaczek, Mariusz Lamentowicz, Katarzyna Marcisz, Edyta Lokas, Magdalena Miecznik, Luca Bragazza, Matteo Girardi, Maurizio Ventura, Luigimaria Borruso, Giustino Tonon, Cristiano Vernesi
Summary: This study presents a palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological reconstruction from a 1500-years-old mountain peatland record in the Southeastern Alps. The findings reveal distinct changes in the peatland's age and human activities during the Medieval Warm Period, potentially due to increased air temperature. Environmental DNA analysis and other proxies provide further support for these findings. This research highlights the potential of using eDNA metabarcoding as a complementary approach in paleoecological reconstructions.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Philipp Gleissner, Gerhard Franz, Dirk Frei
Summary: Metabasic rocks in the Tauern Window in Austria provide insights into the rifting and spreading of the Alpine Tethys, with U-Pb dating indicating a Late Jurassic intrusion age. These rocks suggest a formation in the Liguria-Piemont branch of the Alpine Tethys and reveal a depleted mantle origin. In contrast, rocks in the Eclogite Zone record a more complex formation history involving mantle melting and crustal assimilation in a continental margin setting.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)