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A multi-scale approach to study the lithospheric structure of the southern Upper Rhine Graben: from seismic tomography through reflection seismics to surface geology

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Abstract

This paper integrates the results of different techniques—local and regional travel time tomography, reflection seismics, and surface geology. With this integration of different techniques, working on different scales, it is possible to derive a comprehensive picture of the present-day structures in the lithosphere of the Upper Rhine Graben. It is shown that the stucture of the lithosphere is dominated by structures related to the Variscan orogeny. Late stage strike-slip reactivation of the internal faults of the Rhine Graben is observed in the field. This reactivation is of dominant influence on the geomorphology in the southern end of the Upper Rhine Graben.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Marc Shaming for the seismic profiles used in this paper. Yair Rotstein is kindly thanked for his help in interpreting the seismic sections, and discussions. Thomas Plenefisch and Wolfgang Brüstle are kindly thanked for their positive reviews of the manuscript. This work is part of the ENTEC network, sponsored by the European Commission (HPRN-CT-2000-00053).

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  1. Gideon G. O. Lopes Cardozo

    Present address: Shell international E&P, Kessler Park 1, 2288, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg, 5 Rue René Descartes, 67084, Strasbourg, France

    Gideon G. O. Lopes Cardozo & Michel Granet

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  1. Gideon G. O. Lopes Cardozo
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  2. Michel Granet
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Correspondence to Gideon G. O. Lopes Cardozo.

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Lopes Cardozo, G.G.O., Granet, M. A multi-scale approach to study the lithospheric structure of the southern Upper Rhine Graben: from seismic tomography through reflection seismics to surface geology. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 94, 615–620 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-005-0476-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-005-0476-1

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