The ancient and contemporary geophysical stress field in a calcareous mountain-range

• Main Author: A. E. SCHEIDEGGER
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) 1974-06-01
• Series: Annals of Geophysics
• Online Access: http://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/view/4927

The stress systems wliich are and have been active in
 a well-defined calcareous mountain massif (the Iloclikonig massif in Austria)
 have been determined: (I) f r om joint orientations in the Paleozoic basement,
 (II) from joint orientations in the calcareous superstructure and (III) from
 in situ stress measurements in a mine beneath the massif. It was found (I)
 t h a t t h e stresses which produced the Paleozoic joint system is quite distinct
 f r om t h e other systems active in the area, (II) t h a t ' t h e joints in the supers
 t r u c t u r e correspond to a stress system t h a t is in conformity with the general
 north-south thrust thought to have created the Alps and (III) that
 t h e stresses measured in situ represent nothing but the effect of the presentday
 overburden topography.