Ivrea zone
Encyclopedia : I : IV : IVR : Ivrea zone
| Geology of the Alps |
|---|
|
| Tectonic subdivision |
| Helvetic nappes |
| Penninic nappes |
| Austroalpine nappes |
| Southern Alps |
| Formations & rocks |
| Bündner slate | flysch | molasse |
| Geological structures |
| Aarmassif | Dent Blanche klippe | Engadine window | Flysch zone | Giudicárie line | Greywacke zone | Hohe Tauern window | Molasse basin | Penninic thrustfront | Periadriatic Seam | Ivrea zone | Lepontin dome | Rechnitz window | Rhône-Simplon line | Sesia unit |
| Paleogeografic terminology |
| Valais Ocean |
| Briançonnais microcontinent |
| Piemont-Liguria Ocean |
| Apulian or Adriatic plate |
- This article is about the geology of the (European) Alps. For the main article see: geology of the Alps''
Geologically the Ivrea zone is considered a part of the Southern Alps. Most rocks in the zone are sedimentary, for example limestones that have been turned into marble by metamorphism. Most of the zone has been through granulite facies metamorphism and was intruded by mafic plutons. This is the type of rock common in the lower regions of the crust. When the terrane was uplifted during the formation of the Alps, the upper crust was eroded off so that these rocks are now at the surface.
Geophysical research shows the mantle is relatively close under the surface at the Ivrea zone. Some geologists think the boundary between pyroxenites and lherzolites, that is also found in outcrops in the Ivrea zone, represents the Mohorovičić discontinuity (the Moho). The Moho is seismologically defined as the boundary between the crust and mantle.
See also:
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