Department for Geodynamics and Sedimentology
Research at the Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology focuses on pure and applied research into both ductile/brittle lithospheric and Earth-surface processes. Field-based geology and quantitative modeling of geodynamic processes form the foundation of academic and applied Earth sciences research, in particular in petroleum geology and seismology. A close collaboration between research groups focuses on integrated geodynamics/tectonics and sedimentology/stratigraphy.
Head: Bernhard Grasemann, Jörn Peckmann, Michael Wagreich
News
Monday, 20. February 2012
AAPG Bulletin paper about curvature analysis performed on the Permam anticline, northern Iraq
Differential geometric methods are applied to compute and analyze curvature quantities of the Permam anticline (Iraq). Cutoff wavelength and curvature are two important parameters, which determine the information content and interpretability of the results. By choosing appropriate parameter combinations, geomorphological-oriented studies and tectonic-oriented studies are viable using the same DEM.
Burtscher, A., Frehner, M., and Grasemann, B., 2012, Tectonic geomorphological investigations of antiforms using differential geometry: Permam anticline, northern Iraq: AAPG Bulletin, v. 96, no. 2, p. 301-314.
Link to the article: http://aapgbull.geoscienceworld.org/content/96/2.toc
Monday, 20. February 2012
Lithosphere paper about the newly discovered Western Cycladic Detachment System
Based on new structural field data, Grasemann et al. (2012) proposed the existence of another large-scale low-angle normal fault system, the West Cycladic detachment system, which is exposed on Attica, Kea, Kythnos, Serifos and Sifnos strikes over a length of at least 100 km. New 40Ar/39Ar and U-Th/He thermochronological data suggest that the West Cycladic detachment system accommodated extension throughout the Miocene. The authors propose that a large part of the stretching of the Aegean crust was accommodated by bivergent crustal-scale detachment systems.
Grasemann, B., Schneider, D. A., Stöckli, D. F., and Iglseder, C., 2012, Miocene bivergent crustal extension in the Aegean: Evidence from the western Cyclades (Greece): Lithosphere, v. 4, no. 1, p. 23-39.
Link to the article: http://lithosphere.gsapubs.org/content/4/1.toc
Monday, 20. February 2012
Journal of Structural Geology paper about a major crustal strike-slip fault in Thailand
The NNE trending Khlong Marui strike-slip fault exhumed lenses of higher grade rocks together with low grade fault rocks associated with positive flower structures. The major exhumation period of the ductile rocks was tectonically influenced by the early India-Asia collision. The changing stress field has responded by switching from dextral strike-slip to normal faulting and is associated with “escape tectonics” arising from the overall India-Asia collision.
Kanjanapayont, P., Grasemann, B., Edwards, M. A., and Fritz, H., 2012, Quantitative kinematic analysis within the Khlong Marui shear zone, southern Thailand: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 35, no. 0, p. 17-27.
Link to the article:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191814111002136
Tuesday, 31. January 2012
Mankind is leaving the Holocene…
Hear an Austrian radio programme including a contribution by Michael Wagreich on the problem of the Anthropocene (in German).
Hören Sie die Ö1 Sendung "Dimensionen – die Welt der Wissenschaft" zum Thema "Der Mensch verlässt das Holozän. Willkommen in einem neuen Zeitalter!", Gestaltung von Mark Hammer vom Mittwoch, 18. Jänner 2012 um 19.05 Uhr in oe1.ORF.at.
Thursday, 5. January 2012
Dating the Badenian Stratotype by orbital cycles
Michael Wagreich published together with Johann Hohenegger a paper on cyclostratigraphic dating of the gone Badenian stratotype in the last issue of the International Journal of earth Sciences
The stratotype of the Paratethyan Badenian stage (Middle Miocene, Langhian) is situated in a brickyard pit at Sooß, south of Baden (Vienna Basin), that has been used since several years as a waste dump. Orbital cyclostratigraphy from a 100 m scientific well core and a sample set taken from the former outcrop were combined to give a calibrated absolute age for the core and stratotype section from 14.221 to 13.964 Ma, which is considerably younger than previously thought. Consequences for the correlation of the Badenian stage and it's subdivision, especially the middle Badenian, are discussed in the paper.
Hohenegger, J. and Wagreich, M., 2011. Time calibration of sedimentary sections based on insolation cycles using combined cross-correlation: dating the gone Badenian stratotype (Middle Miocene, Paratethys, Vienna Basin, Austria) as an example. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 101, 339–349.DOI 10.1007/s00531-011-0658-y.
- Schober and Exner
- Hofer et al.
- Wagreich et al.
Thursday, 5. January 2012
3 papers in Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences (AJES) 104/2
The new issue 104/2 of the Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences is online at http://www.univie.ac.at/ajes/archive/volume_104_2/ and includes 3 papers from our department dealing with Cretaceous rocks in eastern Austria:
Andrea Schober & Ulrike Exner: 3D structural modelling of an outcrop-scale fold train using photogrammetry and GPS mapping link to the article
Gerald Hofer, Erich Draganits, Michael Wagreich, Christa-Charlotte Hofmann, Doris Reischenbacher, Marie-Louise Grundtner & Magdalena Bottig: Stratigraphy and geochemical characterisation of Upper Cretaceous non-marine – marine cycles (Grünbach Formation, Gosau Group, Austria)
link to the article
Michael Wagreich, Tania Ilickovic, Aleksandra Popovic, Clemens Porpaczy, Johannes Steinbrenner & Godfrid Wessely: Biostratigraphy and sedimentology of Campanian deep-water sections (Nierental Formation, Gosau Group) in Lower Austria
link to the article
Wednesday, 14. December 2011
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year whishes the Department for Geodynamics and Sedimentology
Distinct Element Method (DEM) model of Santa and his reindeers on a collision course. The model was designed by Martin Schöpfer and run using the PFC2D software.
click to start the movie
Tuesday, 29. November 2011
Journal of Structural Geology paper on displacement length scaling of brittle faults in ductile shear
Bernhard Grasemann, Ulrike Exner and Cornelius Tschegg published a new paper about "Displacement–length scaling of brittle faults in ductile shear" in the Journal of Structural Geology. The study demonstrates cataclastic flow in brittle faults during ongoing ductile deformation of the host rocks. These structures record one of the greatest maximum displacement/length ratios reported from natural fault structures.
Grasemann, B., Exner, U., and Tschegg, C., 2011, Displacement–length scaling of brittle faults in ductile shear: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 33, no. 11, p. 1650-1661.
Monday, 07. November 2011
Festkolloquium zu Ehren von Ao. Univ. Prof. Dr. Leopold Krystyn und Ao. Univ. Prof. Dr. Richard Lein
Freitag, 18.11.2011, 14:15 bis 17:15 Uhr
Universität Wien, Althanstraße 14 (UZA II), Hörsaal 2 (2A122)
Department für Geodynamik und Sedimentologie und Institut für Paläontologie
Programm
14:15 – Begrüßung
14:20 – Werner Piller: Laudatio
15:00 – Alexander Lukeneder: Ammoniten-Forschung modern - von der Trias bis heute
15:30 – Kaffeepause
16:15 – Gerhard Mandl: Von der Kalkalpinen Trias zum juvavischen Puzzle
16:45 – Sylvain Richoz: Fortschritte bei der Stratigraphie der Trias im Bereich des Tethys- Ozeans und paläoökologische Implikationen
Im Anschluss an die Veranstaltung treffen wir uns um 18:30 Uhr bei einem Heurigen in Nußdorf zum gemeinsamen Abendessen.
Wednesday, 02. November 2011
11th Stable Isotope Network Austria (SINA) Meeting on 4th and 5th of November
The 11th Austrian Stable Isotope User Group Meeting is jointly organized by the Department of Chemical Ecology and Ecosystem Research (Faculty of Life Sciences) and the Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology (Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy), both University of Vienna. Stable isotope analyses provide exciting new approaches in a variety of current research topics ranging from Earth and Biological to Forensic and Medical Sciences. This meeting aims to bring together researchers and students in an informal workshop-like atmosphere to improve communication and interaction within and across disciplines and institutions. The meeting will include invited and contributed talks, as well as poster presentations.
The meeting will take place on November 4th and 5th in the Lecture Hall 2, Geocenter, UZA 2, Althanstr. 14, Vienna. For further information see the 2nd circular.
Wednesday, 12. October 2011
Earthquakes in caves on Kalymnos and Pserimos (Greece)
September 2011: Bernhard Grasemann and Lukas Plan (Museum of Natural History Vienna) supported by the speleologist Wendy Reusens visited several caves on the islands of Kalymnos and Pserimos. Besides new cave surveying and mapping, the research was focused on evidences for active tectonic deformation or earthquakes in speleothems (e.g. broken stalagmites, stalactites or flowstones). The karst caves formed in calcite and dolomite marbles along the damage zone of inclined brittle faults. The discovered outcrops of speleothem seismites exceeded all expectations: All visited caves hosted abundant evidences of tectonic broken speleothems and fallen stalagmites. Relative neotectonic movements like systematic offsets of stalactites against stalagmites in the observed caves will help to quantify large earthquakes in this region.
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