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Geological Society, London, Memoirs; 2006; v. 32; p. 57-82;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.MEM.2006.032.01.04
© 2006 Geological Society of London

Introduction

Europe from the Variscan to the Alpine cycles

Gérard M. Stamfli1 & Heinz W. Kozur2

1 Institut de Géologie et Paléontologie, Université de Lausanne, BFSH2, CH 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland (Gerard.Stampfli{at}unil.ch)
2 Rézsü u. 83, H-1029 Budapest, Hungary

The time span between the Variscan and Alpine cycles is not devoid of any major tectonic activity, and corresponds to the Cimmerian cycle. Between the Early Permian and Late Triassic, the Eocimmerian cycle was marked by the closure of Palaeotethys and opening of Neotethys and of an array of south Eurasian back-arc basins. This was followed by the break-up of Pangaea and the Early Jurassic opening of the central Atlantic and Alpine Tethys. However, in the area of the Eocimmerian collision, the geodynamic evolution is relatively uninfluenced by this event, and a new cycle of Cimmerian deformation affected the Hellenides, Dinarides, Balkans and Pontides in Jurassic-Early Cretaceous times. The anti-clockwise rotation of Africa during the Late Cretaceous heralded the onset of Alpine orogenic processes, characterized first by major east-west shortening, and opening and closure of younger oceanic basins of back-arc type.