Tectonics and Deglaciation Govern Eastern-Southern Alps at Slow Rates

Eos (AGU) reports on a new synthesis of decades of research across nine countries that explains the slow-moving tectonics of the Eastern and Southern Alps. The study, published in the journal Tectonics, finds that present-day deformation is driven mainly by a strong crustal block beneath the Dolomites pushing into the Alps, along with movement between rigid rock blocks and uplift from the melting of ice-age glaciers. Deep mantle flow plays a smaller role than previously proposed, and the highest earthquake hazard is concentrated along the southern edge of the Alps and where the Alps meet the Dinarides. This synthesis offers a reference for researchers studying other slowly deforming regions, where weak tectonic signals make hazard assessment especially challenging.

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