Introduction xiNicolas BELLAHSEN and Claudio L ROSENBERG Chapter 1 Cenozoic Magmatism in the Alps and their Surroundings: Relating Magmatic and Geodynamic Events 1Alfons BERGER, Claudio L ROSENBERG and Giancarlo MOLLI 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 History of research on Alpine magmatism 4 1.3 Occurrence of magmatic rocks 8 1.4 Inferred spatial distribution of Alpine magmatic bodies in the retrodeformed Oligocene Alps 18 1.5 Discussion 20 1.6 Summary and conclusions 29 1.7 Appendix 1: Explanatory notes to the retro-deformation of the magmatic bodies 30 1.8 References 37 Chapter 2 Evolution of the External Crystalline Massifs of the European Alps: From Massif to Lithosphere Scale 53Marco HERWEGH, Alfons BERGER, Nicolas BELLAHSEN, Yann ROLLAND and Edi KISSLING 2.1 Introduction 53 2.2 General geological setting 58 2.3 Geology and tectonics of the ECM 61 2.4 The ECM embedded in a crustal-scale context 80 2.5 Paleogeographic and tectonic evolution of the ECM 82 2.6 Geodynamic forcing for the exhumation of the ECM 92 2.7 Conclusion 97 2.8 Acknowledgments 99 2.9 References 99 Chapter 3 A Review of How Our Understanding on the Relationships between the Alps and the North Alpine Foreland Basin has Evolved 125Fritz SCHLUNEGGER and Edi KISSLING 3.1 Introduction 126 3.2 Tectonic overview of the European Alps 129 3.3 Overview of the sedimentary basins surrounding the Alps 133 3.4 Stratigraphic development of the Molasse basin 137 3.5 First order controls on the stratigraphy of the Molasse basin 147 3.6 Theoretical concepts for exploring orogenesis and sedimentation 159 3.7 Slab load controls 166 3.8 Conclusion 170 3.9 Acknowledgments 172 3.10 References 172 Chapter 4 The Detrital Thermochronological Record of Exhumation of the European Alps since the Early Oligocene 191Matthias BERNET, Peter VAN DER BEEK, Pierre G VALLA and Christoph GLOTZBACH 4.1 Introduction 192 4.2 Principles of detrital thermochronology 195 4.3 The modern-river signal of Alpine exhumation 204 4.4 The pro-and retro-side foreland basin record of Alpine exhumation 208 4.5 Discussion 217 4.6 Conclusion 229 4.7 Acknowledgments 230 4.8 References 230 Chapter 5 The Northern Deformation Front of the European Alps 241Hugo ORTNER, Christoph VON HAGKE, Anna SOMMARUGA, Samuel MOCK, Jon MOSAR, Ralph HINSCH and Andreas BEIDINGER 5.1 The deformation front of the Alps -- an overview 242 5.2 Regional description 247 5.3 Discussion 277 5.4 Conclusion 291 5.5 Acknowledgments 292 5.6 References 292 List of Authors 313 Index 315 Summaries of other volumes 317