Structural evolution of an antiformal window: the Scheiblingkirchen Window (Eastern Alps, Austria)

The Scheiblingkirchen window, a Lower Austroalpine tectonic window at the eastern margin of the Eastern Alps (Austria) was formed during Late Cretaceous continent-continent collision. Structural investigations including structural mapping, microstructural studies and texture analysis revealed a decompression-related three-stage tectonic history of Lower Austroalpine units during the formation of the Scheiblingkirchen window. (1) Intra-Lower Austroalpine nappe stacking was by top-to-the-N out-of-sequence thrusting of the Kirchberg fold nappe over the Wechsel nappe under lower greenschist facies metamorphic conditions. The structural expression of the stacking event (D