Klippe Explained

thumb|right|350px|Schematic overview of a thrust system. The shaded material is called a nappe. The erosional hole is called a window or fenster. The klippe is the isolated block of the nappe overlying autochthonous material.A klippe (German for cliff or crag) is a geological feature of thrust fault terrains. The klippe is the remnant portion of a nappe after erosion has removed connecting portions of the nappe. This process results in an outlier of exotic, often nearly horizontally translated strata overlying autochthonous strata.[1]

Examples

Klippes may also be found in the Pre-Alps of Switzerland and some of the isolated mountains in Assynt, Sutherland, in NW Scotland.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Book: DiPietro. Joseph A.. Landscape Evolution in the United States: An Introduction to the Geography, Geology, and Natural History. December 21, 2012. Newnes. 9780123978066. 343. 10 February 2016.
  2. Whittow, John (1984). Dictionary of Physical Geography. London: Penguin, 1984, p. 294. .