Evolution of the Pyrenees during the Variscan and Alpine Cycles, Volume 2: Synorogenic and Postorogenic Evolution

This book explores the geological history of the Pyrenees over the past 90 million years, with a particular focus on their compressive and post-compressive evolution. It first presents the overall structure of the mountain range, then examines the development of the northern and southern Pyrenean foreland basins through their sedimentary records, allowing the successive phases of orogenic construction to be identified. Special attention is given to the dismantling of the eastern crustal root in relation to the Oligocene–Miocene opening of the Gulf of Lion. Evolution of the Pyrenees during the Variscan and Alpine Cycles 2 then highlights the contributions of several innovative approaches used to better constrain the transition from compressive to post-compressive tectonics. These include studies of relief flattening and incision processes; U–Pb geochronology applied to fault-related carbonates; cosmogenic nuclide dating combined with geomorphological analyses; and investigations into the thermal evolution of the Pyrenean rift basins. The book also documents Quaternary glacial fluctuations that affected the Pyrenees. In conclusion, it presents a geological map of the northern slope of the mountain range at a scale of 1:250,000 and draws attention to the uniqueness of Pyrenean blue corundum.