Geology and Landscapes of the Eastern Pyrenees: A Field Guide with Excursions (GeoGuide)

This book provides a synthesis of the physiography and geodynamics of the entire Pyrenean orogen and its foreland basins, providing the "big picture" (structure of the orogen and chronology of its formation, overview of its post-orogenic evolution, and Quaternary and recent landscape history). One part of the book proposes a 6–7 day itinerary across the eastern and east-central Pyrenees, two areas that currently provide the richest, best-documented, and most carefully curated database on the post-orogenic evolution of the mountain belt. The book deals with three complementary topics: (i) geodynamics, i.e. the long-term post-orogenic evolution of the Pyrenees since the declining stages of tectonic collision ca. 30 million years ago, and within the wider reference frame of Iberia, the Western Mediterranean, and the Atlantic margin; (ii) geomorphological processes and landforms that have conspired to shape the eastern part of the French and Spanish Pyrenees in response to base-level and climate-related changes over than same time period; (iii) geoheritage, i.e. educational vignettes of the flagship landscape units and typical geological sections of the study area. Written as a field guide, it is designed to help readers to construct discovery-based itineraries through the region (with options and variants depending on time and physical ability), allowing them to appreciate the key landscape and geoheritage features over the course of 1 week, with potential for much more. This GeoGuide is primarily aimed at confirmed geoscientists from most disciplines in Earth science, at postgraduate students engaged in field studies, and at curiosity-driven, educated amateurs keen to enhance their understanding of spectacular or enigmatic features encountered on their travels. Foreword Preface Useful Maps and Online Resources Other Available Geological Guides (in French) A Note on Place Names and Site Locations Introduction Part I—The Eastern Pyrenees in Their Wider Regional Setting: An Overview Part II—Field Itineraries References Contents List of Boxes Part I The Eastern Pyrenees in Their Wider Regional Setting: An Overview 1 Crustal Architecture of the Pyrenees 1.1 Anatomy of the Crustal Wedge 1.2 Pre-Orogenic Evolution of the Pyrenean Domain 1.3 Plate Convergence and Its Resulting Tectonic Structures in the Eastern Pyrenees 1.3.1 A Hercynian Backbone: The Axial Zone 1.3.2 The North Pyrenean Fault: Plate Boundary Between Iberia and Europe 1.3.3 The Late Cretaceous to Paleocene Mountain Range 1.3.4 The Middle Cenozoic Mountain Range 1.4 Lithospheric Processes and First-Order Links with the Modern Topography 1.5 Synthesis 2 Basin Analysis: The Sedimentary Record of Orogenic Growth and Decay 2.1 Patterns of Terrigenous Sedimentation in the Ebro Foreland 2.1.1 Synorogenic Chronostratigraphy of the Southeast Pyrenean Foreland Basin 2.1.2 Synorogenic Chronostratigraphy of the South Pyrenean Foreland Basin 2.1.3 The Neogene Record 2.2 Patterns of Terrigenous Sedimentation in the Aquitaine Foreland 2.2.1 Paleogene Conglomerates: The Palassou and Jurançon Series 2.2.2 Early to Middle Neogene Molasse 2.2.3 Abrupt Changes During the Late Neogene 2.3 Extensional Intermontane Basins of the Eastern Pyrenees 3 Cenozoic Transformations of the Mountain Range: Evidence from Denudation Chronology and Landforms 3.1 A Distinctive Population of Vestigial Erosion Surfaces 3.1.1 Erosion Surfaces in the Axial Zone 3.1.2 Erosion Surfaces in the Pro- and Retro-Wedges 3.1.3 Synthesis 3.2 Age and Origin of the Pyrenean Erosion Surfaces 3.2.1 Products of Late- to Post-Orogenic Landscape Evolution 3.2.2 Evidence of Episodic Surface Uplift 3.2.3 Influence of Multiple Base Levels 3.3 Intermittent Surface Uplift in Late Neogene Time: Evidence from Landforms 3.3.1 Proxies of Topographic Uplift Throughout the Mountain Belt 3.3.2 Geomorphological Evidence of Recent Uplift 3.3.3 Synthesis 3.4 Quaternary Landscapes 3.4.1 Alluvial Landforms 3.4.2 Glacial Landforms 3.4.3 Other Landforms 4 Present-Day Environments 4.1 Climate and Vegetation 4.1.1 A Bridge Between Atlantic and Mediterranean Climates 4.1.2 Distribution of Montane Vegetation Belts 4.2 The Legacy of Holocene and Recent Erosional Events 4.2.1 Geomorphological Processes in the Frost Belt 4.2.2 Geomorphological Processes Below the Tree Line 5 Synthesis and Overview 5.1 History of the Mountain Range 5.2 Similarities Between the Pro- and Retro-Foreland Basins Part II Field Itineraries 6 Itinerary 1. Where the Pyrenees Meet the Sea: Geomorphological Evolution of the Corbières Orocline 6.1 Baixas Plateau 6.2 Opoul–Périllos plateau 6.3 Sigean–Narbonne Basin 7 Itinerary 2. The Roussillon Basin 8 Itinerary 3. Prehistoric and Historic Evolution of the Roussillon Plain: Clues from Geoarchaeology 9 Itinerary 4. The Vallespir Landscape: Scars of Deluge and Hydrological Disaster 10 Itinerary 5. Aspects of the North-Pyrenean Zone and its Foreland: Agly, Fenouillèdes, Razès, Pays de Sault 10.1 Agly massif 10.2 Fenouillèdes 10.3 Razès 10.4 Sault Plateau 11 Itinerary 6. Elevated Ranges and Interior Basins of the Axial Zone: The Conflent Basin and its Surrounding Massifs 11.1 Madres Massif and Lower Conflent Basin 11.2 Canigou Massif and Southern Edge of the Conflent Basin 11.3 Upper Têt valley 12 Itinerary 7. Elevated Ranges and Interior Basins of the Axial Zone: The Upper Cerdagne Basin, Capcir Basin, and their Surrounding Massifs 12.1 Cerdagne Basin and Carlit Massif 12.2 Capcir Basin 13 Itinerary 8. Elevated Ranges and Interior Basins of the Axial Zone: The Lower Cerdagne Basin and its Surrounding Massifs 14 Itinerary 9. Tectonic, Palaeogeographic, and Landscape Evolution of the South-Vergent Nappe Structures and the Iberian Clastic Piedmont