Geological excursion

« Southern Alps and the Mediterranean: geodynamic context and associated natural hazards »

An optional geological field trip will take place in the Alpes Maritimes on Sunday Oct 4th.
The excursion will focus on sites of main interest located in the vicinity of Nice :

- the Peille-Laghet fault

- the Cap d’Ail oligo-miocene volcanic complex

- the Lower Var Valley neotectonics

- St Roman de Bellet vineyards

1- THE PEILLE-LAGHET FAULT 

Built on an area of gravitational collapse and the path of a regional-scale fault, the village of Peille (1) bears the scars of many architectural disorders (2). The Peille fault (3), a major fault crossing the Nice orogenic arc, displays a spectacular fault plane.

2 - CAP D'AIL

The andesitic volcanism of Cap d’Ail (4) was active during the Oligocine in relation with the opening of the Ligurian basin (Western Mediterranean).

Quaternary marine terraces (5) are cut by recent faults.

3 - THE LOWER VAR VALLEY

The panorama from the village of la Roquette-sur-Var (6) exhibits the fold-and-thrust belt style of the Castellane alpine external arc. The Pliocene conglomerates (7) in the Lower Var Valley attest of the flooding and infilling of an erosional canyon developed during the Messinian salinity crisis.

Near the village of Castagniers, the Pliocene conglomerates are strongly deformed (8) along the Arc de Nice.

3 - St ROMAN DE BELLET VINEYARDS

The field trip will end on the Bellet vineyards to enjoy the famous vines produced in the the city of Nice.