Chaîne des Puys - Limagne fault tectonic arena

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The Chaîne des Puys - Limagne Fault Tectonic Arena: An Emblematic Segment of the West European Rift

The Chaîne des Puys - Limagne fault tectonic arena, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018, offers a unique insight into the geological processes that have shaped our planet over millions of years. This remarkable region, situated in the heart of France, provides an exceptional illustration of continental break-up, or rifting, one of the five major stages of plate tectonics.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Situated in the centre of France, the property comprises the long Limagne fault, the alignments of the Chaîne des Puys volcanoes and the inverted relief of the Montagne de la Serre. It is an emblematic segment of the West European Rift, created in the aftermath of the formation of the Alps, 35 million years ago. The geological features of the property demonstrate how the continental crust cracks, then collapses, allowing deep magma to rise and cause uplifting at the surface. The property is an exceptional illustration of continental break-up – or rifting – which is one of the five major stages of plate tectonics.

Encyclopedia Record: Chaîne des Puys

The Chaîne des Puys is a north-south oriented chain of cinder cones, lava domes, and maars in the Massif Central of France. The chain is about 40 km (25 mi) long, and the identified volcanic features, which constitute a volcanic field, include 48 cinder cones, eight lava domes, and 15 maars and explosion craters. Its highest point is the lava dome of Puy de Dôme, located near the middle of the chain, which is 1,465 m (4,806 ft) high. The name of the range comes from a French term, puy, which refers to a volcanic mountain with a rounded profile. A date of 4040 BC is usually given for the last eruption of a Chaîne des Puys volcano.

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