Stratigraphic evolution in the Ligurian Alps between Variscan heritages and the Alpine Tethys opening: A review

On the whole, the paleogeographic reconstructions provided in this work highlight that the Ligurian Alps were a domain in which for over a hundred million years orogenesis, rifting and oceanisation strongly affected the integrity of the upper crust. The heterogeneity of the crust that suffered multiple mantle uplifts, partial melting and extensive faulting over a long period is testified by field evidences and several effusive events. The last and most important rifting and the following Alpine Tethys oceanisation developed around a narrow, elongated area of crustal weakness generated by multiple geodynamic events.