Deciphering orogenic evolution

Deciphering orogenic evolution requires the integration of a growing number of geological and geophysical techniques on various spatial and temporal scales. Contrasting visions of mountain building and lithospheric deformation have been proposed in recent years. These models depend on the respective roles assigned to the mantle, the crust or the sediments. This article summarizes the contents of the Special Issue dedicated to ‘Geodynamics and Orogenesis’ following the ‘Réunion des Sciences de la Terre’ 2010 conference held in Bordeaux, France. Further, based on the example of the Western Alps-Mediterranean domain we emphasize the possibility to integrate long and short term, plate- to sample-scale, datasets in order to constrain orogenic evolution.