This article relies largely or entirely on a single source . Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources:  "Penninic thrustfront"  –  news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2025)

Geology of the Alps
Tectonic subdivision
Helvetic Zone Penninic nappes Austroalpine nappes Southern Alps
Formation and rocks
Bündner schist flysch molasse
Geological structures
Aarmassif Dent Blanche klippe Engadine Line Engadine window Flysch zone Giudicárie line Greywacke zone Hohe Tauern window Molasse basin Penninic thrustfront Periadriatic Seam Ivrea zone Lepontin dome Rechnitz window Rhône-Simplon line Sesia unit
Paleogeographic terminology
Valais Ocean Briançonnais zone Piemont-Liguria Ocean Apulian or Adriatic plate Alpsportal Geologyportal
v t e

The Penninic thrustfront ^[1] is a major tectonic thrustfront in the French Alps. The thrustfront moves over a developing decollement horizon, and separates the (internal) high grade metamorphic rocks of the Penninic nappes from the (external) sedimentary rocks and crystalline basement of the Helvetic nappes. The last are in France often called zone Dauphiné or Dauphinois.

Thrusting over the decollement horizon continues today, as the Apulian tectonic plate moves westward, converging with the Eurasian Plate.

References

This geology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e