Helvetic (geology)

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This article is about the geology of the (European) Alps. For the main article see: geology of the
Alps

Geology of the Alps

Tectonic subdivision

 Helvetic Zone
 Penninic nappes
 Austroalpine nappes
 Southern Alps

Formation & 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

 v
 t
 e

The Helvetic zone, Helvetic system or the Helveticum is a geologic subdivision of the

Alps. The Helvetic zone crops out mainly in Switzerland, hence the name (derived
from Helveticus: Latin for Swiss). Rocks in the Helvetic zone are sedimentary and were
originally deposited at the southern margin of the European plate. The Helvetic
zone correlates with the French Dauphinois zone, French geologists often prefer the
French name but normally this is considered the same thing.

Occurrence[edit]
In Switzerland the Helvetic zone is found in outcrops on the northern side of the Alpine
mountain ranges. The French Alps consist mainly of Helvetic (Dauphinois) material. In
Germany and Austria the Helvetic nappes crop out as a narrow band.

Subdivision[edit]
The Helvetic zone consists of a number of tectonically very different units. The "Helvetic
nappes" are a nappe stack that was thrusted over the molasse of the Molasse basin in
the Alpine foreland. They are composed
of Mesozoic marine limestone, marls and shales. The Helvetic nappes are
completely detached from their former basement.
The Helvetic nappes are thrusted over the "Infrahelvetic complex" in eastern
Switzerland. The Infrahelvetic complex is composed of autochthonous Mesozoic
sediments on top of Hercynian basement rock. The Mesozoic of this unit is
contemporary with that of the Helvetic nappes, but deposited further north on the
former continental slope and therefore shallower in sedimentary facies. The
Infrahelvetic is internally deformed by thrusting and folding that continues into the
Hercynian basement. Because basement and "cover" were not detached, geologists do
not call the Infrahelvetic units "nappes".
At places throughout the Alps the European basement was, after being detached of its
cover rocks, tectonically uplifted in a late stage of the orogeny. Thus the "external
massivs" were formed, places where the Hercynian basement rock crops out in
large anticlinoria at the southern (or in France eastern) side of the Helvetic zone. Seen
from the north (or in France from the west) the hard competent crystalline rocks of these
external massivs form the first of the higher ranges of the Alps. These chains are (from
southwest to northeast): the Mercantour, the Massif des Écrins, the Belledonne,
the Aiguilles Rouges and the Mont Blanc Massif, the Aarmassif and the Gotthardmassif.