Long-term dynamic topographic support during post-orogenic crustal thinning revealed by stable isotope (δO) paleo-altimetry in eastern Pyrenees.

Understanding the geodynamic and Earth surface processes at the origin of post-collisional surface uplift in mountain ranges requires reconstruction of paleo-elevation. Here, we focus on the topographic evolution of the Cerdanya Basin in the eastern Pyrenees formed by post-orogenic extension during the Late Miocene. Stable isotope (δO) analyses of small rodent teeth and biogenic carbonates show the basin uplifted by 500 m since 6.

The non-cylindrical crustal architecture of the Pyrenees.

We exploit the data from five seismic transects deployed across the Pyrenees to characterize the deep architecture of this collisional orogen. We map the main seismic interfaces beneath each transect by depth migration of P-to-S converted phases. The migrated sections, combined with the results of recent tomographic studies and with maps of Bouguer and isostatic anomalies, provide a coherent crustal-scale picture of the belt.