Quelques remarques sur la conception actuelle du terme "cordillere" dans les Alpes internes francaises

Abstract

The term "cordillera" is being applied more and more frequently to structures whose origin was of lesser magnitude in terms of space, time, and behavior than the original concept of an orogenically active major element of submarine relief. When field observations do not reveal the presence of embryonic "nappes," the tendency is to consider the cordillera as representing a state of orogenic activity affecting a particular area of a geosyncline, during a variable time interval, which is not perforce related, at least not directly, with the breaking off of nappes. This modern approach is applied to an analysis of the inner French Alps.