Velay and Mézenc Massif: Harsh Volcanic Highlands Around the Loire River Source

Abstract

The Velay and its Vivarais rim combine many historical aspects of the Massif Central, from its Hercynian basement to the Tertiary tectonic and volcanic reactivations following the Pyrenean and Alpine orogeneses, from the Mesozoic and Tertiary planations to the Plio-Quaternary excavation of the valleys. While some of the landforms are nearly intact, erosion has played a big part in their shaping at all scales, interacting with the entrenchment of the hydrographic network, volcanism and local tectonics. As a result, a great diversity of environments and landscapes emerged, which also comprises traces of human activity, man having settled early in these beautiful, harsh highlands, which are famous for their quality pasture lands.