THE MIO-PLIOCENE OF THE ARMORICAN MASSIVE - NEW DATA

The 'red sands' of the Armorican Massive were attributed to an upper P liocene marine environment. A reappraisal of the stratigraphy and ESR datings shows that it covers fluviatile to estuarine retrogressive for mations, invading paleovalleys, and covering Tortonian, Messinian, Zan clean and Lower Piacenzian high stands. Formation mapping at the level of the Channel shows that it is associated with successive long wave deformations related to the pyrenean alpine compression and Paleogene saprolite erosion. (C) Academie des sciences/Elsevier, Paris.