Early onset of Pyrenean collision (97–90 Ma) evidenced by U–Pb dating on calcite (Provence, SE France)

Early Late Cretaceous uplift of Provence gave rise to the Durance Isthmus. In the present study, U–Pb dating on calcite of compressional structures related to Pyrenean foreland compressional deformation in Provence shows that N-S shortening occurred coeval with emersion of the Durance Isthmus, through the development of combined top-to-the-North to NW thrusts between 97 and 90 Ma. This large-scale event, recorded from the Pyrenees to the Middle-East regions is interpreted as a far-field internal plate precursor of the Africa-Europe plates reorganization. Furthermore, the change in tectonic style and amount of shortening between Provence and Pyrenees was accommodated by sinistral reactivation of the NE–SW Cevennes and Nimes faults, acting as transform boundaries in this incipient collisional context.