A trip through deep time in the Rock Succession of the Marguareis Area (Ligurian Alps, South Western Piemonte)

The multidisciplinary research project "PROGEO-Piemonte" aims to achieve a new conceptual and operational discipline in the management of the geological heritage of the Piemonte Region. To this end, an itinerary is proposed to illustrate the most significant steps in the geological evolution through time of the stratigraphic successions exposed in the Marguareis area (south western Piemonte). Volcanic and sedimentary rocks crop out here representing continental alluvial plain, carbonate tidal flat, and deep sea basin environments, spanning 200 million years from Permian to Eocene times. Together, they record the main stages of the geological evolution of the European margin related to the opening and closure of the Alpine Tethys ocean and consequent genesis of the Alpine chain. The proposed itinerary reveals stratigraphic successions with prolonged discontinuities and ancient faults documented by the geometrical relationships between rock bodies.