THE EVOLUTION OF THE WESTERN LIGURIAN FLYSCH UNITS AND THE ROLE OF MUD DIAPIRISM IN ANCIENT ACCRETIONARY PRISMS (MARITIME ALPS, NORTHWESTERN ITALY)

The Western Ligurian Flysch Units represent an Upper Cretaceous to Paleogene accretionary prism overthrust onto the paleo-European continental margin during the collisional stages of the Alpine orogeny (Eocene). Their precollisional evolution has been reconsidered according to the data collected through extensive field mapping, the study of lowgrade metamorphism and by considering more strictly the processes documented in modem convergent zones. The proposed model involves chaotic facies produced by the flow of muddy sediments along decollement surfaces (diapiric melange) with the growth of mud volcanoes into an accreting wedge progressively shifting toward the European continental margin.