Mantle Plumes, Plate Tectonics, and the Cenozoic Volcanism of the Massif Central

A hypothesis that applies the concept of a stantionary deep mantle plume to a restricted area of the Massif Central is shown to have many shortcomings. An alternative hypothesis fits the structural and tectonic development of the region into the general evolution of the Alpine fold systems of the western Mediterranean, using a plate tectonic model as framework. The Massif Central is seen as an area that for much of the Cenozoic has been under viselike compression between the Alps and the Pyrenees. It responded by flexing upward and eventually crestal rifts formed on the flexures. Ultimately, the faults provided conduits for mantle-generated magmas, thereby giving rise to the well-developed volcanic features of this part of Europe.