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19th International
Sedimentological
Congress from 18 to
22 augu 2014 in
Geneva, Switzerland
Sedimentology
at the crossroads
of new frontiers
Geology of Western Switzerland and nearby France
in a Geo-Energy perspective
A. Moscariello, G. Gorin, E. Rusillon, J. Charollais (University of Geneva)
!
!
Geology!of!Western!Switzerland!and!nearby!France!in!a!Geo7
Energy!perspective!
!
Andrea!Moscariello,!Georges!Gorin,!Elme!Russillon!and!Jean!Charollais!
!
Department!of!Earth!Sciences,!University!of!Geneva!
13!rue!des!Maraîchers,!1205!Geneva,!Switzerland!
!
andrea.moscariello@unige.ch,!georges.gorin@unige.ch,!
elme.russillon@unige.ch,!jdcharollais@bluewin.ch,!
!!
!
!
!
CONTENTS!
!
!
1.!Introduction........................................................................................................2!
!
2.!Geological!framework!and!stratigraphy.............................................................3!
2.1.!Introduction!..............................................................................................3!
2.2.!Stratigraphy…...........................................................................................4!
2.3.!Structural!configuration!of!the!Greater!Geneva!area.................................7!
!
3.!Georesources!in!the!Greater!Geneva!area..........................................................8!
3.1.!Hydrocarbons!................................................................................................8!
3.2.!Geothermal!energy........................................................................................9!
3.3.!Prospection!for!metals!(gold,!iron)..............................................................10!
3.4.!Underground!waters....................................................................................10!
3.5.!Building!materials!.......................................................................................11!
!
4.!Field!trip!itinerary!and!stops.............................................................................11!
4.1.!Stop!1:!geological!overview!of!the!“Geneva!cuvette”................................11!
4.2.!Stop!2:!Chaumont!Castle!at!the!southern!end!of!the!Vuache!Mountain...15!
!4.3.!Stop!3:!western!flank!of!the!Vuache!Mountain!nearthe!village!of!Arcine!.15!
4.4.!Stop!4:!eastern!flank!of!the!Vuache!Mountain!.........................................21!
4.5.!Stop!5:!Bitumen]impregnated!Molasse!near!Dardagny!
!!!!!!!!(Canton!Geneva)!.....................................................................................23!
!
5.!References.........................................................................................................25!
!
Appendix................................................................................................................26!!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
2"
!
1.!Introduction!
!
The! area! studied! here! corresponds! to! the! westernmost! extension! of! the!
Alpine! Molasse! basin.! We! shall! concentrate! on! the! area! referred! to! as! “Greater!
Geneva!area”,!which!covers!the!Canton!Geneva!and!surrounding!France!(Fig.!1).!It!is!
comprised! between! the! Alpine! front! to! the! southeast! (marked! by! the! Prealps! and!
Subalpine! Massifs! in! figure! 1)! and! by! the! Jura! mountain! range! to! the! northwest.!
Within!the!Molasse!basin!of!the!Geneva!area,!the!small!SW]NE!trending!range!of!the!
Salève!and!its!southwestern!extension!are!incorporated!within!the!Jura!domain!(Fig.!
1).! The! Greater! Geneva! area! is! limited! to! the! southwest! by! the! NW]SE! trending!
Vuache!Mountain,!also!part!of!the!Jura!(Fig.!1).!
!
!
!
Fig.%1"!#$%&'$(')*+(!,-&.$/)-0!),!'1$!/$2'$-*!3&-'!),!'1$!4/+22!#)5&22$!6&2+*!7&,'$-!8&)5&((+!9:;9<"!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
3"
This! field! trip! will! present! the! general! structural! features! and! lineaments!
affecting! the! Greater! Geneva! Area,! as! well! as! its! overall! stratigraphy! illustrated!
through! Mesozoic! carbonate! and! Cenozoic! Molasse! outcrops.! The! theme! of!
potential! georesources! in! several! stratigraphic! intervals! in! the! area! will! be!
addressed.!The! field!trip! will!consist! of!five! stops!(Fig.! 2).!4')3! ;!in! Canton!Geneva!
gives!a!general!overview!of!the!main!structural!elements!constituting!and!delimiting!
the!Geneva! Basin!(or!“Geneva!cuvette”).!4')3!9!is!located!in!France! at!the!southern!
termination!of!the!Vuache!Mountain!where!a!good!overview!can!be!obtained!of!the!
Geneva! Basin! to! the! northeast,! its! continuation! towards! the! southwest! and! the!
Alpine! front! towards! the! southeast.! It! also! provides! outcrops! of! Lower! Cretaceous!
carbonates.! 4')32! =! &*>! ?! are! located! along! the! Vuache! Mountain! in! France! and!
provide! a! good! overview! of! the! Jurassic! and! Lower! Cretaceous! stratigraphy! of! the!
area.!4')3!@!is!located!in!Canton!Geneva!and!shows!the!locally!bitumen]impregnated!
Tertiary!Molasse.!
!
!
Fig.%2"! 4&'$55+'$!31)')!),!'1$!/$2'$-*! 3&-'!),!'1$!4/+22! #)5&22$! 6&2+*!/+'1!,+$5>!'-+3! +'+*$-&-AB!5)(&'+)*!
),!2')32!&*>!5)(&'+)*!),!%$)5)%+(&5!(-)22C2$('+)*!21)/*!+*!,+%D-$!E"!
!
2.!Geological!framework!and!stratigraphy!
!
9";"!F*'-)>D('+)*!
!
The! Greater! Geneva! area! has! been! extensively! studied,! both! through!
surface! geology! (see! existing! geological! maps! of! the! French! and! Swiss! geological!
surveys)! and! through! several! reflection! seismic! surveys! related! to! hydrocarbon!
exploration! (in! France)! and! geothermal! energy! (Canton! Geneva).! The! location! of!
these! seismic! profiles! can! be! seen! as! grey! lines! in! figure! 3.! Information! on! the!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
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subsurface! has! been! complemented! by! the! drilling! of! petroleum! wells! and! one!
geothermal! well! in! Canton! Geneva! (well! Thônex]1,! Figs.! 3! and! 4).! Part! of! this!
information!has!been!published!(!e.g.,!Gorin!et!al.,!1993;!Jenny!et!al.,!1995;!Paolacci,!
2012;!Signer!&!Gorin,!1995).!
!
!
!
!
Fig.%3"!G$(')*+(!,-&.$/)-0!),! '1$! H-$&'$-! H$*$I&! &-$&! &'!#$2)J)+(!5$I$5!7&,'$-!8&)5&((+!9:;9<"!K)'$L!
'1$! ,+*$! %-$A! 5+*$2! ()--$23)*>! ')! '1$! 2$+2.+(! %-+>"! M)(&'+)*! ),! ,+%D-$2! NB! O! &*>! ;;! 21)/+*%!
2$+2.+(!3-),+5$2!&*>!),!,+%D-$!E!21)/+*%!%$)5)%+(&5!(-)22C2$('+)*"!
!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
5"
9"9"!4'-&'+%-&31A!
!
Whereas!outcrops!in!the!Salève!and!Jura! Mountains! exhibit!mainly!part!of!
the! Middle/Upper! Jurassic! and! Lower! Cretaceous! competent! rocks! and! those! in!
Canton!Geneva!only!small!parts!of!the!Lower!Freshwater!Molasse,!a!full!stratigraphic!
section!can! be!derived!from!deep!oil!wells!in!the! area!(Fig.!4).!In!this!guide!we!shall!
summarize!briefly!the!stratigraphy!observed!at!the!center!of!the!Geneva!Basin!in!the!
oil!well!of!Humilly]2!(Figs.!3,!4!and!5).!For!more!details!on!the!local!stratigraphy,!one!
can!refer!to!Meyer!(2000).!
!
Above!the!(-A2'&55+*$!6&2$.$*'!(never!reached!by!the!drill!but!outcropping!in!
the!nearby!Mont]Blanc!Massif!(Fig.!1),!a!thick!8$-.)CP&-6)*+,$-)D2!sequence!can!be!
locally! present! in! half]graben! basins! such! as! those! developed! below! the! thrusted!
Salève!range!or!below!the!frontal!Alpine!thrust!(Fig.!3).! In!the!Greater!Geneva!area,!
Carboniferous! sediments! have! never! been! reached! by! the! drill,! but! Carboniferous!
coal! strata! may! provide! typical! high]amplitude! reflectors! that! permit! the!
approximate! mapping! of! the! top! basement! (Gorin! et! al.,! 1993).! Only! the! overlying!
Permian! sandstones! have! been! reached! by! wells! such! as! Humilly]2! or! Faucigny]1!
(Figs.!4!and!5).!
!
The! G-+&22+(! is! generally! characterized! by! evaporites! associated! with! the!
development! of! an! epicontinental! shallow! water! sea! controlled! by! variable!
connection! conditions! with! the! Tethys.! The! Triassic! sedimentary! sequence,! if! not!
affected!by!halokinesis,!reaches!a!thickness!of!some!500!m!underneath!the!Molasse!
foreland! basin.! It! is! usually! divided! into! three! intervals! according! to! the! German!
classification:! the! QD*'2&*>2'$+*! mainly! composed! of! continental! sandstones;! the!
#D2(1$50&50! recording! the! first! marine! transgression! showing! marly! limestones,!
evaporites! and! dolomites;! the! R$D3$-! comprising! a! lower! thin! interval! called!
Lettenkohle!made! of! lignite! and! dolomite,! and! a! thick! upper! interval!of! evaporites!
(gypsum! and! halite).! This! interval! acted! as! a! decollement! horizon! for! the! Jura!
Mountains! and! Mount! Salève! (Fig.! 2).! Finally,! the! Triassic! terminates! with! S1$'+&*!
shales!!
!
A! rapid! marine! transgression! occurred! in! the! M+&22+(.! The! predominant!
depositional!facies!is!characterized!by!bioclastic!muddy!limestones!in!the!lower!part!
and! a! shaly! upper! part! containing! the! organic]rich! Posidonia! shales.! The! overlying!
T)%%$-!also! developed! in! a! relatively! deep! water! environment!and! the! Aalenian!is!
sometimes!difficult! to!distinguish! from!the! underlying! Liassic.! It! shows! intercalated!
marls! and! crinoidal! limestone! with! quartz]detritic! input! in! the! upper! part.! Seismic!
interpretation!and!the!correlation!between!the!wells!Humilly]2!and! Faucigny]1! (Fig.!
4)! show! that! the! Liassic! and! Dogger! show! a! significant! thinning! and! finer]grained!
lithology! towards! the! southeast.! This! is! interpreting! as! corresponding! to! the!
transition! from! platform! facies! towards! slope! facies! on! the! northern! side! of! the!
Tethys! Ocean! (Gorin! et! al.,! 2003;! Signer! and! Gorin,! 1995).! This! zone! of! transition!
follows!a!general!SW]NE!trend!and!can!be!traced!further!to!the!northeast!in!cantons!
Vaud!and!Fribourd!(Paolacci,!2012).!Apart!from!a!lower!(essentially!Oxfordian)!more!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
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marly! part,! the! #&5.! is! characterized! by! competent,! often! massive,! shallow!
platform!carbonate!deposits.!Biohermal!reefs!facies!are!developed!mainly!during!the!!
!
!
!
!
Fig.%4"!U$55!3$*$'-&'+)*!.&3!+*!'1$!H-$&'$-!H$*$I&!&-$&!7&,'$-!8&)5&((+!9:;9<"!K)'$L!&55!/$552!
1&I$! 6$$*! >-+55$>! ,)-! 1A>-)(&-6)*! $V35)-&'+)*B! $V($3'! G1W*$VC;! ,)-! %$)'1$-.&5!
+*I$2'+%&'+)*2"%
!
Kimmeridgian]Thitonian! interval,! such! as! oolithic! limestones,! peri]reefal! and! reefal!
limestones,! bioturbated! and! dolomitized! lagoonal! limestone! and! calcarenites.! The!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
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last!Jurassic!stage!is!the!“Purbeckian”!which!is!more!argillaceous!than!the!underlying!
Malm!deposits!and!is!characterized!by!a!widespread!regression!marked!by!emersive!
facies!with!dinosaur!tracks.!
!
In! the! X&-5A! P-$'&($)D2,! a! shallow! and! warm! water! environment! prevailed.!
Berriasian! deposits! are! mainly! fine! grained/bioclastic! and! fine! quartz]rich!
bioturbated!limestones!alternating!with!organic]rich!marls.!After!a!short!emersion,!a!
deepening!upward!trend! is! marked! by! a! marly!formation!in!the!Hauterivian.!A!thick!
interval!of!bioclastic!limestone!developed!in!the!Barremian!(“Urgonian!limestones”).!
Y33$-! P-$'&($)D2! sediments! were! probably! deposited,! but! because! the! Greater!
Geneva! area! became! emerged! at! the! end! of! the! Cretaceous,! Upper! Cretaceous!
sediments! (if! deposited)! were! totally! eroded.! This! is! supported! by! the! local!
occurrence!of!cherts!in!the!karstified!Lower!Cretaceous!surface.!!
!
In! the! X&-5A! G$-'+&-A,! a! warm! and! subequatorial! climate! accelerated! the!
karstification! of! Cretaceous! carbonates..! Red,! locally! iron]rich! deposits! called!
“Sidérolithique”,! tentatively! dated! from! the! Eocene! often! fill! the! “Urgonian”! karst!
fractures! and! sinkholes.! The! Alpine! foreland! basin! was! subsequently! infilled! by!
Molasse! deposits! (mainly! sandstones! and! marls)! with! an! alternation! of! shallow!
marine!and!continental!episodes.!Finally,!the!top!of!the!Molasse!sequence!has!been!
eroded! by! the! Quaternary! glaciations,! which! deposited! locally! thick! glacial! and!
fluvio]glacial!sequences!(essentially!from!the!last!Würmian!glaciation).!
!
!
!
Fig.%5"!H$*$I&!Q&2+*!2'-&'+%-&31A!+55D2'-&'$>!6A!'1$!/$55!ZD.+55AC9!&*>!(&5+6-&'+)*!),!2$+2.+(!
-$,5$(')-2! 7&,'$-! 8&)5&((+! 9:;9<"! [*! '1$! -+%1'! 1 &*>2+>$B! &! 2D..&-A! ),! '1$! 3$'-)5$D.!
2A2'$.!+*!'1$!H-$&'$-!H$*$I&!&-$&!72$$!'$V'!,)-!$V35&*&'+)*<"%
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
8"
9"="!4'-D('D-&5!()*,+%D-&'+)*!),!'1$!%-$&'$-!H$*$I&!&-$&!!!
!
The! Greater! Geneva! Basin! is! located! between! the! folded! Jura! and! the!
Alpine!front!marked!by!the!Subalpine!Massifs!and!the!Prealps!(Fig.!3).!It!corresponds!
to! the! Molasse! foreland! basin.! Seismic! data! provide! a! good! representation! of! the!
sedimentary!sequence! and! are! calibrated! by!petroleum! boreholes.! Figures!6! and! 7!
illustrate! a! cross]section! through! the! Salève! range,! continuing! across! the! Geneva!
basin!up! to! the! Vuache! Mountain.!This! has! permitted! the! construction! of! a!depth]
converted! geological! cross]section! illustrating! the! structural! configuration! of! the!
basin!(Fig.!8).!!
!
The!Alpine! compression! from!the! SE! has!induced! thrusting!in!the! Molasse!
sediments!where!different!thrust!sheets!can!be!observed.!This!“thrusted!Molasse”!is!
also!called! “subalpine!Molasse”,! the!front! of!which! can!be! mapped!on! seismic!and!
observed!locally! in! the! field! (Fig.!3).! The!Salève! range!is! a! thrusted! anticline! with!a!
décollement!horizon! in! the!Triassic! and! Liassic.!The! horizontal! displacement!can! be!
estimated! at! ca.! 5! km.! The! lowermost! unit! of! the! Molasse! infill! (the! UMM,! Lower!
Marine! Molasse)! is! present! only! SE! of! the! Salève! (a! topographical! zone! called! the!
“Bornes!Plateau”),!where!it!onlaps!the!Lower!Cretaceous.!This!unit!infills!an!incipient!
foreland!basin.! Based! on! several! seismic!profiles,! one! notices! that! the!Alpine! front!
and! the! Salève! thrust! overlie! Permo]Carboniferous! half]grabens! which! were!
reactivated!during!the!Alpine!compression!(Figs.!6!and!8).!Several!of!these!basins!can!
be!mapped!in!the!Greater!Geneva!area!and!south!of!the!Vuache!fault!(Fig.!3;!Signer!
and!Gorin,!1995).!Their!presence!is!also! supported! by! gravity!data.!The!presence!of!
these!deep!basins!is!important!in!terms!of!petroleum!system,!because!they!contain!
coals!and!maybe!also!Autunian!shales!(see!chapter!3.1.!below).!Another!of!these!half!
grabens!is!observed!on!the!eastern!flank!of!the!Vuache!Mountain!(Figs.!7!and!8).!
!
In!the!Geneva!Basin,!the!thickness!of!the!Mesozoic!units!remains!constant!
(Figs.! 7! and! 8).! In! the! Lower! and! Middle! Jurassic,! the! transition! from! platform! to!
slope! is! perfectly! illustrated! by! the! considerable! thinning! of! these! units! to! the!
southeast! of! the! Salève! (Fig.! 8,! see! chapter! 2.1! above).! In! the! Geneva! Basin,! the!
Molasse! infill! consists! only! of! the! Lower! Freshwater! Molasse! Unit! (USM)! of!
Oligocene!age,!which!onlaps!the!Lower!Cretaceous!towards!the!northwest.!
!
Surface!geology!and!seismic!data! have! permitted! the!mapping!of!the!fault!
pattern!at!Mesozoic!level!(Fig.!3).!The!Greater!Geneva!Basin!is!crossed!by!a!series!of!
major!NW]SE!trending!senestral!strike]slip!faults.!All!of!them!were!active!during!the!
Alpine! compression! and! seismic! activity! is! continuing! at! present]day! along! the!
Vuache!Fault!(Baize!et!al.,!2011;!Sambeth!and!Pavoni,!1988;!see!stops!2!to!4).!Part!of!
these! faults! are! deep]seated! and! reach! the! basement,! and! some! of! them! are!
probably!older!lineaments!reactivated!during!the!Alpine!orogeny!(Gorin!et!al.,!1993,!
Signer!and!Gorin,!1995).!The!transpressional!movement!of!these!faults!has!led!to!the!
formation!of!flower!structures,!such!as!that!tested!by!the!well!Humilly]2!(Figs.!3!and!
8).!The!northern!continuation!of!the!Humilly!fault!is!topographically!expressed!in!the!
folded!Jura!by!the!existence!of!the!highest!summits!in!the!region,!called!the!“Haute!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
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Chaîne”!(e.g.,!the!Reculet!summit,!Fig.!3).!These!senestral!transpressive!faults!offset!
the!Salève!Mountain!range!and!the!subalpine!Molasse!frontal!thrust!(Fig.!3).!
!
3.!Geo7Resources!and!Geo7Energy!in!the!Greater!Geneva!region!
!
=";"!ZA>-)(&-6)*2!
!
Hydrocarbon!exploration!has!a!long!history!in!surrounding!France!since!the!
1960’s.! Several! wells! were! drilled! essentially! on! anticlinal! structures! south! of! the!
Vuache!Fault! (Fig.! 4).!Only!some!minor!oil!and!gas!shows!and!tight!reservoirs!in!the!
Mesozoic! carbonates! were! encountered.! In! the! Geneva! basin,! the! Humilly]2! well!
reached!Permian! sandstones! but! was! also! dry.! At! the! beginning! of! the! 1980’s,! the!
company!BP!France!drilled!a!series!of!shallow!wells!around!the!Canton!Geneva!in!the!
Gex! area! (Fig.! 4)! to! test! for! potential! oil! accumulations.! They! found! some! viscous!
14°API!oil!(see!Stop!5)!in!Molasse!fluviatile!sandstones!(Lower!Freshwater!Molasse),!
but!such!accumulations!were!not!considered!as!economic!at!the!time"!In!the!Geneva!
Canton,!an! exploration! licence! has! been! granted! to! the! company! Tethys! Oil! at! the!
beginning!of!the!2000’s,!but!so!far!no!well!has!been!drilled.!
!
Figure! 3! summarizes! the! petroleum! system! in! the! Greater! Geneva! area.!
There!are!essentially!two!plays:!!
1)! a! gas! play! sourced! from! Permo]Carboniferous! coals! present! in! half!
grabens.! This! is! the! conventional! play! that! has! been! pursued! since! many! years! on!
the!Swiss!Plateau!with!only!minor!success.!Recently,!a!well!drilled!at!the!eastern!end!
of!Lake!Geneva!(well!Noville]1)!encountered!gas!in!tight!Permian!sandstones;!!
2)! an! oil! play! sourced! from! the! organic]rich! Posidonia! shales! in! the!
Toarcian.!This!source!rock! located! at!depths!of!2500]3000m!is! mature! for!oil!in!the!
Geneva!Basin! and! has! produced! the! 14°API! oil! recovered! in! the! wells! Gex! and! the!
bitumen]impregnating! Molasse! sandstones! in! Canton! Geneva! (see! Stop! 5)! and!
karstified!Urgonian!limestones!cored!during!the!construction!at!the!CERN!of!the!LEP!
(Large!Electron!Positron!collider)!tunnel!north!of!Geneva!City.!The!oil!of!producing!oil!
fields!in! the! Paris! Basin! (Val!de! Marne,! east! of! Paris)!comes! from! the! same! source!
rock! which! also! underlies! the! Paris! Basin.! Unfortunately,! this! migrating! oil! has! not!
found! any! trap/seal! and! reached! very! close! to! surface! where! it! has! been!
biodegraded.!Posidonia! shales!are!only!14m!thick!in!Humilly]2!and!thin!towards!the!
northeast! in! Canton! Vaud.! They! are! too! thin! and! insufficiently! mature! to! be! of!
interest!for!shale!gas!prospection!(Gorin!and!Moscariello!2013).!
!
Nothing! is! known! about! the! existence! of! Autunian! shales! in! the! Lower!
Permian! because! no! well! in! the! area! has! reached! this! level.! They! apparently! have!
been! encountered! in! the! Permo]Carboniferous! sediments! penetrated! by! the! well!
Noville]1!at!the!eastern!end!of!Lake!Geneva!(where!tight!gas!has!been!encountered!
in! Permian! sandstones).! If! present! in! the! Geneva! area,! they! would! be! at! a! depth!
where!they!would!probably!be!in!the!gas]generating!window.!
!
!The! main! problem! in! the! Greater! Geneva! area! is! the! lack! of! large! scale!
structures! (but! the! seismic! grid! is! fairly! loose)! and! reservoir! quality.! Potential!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
10"
reservoirs! are! the! Permian! sandstones,! the! Muschelkalk! and! the! bioclastic! and!
oolithic!limestones! of!the! Dogger.!Reefal! carbonates! in! the! Kimmeridgian! might! be!
of! reservoir! quality,! but! most! likely! lack! a! seal.! The! karstified! top! surface! of! the!
Lower! Cretaceous! and! its! siliclastic! “Sidérolithique”! infill! might! also! be! of! interest!
(see! bitumen! impregnations! in! the! LEP! tunnel! above).! In! this! case! sealing! would!
depend! on! the! presence! of! shales! in! the! Molasse.! The! presence! of! heavy! oil! and!
bitumen! generated! from! the! Posidonia! shales! in! the! Molasse! sandstones! in!
respectively!the!Gex!wells!(Fig.!4)!and!the!Molasse!at!outcrop!(Stop!5)!demonstrates!
that! in! this! area! the! migrating! oil! has! not! encountered! a! trapping! system! in! the!
whole! Mesozoic! sequence! or! that! the! latter! is! fractured! by! transpressional! faults!
(Fig.!3).!
!
="9"!H$)'1$-.&5!$*$-%A!
!
Exploration!for!deep!geothermal!energy!has!been!encouraged!by!the!Swiss!
government.!At!the!beginning!of!the! 1990’s! the! Canton!of!Geneva!acquired!several!
seismic!lines! (see! Fig.! 3)! to! identify! potential!sites! for!the! drilling!of! an!exploratory!
geothermal!well.!This!well!called!Thônex]1!(Figs.!3!and!4)!was!drilled!in!1993!down!to!
a!depth!of!2690!m!bdf!in!the!Malm.!It!flowed!water!at!low!rates!and!was!declared!a!
failure.! The! hole! is! cased! down! to! 1790! m! and! has! been! cleaned! in! 2009! to!
investigate! the! possibility! to! install! a! geothermal! probe! (measured! temperature! at!
1724!m!is!66°C).!
!
="="!8-)23$('+)*!,)-!.$'&52!7%)5>B!+-)*<!
!
Alpine!granitic!rocks! contain! %)5>!in!small! quantities.!With!the! weathering!
of! these! rocks,! gold! is! transported! and! deposited! in! sands! as! small! flakes! by! the!
rivers! draining! the! Alpine! massifs,! and! is! also! present! in! the! sand! deposits! and!
moraines! from! the! last! glacial! age.! In! Canton! Geneva! it! is! mainly! deposited! in! the!
Arve!River!(which! originates!in! the! Aiguilles!Rouges/Mont]Blanc! massifs,!see!Fig.! 1)!
and! in! the! Rhône! River! downstream! of! its! confluence! with! the! Arve! River.!
Consequently!gold!digging! has! been!part! of! the!history!of! Geneva!since!the! Middle!
Age,! as! reported! by! Pittard! (1936)! and! summarized! below! (see! also! Wildi! et! al.,!
2014):!
• In!1397,!first!mention! of!a!gold!panning! concession!given!by!the! feudal!lord!
of!Gex.!
• In!1471!four!gold!panners!had!a!concession!granted!by!the!Duke!of!Savoy!to!
exploit!the!gold!sands!of!the!Arve!River!near!Geneva.!
• In!1477! a!licence!was!granted!to!12!gold!diggers!for!a! sum!of!12!pounds!per!
year.!
• In!1651,!following!a!large!flood,!a!gold!digging!business!was!started!on!a!large!
scale!in! the!Arve!River!down!to!its!confluence!with! the!Rhône!River,!but!this!
undertaking!was!terminated!in!1658.!
• In! 1682! a! Geneva! citizen! asked! the! Council! of! the! Geneva! Republic! for!
permission!to!dig!the!Arve!River! alluvial! deposits! and!put!up!smelting!works!
in!order!to!transform!gold!flakes!into!ingots.!!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
11"
• Near! the! middle! of! the! 18th! century,! a! strong! decline! in! gold! washing! is!
observed!in!the!region!as!well!as!in!the!whole!of!Europe.!
• The!last!gold!panners!of!the!Arve!River!disappeared!around!1900:!their!work!
brought!in!at!that!time!three!to!four!francs!a!day.!
Nowadays,!gold!washing!in!the!Canton!Geneva!rivers!requires!a!permit.!!
!
F-)*! is! another! metal! that! has! been! exploited! in! historical! times! in! the!
Greater!Geneva!area.!This!iron!ore!can!be!encountered!in!the!detrital!deposits!of!the!
“Sidérolithique”! which! infill! the! karstified! surface! of! the! Lower! Cretaceous!
carbonates!(see! chapter! 2.2.! above).! For! example,! remains! of! smelting! works! have!
been! found! on! the! eastern! flank! of! the! Salève! (Fig.! 3).! For! more! details! see!
explicative!notes!in!the!1:50’000!geological!map!by!Charollais!et!al.!(1988).!
!
="?"!Y*>$-%-)D*>!/&'$-2!
!
80%!of! Geneva! drinking!water!is!pumped!from!Lake!Geneva,!whereas!20%!
are!provided! by! a! water! table!called! «!Nappe! du! Genevois!»! located!in! Quaternary!
periglacial!sediments.!This!water! table! originates!in!the! Arve! River!valley,!upstream!
of!Geneva!City!(on!the!western!side!of!the!Salève,!Fig.!1)!where!the!river!crosses!and!
partly!infiltrates!the!gravels!of!a!periglacial!formation!called!“the!Alluvion!ancienne”!
(which! corresponds! to! sandur! deposits).! The! water! table! then! flows! on! one! hand!
northwards!towards!Lake!Geneva,!and!on!the!other!hand!westwards,!where!it!meets!
the! Rhône! River.! All! along! its! course,! the! «!Nappe! du! Genevois!»! is! shielded! from!
pollution! through! the! clayey]silty! deposits! of! the! overlying! basal! moraines! and!
lacustrine! deposits.! Its! intensive! exploitation! provoked! a! significant! decrease! of! its!
level! in! the! 1970’s.! This! led! Canton! Geneva! to! build! an! important! installation! of!
artificial!feeding!(Wildi!et!al.,!2014).!
!
="@"!QD+5>+*%!.&'$-+&52!
!
Locally!thick!glacial!and!periglacial!deposits!provide!an!important!source!of!
gravel! and! sand! for! the! building! industry.! In! Canton! Geneva,! these! quarries! are!
essentially!located! on!the! southern!side! of!the! Rhône!River! (Fig.!1).! Other!quarries!
forming!an! important! landmark! are! located! at! the! base! of! the! western! side! of! the!
Salève!facing! Geneva! City.!They! are! exploited!for! erosion!products! from! the!Salève!
carbonate!cliffs!facing!Geneva!City.!
!
Building!material!for!the!old!city!of!Geneva!has!traditionally!come!from!two!
types!of!natural!stones!(Wildi!et!al.,!2014):!!
1) white]coloured! limestones! often! displaying! stylolites! and! locally! limestones!
with!traces!of!burrowing!organisms,!which!are!called!«!calcaires!vermiculés!».!
These! rocks! date! back! to! the! Late! Jurassic! and! come! mainly! from! quarries!
located!at!the!foot!of!the!Jura!Mountains,!where!they!outcrop!as!massive!or!
stratified!limestones.!The!latter!are!quite!resistant!to!weathering!and!ground!
humidity.!Consequently,! they!have!been!used!for!the!basement!of!buildings,!
cornerstones!and!towers.!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
12"
2) red!or!grey! to!greenish!Molasse! sandstones,! most!of! them! coming!from! old!
sub]lacustrine!quarries!exploited!at!the!time!during!the!winter!in!Geneva!Bay!
(low]water!periods!of!Lake!Geneva)!and!brought!to!the!city!on!barges!during!
summertime.! These! sandstones! of! the! Red! Molasse! date! back! to! the!
Oligocene! and! were! deposited! in! meandering! river! channels! in! the! Alpine!
foreland!(see! Stop!5).! Molasse!sandstones! were!used! essentially!as! «!infill!»!
building!material.!It!is!a!rock!that!is!easily!weathered,!in!particular!because!of!
its!poor!calcareous!cementation!that!makes!it!quite!exposed!to!acid!rains.!!
!
Finally,! over! historic! times,! the! numerous! erratic! blocks! (granite,!
limestone,…)! left! on! the! ground! after! the! melting! of! the! glaciers! have! also! been!
extensively!exploited!as!building!material!thus!leaving!only!few!of!them!at!present.!
!
4.!Field!trip!itinerary!and!stops!(Fig.!2)!
!
?";"4')3!;L!%$)5)%+(&5!)I$-I+$/!),!'1$!\H$*$I&!(DI$''$]"!
!
This! stop! is! located! in! the! southern! part! of! Canton! Geneva! on! a! frontal!
moraine!left!by!the!Rhône!Glacier!during!the! last! glaciation! (Fig.!2).!From!this!point!
of!view!one!can!see!the!topographic!expression!of!the!“Geneva!cuvette”!(or!Geneva!
Basin)!limited!to!the!southeast!by!the! Salève! range,! to!the!northwest!by!the!folded!
Jura,!and!to!the!southwest!by!the!Vuache!Mountain!(Fig.!3).!One!can!observe!to!the!
west!the!gorge!separating!the!Vuache!Mountain!from!the!folded!Jura,!called!the!Fort!
de!l’Ecluse;! it!is! where! the! Rhône! River! exits! the! Geneva! cuvette.!The! backbone!of!
these! surrounding! mountain! ridges! is! made! of! outcropping! Mesozoic! carbonates!
(Fig.! 5).! A! geological! cross]section! of! the! Geneva! Basin! can! be! established! from!
petroleum!seismic!data!(e.g.,!Figs.!6!and!7,!see!location!in!Fig.!3).!It!extends!from!the!
Alpine! front! in! the! southeast! up! to! the! Vuache! Mountain! in! the! northwest! (Fig.! 9,!
see!location!in!Fig.!3).!The!structural!picture!is!described!above!in!chapter!2.3.!
!
!
Fig.% 7.!G1$! 2D65&&^D$)D2_2D6%5&(+&5`! )D'/&21! >$3)2+'2!),! 4)-&5CM&()**$VB! 5)(&'+)*! ),! '1$! ,+-2'! 2')3"!
G1$!4&5aI$!#)D*'&+*!+*!'1$!6&(0%-)D*>"!4$$!b+%"!9!,)-!5)(&'+)*"!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
13"
!
!
Fig.%7.!4$+2.+(!5+*$!&(-)22!'1$!4&5aI$!-+>%$!&*>!H$*$I&!6&2+*!7+*'$-3-$'&'+)*!&,'$-!H)-+*!$'!&5"!;cc=!&*>!
8&)5&((+!9:;9<"!4#Gb!d!4D6&53+*$!.)5&22$!'1-D2'!,-)*'"!4$$!b+%"!=!,)-!5)(&'+)*"!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
14"
!
!
!
Fig.%8"!4$+2.+(!5+*$!&(-)22!'1$!H$*$I&!Q&2+*!7+*'$-3-$'&'+)*!&,'$-!H)-+*!$'!&5"!;cc=!&*>!8&)5&((+!9:;9<"!
4$$!b+%"!=!,)-!5)(&'+)*"!
!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
15"
!
!
Fig.%9"!H$)5)%+(&5!(-)22C2$('+)*!&(-)22!'1$!H-$&'$-!H$*$I&!&-$&!>$-+I$>!.&+*5A!,-).!2$+2.+(!5+*$2!),!
b+%2"!N!&*>!O!7&,'$-!H)-+*!&*>!#)2(&-+$55)!9:;=B!8&)5&((+!9:;9!&*>!H)-+*!$'!&5"!;cc=<"!G1+2!
2$('+)*!(-)22$2!'1$!e53+*$!,)-$5&*>!6&2+*!,-).!'1$!e53+*$!,-)*'!D3!')!'1$!fD&(1$!
#)D*'&+*_gD-&"!4$$!&52)!5)(&'+)*!+*!b+%D-$!="!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
16"
?"9"!4')3!9L!P1&D.)*'!P&2'5$!&'!'1$!2)D'1$-*!$*>!),!'1$!fD&(1$!#)D*'&+*!7b+%2"!;:!
')!;=<!
!
This! spot! offers! a! panorama! on! the! Geneva! Basin! to! the! NE,! the! Rumilly!
Basin! to! the! SW! and! the! Alpine! front! to! the! SE! (Fig.! 3).! It! also! permits! the!
visualisation!of!the!two!main!fault!trends!affecting!the!area!(Fig.!3):!1)!major!NW]SE!
trending!senestral!transpressive! faults! affecting!from!Palaeozoic! to! Cenozoic!strata,!
such!as!the!Vuache!Fault!on!which!we!are!standing;!2)!SW]NE!trending!thrust! faults!
forming!the!northern!flank!of,!for!example,!the!Salève!and!Montagne!de!Mandallaz!
mountains.!
!
At!this!stop!the!detailed!Mesozoic!stratigraphy!of!the!Vuache!Mountain!will!
be! presented! (Fig.! 10).! It! was! established! by! Charollais! et! al.! (2013),! which! also!
produced! a! detailed! geological! map! of! this! mountain!(Figs.! 11A,! B,! C).! Figure! 10C!
shows!the!location!of!the!Chaumont!Castle!(Stop!2)!which!sits!on!Lower!Cretaceous!
Urgonian!platform!carbonates! outcropping!all! around.! Looking!at! figure! 10C!and! at!
the!Vuache!Mountain!to!the!north!and! the! Musiège! Moutain!to!the!south,!one!can!
observe! the! opposite! dips! of! Mesozoic! strata! in! both! mountains,! which! are!
separated! by! the! Vuache! Fault.! To! the! south! of! the! Musiège! Mountain,! figure! 11!
shows!the! seismic!expression! of!the! deep]seated! Vuache! Fault! (see! location! in!Fig.!
3).!
!
This! stop! is! also! the! opportunity! to! present! the! paleogeographical!
distribution!of!Molasse!units!in!the!area,!which!will!affect!the!type!of!potential!sandy!
reservoirs! (Fig.! 13).! In! the! Rumilly! basin! south! of! the! Vuache! Fault,! the! Lower!
Freshwater!Molasse!(USM)!is!overlain!by!the!Upper!Marine!Molasse!(OMM;!Figs.!12!
and!13).!In!the!Geneva!Basin!north!of!the!Vuache!Fault,!only!the!USM!is!present.!The!
absence! of! OMM! in! the! Geneva! Basin! is! most! likely! related! to! the! activity! of! the!
Vuache! fault! during! the! Cenozoic.! Finally,! a! third! paleogeographical! domain! is!
observed!in! the! Molasse! Basin! east! of! the!Salève! range! (Fig.! 13):! there,! the! Lower!
Marine!Molasse! (UMM)!is! overlain! by! the! USM.! As! indicated!above! in!chapter! 2.3,!
the!onlap!of!the!UMM!on!the!eastern!flank!of!the!Salève!range!indicates!the!western!
limit!of!the!incipient!Alpine!foreland!basin!at!the!time.!
!
!
Lunch!on!the!hill!of!Chaumont!Castle!
!
!
?"="4')3! =L! /$2'$-*! ,5&*0! ),! '1$! fD&(1$! #)D*'&+*! *$&-! '1$! I+55&%$! ),! e-(+*$! 7b+%2"!
;:e!&*>!QB!;=!&*>!;?<!
!
This!stop!provides! a!view! of! the!Upper! Jurassic! stratigraphic!succession! of!
the! Vuache! Mountain! (Fig.! 10).! It! forms! a! transition! from! deep]platform! marly!
limestones! (Cephalopod! beds)! to! shallow! tidal! deposits! (Figs.! 14! and! 15).! The!
succession!contains! massive!reef! deposits! of! Kimmeridgian! age!which! represent!an!
attractive! reservoir! in! the! region! for! both! hydrocarbons! and! geothermal! resources!
(see!Fig.!5).!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
17"
!
!
!
!
Fig.%10"!4'-&'+%-&31A!),!'1$!fD&(1$! #)D*'&+*! 72+.35+,+$>!&,'$-!P1&-)55&+2!$'!&5"!9:;=<"!K)'$L!'1$! ()>$2!
),!'1$!>+,,$-$*'!%$)5)%+(&5!D*+'2!&-$! '1)2$!D2$>!+*! '1$!%$)5)%+(&5!.&32!),!b+%D-$2!;;eB!Q! &*>!
P"!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
18"
!
!
!
!
Fig.% 11A"! H$)5)%+(&5! .&3! ),! '1$! fD&(1$! #)D*'&+*B! *)-'1$-*! 3&-'! 7&,'$-! P1&-)55&+2! $'! &5"B! 9:;=<"!
M)(&'+)*!),!4')3!?"!4$$!b+%D-$!;:!,)-!5$%$*>!),!%$)5)%+(&5!D*+'!2A.6)52"!
!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
19"
!
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!
!
Fig.%11B"!H$)5)%+(&5!.&3!),!'1$!fD&(1$!#)D*'&+*B!($*'-&5!3&-'!7&,'$-!P1&-)55&+2!$'!&5"B!9:;=<"!M)(&'+)*!
),!4')3!="!4$$!b+%D-$!;:!,)-!5$%$*>!),!%$)5)%+(&5!D*+'!2A.6)52"!
!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
20"
!
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Fig.% 11C"! H$)5)%+(&5! .&3! ),! '1$! fD&(1$! #)D*'&+*B! 2)D'1$-*!3&-'! 7&,'$-! P1&-)55&+2! $'! &5"B! 9:;=<"!
M)(&'+)*!),!4')3!9"!4$$!b+%D-$!;:!,)-!5$%$*>!),!%$)5)%+(&5!D*+'!2A.6)52"!
!
!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
21"
!
!
!
!
Fig.%12"!4$+2.+(!5+*$! &(-)22! '1$! fD&(1$! b&D5'B! 2)D'1$&2'! ),!'1$!fD&(1$!#)D*'&+*! 7+*'$-3-$'&'+)*! &,'$-!
8&)5&((+!9:;9<"!4$$!&52)!b+%D-$!=!,)-!5)(&'+)*"!
!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
22"
!
!
Fig.% 13"! T+2'-+6D'+)*! ),! #)5&22$! ,)-.&'+)* 2! +*! '1$! H-$&'$-! H$*$I&! &-$&! 7&,'$-! 8&)5&((+! 9:;9<"! K)'$!
5)(&'+)*!),!2')32!9!&*>!@!&*>!),!2$+2.+(!5+*$!),!b+%D-$!;;!(-)22+*%!'1$!fD&(1$!b&D5'"!
!
!
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!
This!stop!is! located! on!the!southern! side! of!the!Rhône! River!near!the!Fort!
de!l’Ecluse!canyon.!The!Fort!de!l’Ecluse!itself!is!visible!on!the!other!side!of!the!river.!
To! its! right! one! can! observe! the! Lower! Cretaceous! succession! dominated! by! three!
important!regional!shallowing]up!sequences!representing!the!transition!from!coastal!
lakes!(charophytes)!to!inner!platform!environments!(Fig.!9).!This!sequence!is!capped!
by! an! up! to! 100m! thick! sequence! of! massive! ‘Urgonian’! platform! carbonates! (Fig.!
10),! on! which! Stop! 4! is! located.! The! top! of! these! carbonates! is! characterised! by! a!
widespread! karst! system! filled! by! Lower! Tertiary! continental! clastic! sediments! (of!
Paleocene]Eocene! age?)! locally! enriched! in! iron! (see! chapter! 3.3! above).! The!
karstified! carbonates! and/or! the! Tertiary! clastic! infill! may! represent! potential!
reservoir! rocks.! The! mountain! above! the! Fort! de! l’Ecluse! is! called! the! Grand! Crêt!
d’Eau.!It!provides!an!ideal!point!of!view!over!the!northern!termination!of!the!Vuache!
Mountain! (Fig.! 15),! where! the! entire,! easterly]dipping,! Upper! Jurassic! and! Lower!
Cretaceous!succession!can!be!observed.!
!
!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
23"
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!
Fig.%14"!f+$/!),! '1$! /$2'$-*! ,5&*0! ),!'1$!fD&(1$!#)D*'&+*! *$&-! 2')3!=!7,-).!P1&-)55&+2!$'!&5"B!9:;=<"!
G1+2!3+('D-$!+55D2'-&'$2!'1$!2'-&'+%-&31+(!2D(($22+)*!),!'1$!Y33$-!gD-&22+(!D*+'2!72$$!2A.6)52!+*!
,+%D-$!;:<"!G1$!.&22+I$!D*+'! \S]! ()--$23)*>2! ')! R+..$-+>%+&*!-$$,&5!5+.$2')*$2! ),! 3)'$*'+&5!
+*'$-$2'!&2!-$2$-I)+-!-)(0"!
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Fig.%15"!eV+&5! I+$/! ),! '1$! fD&(1$!#)D*'&+*! 7&,'$-! P1&-)55&+2!$'!&5"B! 9:;=<! ')/&->2! '1$!4X!'&0$*!,-).!
'1$!P-h'!>iX&D!#)D*'&+*!72$$!b+%"! ;:ej<"!M)(&'+)*!),!2')32! =!&*>!?"!G1$!$*'+-$!Y33$-!gD-&22+(!
&*>!M)/$-!P-$'&($)D2!2$('+)*!(&*!6$!)62$-I$>!72$$!2A.6)52!+*!,+%D-$!;:<"!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
24"
?"@"!4')3!@L!Q+'D.$*C+.3-$%*&'$>!#)5&22$!*$&-!T&->&%*A!7P&*')*!H$*$I&B!b+%2"!;N!
&*>!;O<!
!
Walk! downstream! of! the! Roulave! Stream! near! Dardagny! (Canton! of!
Geneva)!to!see! outcrops!of!Lower! Freshwater!Molasse!(USM;! Oligocene).!The!USM!
consists! of! sandstones! and! marls! deposited! in! a! meandering! river! and! flood! plain!
environment.! These! sandstone! are! impregnated! by! bitumen! derived! from! Lower!
Jurassic!source! rocks! (Toarcian! Posidonia! shales,!Fig.! 5).! Several!galleries! and! small!
pits! have! been! dug! since! the! 19th! century! to! recover! the! bitumen! (Fig.! 16).! These!
bituminous!sandstones!are!already!mentioned!in!1770!by!H.B.!de!Saussure.!The!first!
attempts!to!exploit!them!in!the!area!date!back!to!1826;!the!digging!of!galleries!in!the!
Roulave! Valley! began! around! 1845,! and! phases! of! production! and! abandonment!
went!on!until!1894.!During!the!two!world!wars,!the!exploitation!was!reinitiated!with!
the! digging! of! wells! and! deep! galleries.! Probably! a! total! of! several! tens! of! tons! of!
viscous! bitumen! was! extracted.! It! was! used! to! asphalt! some! streets! in! the! City! of!
Geneva,!lubricate!carriage!wheels,!caulk!boats!or!for!medical!purposes!(Wildi!et!al.,!
2014).!
!
Bitumen! derived! from! Toarcian! Posidonia! shales! have! also! been!
encountered!in!cores! taken!in!the! karstified!upper!part! of!the!Urgonian! limestones!
(Fig.!17).!
!
!
!
Fig.% 16"! 4')3! @L! 2&*>2')*$! (5+,,! +*! '1$!M)/$-! b-$21/&'$-! #)5&22$! &*>! %&55$-A! ,)-! '1$! $V35)+'&'+)*! ),!
6+'D.$*!&5)*%!'1$!S)D5&I$! 4'-$&.!*$&-!T&->&%*AB! P&*')*!H$*$I&!7&,'$-! U+5>+!$'!&5"B!9:;?<"!
4&*>2')*$2!/$-$!>$3)2+'$>!+*!&!.$&*>$-+*%!-+I$-!2A2'$."!!
!
!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
25"
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!
!
Fig.% 17.!R&-2'+,+$>! Y-%)*+&*! 5+.$2')*$2! +.3-$%*&'$>! 6A! 6+'D.$*! >$-+I$>! ,-).! M)/$-! gD-&22+(!
8)2+>)*+&! 41&5$2"! P)-$2! '&0$*! >D-+*%! '1$! ()*2'-D('+)*! ),! '1$! MX8! 7M&-%$! X5$('-)*! 8)2+'-)*!
()55+>$-<!'D**$5!&'!'1$!PXSK!*)-'1!),!H$*$I&!P+'A"!
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IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
26"
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!
References!
!
Baize,!S.,!Cushing,!M.,!Lemeille,!F.,!Gelis,!C.,!Texier,!D.,!Nicoud,!G.!and!Schwenninger,!
J.L.! (2011).! Contribution! to! the! seismic! hazard! assessment! of! a! slow! active!
fault,!the!Vuache!fault!in!the!southern!Molasse!basin!(France).!Bull.!Soc.!géol.!
France,!182/4,!347]365.!
Charollais! et! al.! (1988).! 1:50'000! Geological! Map! of! France! (BRGM),! sheet! Annecy]
Bonneville.!!
Charollais,! J.,! Wernli,! R.,! Mastrangelo,! B.,! Metzger,! J.,! Busnardo,! R.,! Clavel,! B.,!
Conrad,! M.,! Davaud,! E.,! Granier,! B.,! Saint! Martin! M.! and! Weidmann,! M.!
(2013).!Présentation!d’une!nouvelle!carte!géologique!du!Vuache!et!du!Mont!
de! Musièges! (Haute]Savoie,! France)!:! stratigraphie! et! tectonique.! Archives!
des!Sciences!(Genève),!66,!1]64..!
Gorin,! G.E.,! Signer,! C.! and! Amberger,! G.! (1993).! Structural! configuration! of! the!
western!Swiss! Molasse!Basin! as!defined! by!reflection! seismic!data.! ]Eclogae!
geol.!Helv.,!86/1,!693]716.!
Gorin,! G.! and! Moscariello,! A.! (2013).! Léman! et! gaz! de! schiste:! un! souci! infondé.!
Lémaniques!(Genève),!89,!1]6.!!
Jenny,!J.,!Burri,!J.!P.,!Muralt,!R.,!Pugin,!A.,!Schegg,!R.,!Ungemach,!P.,!Vuataz,! F.,! and!
Wemli,! R.! (1995).! Le! forage! géothermique! de! Thônex! (Canton! de! Genève):!
Aspects! stratigraphiques,! tectoniques,! diagénétiques,! géophysiques! et!
hydrogéologiques.!Eclogae!Geol.!Helv.,!88(2),!365]396.!
Meyer,! M.,! 2000.! Le! complexe! récifal! kimméridgien]tithonien! du! Jura! méridional!
interne!(France),!évolution!multifactorielle,!stratigraphie!et!tectonique.!Terre!
&!Environnement!(Université!de!Genève),!24,!179p.!
Paolacci,!S.,!2012.!Seismic!facies!and!structural!configuration! of! the! Western!Alpine!
Basin!and!its!substratum!(France!and!Switzerland).!Ph.D.!thesis,!University!of!
Geneva,!unpublished.!
Pittard,!J.J.!(1936):! La!recherche!de! l'or!dans! la! région!de! Genève.! Société!générale!
d'imprimerie,!Genève.!
Sambeth,! U.! and! Pavoni,! N.! (1988).! A! seismotectonic! investigation! in! the! Geneva!
Basin,!southern!Jura!Mountains.!Eclogae!geol.!Helv.,!81,!433]440!
Signer,!C.!and!Gorin,!G.E.!(1995).!New!geological!observations!between!the!Jura!and!
the!Alps!in!the!Geneva!area,!as!derived!from!reflection!seismic!data.!Eclogae!
geol.!Helv.B!88/2,!235]265".!
Wildi,! W.,! Corboud,! P.,! Girardclos,! S.! and! Gorin! G.! (2014).! Geological! and!
archeological! visit! of! Geneva! City.! (http://www.unige.ch/forel/!
index_en.html)!
IAS!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Geo]energies!in!the!
Field!Trip!B1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Greater!Geneva!Region!
19th!International!Sedimentological!Congress!–!Geneva!–!Field!trip!guidebook!
27"
!
APPENDIX!1!
!
!
!
!
Fig.%A1L!#&3!),!H$V!XV35)-&'+)*!8$-.+'!&-$&!7b-&*($<!,-).!'1$!1''3L__2')3%&J>$2(1+2'$")-%_+*,_1&D'$C
2&I)+$!/$6!2+'$"!
!
Few!months! after!the! news! of!large! shale! gas! development! in! the! United! States! reached!
Europe! and! the! possible! consequences! that! the! drilling! and! development,! using! fracking!
technology,!could! have! had! on! the! environment!were! known! (also! thanks! to!the! popular!
movie! ‘Gas! Land’)! a! strong! opposition! to! all!conventional! or! unconventional! hydrocarbon!
exploration!activities! quickly! sparked!in! some! region!of! the!Old! Continent.! In! the! Greater!
Geneva! Basin,! distributed! over! the! Geneva! Canton! territory! and! part! of! the! French!
Departments! of! Ain! (01)! and! Haute]Savoie! (74),! the! ecologist! movement! “Stop!Gaz!de!
Shiste”!is!very!active!and!strongly!engaged!in!‘educating’!the!local!resident! population!with!
information! regarding! the! possible! risks! and! consequences! of! shale! gas! hydrocarbon!
exploration! and! exploitation! in! the! area,! and! exercising! pressures! on! politicians! on! both!
Countries.!!
The!fact! is!that!no!known!quantitative!evaluation!of!shale!gas!resources! exists!for!this!area!
which!in!theory!could!turn!the!efforts!of!this!ecologist!movement!into!a!pointless!exercise.!
The! University! of! Geneva,! supported! by! the! Swiss! Federal! Office!of! Energy! and! Swisstopo!
(Swiss!geological!survey),!is!presently!carrying!out!the!very!first!regional!evaluation!of!these!
resources! in! order! to! provide! an! unbiased! quantitative! evaluation! of! underground!
hydrocarbon!resources.!
!
The! map! shown! above,! reported! in! the! web! site! of! the! “Stop! Gaz! de! Shiste”! movement,!
indicates! the! possible! presence! of! very! large! hydrocarbon! accumulations! distributed! in!
different!geological!formations!of!the!basin.!However,!neither!the!source!of!this!map!nor!the!
exact!meaning!of!the!legend!(lead?!prospects!?)!are!provided.!!
Based!on! this!map,! one! may! believe! that! the! Greater!Geneva! Basin!may,!one!day,!possibly!
turn!into!a!small!Saudi!Arabia…!
