The Upper Helvetic is a tectonic subdomain which encompasses the Helvetic Nappes s.s. (ontop of the main Helvetic Thrust, i.e. from west to east, with increasing displacement: Diablerets, Wildhorn, Axen and Glarus thrusts), as well as the overlying units of South Helvetic to Ultrahelvetic paleogeographic origin.

Ensemble de nappes fortement écaillées enveloppant les nappes ultrahelvétiques et replissées de manière complexe avec celles-ci (au point de se retrouver parfois en position infra-helvétique). Leur succession stratigraphique à faciès souvent bathyal indique une origine paléogéographique dans la partie méridionale du domaine helvétique.

The Lower Helvetic tectonic subdomain comprises all the sedimentary and crystalline units below the Glarus (eastern Switzerland), Axen (central Switzerland), Diablerets and Wildhorn major thrusts (western Switzerland). It corresponds to the External Crystalline Massifs and what was formerly called the “Infrahelvetic complex” that includes imbricates with North Helvetic facies as well as sedimentary nappes with South Helvetic to Ultrahelvetic facies.