(a) Main stages (rifting, seafloor spreading, subduction, and late orogenic collapse) within a Wilson Cycle are illustrated by the shapes of the three main interfaces, which are the Earth surface, the Moho and the base of the lithosphere. (b) Idealized lithosphere made of a thermally equilibrated layer cake versus a “real” post-orogenic lithosphere showing inherited structural and compositional complexity (modified after Manatschal et al., 2015). (c) Schematic evolution of the thermal state and gravitational potential energy depicted by the base of the lithosphere (1300 °C isotherm) and the surface topography within a Wilson Cycle. p.-o. ext.: post-orogenic extension.