The geographical area corresponds largely to the sedimentary formations of the Paris Basin, with predominantly calcareous substrates.
A band of sands and clays generating siliceous soils crosses the department from southwest to northeast, between the Auxerrois and Avallonnais regions.
The chalk is locally obscured by Cenozoic clays and sands with flint formations on the plateaux of the Sénonais.
In the south of the department, the Morvan is characterised by the presence of granite, giving rise to highly acidic soils.
The entire area is drained by the river Yonne and its tributaries, flowing northwest and toward the centre of the Paris Basin where it joins the Seine.
The landscapes consist of broad alluvial valleys and plateaux cut by cuestas, sometimes rugged landforms shaped by the differential erosion of hard limestone and softer strata.
The oceanic climate, slightly moderated by continental influences, brings moderate and regular rainfall — only 650 millimetres annually at Auxerre — with no marked summer drought.
Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.
About this boundary · approximate area
Approximate area — the union of the 423 commune(s) of the delimited area (INAO); no parcel delimitation exists for this denomination.
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