Editing Mont Blanc (section)

== Geology ==
Mont Blanc and adjacent mountains in the massif are predominately formed from a large intrusion of [[granite]] (termed a [[batholith]]) which was forced up through a basement layer of [[gneiss]] and [[Schist|mica schists]] during the [[Variscan orogeny|Variscan mountain-forming event]] of the late [[Paleozoic|Palaeozoic]] period. The summit of Mont Blanc is located at the point of contact of these two rock types. To the southwest, the granite contact is of a more [[Intrusive rock|intrusive]] nature, whereas to the northeast it changes to being more [[Tectonics|tectonic]]. The granites are mostly very-coarse grained, ranging in type from microgranites to [[Porphyry (geology)|porphyroid]] granites. The massif is tilted in a north-westerly direction and was cut by near-vertical recurrent faults lying in a north–south direction during the Variscan orogeny. Further faulting with shear zones subsequently occurred during the later [[Alpine orogeny]]. Repeated tectonic phases have caused breakup of the rock in multiple directions and in overlapping planes. Finally, past and current glaciation caused significant sculpting of the [[landscape]] into its present-day form.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ravanel |first1=Ludovic |last2=Allignol |first2=Françoise |last3=Deline |first3=Philip |last4=Gruber |first4=Stephan |last5=Ravello |first5=Mario |date=December 2010 |title=Rock falls in the Mont Blanc Massif in 2007 and 2008 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226540399 |journal=Landslides |language=en |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=493–501 |doi=10.1007/s10346-010-0206-z |bibcode=2010Lands...7..493R |s2cid=140203828 |issn=1612-510X}}</ref>

The first systematic account of the minerals of the Mont Blanc area was published in 1873 by [[Venance Payot]]. His list, entitled "Statistique minéralogique des environs du Mt-Blanc", catalogued 90 mineral types although it also included those present only as very small components of rocks.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Comte |first1=Armand |title=Resources minéralogiques du massif du Mont-Blanc et des régions limitrophes |trans-title=Mineralogical Resources of Mont Blanc and surrounding areas |url=http://www.mineralogie-chamonix.org/?op=html&page=30 |website=Club de minéralogie de Chamonix |language=fr |access-date=2 June 2016 |archive-date=14 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514212018/http://www.mineralogie-chamonix.org/?op=html&page=30 |url-status=live }}</ref> If these are excluded, it is known today that at least 68 separate mineral species occur across the wider range of the Mont Blanc massif.<ref>{{cite web |title=Monte Bianco Massif (Mont Blanc Massif) |url=http://www.mindat.org/loc-6922.html |website=Mindat.org |publisher=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |access-date=13 February 2016 |archive-date=16 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216123158/http://www.mindat.org/loc-6922.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Miage Glacier, Veny Valley, Monte Bianco Massif |url=http://www.mindat.org/loc-7683.html |website=Mindat.org |publisher=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |access-date=2 June 2016 |archive-date=12 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612083541/http://www.mindat.org/loc-7683.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Les Droites (north face), Mont Blanc Massif, Chamonix |url=http://www.mindat.org/loc-5824.html |website=Mindat.org |publisher=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |access-date=2 June 2016 |archive-date=5 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505145600/http://www.mindat.org/loc-5824.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Talèfre glacier, Mont Blanc Massif, Chamonix |url=http://www.mindat.org/loc-190088.html |website=Mindat.org |publisher=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |access-date=2 June 2016 |archive-date=9 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509152637/http://www.mindat.org/loc-190088.html |url-status=live }}</ref>