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The Subalpine chains of the French Alps consist of stacked up Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks. The general structure can be appreciated from the cross-section shown above - through the Chartreuse hills near Grenoble. Notice that the mollase sandstones are involved in the deformation, over-riden by wedges of older sediments. Although basement does not appear to be involved here - it is further to the east where it crops out in the high ranges of the Mont Blanc massif and elsewhere.

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