Fig. 8

Conglomerates and hardground from the basal contact of the Série Rousse. a Contact between a polymict conglomerate forming the base of the Série Rousse (russet phyllitic and quartzitic calcitic matrix) and a polymict (Upper Jurassic?) breccia from the Evolène Series. The conglomeratic base of the Série Rousse is only of a few meters thick. A gradual transition is observed with the overlying calcschists of the same series. Rionde de Vendes [2′599′180/1′108′600], Dix valley. b Overturned contact between the Mont Fort Paleozoic basement (Métailler Fm.) and a polymict conglomerate forming the base of the Série Rousse and gradually passing to the typical calcschists of these series (base of the outcrop); Col du Vasevay [2′594′090/1′097′560], Bagnes valley. c Close-up view on locally abundant green clasts of the basal conglomerate; their lithology is identical to that of the overlying Paleozoic metabasites of the Métailler Fm. d Close-up view on clasts of the same conglomerate made of dolomites, limestones and breccias (dolomitic clasts, calcitic matrix). e Basal conglomerate of the Série Rousse showing dm-sized clasts made of the same lithology than the adjacent Tabular Quartzites of the Evolène Series; Col des Roux [2′595′580/1′102′090], Dix valley. f Oxidized crust (hardground) marking the base of the Série Rousse over a light grey (Upper Jurassic?) calcitic marble of the Evolène Series; the dolomitic clast visible at the very base of the Série Rousse shows a rounded shape indicative of the locally low strain and the absence of particular shearing along the contact (the clast is truncated orthogonally to its elongation), as well as the rolling of the clast; Pic d’Artsinol area [2′599′250/1′107′940]. g Basal hardground of the Série Rousse; same location. h Oxidized clasts (reworked hardground) observed in the Série Rousse basal conglomerate; Pic d’Artsinol area [2′600′115/1′105′950]; [2′600′210/1′105′840]; [2′600′100/1′105′965]. i Occurrences of the basal conglomerate and basal hardground of the Série Rousse (map from Fig. 1b)