Finero 2009
Field trip Finero 2009
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Geowissenschaftliches Institut
Leader: Prof. Reto Gieré
Duration: 4 days (14.06.2009 - 17.06.2009)
Subject: mineralogy, petrology
Report by Philipp Sedlazeck
This four-day field trip was conducted by Prof. Dr. Reto Gieré and started June 14th, 2009 and ended June 17th, 2009. The field trip’s destination was the small village of Finero that is located in the North of Italy, north of the Lago Maggiore. The goal of the field trip was to study the various magmatic and metamorphic rocks of the Alps.
The first outcrop was on top of the Gotthard Pass, which was still covered in snow. The outcrop shows the Fibbia Granit. Afterwards, we went to a really beautiful place that is also a popular tourist destination. This place is close to the village Lavertezzo, at a river that runs down the Verzesca Valley into the Lago Maggiore. This visitor attraction is underneath a bridge that spans the river. The last outcrop for the day was in a migmatite zone with well-formed boudinage and several foldings. The evening ended by having one or other glass of wine.
The second day started with an outcrop of harzburgite close to Finero. A few of us conducted a race to the top of mountain at the Alpe Polunia, where we made acquaintance with some goats. At the next outcrop we looked at a harzburgite with chromite accumulations. The next outcrops showed a garnet-rich lower crustal gabbro, a peridotite and a mantle rock with exceptionally large amphiboles.
The next day’s first stop was the quarry of the Mont’Orfano Mountain. This quarry shows a granite with white-coloured orthoclase. This quarry is the biggest and most important quarry in this region that is still being operated. Later, we rode to Mottarones peak, above Omegna to look at the granite that is located here. After that, we had some free time and spend it in Stresa, a little city at the Lago Maggiore and played soccer at the promenade.
The last day started with an outcrop on the Passo Marco Pantani. Here is an extremly deformed, flaser gneiss to be found. Before heading back to Freiburg there was a last stop on the top of the Alpe Arami where the guys started the final race, crowned the winner and ended the field trip with the visit of the world famous garnet peridotite.
This wonderful field trip to North Italy’s beautiful landscape gave us insight into the regional geology around the Lago Maggiore.
