Peaks in France

According to geologist Stefan Schmid, because the Western Alps underwent a metamorphic event in the Cenozoic Era while the Austroalpine peaks

underwent an event in the Cretaceous Period, the two areas show distinct differences in nappe formations.[37] Flysch deposits in the Southern Alps of Lombardy probably occurred in the Cretaceous or later.[37]

Peaks in France, Italy and Switzerland lie in the “Houillière zone”, which consists of basement with sediments from the Mesozoic Era.[38] High

“massifs” with external sedimentary cover are more common in the Western Alps and were affected by Neogene Period thin-skinned thrusting whereas the Eastern Alps have comparatively few high peaked massifs.[36] Similarly the peaks in eastern Switzerland

extending to western Austria (Helvetic nappes) consist of thin-skinned sedimentary folding that detached from former basement rock.[39]