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Polluce (Pollux), Champoluc, Ayas, Aosta Valley, Italyi
Regional Level Types
Polluce (Pollux)- not defined -
Champoluc- not defined -
AyasCommune
Aosta ValleyAutonomous Region
Italy- not defined -

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PhotosMapsSearch
07134080015075063251943.jpg
Polluce/Pollux: view from the southwest

Polluce, Champoluc, Ayas, Aosta Valley, Italy
06776440015613817585278.jpg
Grossular, etc.

Polluce, Champoluc, Ayas, Aosta Valley, Italy
07134080015075063251943.jpg
Polluce/Pollux: view from the southwest

Polluce, Champoluc, Ayas, Aosta Valley, Italy
04625920015613243708918.jpg
Grossular, etc.

Polluce, Champoluc, Ayas, Aosta Valley, Italy
07134080015075063251943.jpg
Polluce/Pollux: view from the southwest

Polluce, Champoluc, Ayas, Aosta Valley, Italy
04625920015613243708918.jpg
Grossular, etc.

Polluce, Champoluc, Ayas, Aosta Valley, Italy
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
45° 55' 37'' North , 7° 47' 6'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
45.92712,7.78526
GeoHash:
G#: u0jt30v0c
GRN:
N31E04
Köppen climate type:
Dfc : Subarctic climate
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Zermatt6,629 (2016)10.7km
Champoluc-Champlan392 (2014)11.2km
Gressoney-La-Trinitè164 (2014)11.2km
Breuil-Cervinia753 (2014)11.9km
Paquier995 (2014)13.5km
Name(s) in local language(s):
Polluce (Pollux), Champoluc, Ayas, Val d'Ayas, Valle d'Aosta (Vallée d'Aoste), Italia


Polluce (4092 m a.s.l.), whose name in French and German is Pollux, is located on the border between Aosta Valley (Italy) and Valais (Switzerland). It is the lower of a pair of twin peaks, known as "I Gemelli" (Italian), "Die Zwillinge" (German) or "Les Jumeaux" (French), the other being Castore (Castor), named after the Gemini twins of Greco-Roman mithology. It is separated from Castor (4223 m) by Passo di Verra (Pas de Verra) or Zwillingsjoch (3845 m), to the southeast, and from Roccia Nera or Schwarzfluh (4075 m) by Porta Nera (Porte Noire) or Schwarztor (3725 m), to the northwest.

The Italian side of Polluce/Pollux is almost completely made of magnetite-bearing antigorite serpentinite (ophiolitic Zermatt-Saas nappe) with lenses and veins rich in reddish titanclinohumite, diopside, and olivine (forsterite). Serpentinite is in tectonic contact with amphibolite (Monte Rosa nappe), sometimes rich in epidote, at the base of the southeast crest and just above the terminal glacier crevasse on the south slope. A rodingite lens crops out on the orographic left of the steep couloir on the west slope; numerous rodingite bodies, varying in thinckness from decimetres to 4 metre, are present on the rocky south face, between its base and the top of the shoulder at 3991 m. Metarodingitic bodies are usually mantled by a thin chlorite rim and associated with garnet-bearing metagabbro, rich in epidote veins.

The presence in this area of crystals of red garnet, red-brown vesuvianite, green diopside, and prehnite was already reported by Hintze (1897). According to Güller (1947) and Dal Piaz (1967), garnet and diopside crystals in rodingite fissures and cavities are accompanied by clinochlore, vesuvianite, epidote, prehnite, and calcite. Grossular-rich garnet forms splendid crystals, ranging from pinkish to dark red; epidote appears as yellow to olive-green crystals up to 1 cm long, sometimes in association with white icositetrahedral crystals of analcime.

Minerals reported from the Swiss side are listed separately (see http://www.mindat.org/loc-121017.html).

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


13 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Albite
Formula: Na(AlSi3O8)
Reference: Dal Piaz, G.V. (1966) Gneiss ghiandoni, marmi ed anfiboliti antiche del ricoprimento Monte Rosa nell'Alta Valle d'Ayas. Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana, 85, 1, 103-132.
ⓘ 'Amphibole Supergroup'
Formula: AB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Reference: Dal Piaz, G.V. (1966) Gneiss ghiandoni, marmi ed anfiboliti antiche del ricoprimento Monte Rosa nell'Alta Valle d'Ayas. Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana, 85, 1, 103-132; Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
ⓘ Analcime
Formula: Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O
Reference: Piccoli, G.C., Maletto, G., Bosio, P., Lombardo, B. (2007) Minerali del Piemonte e della Valle d'Aosta. Associazione Amici del Museo "F. Eusebio" di Alba, Ed., Alba, 607 pp.
ⓘ Antigorite
Formula: Mg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Reference: Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
Reference: Güller, A. (1947) Zur Geologie der südlichen Mischabel- und der Monte Rosa-Gruppe. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 40, 39-161; Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
ⓘ Clinochlore
Formula: Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Reference: Güller, A. (1947) Zur Geologie der südlichen Mischabel- und der Monte Rosa-Gruppe. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 40, 39-161; Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313; Piccoli, G.C., Maletto, G., Bosio, P., Lombardo, B. (2007) Minerali del Piemonte e della Valle d'Aosta. Associazione Amici del Museo "F. Eusebio" di Alba, Ed., Alba, 607 pp.
ⓘ Clinohumite
Formula: Mg9(SiO4)4F2
Reference: Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
ⓘ Diopside
Formula: CaMgSi2O6
Reference: Hintze, C. (1897) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Zweiter Band, Silicate und Titanate. Verlag von Veit & Comp., Leipzig, 1841 pp.; Güller, A. (1947) Zur Geologie der südlichen Mischabel- und der Monte Rosa-Gruppe. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 40, 39-161; Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
ⓘ Epidote
Formula: {Ca2}{Al2Fe3+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
Reference: Dal Piaz, G.V. (1966) Gneiss ghiandoni, marmi ed anfiboliti antiche del ricoprimento Monte Rosa nell'Alta Valle d'Ayas. Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana, 85, 1, 103-132; Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313; Piccoli, G.C., Maletto, G., Bosio, P., Lombardo, B. (2007) Minerali del Piemonte e della Valle d'Aosta. Associazione Amici del Museo "F. Eusebio" di Alba, Ed., Alba, 607 pp.
ⓘ Forsterite
Formula: Mg2SiO4
Reference: Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
trans.png
Grossular, etc.

Polluce, Champoluc, Ayas, Aosta Valley, Italy
ⓘ Grossular
Formula: Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
Reference: Hintze, C. (1897) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Zweiter Band, Silicate und Titanate. Verlag von Veit & Comp., Leipzig, 1841 pp.; Güller, A. (1947) Zur Geologie der südlichen Mischabel- und der Monte Rosa-Gruppe. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 40, 39-161; Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313; Piccoli, G.C., Maletto, G., Bosio, P., Lombardo, B. (2007) Minerali del Piemonte e della Valle d'Aosta. Associazione Amici del Museo "F. Eusebio" di Alba, Ed., Alba, 607 pp.
ⓘ Magnetite
Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4
Reference: Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
ⓘ Prehnite
Formula: Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2
Reference: Hintze, C. (1897) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Zweiter Band, Silicate und Titanate. Verlag von Veit & Comp., Leipzig, 1841 pp.; Güller, A. (1947) Zur Geologie der südlichen Mischabel- und der Monte Rosa-Gruppe. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 40, 39-161; Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
ⓘ 'Titanclinohumite'
Formula: Mg9(SiO4)4(F,OH)2
Reference: Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
ⓘ Vesuvianite
Formula: Ca19Fe3+Al4(Al6Mg2)(◻4)◻[Si2O7]4[(SiO4)10]O(OH)9
Reference: Hintze, C. (1897) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Zweiter Band, Silicate und Titanate. Verlag von Veit & Comp., Leipzig, 1841 pp.; Güller, A. (1947) Zur Geologie der südlichen Mischabel- und der Monte Rosa-Gruppe. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 40, 39-161; Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘMagnetite4.BB.05Fe2+Fe3+2O4
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘAlbite9.FA.35Na(AlSi3O8)
ⓘAnalcime9.GB.05Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O
ⓘAntigorite9.ED.15Mg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
ⓘClinochlore9.EC.55Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
ⓘClinohumite9.AF.55Mg9(SiO4)4F2
ⓘDiopside9.DA.15CaMgSi2O6
ⓘEpidote9.BG.05a{Ca2}{Al2Fe3+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
ⓘForsterite9.AC.05Mg2SiO4
ⓘGrossular9.AD.25Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
ⓘPrehnite9.DP.20Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2
ⓘVesuvianite9.BG.35Ca19Fe3+Al4(Al6Mg2)(◻4)◻[Si2O7]4[(SiO4)10]O(OH)9
Unclassified Minerals, Rocks, etc.
ⓘ'Amphibole Supergroup'-AB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
ⓘ'Titanclinohumite'-Mg9(SiO4)4(F,OH)2

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ Epidote{Ca2}{Al2Fe3+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
Hⓘ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Hⓘ VesuvianiteCa19Fe3+Al4(Al6Mg2)(◻4)◻[Si2O7]4[(SiO4)10]O(OH)9
Hⓘ PrehniteCa2Al2Si3O10(OH)2
Hⓘ AntigoriteMg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Hⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Hⓘ TitanclinohumiteMg9(SiO4)4(F,OH)2
Hⓘ AnalcimeNa(AlSi2O6) · H2O
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ GrossularCa3Al2(SiO4)3
Oⓘ Epidote{Ca2}{Al2Fe3+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
Oⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Oⓘ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Oⓘ VesuvianiteCa19Fe3+Al4(Al6Mg2)(◻4)◻[Si2O7]4[(SiO4)10]O(OH)9
Oⓘ PrehniteCa2Al2Si3O10(OH)2
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ AntigoriteMg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Oⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Oⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Oⓘ ForsteriteMg2SiO4
Oⓘ TitanclinohumiteMg9(SiO4)4(F,OH)2
Oⓘ ClinohumiteMg9(SiO4)4F2
Oⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Oⓘ AnalcimeNa(AlSi2O6) · H2O
FFluorine
Fⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Fⓘ TitanclinohumiteMg9(SiO4)4(F,OH)2
Fⓘ ClinohumiteMg9(SiO4)4F2
NaSodium
Naⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Naⓘ AnalcimeNa(AlSi2O6) · H2O
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Mgⓘ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Mgⓘ VesuvianiteCa19Fe3+Al4(Al6Mg2)(◻4)◻[Si2O7]4[(SiO4)10]O(OH)9
Mgⓘ AntigoriteMg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Mgⓘ ForsteriteMg2SiO4
Mgⓘ TitanclinohumiteMg9(SiO4)4(F,OH)2
Mgⓘ ClinohumiteMg9(SiO4)4F2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ GrossularCa3Al2(SiO4)3
Alⓘ Epidote{Ca2}{Al2Fe3+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
Alⓘ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Alⓘ VesuvianiteCa19Fe3+Al4(Al6Mg2)(◻4)◻[Si2O7]4[(SiO4)10]O(OH)9
Alⓘ PrehniteCa2Al2Si3O10(OH)2
Alⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Alⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Alⓘ AnalcimeNa(AlSi2O6) · H2O
SiSilicon
Siⓘ GrossularCa3Al2(SiO4)3
Siⓘ Epidote{Ca2}{Al2Fe3+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
Siⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Siⓘ ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Siⓘ VesuvianiteCa19Fe3+Al4(Al6Mg2)(◻4)◻[Si2O7]4[(SiO4)10]O(OH)9
Siⓘ PrehniteCa2Al2Si3O10(OH)2
Siⓘ AntigoriteMg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Siⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Siⓘ ForsteriteMg2SiO4
Siⓘ TitanclinohumiteMg9(SiO4)4(F,OH)2
Siⓘ ClinohumiteMg9(SiO4)4F2
Siⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Siⓘ AnalcimeNa(AlSi2O6) · H2O
ClChlorine
Clⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ GrossularCa3Al2(SiO4)3
Caⓘ Epidote{Ca2}{Al2Fe3+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
Caⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Caⓘ VesuvianiteCa19Fe3+Al4(Al6Mg2)(◻4)◻[Si2O7]4[(SiO4)10]O(OH)9
Caⓘ PrehniteCa2Al2Si3O10(OH)2
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
TiTitanium
Tiⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
FeIron
Feⓘ Epidote{Ca2}{Al2Fe3+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
Feⓘ VesuvianiteCa19Fe3+Al4(Al6Mg2)(◻4)◻[Si2O7]4[(SiO4)10]O(OH)9
Feⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4

References

Sort by

Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A)
Hintze, C. (1897) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Zweiter Band, Silicate und Titanate. Verlag von Veit & Comp., Leipzig, 1841 pp.
Güller, A. (1947) Zur Geologie der südlichen Mischabel- und der Monte Rosa-Gruppe. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 40, 39-161.
Dal Piaz, G.V. (1965) La formazione mesozoica dei calcescisti con pietre verdi fra la Valsesia e la Valtournanche ed i suoi rapporti strutturali con il ricoprimento Monte Rosa e con la zona Sesia-Lanzo. Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana, 84, 1, 67-104.
Dal Piaz, G.V. (1966) Gneiss ghiandoni, marmi ed anfiboliti antiche del ricoprimento Monte Rosa nell'Alta Valle d'Ayas. Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana, 85, 1, 103-132.
Dal Piaz, G.V. (1967) Le "granatiti" (rodingiti l.s.) nelle serpentine delle Alpi occidentali italiane. Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana, 6, 267-313.
Piccoli, G.C., Maletto, G., Bosio, P., Lombardo, B. (2007) Minerali del Piemonte e della Valle d'Aosta. Associazione Amici del Museo "F. Eusebio" di Alba, Ed., Alba, 607 pp.

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