The tectonic region of Sardon ( Glarny sharyazh ) is a mountainous region in the northeast of Switzerland , which is an extensive geological overthrust covering an area of over 30,000 hectares in the Glarn Alps . The landscape in this area is notable for its surprisingly slender line of mountains, among which the Martinsloch rock ( German Martinsloch ) with a round hole in the rock stands out. Just seven peaks in Sardon exceed a height of 3000 meters. [one]
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The formation of local mountains was due to a collision between geological formations of different ages and compositions as a result of tectonic pressure inside the Earth. For example, older stone blocks of the Permian and Triassic periods interacted with more modern rocks of limestone ( Jurassic , Cretaceous ) and flysch ( Paleogene ). [2] This led to the formation of a bizarre mountain range.
The area has long attracted researchers and by the XVIII century has become a major base of geological sciences . In 2008, UNESCO included the carriage in the World Heritage List as an outstanding example, reflecting the main stages of the geological history of the Earth and geomorphological processes. [3]
Content
Research History
The tectonic region has long remained a mystery to geologists. The first natural scientist to study the geological features of Sardona was Hans Conrad Escher von der Linz (1767-1823). He found that in some rock outcrops, older rocks rose to the surface, blocking new young rocks - this contradicted the existing scientific ideas about orogenesis (mountain building). The son of Hans Konrad, the first professor of geology at ETHZ Arnold Escher von der Linz (1807–1872), tried to give an explanation of the phenomenon. He carried out cartography of the region and linked non-standard layers to horizontal movements of the earth's crust . However, at that time, most scientists were of the opinion that mountains are formed as a result of vertical vibrations. This led to the rejection of Arnold's original idea, despite the fact that it was supported by international authority in this area Roderick Murchison , who visited Sardona at the invitation of the Swiss.
In 1884, the Frenchman Marcel Alexander Bertrand (1847-1907) returned to the idea of geological thrust. By that time, a similar explanation was given in the UK to the origin of the Scottish Highlands . In 1893, Swiss geologists Hans Schardt and Maurice Lugon discovered that in the west of the country, in many mountain formations, Jurassic rocks are layered on top of a more modern molasses . Albert Heim (1849-1937), Arnold's successor as professor of geology at ETHZ, organizes a more detailed mapping of the mountainous regions of Switzerland. Meanwhile, more and more mountain ranges on the planet are recognized as swath formations. And only in the middle of the 20th century with the advent of the modern theory of plate tectonics was a thorough explanation given of how Sardon was formed.
See also
- List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Switzerland
Notes
- ↑ Sardon Tectonic Region at Swissworld.org.
- ↑ This magical Sardona - Nashagazeta.ch.
- ↑ Sardon's Mountain Tectonic Group on the UNESCO website.
Links
- Geopark Sardona (German)