MEK – K2 T1 A1 – Fossil paradise and raw material repository
The Jura – a wild romantic landscape which is emblematic of Switzerland and its history. But beneath the surface another world lies hidden.
200 million years ago, this was the site of a tropical sea. The shells and skeletons of marine animals such as ammonites and starfish gave rise to huge calcium carbonate deposits – the Jura mountain ranges.
For this reason, the region is a scientifically important fossil site.
At the same time, limestone forms the basis of cement for concrete production: the heating of limestone to make cement produces enormous amounts of CO2.
The gigantic rocky cirque of Creux du Van in the Neuchâtel Jura is a tourist attraction, a nature reserve and a unique limestone landscape. The steep cliff walls are over 160 metres high, and the panoramic view of the Alps, lakes and Jura valleys is breathtaking.
Just as impressive, however, is the view deep into the past: visitors can see clearly how, around 155 million years ago, extensive seabed sediments arose – layer by layer – from the calcareous remains of organisms in the Jura sea.
This open-air archive of the Earth’s history thus also testifies to the teeming life of the tropical sea that covered almost the whole of Europe and parts of Asia.
Rock from the Jurassic period is one of our most important raw materials. Ancient calcium carbonate deposits are extracted from quarries worldwide. But limestone is not only a key ingredient in the production of concrete.
Often, quarries are also a happy hunting ground for scientists, since certain rock layers contain magnificently preserved fossils from the lost marine world – from ichthyosaurs to ammonites.
At the same time, the heating of limestone for cement production releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide CO2. As with the burning of oil, coal and natural gas, material from the past is causing our world to heat up today.