Switzerland is Under Attack!

(photo by World of Stock, Swiss Alps)
(This photo shows three types of weathering happening simultaneously. They are listed below. The nutrient -rich debris benefits the people by enriching the soil they grow crops in.)

The Marble, Limestone and Granite that comprise the Alps is slowly weathering. Exposed joints in the rock are subject to frost weathering and root wedging. The surface of the rock is slowly being consumed by lichens and various mosses. Erosion takes these sediments to the Swiss plateau.

http://www.picturesofplaces.com/images/small/380.jpg
(mass wasting occurring in Switzerland from snow slides)

Switzerland's most famous area of mass wasting are the Sedrun landslides in Eastern Switzerland. This was due to some instability and bending in the rock layers triggering the mass wasting. If any further disruption was to occur, it would ruin some of the infrastructures including Oberlap national road and regional railway line.

(Muller Marketing Und Druck AG)
(Seen here is an example of a flash flood in Saanen, Bern, Switzerland) 

Switzerland's weather is very extreme, depending on the season. Constant heat and cold cause many streams, lakes and waterfalls to melt. This run-off can cause heavy flash floods, such as the flash flood here in Saanen.

Photo by Alanna Weber

(Clean glacial water provides a source of drinking water for its citizens )

Known for its heavy rainfall, Switzerland is home to many tributaries. Shown here are first and second order tributaries. This runoff most likely came from a melted glacier.

(Bodenserien-Karte der Schweiz; AuthorPallman H. von; Gessner, H)
(The above picture shows the soil mapping of Switzerland. The Alps, Swiss plateau, and the Jura Valleys each contain a different variety of soils to make up their beautiful landscapes)

Switzerland contains three of the twelve soil orders. These three orders are Mollisols, Alfisols, and Spodosols. When broken down further, we find the Swiss plateau contains podzolic soils, loess, and alluvium. The Jura Valleys are built upon Redzinas, and heavier glacial clays. Meanwhile, the Alps contain Lithosol and Podzolized soils.

The Birth of Switzerland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alps_from_space.png

The Swiss Alps are one of the most distinct and recognizable feature forms in Switzerland. Their birth began as the super continent Pangaea broke into smaller tectonic plates; then the battle of plate tectonics began. The African Plate moved north and collided into the European Plate and through the process of convergence and subduction, created folds in the European Plate in the shape of mountains.

http://www.claseshistoria.com/bilingue/1eso/relief/relief-lithosphere-drift.html


This process made the majority of the Swiss Alps we see today. Subduction also created friction between the plates, which led to magma from the Earth's mantle to rise to the surface in the form of metamorphic rock. These rocks have changed form due to extreme heat and pressure.

http://geology.about.com/od/rocks/ig/metrockindex/rocpicblueschist.htm

The Alps provide the Swiss people with clean drinking water in the form of snow melt, and economically benefit them with skiing and tourism.

http://www.life.com/image/78787215

As one of the three landscapes in Switzerland, the Swiss Plateau is located in between the Jura Mountains and the Alps. This plateau covers about 30% of the country's surface, and is home to two-thirds of Switzerland's population. The plateau is the most important region of Switzerland in regards to the economy, transportation, and agriculture.

Photo by: Alanna Weber

The Swiss Plateau is made up of three major layers. The base level, the crystalline basement, is covered by unfolded strata of Mesozoic sediments. The second layer is made up of Molasse. The molasse was formed because of the rapid erosion of the Alps. The uppermost layer consists of gravel and glacial sediments.

Introduction

This blog is a joint effort by team members Josh Petrick, Alanna Weber, Yelena Livits and Tiffany Cook.

We chose Switzerland as our place to study since team member Alanna Weber lived there for six months and our team all has Switzerland on their “bucket list” as a place to visit!

Photo: Oeschinensee, Kandersteg, Canton: BE

Switzerland, although small in size compared to its neighbors, has a rich cultural heritage and a storied history. What brings us to Switzerland is its heavily featured landscape and constantly changing climate. 

While Switzerland attracts countless visitors to its borders to see its many cultural offerings, we are excited as a team to spend this semester in virtual Switzerland as amateur geographers!