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15 Million Years into the past.
See the Glarus Thrust when it was still active.

Start of the Time Travel
The Glarus Thrust: A striking line visible, for example, along the rock faces of the Tschingelhörner – also called the “magic line”.

Destination of the Time Travel
The Glarus Thrust 15 million years ago: At that time, it was not visible in rock faces but located about 10 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface.

This map shows Switzerland and its neighboring countries 15 million years ago.
The area north and south of the Alpswere flooded by shallow seas. The formation of the Alps was in full swing. The crosshair on the map indicates the area where movements were occurring at the Glarus Thrust—10 kilometers deep underground!


The Glarus Thrust

15 million years ago, the Glarus Thrust was a massive surface where gigantic rock masses (known as “nappes”) were pushed northward by a few millimeters per year.

The Alps consist of numerous such nappes stacked on top of each other along thrust fault surfaces. This is why the Alps are called a “nappe mountain range.”


Expedition and Adventure

Using a shaft and tunnel system like those in South African gold mines, we descend four kilometers into the Earth. Here, the rock is about 120 degrees Celsius / 250°F (temperature increases by an average of 30 degrees / 86°F per kilometer of depth).

Next, we enter special metal capsules (not for the claustrophobic!) that are lowered via a deep drilling system to the level of the Glarus Thrust. At a depth of 10 kilometers, where the rock reaches about 300 degrees Celsius / 572°F, we wear suits equipped with a special cooling system.

At the thrust zone, we install seismic instruments to record earthquakes. These earthquakes occur when rocks move abruptly past each other along the thrust surface.


Would You Like a Souvenir From This Time Travel?

How about a photo of the Glarus Thrust as it appears today in the rock faces of the Tschingelhörner?