Headwaters of Alpine streams approximately 30 million years ago (left) with an Alpine plateau and a meadow countryside. The handcraft on the right side illustrates the landscape of the Alps at 25 million years before present with steep valleys where torrents originated.
Rock avalanches and torrents started to form V-shaped valleys in the Alps approximately 25 million years ago. This landscape contrasts to the flat and hilly scenery, which characterized the Alps a few millions of years before. Geologists from the University of Bern applied digital technologies to unravel these changes in landscape evolution. They analysed 30 to 25 million-year old lithified rivers in Central Switzerland and came out with a detailed picture of how the Alps evolved within a short time interval. The current shape of the Alps with steep V-shaped valleys and torrents have evolved during approximately five millions of years. This time span might be perceived as very long, but it is a few seconds for geologists. This was the major outcome of a study by Philippos Garefalakis and Fritz Schlunegger from the University of Bern, Switzerland, who analysed thousands of pebbles at Mount Rigi situated in Central Switzerland.
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