Geschichte: 2020 – a perfect year for visiting touristy hotspots, such as the Gornergrat. On a beautiful fall day, we decided to go and enjoy the Matterhorn panorama from up there. I tried to pull this rock from an outcrop to look at its geology: My efforts must have been funny to watch since I struggled to keep my feet on the icy ground! Finally holding the piece in my hands, I saw it was serpentinite.
Geologie: This piece is a serpentinite, originating from the Earth's mantle. But why do we find a piece of mantle on the Gornergrat? 200 - 150 Mio. years ago, a great ocean separated Europe from Africa. On an ocean ridge, similar as in the Atlantic today, the mantle almost reaches the seafloor and serpentinite got built. With the forming of the alps, it was lifted uf from the ocean to the Valais mountains.