How did Alfred find fossilised sea creatures high up in the Alps?

Your task is to use the comments from the mystery to help you answer a ‘classic’ GCSE Geography examination question. Think carefully about what information the evidence is giving you and how you can use this to support and develop your answer. Your key aim is to use key terminology appropriately and effectively.

1. Read the ‘mystery’ cards. Think about what is relevant/irrelevant for the question “how did Alfred find fossilised seas creatures high up in the Alps?”Relevant- These mystery cards are relevant because they provide information about the formation of fold mountains (The Alps, The Himalayas and The Andes) and also some definition of keywords. Besides that, they include evidence of how the fossilised seas creatures were found high up in the Alps.

Irrelevant- These mystery cards either have no relation at all with the topic or they don’t support the question with any evidence of how fossilized seas creatures ended up high up in the Alps.

2. Can you group or organise the information? What groups are there? Why are they relevant?

I’ve organised the information into 2 groups. The first one is ‘Information about formation of fold mountains’ and the second one is ‘Extra evidence to explain how Alfred managed to find fossilized seas creatures high up in the Alps. These 2 groups are relevant because they make it easier to explain the main question.

3. Answer the GCSE question at the top of the page.

The Alps is one of the highest fold mountains. Fold Mountains are formed when two continental crusts move towards each other. First, the sedimentary rocks, thousands of metres thick started forming huge depressions called geosynclines. These geosynclines often contain seas. Rivers carried sediments, which then deposited them into the geosynclines. These sediments were compressed over millions of years which from sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone. Due to the movement of tectonic plates, the sedimentary rocks were forced upwards which then formed a series of folds.

The reason why Alfred managed to find fossilized seas creatures high up in the Alps is because when sea animals die, their remains settle at the bottom of the sea and get covered in sediments. As the tectonic plates move towards each other, the sedimentary rocks were forced upwards along with the sea creatures compressed in them. Some

factors made it easier for Alfred to find the fossilized seas creatures. The Alps is made out of sedimentary rocks which includes limestone. When limestone is exposed to rain, wind and chemical weathering, the fossils might get exposed. Therefore, Alfred found fossilized sea creatures high up in the Alps. The fossils are high up in the Alps because there were only sea creatures to die when there was water, which was before the plates started folding. After the fold mountain was formed, there wouldn’t be any more sea creatures which means there might not be any fossilized sea creatures anywhere else except the top part of the Alps.

There were long periods of quiet between earth movements during which

sedimentary rocks, thousands of metres thick, formed huge depressions

called geosynclines.

In some places, the folds were pushed over on one side to give overfolds,

while in some of the highest fold mountains, such as the Alps, the rocks have been severely folded and faulted

into nappes.

Sometimes the folds were simple upfolds (anticlines) and down folds

(synclines).

Geosynclines are huge depressions which often contain seas.

Over millions of years the sediments were compressed into sedimentary

rocks such as sandstone and limestone.

Rivers carried sediment and deposited them into depressions known as

geosynclines.

The sedimentary rocks were forced upwards into a series of folds by the

movement of tectonic plates.

Recent mountain building movements have created the Alps, Himalayas,

Rockies and Andes., some of which are still rising. They are called “young fold

mountains”.

Tectonic plates are sections of the earth’s crust.

Alfred is a keen geologist.

Tectonic plates float on the mantle – molten rock beneath the earth’s surface

Alfred is also a keen climber and is preparing to climb Mt Blanc. He enjoys

the amazing scenery created by overfolds and nappes.

The mantle is continually moving due The Alps reach great heights – the

to convection currents. highest peak is Mt Blanc in France at 4810 m

Fold mountains occur where two tectonic plates are moving towards each

other.

A compressional margin occurs when two tectonic plates are moving towards

each other.

The Alps are known as “young fold mountains”

The Alps lie at a compressional margin.

Fold mountains have been formed at times in the earth’s geological history

called mountain-building periods.

Early geologists suggested that the fossils of sea creatures were deposited

on mountains by Noah’s flood.

When sea animals die, their remains may fall to the bottom of the sea and

they become covered in sediment.

When limestone is exposed to wind, rain and chemical weathering, fossils

may become exposed.