Morsum Kliff
Morsum-Kliff has been described as "one of the most important geological monuments in Germany". It stretches for around 1.8 kilometres along the northeastern coast and rises to a height of up to 21 metres. The Kliff is made up of various layers of soil:
* gray-black ''Glimmerton'' dating back 5 to 7 million years and including fossils such as snails, mussels and crabs
* reddish Limonite dating back 4 to 5 million years
* white Kaolin sands deposited here 2 to 3 million years ago from Scandinavia and containing fossilised corals, sea lilies and sponges (dead for around 500 million years).
These three layers were originally on top of each other but about 15,000 years ago during the ice age they were compressed and folded by glacial activity, so that in places they are now horizontally next to each other.
The Kliff and the nearby heath-covered area (around 43 hectares) have been a nature preserve since 1923. This prevented the planned use of the sand deposits in construction of the Hindenburgdamm.
Currently, the Kliff is threatened by erosion made worse by visitors or fossil hunters leaving the designated paths.
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein.
Morsum Kliff
Morsum-Kliff has been described as "one of the most important geological monuments in Germany". It stretches for around 1.8 kilometres along the northeastern coast and rises to a height of up to 21 metres. The Kliff is made up of various layers of soil:
* gray-black ''Glimmerton'' dating back 5 to 7 million years and including fossils such as snails, mussels and crabs
* reddish Limonite dating back 4 to 5 million years
* white Kaolin sands deposited here 2 to 3 million years ago from Scandinavia and containing fossilised corals, sea lilies and sponges (dead for around 500 million years).
These three layers were originally on top of each other but about 15,000 years ago during the ice age they were compressed and folded by glacial activity, so that in places they are now horizontally next to each other.
The Kliff and the nearby heath-covered area (around 43 hectares) have been a nature preserve since 1923. This prevented the planned use of the sand deposits in construction of the Hindenburgdamm.
Currently, the Kliff is threatened by erosion made worse by visitors or fossil hunters leaving the designated paths.
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein.