Adventure through time> The traces of time from the Alps to the plain
Day 3: Cherasco and the Roero
alt_route Stage 2 / Option 1 - Verduno
The oldest rocks on this site consist of alternating layers of clay and blackish limestone. The higher the layers, the more the presence of marine fossils (fish, molluscs, foraminifera) diminishes, until they disappear completely.
The layer just below the first bar of gypsum crystals indicates unsuitable environmental conditions for life dating back to the early Messinian.
The sudden appearance of crystals reveals a dramatic environmental and climatic change that can be found in many regions of Italy: the “Messinian salinity crisis”.