The Alps: An Ocean Turned Mountains (w music)

Did you know that the Alps weren't always mountains? They were once buried beneath a

warm, shallow sea. Around 200 million years ago, much of Europe

sat underwater as part of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Today, seashells,

corals, and marine fossils are found high on Alpine mountaintops. As Africa slowly

pushed north into Europe, the seafloor was crushed, folded,

and lifted upward. Over millions of years, erosion carved those rising folds into

the sharp peaks and valleys we see today. Entire layers of ancient seabed were

bent into massive ridges instead of sinking back into the Earth. Some Alpine rocks