focusTerra

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Permanent exhibition

focusTerra is an inspiring new museum which explains in an easily understandable way the geologic processes in and on our planet. It displays exciting aspects of the Earth and shows how earthquakes are triggered, what makes volcanoes erupt, where gems come from and what fossils tell us about the origin of life. The exhibit also explains how the Alps came to be and what the climate was once like in the past.

The dynamic Earth affects our whole lives. The visitor approaches this dynamic system on the first exhibition level of focusTerra where the internal structure of the Earth is described and processes like earthquakes, geomagnetism, volcanic eruptions, mountain building, and rock deformation are explained. On the second and third levels, visitors can discover the many treasures of the Earth by viewing an archive that spans millions of years. The formation of crystals, the nature and origin of gems and minerals, and the development of sediment formations are explained. Unique crystal groups, fascinating fossil plants, and impressive landscape reliefs are only a few of the aesthetic highlights of focusTerra!

Media stations

Media stations distributed over all levels of the exhibition provide further information about different topics in Earth sciences. Instructive videos show how earthquakes form, how meteorites tell us about the age of the solar system and how the aurora arise. Impressive drone footage shows the breakup of continents, the formation of mountain ranges, the creation of new land due to volcanism and how this new land is worn down by erosion.

Virtual tour through the permanent exhibition

Entrance (image: Radek Brunecký) Exhibition tower (image: Radek Brunecký) Relief of the Alps (image: Radek Brunecký) Formation of the Alps (image: Radek Brunecký) Geomagnetism (image: Radek Brunecký) Volcanoes (image: Radek Brunecký) Dynamics of the Earth (image: Radek Brunecký) Meteorites (image: Radek Brunecký) Omniglobe (image: Radek Brunecký) Treasures of the Earth (image: Radek Brunecký) Crystals & minerals (image: Radek Brunecký) Crystal growth (image: Radek Brunecký) Minerals of the Alps (image: Radek Brunecký) Emerald (image: Radek Brunecký) Coloured halite (image: Radek Brunecký) Staircase (image: Radek Brunecký) Oceans (image: Radek Brunecký) Archives of the Earth (image: Radek Brunecký) Landscape models of Zurich (image: focusTerra) Fossilised leave (image: focusTerra) Media stations (image: Radek Brunecký) Relief collection (image: Radek Brunecký) Reliefs (image: Radek Brunecký) Öhninger painting (image: focusTerra)
Earthquake simulator (image: Peter Rüegg, HK)
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