Earthquakes Preserved in the Landscape — Galera Seismites

Layers of still-soft, water-saturated sediment accumulated at the bottom of the lake. When a seismic tremor struck, some of these materials temporarily lost their consistency and behaved much like a liquid. This process, called liquefaction, could deform the layers. The resulting structures are known as seismites. Later erosion exposed them, and at Galera some can be observed in three dimensions.

Notice the curves and how they relate to the surrounding sediment layers. Their appearance may call to mind the shapes of living things, but here we are studying the deformation of the ground. Follow the trail’s observation points without climbing on the formations or collecting fragments: they are fragile, and every part preserves information about how they formed.