The Sauerland under the sea

The Bruchhauser Steine are the result of almost 400 million years of earth history. In the Devonian age, about 420 million years ago, the future Sauerland lay under the sea. Many, many layers of sand and mud on the seabed formed a layer several hundred metres thick over a long period of time, which was pressed into solid rock by the enormous pressure of the water masses. Cracks and thinner layers in the rock allowed gases and magma to rise from the earth’s core. As a result, an underwater volcano formed.

A volcano erupts

Then, 385 million years ago, the moment had arrived: the underwater volcano erupted! Unimaginably hot and viscous magma piled up and solidified. In the millions of years that followed, many more layers of sand and mud were gradually deposited on top of piled-up masses of magma. This all happened roughly where Madagascar is today – on the equator.

The Bruchhauser Steine are formed

But the earth still wasn’t done! The continental plates moving back and forth on the earth’s surface collided with each other and bunched up like a carpet. This gave rise to the low mountain range that we call Sauerland today. In the process, the now extinct underwater volcano was also pushed upwards. Wind and weather eroded many of the deposited layers of soil. The much harder piled-up volcanic rock, however, defied the weather and remained intact to this day! Today, we know it as Bruchhauser Steine.

Caption
420 million years ago, the Sauerland lay at the bottom of the sea.
385 million years ago, an underwater volcano erupted at the site of the Bruchhauser Steine.
The Bruchhauser Steine were formed over 300 million years ago.