+2 | The long history of the Dolomites

 
 
Geology of the Dolomites
Subsoil resources
Environmental risks and civil protection
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The Alps, and in particular the Dolomites, are unique in the world because of their geo-paleontological characteristics and their natural beauty, a value acknowledged by the UNESCO World Natural Heritage declaration signed in 2009. The exhibition floor +2 introduces the knowledge of the evolution of the Alps on a journey rich in multimedia, accompanied by a careful selection of geological objects (rocks, fossils, and minerals).

It is an invitation to discover, whilst having fun, the evolution of geological environments of the past: ancient mountains, volcanoes, deserts, tropical seas, coral reefs and deep ocean. The exhibition allows you to delve into the geodynamic processes that following the enormous pressures generated during the Alpine orogeny led the ancient seabed to rise above the sea level and, by folding and fracturing, to form the Alps. This part of the museum offers a look at the geomorphological processes that occurred in the more recent history of the Earth and which are still active: glaciation, mountain slopes, and karst. Their combined action gave us the alpine landscape as we see it today.
 
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A geo-video projects the geological histories of the Dolomites, from earliest memories related to the dinosaurs to the most recent Ice Age, up until the prehistoric man.

Enriching the way are two aquariums: the first reproduces a tropical reef with sea water and contains a typical coral reef ecosystem, the environment which formed the rocks that make up the Dolomite massif. The second is a reconstruction of the cave environment.
 
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Subsoil resources bring to the forefront the relationship between man and nature, one of the dominant themes of MUSE, on the second floor. Some of the greatest achievements of mankind in fact pass through the discovery of a geological resource, such as metals or building materials.

At the gallery entrance a timeline accompanied by archaeological finds, antiques and modern industrial products guide the visitor through the history of mining in the Alps, with a look at its fundamental stages in the rest of the world.
The miners' work is retold through objects that were part of their daily lives, from helmets and lamps to surveying tools. From the mines, now part of the economic past of the Alps, we proceed to the quarries of ornamental stones, a resource which still holds great importance and is known all over the world.

You can make a virtual visit to the excavation sites and the streets of Trento, whose appearance is strongly influenced by the use of local stone materials. Passing from the local to the global, the gallery shows how in today's world mining is still crucial. A map and an interactive periodic table reveal where the strategic resources in the era of new technology are to be found, while you can discover how unexpected everyday objects owe their characteristics to the properties of minerals. The aesthetic side of the minerals is not neglected, giving way to beautiful samples from mines which supply the market for collectibles and precious stones.
 
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Manage the inevitable, avoid the unmanageable
Landslides, avalanches, floods, earthquakes, eruptions, fires...
Italy is prone to various natural disasters, whether they be natural or human-induced. This gallery presents the environmental risks, the Civil Protection Service's activity of forecasting, prevention and intervention and the rules of conduct in case of alert and emergency.

Through animated graphics and interactive multimedia you can participate live in the handling of an emergency, in the multi-risk operations room of the Civil Protection, to find out how to make a weather prediction, when the alert procedures come into force and why an effective system of risk prediction is based on knowledge of the area and the identification of naturally hazardous areas.

A series of films present stories of disasters that have occurred in Italy, with testimonies of the protagonists and interviews with university researchers. Finally, you can interact with a couple of experimental exhibits: you can discover the physical principles that underlie typical phenomena such as alpine debris flows and snow avalanches or even observe how embankments built along streams for flood protection work.

 
How to deal with disasters
An interactive multimedia station lets you take the role of civil protection and figure out how to handle different types of natural hazards.

You can take decisions, acquire and learn about meteorological, hydrological, and seismic data, contact and send rescue teams and fire-fighters, geologists, foresters...
 
Floods in the mountains: how do we defend ourselves?
An experimental interactive exhibit that gives an overview of flood protection in the mountains.
The visitor can see how the embankments built along mountain streams help defend towns in the event of heavy rainfall what would happen if there were not there...
 
 
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