Editing Geography of Switzerland (section)

===Jura===
{{See also|Jura Mountains}}
[[File:Jura.jpg|thumb|[[Creux du Van]] in [[canton of Neuchatel]] showing the limestone layers visible in the Jura Mountains]]
The Jura is a [[limestone]] mountain range running from Lake Geneva to the Rhine river. This area makes up about 12% of Switzerland's land area. Located about {{convert|700|m|ft}} above sea level, this region is characterized by a limestone highland with deep river valleys.

The limestone rock in the Jura is a [[Jurassic]] period rock with numerous [[fossil]]s and [[dinosaur]] tracks. The name Jurassic actually refers to the Jura region where these fossils were studied at the end of the 18th century.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/the_three_regions/the_jura/ |title=The Jura - Switzerland - Information |access-date=2007-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016005202/http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/the_three_regions/the_jura/ |archive-date=2008-10-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Jura is considered one of the most important sites for dinosaur footprints in the world. In one area near the village of [[Courtedoux]], over 13,000 footprints were discovered in between 2002 and 2011.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.letemps.ch/Page/Uuid/b9a87eb2-310b-11e3-8d12-114e9e6d89a0#.Ula6H-AsSlA| archive-url = https://archive.today/20131011185700/http://www.letemps.ch/Page/Uuid/b9a87eb2-310b-11e3-8d12-114e9e6d89a0%23.Ula6H-AsSlA| url-status = dead| archive-date = October 11, 2013| title = Le Temps article, October 10, 2013}}</ref>

The range is being continually built up and decreasing in width by mountain building, accommodating the compression from alpine folding as the main [[orogenic|Alpine orogenic]] front moves roughly northwards. The deformation becomes less pervasive away from the younger, more active Alpine mountain building.

[[File:Lac des Brenets 2008.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Doubs (river)|Doubs]], marking the border with France]]
Structurally, the Jura consists of a sequence of <!--"Owen" no references found for 'Owen fold or folds---> folds, the formation of which is facilitated by an [[evaporite|evaporitic]] [[decollement]] layer. The box folds are still relatively young, evidenced by their defining the shape of the overlying [[landscape]] (meaning they have not existed long enough to experience [[erosion]]). The folds comprise three major ([[lithological]] units) bands of building evidence dated roughly by [[era]]: the [[Late Jurassic|Malm]], [[Middle Jurassic|Dogger]], and [[Early Jurassic|Lias]] (<!--giving rise to the name for ??? unclear, so translating?-->part of the [[Jurassic]] [[Geologic period]]). Each era of folding represents effects on a previously shallow marine environment as evidenced by beds with particular [[calcite|carbonate]] sequences, containing abundant [[bioclast]]s and [[oolite|oolitic]] divisions between layers (called horizons).

The Jura Mountains rise in Swiss territory to a height of {{convert|1679|m|ft}} at [[Mont Tendre]]. Other high summits are [[La Dôle]] ({{convert|1677|m|ft}}), the [[Chasseron]] ({{convert|1607|m|ft}}) and the [[Chasseral]] ({{convert|1607|m|ft}}), all located in the western part of the range, in the cantons of [[canton of Vaud|Vaud]], [[Canton of Neuchâtel|Neuchâtel]] and [[Canton of Bern|Bern]].