The Bernese Alps is a mountain range that crosses through
western Switzerland, towards the regions of Bern and Vaud adjacently. The formation of the Bernese Alps is due to
the convergent collision of the Eurasian and African plate boundaries. Plate
tectonics have allowed these Alps to form a unique shape with peaks reaching at
14,026 feet. The three major rock types that structure these mountain ranges
are limestone, marble and granite, while other rocks types are present in
certain areas. Due to its high altitude, the Bernese Alps is a victim of
natural weathering; where abrasion, frost wedging and rock decay all play a
role in giving these mountain ranges their unique shape. As the climate changes
from cold winters to cool summers, the glaciers and ice melt down to feed four
major river sources, which play a major role in supplying Switzerland with
water. 
Predicting the future is nearly impossible, however if one
is to use past trends and natural patterns that occur in nature and combine the
to forecast in the future then that might be possible. 10,000 years is a long
time where many things can change, these include geographic formations,
tectonic movements, temperature and landforms. What one could expect to happen
to the Bernese Alps during this time frame is a change in altitude height, and
this is due to the convergent tectonic movements that create folded mountains.
This collision and pressure will force the mountain to fold (move) upwards raising
the peaks even higher than 14,000 feet. The landscape and shape of the Bernese
Alps will also be expected to change due to abrasion, glacier erosion and frost
wedges. The force and pressure done by
abrasion can sand down the shape of the mountain causing what is called glacier
striations. The current pointy shape of the mountain should become smoother as
these glaciers move along them through the process of abrasion.
When forecasting 100,000 years further to the future from
now, we can assume that more changes will occur to this mountain region. The
first problem that might cause a dramatic change is climate change. Studies
have shown that in every 100,000 years, the amount of incoming solar radiation
(insolation) has increased. If these patterns are consistent this can cause
problems such as glacier melting, which in essence change the geographic form
on these predominantly snowy mountain ranges. Other changes to consider is the
constant force of plate tectonics, with the increase pressure between the
Eurasian and African plate boundaries we can expect that some parts of the
mountain ranges will become foothills where glaciers will no longer be formed.
Many changes will occur 100,000,000 years from now. Changes
like continental drift will impact the location of these mountain ranges as
well as their formation. Some geologists suggest that Europe is drifting away
from North America at a rate of 1 inch per year. This movement can also
increase the tension between the Eurasian and African plat boundaries creating
new mountain ranges.
References:
http://bestplacesonearth.net/beautiful-planet/bernese-alps/
http://web.arc.losrios.edu/~borougt/GlaciationDiagrams.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100,000-year_problem
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10af.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_drift
