Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Using the Geoheritage Tool-Kit to Identify
Inter-related Geological Features at Various
Scales for Designating Geoparks: Case Studies
from Western Australia
Utilisation du toolkit pour identifier les
caractéristiques géologiques et désigner de
potentiels géoparcs - cas de l'Australie
occidentale
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M. Brocx and V. Semeniuk
Abstract
To further the disciplines of geoheritage and geoconservation, a Geoheritage Tool-kit has been
developed in Western Australia to systematically compile an inventory of the full diversity at
various scales of geological and geomorphological features in a given area, assess their levels of
signi
cance, and address whether geoheritage features are treated in isolation or as inter-related
suites that should be conserved as an ensemble. The objective of the Geoheritage Tool-kit is to
provide a systematic approach to develop a database or inventory of sites of geoheritage
signi
cance. Use of the Geoheritage Tool-kit begins with identifying geological regions, then
listing their geological essentials to develop a database for sites of geoheritage signi
cance. The
next stage is to locate good examples, of these features, or of inter-related ensembles of features,
regardless of scale, and assess them according to signi
cance criteria. After an assessment of the
range, categories, inter-relationships, and level(s) of signi
cance of the geological features, the
nal step is to determine what type and what level of geoconservation the area requires. Three
areas: King Sound and the tide-dominated delta of the Fitzroy River; Leschenault Peninsula, a
retrograding Holocene dune barrier in south-western Australia, and its leeward estuarine lagoon;
and the Walpole-Nornalup Inlet estuary, provide case studies of the application of this Tool-kit.
Each of these coastal areas comprises a wide variety of geological and geomorphological
features, from large to
ne scale, and varying in signi
cance from International to National to
Regional. Some key features of global signi
cance include: the tide-dominated delta at King
Sound, the calcrete, beach rock, and calcitised sea rush roots at Leschenault Peninsula, and the
intra-estuarine deltas in the Walpole-Nornalup Inlet estuary. In terms of geoconservation,
addressing the various features of geoheritage value in this area is best achieved by viewing the
systems as an integrated geopark of interactive processes, geology, and geomorphology.
