Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Microscale Geology and Micropalaeontology
of the Becher Point Cuspate Foreland,
Australia: Significant Geoheritage Values
at the Smallest Scale
A Model for Identifying
Similar Features in Geosites and Geoparks
—
La microg
ontologie du
promontoire du Point Becher Cuspate en
Australie : un g
é
ologie et la micropal
é
é
opatrimoine significatif
à
petite
é
chelle
”
.
,
+
*
)
(
'
&
:
%
“
#
V. Semeniuk, C.A. Semeniuk, F. Trend, and M. Brocx
Abstract
Geological features of heritage signicance can range from the largest scale (montane and
drainage basin) to microscale. The smallest scale of geoheritage include globally signi
cant
features such as the Archaean zircon crystals from Jack Hills, Australia (the oldest crystals on
Earth), snowball garnets from Sweden (illustrating kinematic rotation under metamorphism
and shear), and microbiota in Precambrian rocks. It also can include regionally signi
cant
microscale features that provide insights into the more local history of the Earth, hydrology,
hydrochemistry, climate, and vegetation. The Becher Point Cuspate Foreland, a Holocene
accretionary sandy deposit in south-western Australia, is recognised as an internationally
signi
cant area for its geomorphology, stratigraphy, wetlands, and record of climate history.
Of speci
c importance are the wetlands that occur in the inter-ridge swales of the beach ridges.
The wetlands record in their sediments a history of climate, vegetation, hydrology, and
hydrochemistry, staged over a 4,500 year interval in the oldest wetlands, and over an interval
of <1,000 years in the youngest wetlands. Whilst Becher Point has been recognised as
Internationally signi
cant as a Ramsar site for its macroscopic features, its importance as a site
of geoheritage signi
cance continues to the smallest scale in that its microscale geology
(calcrete, carbonate grain dissolution) and micropalaeontology (pollen, calci
ed charophyte
fructi
”
that can be used to read the history of the sedimentary and climate record of the region.
cations, and other microbiota) provide important (metaphoric)
“
letters of the alphabet
