Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Identifying Sites of Geoheritage
Significance by Defining Geological
Regions and Developing an Inventory
of Their Geological Essentials
Identifying the various geological regions, and their
characteristic, representative, unusual, or peculiar geological
features, therefore, is the
rst stage of a systematic inven-
tory-based approach to develop a database for sites of geo-
heritage signi
cance according to the scope of geoheritage
(i.e., all matters geological). This does not necessarily
translate to just listing isolated sites of geoheritage signi
There are a number of ways to identify sites of geoheritage
signi
c works provide information
as to how this has been achieved in many European coun-
tries, with the
cance. Numerous scienti
-
cance, but also attempts to identify ensembles of features
where they are inter-related. This is followed by identifying,
within a given geological region, good examples, regardless
of scale, of any special isolated features, or of inter-related
ensembles of features. These features are assessed according
to the signi
nal outcome being a regional and/or a
national inventory-based approach (Doyle et al.
1994
;
Wimbledon et al.
1995
; Wimbledon
1996
; De Wever et al.
2006
; Brocx
2008
; Garcia-Cort
s and Carcavilla
2009
;
Lalanne and Egoroff
2012
). In 2001
è
2002, ProGEO con-
tributed to a number of important geoconservation initiatives
that included the incorporation of a policy statement relating
to the importance of geology and physical landscapes in the
Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy,
and an alliance with the International Union of the Geo-
logical Sciences (IUGS) and UNESCO for the purpose of
compiling a European inventory for the geosites project
(ProGEO
2002
). Currently, many national and/or regional
geosites inventories are in progress (Garcia-Cort
cance criteria outlined above.
-
4
The Geoheritage Tool-Kit for Use
in Identifying SSSI and Geological
Ensembles
The Geoheritage Tool-kit provides the procedure to identify
geological components across various geological sub-disci-
plines and at various scales, to assign geological sites to
various conceptual categories of geoheritage, and to assess
the levels of signi
s and
Carcavilla
2009
; Errami
2012
c, Lalanne and Egoroff
2012
;
Errami et al.
2013a
,
b
).
Our inventory-based approach aims to identify geological
regions and their geological essentials or their fundamental
geological features as a
è
cance of the various geological features
(Fig.
4
) (Brocx and Semeniuk
2009
,
2011
). Once the
inventory of components and their level of signi
cance is
compiled, and enough geological features have been ranked
as being of signi
rst step. Identifying the geological
essentials provides an inventory of geological features
characteristic of a given region that can be systematically
assessed as to their signi
cance, the last step is used to determine
whether the area can be proposed for geoconservation at a
regional, state, national/continental or international level for
one or a few of its components, or for the integrated
ensemble of its components. The area may be designated as
a geosite, an SSSI or viewed as a geopark especially if it
consists of a range of inter-related geological features that
ranked highly in assessment of signi
cance in isolation or within an
ensemble. It is important to note that not all aspects of
geology of the Earth are necessarily present in any one
region and, conversely, many geological regions may have
unique or peculiar features. Further, many aspects of the
geology of a region may be globally common but not nec-
essarily of geoheritage signi
cance.
The Anti-Atlas provides a good example of the applica-
tion of the principles of the Geoheritage Tool-kit as it con-
sists of a wide diversity of geological features ranging from
large to
cance. As such, there is a need
to recognise the unique occurrence, rarity, or representa-
tiveness of some geological features and to apply some
measure of signi
cance. A geological region carries a dis-
tinctive Earth history and has a degree of geological con-
sistency in terms of age, structural and tectonic history, and
suite(s) of lithology.
The geological essentials of a region can be identi
ne scale, crossing a wide variety of geological
phenomena, and ranging in signi
cance from International,
National, Regional to Local.
ed
using a three-pronged approach to compile information or a
database and to potentially identify sites of geoheritage
signi
5
The Geology of the Anti-Atlas Region
rst step is based on published literature.
The second draws on the experience of geologists still
practising in the
cance. The
By its position at the North Western edge of the West
African Craton (WAC) and at the junction between the
African and European plates, and earlier at the triple-junc-
tion of the African, European, and American Plates, and its
marginal history interfacing with the Tethys Sea, Morocco
presents a varied and globally-important geology re
eld, providing information and personal
insights about the geoheritage potential of an area. The third,
after identifying gaps in information seeks to systematically
obtain further information, if necessary, directly from the
ecting
its successive geological settings. This provides a rich geo-
logical history largely unique globally, with a wide variety
eld. For all three approaches, there will be some degree of
overlap in information and outcomes.
