What
is Geodiversity?
Geodiversity means the natural range (diversity) of geological (rock),
geomorphological (landform) and soil features, assemblages, systems and
processes. It includes evidence of past life, ecosystems and
environments in the history of the Earth as well as a range of
atmospheric, hydrological and biological processes currently acting on
rocks, landforms and soils.
More simply put, Geodiversity is the rich variety of rocks, minerals,
fossils, landforms, soils and related processes that form our planet.
It is the stage upon which the drama of life unfolds.
Most people are aware of the term biodiversity and understand the
importance of conserving the diverse wonders of our living world. Fewer
realise that Wales, like other parts of the United Kingdom and
elsewhere in the world, has an equally important geodiversity - an
outstanding geo-heritage of rocks (geology) and landforms
(geomorphology).
Our
Geological Heritage
This geo-heritage or geodiversity literally provides a foundation for
modern society and all of our lives. It provides natural resources,
such as building stones and aggregates; it harbours natural gas, oil
and groundwaters; it forms the basis of all our productive soils and
agricultural land; it gives rise to our spectacular and cherished
landscapes; provides a massive archive of past climatic and
environmental conditions; and, without geodiversity there is no
biodiversity.
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The rocks of Wales are as varied as the landscape they produce, and our
small country has few rivals anywhere in the world with as rich a
geological heritage or geodiversity. Thus it was to Wales that many of
the pioneering geologists came. Here, they named some of the divisions
that define the international geological timescale - for example, the
Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian periods, the last two named after
Celtic tribes. The rich geological legacy of Wales continues to attract
geologists from all over the world.
It might seem to some that rocks are 'hard' and 'invulnerable' and that
geodiversity hardly needs active conservation. It might at first seem
hard to conceive of threats to rock formations and landscapes that have
endured for millennia. However, the geodiversity of Wales is subject to
a range of damaging threats and activities - quarrying, urban and rural
development, land-fill waste disposal, road building and coastal
protection to name but a few. Unlike biodiversity, once an important
rock sequence or glacial landform has been destroyed, it can never be
re-created.
What's
special about Anglesey?
Anglesey has a unique and internationally important geo-heritage.
Arguably, it has the greatest geodiversity for its size of anywhere in
Europe, possessing rock formations from most of the major geological
eras. Its Precambrian rocks extend back beyond 600 million years ago
and contain the first evidence of life in Welsh rocks. Anglesey has
long been, and continues to be, the focus of much interest, world-wide,
by research scientists and students alike. From this outstanding
geo-heritage, the island derives its local and regional distinctiveness
and character.
The
Anglesey Geodiversity Partnership
The first step in this project was to establish, in 2004, a coalition
of like-minded partners - the Anglesey Geodiversity Partnership (AGP).
This broad-based partnership exists to establish a long-term strategic
framework for the conservation and sustainable development of
Anglesey's outstanding geodiversity resources. It also aims to promote
the sustainable use of the geodiversity resources, for education and
geotourism, for the social and economic benefit of the island's
inhabitants and those of neighbouring areas.
Local
Geodiversity Action Plans (LGAPs)
Although government agencies and the voluntary sector have achieved
much, there is a growing realisation that everyone has a role to play
in geoconservation. Local Geodiversity Action Plans (LGAPs) recognise
this by establishing broad local partnerships with common aspirations
for geoconservation and the sustainable use of geodiversity resources.
This is logical because, when considered as a resource, the geological
landscape affects the lives of everyone through its influence on urban
and rural development, land utilisation, building practice and choice
of raw materials and through many other factors.
The first LGAP of its kind in Wales, the Anglesey LGAP has six main
objectives. The plan can be summarised thus:
1. Ensure effective conservation of Anglesey's unique and outstanding
geodiversity;
2. establish an effective local partnership to carry forward the
objectives of the LGAP, particularly the GeoMôn Project;
3. maximise the use of Anglesey's geodiversity for the education of
local children and visiting schools, and other groups;
4. raise awareness of Anglesey's geo-heritage with local people and
visitors, to promote sustainable geotourism, attract visitors to the
island and stimulate the local economy;
5. develop suitable policies and influence the policies of other groups
and organisations to ensure effective geoconservation and sustainable
use of geo-resources for education and geotourism.
6. to manage information efficiently to achieve all the above.
About
GeoMôn
GeoMôn is a major project to establish Anglesey as an
international 'Geopark'. Geoparks are recognised and promoted by UNESCO
(United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation)
and the European Geoparks Network (EGN). Any territory wishing to
become a Geopark must have a special geological heritage and be able to
use that heritage to promote sustainable economic development through
education and 'geotourism'.
The EGN was established in 2000 by France, Germany, Spain and Greece,
and there are now 24 European Geoparks, including, in Wales, Fforest
Fawr (Brecon Beacons). In 2004, a meeting of international
geoconservation experts in Paris recommended that UNESCO should
establish a Global Network of Geoparks.
Operational guidelines were agreed, and any European territory now
wishing to become a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Geoparks
must submit its application through the EGN.
As well as 'special geology', a Geopark must be big enough for true
territorial economic development. It must contain geological sites
important for their scientific quality, rarity, aesthetic appeal and
educational value. There may also be a smaller contribution from
archaeological, ecological, historical and cultural sites.
The sites should be appropriately protected and managed, and each
Geopark must be administered by a clearly defined structure able to
enforce protection, enhancement and sustainable development policies.
Each Geopark has an active role in the economic development of its
territory through its special geoheritage resources and the development
of geotourism. A European Geopark has direct impact on the territory by
influencing its inhabitants' living conditions and environment,
creating jobs and contributing to the cultural revitalization of the
region. A European Geopark has also to support environmental education
and promote training and research in the Earth Sciences. Successful
applicants work with other EGN members to further the network's
construction and cohesion.
Anglesey's case for a Geopark is based on numerous attributes. Firstly,
it has outstanding geodiversity, a demonstrable niche geology (the
Precambrian) and is one of the finest places anywhere to study plate
tectonic processes and features. Secondly, the island has a developing
tourism industry with an excellent infrastrusture to and from the
island and around its coast through its magnificent coastal path.
Access to geodiversity is thus first rate. Thirdly, the island has a
largely rural population and is in great need of economic regeneration.
About
this website
This website will be an expanding resource on the subject of
geodiversity within the proposed International Geopark - GeoMôn.
As we develop it, there will be regular news updates and notices of
forthcoming events (News & Events link). The Geology section will
contain a summary of the Island's complex geological history,
stretching back over 600 million years or more. The Geosites section
will include particular sites of interest, which are readily
accessible, complete with notes and illustrations. The Educational
Resources section will include downloadable documents for teachers and
students, in order to help them either plan field trips or interpret
what they have seen during their visit. The Conservation section
explains conservation of our Earth Heritage in more detail and the
various designations of conserved geological sites. In the Geotourism
section, there will be lots of information for visitors including
details of available accommodation and travel options.
The Links page will build, reciprocally, with other sites we hope! It
will include links to other key geological websites in the UK, Europe
and beyond, plus handy links to sites with useful local information.
The Contact page gives you options to get in touch with us if you need
any more information, although we hope that these pages will provide
all you need on the subject of Anglesey's geodiversity!
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Around 8,000 years ago....
post-glacial raised beach, Ynys Llanddwyn. Raised beaches are
indicative of a former coastline dating from a time when relative
sea-levels were higher. Photo: Stewart Campbell.
Around 20,000 years ago - Irish Sea
glacial till forming gullied cliffs near Beaumaris. During the last
glaciation, a huge sheet of ice swept down the Irish Sea and crossed
Anglesey. This is the muddy and bouldery debris it brought with it,
much of it scraped from the adjacent sea floor. Photo: Stewart Campbell.
55 million years ago - weathered basic
dyke of Tertiary age, at Porth Namarch. The early part of the Tertiary
Period saw major volcanic eruptions throughout NW Britain. Dykes - thin
sheets of solidified molten rock filling steeply inclined fractures in
the Earth's crust - radiate out from the volcanic centres and a few
reached as far south as Anglesey. Photo:
Stewart Campbell.
340 million years ago - a now deeply
fissured "pavement" of Carboniferous Limestone at Moelfre. The
limestone is the "smoking gun" that tells us how, during Lower
Carboniferous times, Anglesey was submerged by a tropical sea.
Photo: Stewart Campbell.
415 million years ago - red
sedimentary rocks - the "Old Red Sandstone", exposed on the coast in
Lligwy Bay, recall the Devonian Period - a time when the hills of Wales
were eroded under hot, arid conditions. The sediments were deposited in
lakes and rivers. The red colour is typical of sediments deposited on
land. Photo: Stewart
Campbell.
430 million years ago - sedimentary
and volcanic rocks, of Lower Silurian age, have been intensively
altered and mineralised at Parys Mountain, once the greatest copper
mine in Europe. The mineralisation is believed to have been "exhaled"
onto the sea-bed by hydrothermal fluid vents or "black-smokers". During
much of the Lower Palaeozoic era (the Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian
periods), Anglesey was underwater, forming part of the margin of the
Iapetus Ocean, which at that time separated England and Wales from
Scotland. Photo: Stewart
Campbell.
600 million years ago - or more! The mysterious Gwna Mélange - a
chaotic deposit of boulders - ranging from a few centimetres to over a
kilometre in size - belongs to the late Precambrian, a time of great
violence, when small terranes were colliding together and large areas
of sea-bed were collapsing to form colossal landslides down into deep
oceanic trenches. The Precambrian of Anglesey is world-famous, and has
attracted interest, research and controversy for over a century. Photo:
Stewart Campbell.
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