G
GEOHERITAGE
Margaret Brocx
1 and Vic Semeniuk
2
1
Department of Environmental Science, Murdoch
University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
2
V & C Semeniuk Research Group, Warwick,
WA, Australia
Definitions
Geoheritage. The heritage value assigned to features of
a geological nature encompasses globally, nationally,
state-wide to regionally, and locally significant features
of earth science that are intrinsically important or culturally important, offering information or insights into the
evolution of the earth or into the history of earth science,
or that can be used for research, teaching, or reference
(Brocx, 2008). It encompasses the variety of rock types,
stratigraphy, structural geology, geomorphology, and
hydrology and covers a large variety of processes and
products across a wide range of scales, from global tectonics, mountain building, and landscape evolution to
local surface processes and products such as weathering,
erosion and sedimentation, cliff faces, fossil sites and mineral localities, and, at the microscale, diagenesis and
deformation.
Geoheritage and geoconservation
Geoheritage and geoconservation are concerned with the
preservation of earth science features and are important
endeavors globally, as reflected in various international
and intranational bodies set up for conservation, with
agreements, conventions, and intergovernmental initiatives. Geoheritage includes igneous, metamorphic,
sedimentary, stratigraphic, structural, geochemical, mineralogic, paleontologic, geomorphic, pedologic, and hydrologic attributes. This list of geological disciplines covers
a large variety of processes and products, but, in addition,
it also traverses a wide range of scales, from global tectonics, mountain building, and landscape evolution to local
surface processes and products such as weathering, erosion and sedimentation, cliff faces, fossil sites and mineral
localities, and, at microscale, diagenesis, crystal defects,
and deformation, among others. The scope of geoheritage
is summarized in Figure 1. It involves assigning geological features or sites of geoheritage significance to one of
four categories, assigning a scale of reference to the sites
and evaluating their level of significance.
While geoheritage relates to the heritage of features of
a geological nature, geoconservation is the action that
works toward the preservation of sites of geoheritage significance for purposes of heritage, science, or education,
i.e., preserving sites of geoheritage significance once the
level of their significance has been determined.
Geoconservation thus can encompass all important geological features from the regional scale to the individual
crystal. Geoconservation can involve preservation of specific sites (special sites) or of geological ensembles. The
former are where a significant geological feature occurs
in isolation or may have historical or cultural significance.
Sites are formally identified in the British Isles as
(geological) Site(s) of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
or Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphologic
Sites (RIGS) (Ellis et al., 1996).
In regard to estuaries, there has been emphasis on their
biotic or biological significance, for instance, in terms of
their vegetation complexes, their productivity, and their
fisheries and hence their conservation and management,
and less on the importance of their abiotic significance,
i.e., geological, sedimentological, hydrological, and evolutionary attributes. Geoheritage and geoconservation
can also be directed to the recognition and preservation
of the abiotic realms of estuaries. For instance, it can
involve the recognition and geoconservation of
M.J. Kennish (ed.), Encyclopedia of Estuaries, DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4,
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016
GEOHERITAGE
Margaret Brocx
1 and Vic Semeniuk
2
1
Department of Environmental Science, Murdoch
University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
2
V & C Semeniuk Research Group, Warwick,
WA, Australia
Definitions
Geoheritage. The heritage value assigned to features of
a geological nature encompasses globally, nationally,
state-wide to regionally, and locally significant features
of earth science that are intrinsically important or culturally important, offering information or insights into the
evolution of the earth or into the history of earth science,
or that can be used for research, teaching, or reference
(Brocx, 2008). It encompasses the variety of rock types,
stratigraphy, structural geology, geomorphology, and
hydrology and covers a large variety of processes and
products across a wide range of scales, from global tectonics, mountain building, and landscape evolution to
local surface processes and products such as weathering,
erosion and sedimentation, cliff faces, fossil sites and mineral localities, and, at the microscale, diagenesis and
deformation.
Geoheritage and geoconservation
Geoheritage and geoconservation are concerned with the
preservation of earth science features and are important
endeavors globally, as reflected in various international
and intranational bodies set up for conservation, with
agreements, conventions, and intergovernmental initiatives. Geoheritage includes igneous, metamorphic,
sedimentary, stratigraphic, structural, geochemical, mineralogic, paleontologic, geomorphic, pedologic, and hydrologic attributes. This list of geological disciplines covers
a large variety of processes and products, but, in addition,
it also traverses a wide range of scales, from global tectonics, mountain building, and landscape evolution to local
surface processes and products such as weathering, erosion and sedimentation, cliff faces, fossil sites and mineral
localities, and, at microscale, diagenesis, crystal defects,
and deformation, among others. The scope of geoheritage
is summarized in Figure 1. It involves assigning geological features or sites of geoheritage significance to one of
four categories, assigning a scale of reference to the sites
and evaluating their level of significance.
While geoheritage relates to the heritage of features of
a geological nature, geoconservation is the action that
works toward the preservation of sites of geoheritage significance for purposes of heritage, science, or education,
i.e., preserving sites of geoheritage significance once the
level of their significance has been determined.
Geoconservation thus can encompass all important geological features from the regional scale to the individual
crystal. Geoconservation can involve preservation of specific sites (special sites) or of geological ensembles. The
former are where a significant geological feature occurs
in isolation or may have historical or cultural significance.
Sites are formally identified in the British Isles as
(geological) Site(s) of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
or Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphologic
Sites (RIGS) (Ellis et al., 1996).
In regard to estuaries, there has been emphasis on their
biotic or biological significance, for instance, in terms of
their vegetation complexes, their productivity, and their
fisheries and hence their conservation and management,
and less on the importance of their abiotic significance,
i.e., geological, sedimentological, hydrological, and evolutionary attributes. Geoheritage and geoconservation
can also be directed to the recognition and preservation
of the abiotic realms of estuaries. For instance, it can
involve the recognition and geoconservation of
M.J. Kennish (ed.), Encyclopedia of Estuaries, DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4,
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016