On the afternoon of October 23, local time, one of the world's largest scientific organizations, , the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS, International Union of Geological Sciences), announced the final list of the world's first batch of 100 geological heritage sites on the Internet.
These geological heritage sites are distributed in 56 countries around the world, including 34 in the Americas, 28 in Europe, 15 in Africa, and 23 in the Asia-Pacific-Middle East.
7 geological heritage sites including the geological profile of Changxing, Changxing, Zhejiang, China, and other geological profiles were successfully selected. China is one of the first countries to obtain the most geological heritage sites.
The International Federation of Geological Sciences will officially announce the aforementioned list at the celebration of the "60th Anniversary of the Founding of the International Federation of Geological Sciences" held in Zumaia, a small town in northern Spain.
On the morning of October 26, my country held a press conference on the "First 100 Geological Heritage Sites of the International Federation of Geological Sciences" in Changxing, Zhejiang. The conference is hosted by Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, and co-organized and guided by the Geological Relics Committee of the International Federation of Geological Sciences, Nanjing University , China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, , China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Nature Reserve Management Department of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, and Zhejiang Provincial Forestry Bureau.
Experts said that the geological heritage site of the International Federation of Geological Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the geological heritage site of the International Federation of Geological Sciences) is a key area of geological relics/geological processes of international significance. It can be used as a global comparison standard or a site of extraordinary significance in the history of the development of the earth sciences. It means that the geological heritage site has the highest international geologic value and research level and is effectively protected. Judging from the selected list, it covers a large number of world natural heritage sites, world geological park and other important geological relics in famous areas, such as Yellowstone Park in the United States, Colorado Grand Canyon , Burgis Shale in Canada, Milankovic unconformity surface, Soren Hoffen fossil library in Germany, and early human sites in Tanzania in Africa.
7 China was selected as the first batch of the world's geological heritage sites of the International Geological Sciences
The first batch of 7 Chinese geological heritage sites are: Mount Everest Ordovician rock, the Permian/Triassic biological mass extinction and "golden nails", Chengjiang Cambrian fossil production areas and fossil reservoirs in Chengjiang, Yunnan, early Cretaceous acidic igneous rock columnar joints, southern Tibet Rongbu Canyon slip tectonic system, Yunnan Shilin Karst, and the tall sand mountains and lakes of Birut, Badan Jilin Desert, Inner Mongolia. They belong to World Natural Heritage Sites, National Geological Parks, National Geological Relics Reserves and World Geological Parks respectively. These heritage sites cover the fields of petroscience , tectonic geology, stratigraphic paleontology, geography , geomorphology and other fields.
Experts said that the seven geological heritage sites selected by China this time are outstanding representatives of my country's geological relics. Most of them are located in the world (national) geological park , world heritage and national geological relics protection zones. Their scientific value and research level have been unanimously recognized by the international academic community, and their excellent protection status has been highly recognized by the international community. It also reflects the international level of earth science research and the level of spiritual civilization construction in my country, and is an important manifestation of the harmonious coexistence and modernization of man and nature in my country.
Will the government introduce corresponding supporting measures for these geological heritage sites?
On the evening of October 25, Shen Shuzhong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor of the School of Earth Sciences and Engineering of Nanjing University, said in an interview with reporters, "I think with the development of a country's economy and the increase in civilization, I believe that some places like this, especially places related to the sustainable development of the earth, and places with important scientific and educational significance, should formulate relevant laws and regulations, or take relevant measures to protect them, and provide further scientific research support to these areas. I believe the country will do the same."
Vice Chairman of the Geological Relics Committee of the International Federation of Geological Sciences and Professor Zhang Jianping of China University of Geosciences (Beijing) revealed that China has actually applied for 14, and 7 were selected this time; it will be selected in the future. The International Federation of Geosciences plans to announce a batch every year.
Zhang Jianping said that these geological heritage sites and related popular science activities will deepen people's understanding of earth science and make more people understand that the earth is hard-won. The earth has experienced many major geological events, and these events may have a good reference for our current lives, such as Global Climate Warming , etc., to help humans survive better. With the development of science and technology, we can definitely understand more mysteries. These are non-renewable resources, which are of great significance to their protection, and are helpful to improving the quality of the people and improving the level of social civilization.
International Geological Science The Federation was established in 1961. Currently, there are 121 countries and regions that have joined the association, representing millions of geological workers around the world. It is the largest and most active geoscience group in the world.
In early 2022, the International Geological Relics Committee issued a notice to the member states on "Selecting the First 100 International Geological Science Federation Geological Heritage Sites" and selected authoritative experts in the field of geological relics around the world to form an evaluation and selection working group. , 181 candidates declared by 56 countries were comprehensively evaluated, and the vote generated the first batch of 100 geological heritage sites of the 9 geoscience fields of the earth sciences, and edited and published them into books.
Under the initiative of the International Federation of Geological Sciences, starting from 2022, October 6 of each year was set as the "International Day of Geological Diversity" by UNESCO (UNESCO) on October 6th (International Day of Geological Diversity) Geodiversity Day), help the global public understand the close connection between earth science and nature, culture and human daily life.
The first batch of 100 International Geological Heritage Sites in the world (001-100):
Among them, the number of the Ordovician rock of Mount Everest is 017;
Zhejiang Changxing Coal Mountain Permian/Triassic biological mass extinction and "golden nail" is 018;
Yunnan Chengjiang Cambrian The number of stone origin and fossil library is 026;
The number of the columnar joint of the early Cretaceous acidic igneous rock in Hong Kong is 047;
The number of the slippery tectonic system of the southern Tibetan Rongbu Canyon is 072;
The number of the karst in Shilin, Yunnan is 080;
The number of the tall sand mountains and lakes of Birut in the Jilin Desert of Badan, Inner Mongolia is 094.
The catalog of the book "The first batch of 100 International Geological Heritage Sites in the World" Image from IUGS
International Geological Heritage Sites in China's first selected places:
1, Mount Everest Ordovician rock
Mount Everest is the main peak of Himalayas , located on the border of of the People's Republic of China and Nepal . It is the most The high peaks, commonly known as " Roof of the World " or "third pole". The unique local ecosystem records the evidence of the evolution of the most famous tectonic belt on the earth.
About 55 million years ago, the Indian plate drifted toward and collided with the Asian continent, forming one of the most important orogenic movements on the earth in 500 million years. Qinghai-Tibet Plateau rose violently, forming the continuous Himalayas The veins also created Mount Everest.
The top of Mount Everest is composed of limestone from about 460 million years ago (Ordovician), and is formed in a warm shallow ocean. These rocks contain fossils of marine animals , such as brachiopods , dentifrice and echinoderm seldomestic species, representing one of the most important periods in the history of the earth - the tropical marine organisms during the Ordovician period of the great radiation of organisms. Most of them are now It has become extinct or very few. These rocks formed in Gutertis Ocean were pushed and raised to their current position when India collided with the Asian continent.
Ordovician rocks on the top of Mount Everest were determined after detailed mapping and sampling of the area by a team led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the 1970s. Now, relevant research is still ongoing, hoping to restore the geological history of this iconic part of the crust.
The first batch of IGIC geological heritage sites: Mount Everest Ordovician Rock Picture from IUGS
2, Permian/Triassic biological extinction and "Golden Nail" section
0 Geological history There have been many biological extinction events, which pose a serious threat to the earth's ecosystem. What causes these major biological events to occur? How does Earth biological diversity recover after mass extinction? This is a common concern to the scientific community, governments and the general public. Studying the mechanisms for these major events is of great enlightenment for evaluating the current situation facing the earth's ecosystem today and predicting future development trends.
The "golden nail" section of the coal mountain in Changxing County, Zhejiang Province (hereinafter referred to as The coal mountain section of Changxing, Zhejiang) is famous for its containing two "golden nails" formally approved by the International Stratum Committee of the International Federation of Geology and Technology - the Permian-Triassic boundary and the "golden nail" of the Changxing stairs bottom boundary, as well as the "golden nail" of the entire section that fully records the largest biological extinction event that occurred in the geological history period 252 million years ago. This biological extinction incident caused more than 80% of biological species in the oceans and land to become extinct in a very short period of time, providing an extremely important historical reference for how to understand and protect the organisms and environment of the earth today.
The first batch of International Geological Heritage sites: Permian/Triassic biological extinction and "Golden Nail" profile of Coal Mountain Changxing Coal Mountain, Zhejiang Province, isometric, ammonite , phylums, radioworms, mesoids, brachiopods and fish. In addition to fossil research, scientists from all over the world have conducted comprehensive and in-depth research on the biostrata, rock formations, magnetic formations, isotope age, cyclone formations and chemical formations in the areas of Changxing Coal Mountain, Zhejiang Province. The results of the mass extinction of biological organisms, the "golden nail" time scale and environmental change process have attracted the attention of the world.
According to statistics, there are 12 articles published in two world-renowned journals Science and Nature, and nearly 200 (departmental) papers. Chinese scholars and academicians and teams have made great contributions to this research, which can be said to be the most researched stratigraphic profile in the world.
Zhejiang Changxing Coal Mountain Profile has also witnessed the development of international isotope dating technology and accuracy in the past 20 years, and has made important contributions to promoting the research on mass extinction events in the field of world geosciences and the construction of representatives of the International Geological Year.
Early work on the coal-mountain section of Changxing, Zhejiang played an important role in promoting the early opening of Changxing County to the outside world. After the approval of the "Golden Nail" section in 2000, it became a national geological relics nature reserve. With the support and concern of the former Ministry of Land and Resources, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Land and Resources, and the Zhejiang Provincial Forestry Bureau, after nearly 20 years of construction by the Changxing County local government, the Zhejiang Changxing Coal Mountain Profile currently has core protection areas and the "Golden Nails" Museum and other facilities. The International Stratum Committee of the International Federation of Geology and Technology highly praised the excellent protection measures for the coal mountain profile in Changxing, Zhejiang, and expressed at the conference many times that it hopes that countries around the world will use this as a benchmark to protect all approved "golden nail" profiles. The Yangtze River Coal Mountain Profile, the "Golden Nail" Reserve and the museum have become ideal places that integrate research, popular science and student internship.
3, Chengjiang Cambrian fossil production area and fossil reservoir
1984, the Chengjiang fauna was first discovered in Chengjiang Maotian Mountain, 56 kilometers away from Kunming City, Yunnan Province and 87 kilometers away from Yuxi City.
The Cambrian Chengjiang fossil group, about 520 million years ago, is a rare fossil treasure house in the world. It has rich fossils and beautifully preserved, vividly reproduces the true face of the marine life world at that time, fully displaying the biodiversity of in the early Cambrian period.It represents the starting point of modern biodiversity, traces the evolutionary history of most modern animal species back to the early Cambrian period, providing extremely precious evidence for revealing the mystery of " Cambrian Life Explosion ". It is known as "one of the most amazing scientific discoveries of the 20th century", it is a "world paleontological holy land" and "everyday scientific building", opening up an important innovative research field for early life science research.
The first batch of international geological heritage sites: Chengjiang Cambrian fossils origin and fossil library. Pictures from IUGS
Chengjiang animal fossils not only preserve the shell and mineralized bones, but also preserve the soft organs and tissue profiles of organisms, such as the feeding and digestive organs such as the animal's intestines, stomach, and mouth, the legs and muscle tissues of the motor organs, as well as fossil structures such as nerves and glands, and also preserve animal behavior, ecology and community information. After more than 30 years of continuous excavation and research, so far, the Chengjiang fauna has discovered more than 300 species, including primitive vertebrates, which belong to more than 20 first-class animal types. The Chengjiang fauna not only shows the complex and diverse animal body structure, but also reflects the differentiation and diversity of animal ecological functions, and has established a complex ecosystem composed of a "pyramid" food chain. As a whole, Chengjiang fauna shows us that modern marine ecosystems dominated by animals have been formed in the future, and are an important example of early biological evolution in the earth's history. The series of achievements have been widely praised by journals such as Nature, Science, and "PNAS", the United States "Science News", France "Research", and the Royal Society of Britain "Annual Review of Promoting Science Progress", and have been included in university textbooks and encyclopedias in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Japan, France and other countries, and have attracted widespread attention from the international academic community and the society.
Important fossil production area centered on Chengjiang Mao Tianshan Mountain. It became one of the first national geological parks in 2001. In 2012, Chengjiang Fossil Landhat Tianshan Mountain and its surrounding areas were officially included in the World Natural Heritage Site. It is China's first and only fossil World Natural Heritage Site in Asia. As the starting point of Chengjiang fauna and the natural heritage of mankind, Chengjiang Maotian Mountain has an important historical position. It is a scientific frontier position to show the great scientific significance of Chengjiang fauna, popularize and promote biological evolution to the public. It has become a scientific holy place for scientists at home and abroad, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign visitors to visit.
4, Hong Kong Early Cretaceous acidic igneous rock column joint
Hong Kong Geopark (Hong Kong UNESCO World Geopark) The Early Cretaceous rheomorphic volcanic rock column group in Saigon Volcanic Rock Park is the most representative geological remains in Hong Kong.
The first batch of IGIC geological heritage sites: Hong Kong Early Cretaceous acidic igneous rock columnar joints Picture from IUGS
Hong Kong is a famous international metropolis and financial center. While it is developing highly, Hong Kong also has a complete natural conservation policy, protecting most of its natural landscape, ecological environment and geological heritage. On only about 1,100 square kilometers of land, up to 40% of Hong Kong's land is classified as protected areas, and the UNESCO World Geopark (Hong Kong Geopark) is located in it.
The Huashan Coast of Hong Kong Grain Ship Bay, the endless coast is covered with neatly arranged rock columns.
These volcanic rock column groups originated from volcanic activities in the region about 140 million years ago. The violent crustal activity at that time led to the formation of a super volcano in the southeast of Hong Kong. After a violent eruption of 3 million years, the volcano eventually collapsed, forming a caldera with a diameter of about 20 kilometers. A large amount of volcanic material accumulates and cools in the caldera. Due to the stable cooling environment and uniform volcanic matter, volcanic matter can shrink with cooling and volume. The surface first forms a regular hexagonal network-like crack and extends in the cooling direction, eventually dividing the huge volcanic matter into millions of rock columns.
Hong Kong Wanyi Reservoir East Dam, a bent and deformed rock column affected by geological movements, and there is a later invasion of basalt rock wall in the middle.
Looking at the hexagonal volcanic rock columns around the world are mostly dark gray basalts with low content of silica . Only the rock columns in Hong Kong Geological Park are rarely formed by acidic rhizome volcanic rocks rich in silica, and are distributed in about 100 square kilometers of sea and land areas, including Sai Kung Liangchuan Bay, Kau Sai Chau, Diao Zhong Chau, Weng Gang Islands and Guozhou Islands. The diameter of these rock columns is 1.2 meters on average, with a coarseness of up to 3 meters. The total existing thickness is estimated to be 400 meters, and the height of the exposed surface reaches 100 meters. In addition, most of these rock columns are distributed on the long coastline and numerous islands in the Saigon region. Coastal erosion makes these rock columns clear and open, and combined with the rich sea erosion landform landscape, it forms a rare geological wonder in the world.
5, Sliding Structural System of the Southern Tibet Furniture Canyon
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the largest and highest altitude plateau in the world, with snow-capped mountains and permafrost, and most of the vegetation is natural grassland. The Himalayas are the southern border of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, extending more than 2,400 kilometers from east to west and about 200-300 kilometers from north to south. They are composed of several roughly parallel mountains, with arcs protruding to the south. They are orogenic belts formed by India's collision with the Eurasian plate. Its average altitude is as high as 6,000 meters. There are 40 peaks above 7,000 meters above sea level; there are 10 peaks above 8,000 meters. The main peak, Mount Everest, is the highest peak in the world.
The first batch of international geological heritage sites of Geotechnology: Sliding and detachment tectonic system of southern Tibet Rongbu Canyon Picture from IUGS
Rongbu Canyon is located on the northern slope of Mount Everest. The upper reaches are the Rongbu Glacier Valley, with a length of about 20 kilometers. It develops the largest glacier and glacial forest in Mount Everest 2 area. The downstream of
is the Rongbu River Valley, which runs north and south near Rongbu Temple , and the length is about 20 kilometers. Then it turns east and west, flows into Zagaqu, and finally flows into the Gange River.
The discovery of the southern Tibetan detachment system of the Himalayas in the 1980s completely changed the model of the Himalayan orogenic belt, greatly improving the understanding of the tectonic-metamorphic evolution of the Himalayan orogenic belt .
Fengbu Canyon is a typical area for the development of the southern Tibetan detachment system and has important scientific value. At this location, the slip-off structure of the southern Tibetan detachment system has been described and studied in detail. Mount Everest and the Velvet Canyon have three-layer structures on the rock. The middle is a yellow low-angle toughness slip fault, the upper is a gray brittle Mount Everest limestone, and the lower is black high Himalayan crystalline rock. The metamorphic rock in the depths of the Himalayan orogenic belt was also exposed to the surface due to the extension displacement of the slippery tectonic system of the southern Tibetan Rongbu Canyon.
Since the 1980s, the discovery of collision-extended tectonics in the Himalayas has had a profound impact on plate tectonics. The slippery tectonic system of the southern Tibetan Rongbu Canyon is a group of ductile shear zones with low-angle normal fault properties in parallel orogenic belts, extending along the entire length of the Himalayas (about 2,000 kilometers). The structure exposed on the top of Mount Everest is the highest fault on Earth. Along the velvet canyon, this slippery structure is easily accessible and is well exposed. Research has proved that the tough shear slippage tectonic system of Velvet Canyon in southern Tibet is mainly extended, and it slides northward along the top of Mount Everest of this fault.
In the past 35 years, due to its importance in understanding the evolution of Himalayan tectonics, the slippery tectonic system of the southern Tibet Rongbu Canyon has been studied in a lot of detailed research, making a significant contribution to revealing the structure and formation process of complex orogenic belts.
6, Shilin Karst
Shilin Karst is located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, southwest China, with an altitude of 1,600 meters to 2,203 meters and an area of 350 square kilometers. The stone forest is named after its tall and dense limestone , stone columns are distributed in forest-like shapes, and is a typical plateau karst. The Shilin World Geopark preserves and displays the best sword-like karst (stone forest) landforms, and is the best model of this type of karst in the world. This geological heritage site is the birthplace of the term "stone forest".
The first batch of IUGS
The first batch of geological heritage sites in the International Geotechnology: Shilin Karst Picture from IUGS
The formation of stone forests has gone through a long and complex geological evolution process: 270 million years ago, the stone forest area was a marine environment, and thick layers of limestone were formed under the seabed; 260 million years ago, the crustal movement lifted the stone forest area into land, and the limestone was squeezed and cracked. While rising to land, the earliest stone forests developed in limestone; a large-scale volcanic eruption 250 million years ago covered the early stone forests under volcanic rocks (basalt); after nearly 200 million years of coverage, most of the volcanic rocks were eroded about 65 million years ago, and the early stone forests were exposed to the surface again; 50 million to 20 million years ago, the uplift of the crust made most of the stone forest areas a lake, and some stone forests were once again covered by lake sediments; over 20 million years, the ancient lakes disappeared, and the stone forest areas gradually evolved into plateau basins, and the latest stone forests developed. The development of stone forests has obvious stages. The stone forests at each stage constitute a unique "generation" history, which shows the evolution of the earth in a special region, with a time span of 250Ma (million years), which is rare in the world.
Shilin karst represents a unique landform on the earth and is one of the three most representative karst landforms in China (peak forest, peak forest, and stone forest). The unique geological evolution makes the shapes of stone forests rich and diverse. In addition to the typical sword-shaped, column-shaped, mushroom-shaped, and tower-shaped stone forests, there are also many irregular stone forests that are difficult to classify. The park brings together almost all similar stone forest landforms in the world, so it is known as the "Stone Forest Karst Museum".
In addition to the stone forest landform, the geological heritage site has also developed funnels, stone buds, underground rivers, lakes, molten hills, caves, depressions, natural bridges, waterfalls and other karst landforms, forming a panoramic karst view from above to underground.
In the Paleolithic era, humans were active in the stone forest area. The clan tribes scattered in the stone forest area thousands of years ago were the ancestors of the Shilin Yi people today. In the long-term historical evolution, local Yi people have formed a national culture closely related to the stone forest landscape. Architecture, clothing, embroidery, festivals, cliff paintings, etc. all reflect the historical origins of the Yi people and the stone forest. China's first color wide-screen stereo song and dance film "Ashima", the enthusiastic and cheerful Torch Festival, and the affectionate song "Guests from Afar Please Stay" have long been widely known.
With its important geological scientific significance and unique geological landscape, Shilin became the first world geological park on February 13, 2004; because of its outstanding aesthetic and scientific value, Shilin was included in the World Heritage List as an important part of Southern Karst (Phase I) on June 27, 2007.
The local area has always attached great importance to scientific research and popularization. Over the years, it has carried out various research and published many works, which has played an important role in disseminating knowledge and improving the scientific literacy of the masses.
7, Badain Jilin Desert Birut tall sand mountains and lakes
, Badain Jilin Desert Birut tall sand mountains and lakes located in the Alxa Desert World Geological Park, Inner Mongolia, are selected as the first batch of 100 World Heritage Sites of the International Federation of Geological Sciences.
Badan Jilin Desert covers an area of about 49,200 square kilometers. It is the fourth largest desert in the world and the second largest inland Asia (and China) mobile desert . It has a rare and unique desert and lake system in the world. The tall sandy mountains of Birut and its surrounding lakes are typical examples of this system.
The first batch of International Geological Heritage Sites: Badain Jilin Desert, Birut tall sand mountains and lakes. Picture from IUGS
Badin Jilin Desert is located in the transition zone of the Asian summer monsoon belt and the westerly belt , and is located in the west of the Yabula Fault. The age of the bottom of the desert is about 1.1 million years ago. There are many giant sand mountains in its hinterland, and many sand mountains are more than 300 meters high. The highest peak of Birut is a composite transverse sand mountain with an altitude of 1611.009 meters and a relative height difference of nearly 500 meters. It is the highest sand mountain in the world and is called Mount Everest in the Desert. In addition to the tall sand mountains, there are more than 140 lakes distributed in the desert.
Climate change and tectonic evolution have played a key role in the unique lake system of the Badain Jilin Desert.Whether it is the formation of its entire system or the maintenance of its state.
From the warm period (15 stage of deep-sea oxygen isotopes) 620,000 to 560,000 years ago, a large number of lakes began to form in the desert. The sand from the lake basin continuously migrates and accumulates on the sandy mountains, lifting the Yaburay Mountains into a terrain barrier, which promotes the fixation, resurrection and final formation of the sandy mountains through its influence on climate, wind and water circulation. Recent research shows that the tall sand mountains in the Badain Jilin Desert are getting higher and higher and steeper.
The history of scientific research in Badain Jilin can be traced back to 1927. In the 1960s, scientific researchers began to conduct systematic and in-depth investigations and research on the Badain Jilin Desert, and have published more than 150 scientific papers. Since 2009, the site has been well managed and protected by the construction of the UNESCO World Geopark in the Alxa Desert.
Badan Jilin Desert is located in the westerly monsoon transition zone on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is an ideal area for studying climate change at the end of the Quaternary period, wind landforms, and water resources in arid areas during the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The unique desert lake system of the Badain Jilin Desert and the world's highest sandy mountains are the products of inland drought in Asia, which directly and objectively reflect the history of the region. This is also of great practical significance for studying people's livelihood issues such as wind and sand prevention.
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