PROPOSAL OF NEW GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORKS OF INTERNATIONAL RELEVANCE TO BE
INCLUDED IN THE SPANISH GLOBAL GEOSITES PROJECT
Co-sponsored by UNESCO, the IUGS has been promoting for the last fifteen years an ambitious global
initiative to undertake this inventory: the Global Geosites project. The project followed the methodology
agreed upon by IUGS and UNESCO, and developed by Wimbledon (1996) within the European Association
for the Conservation of the Geological Heritage (ProGEO).
In synthesis, the methodology proposed in the Geosites project for establishing the final list of sites of
geological interest of international relevance may be summarised as follows:
a) The establishment in each country of a network of thematic and regional experts covering all the
necessary disciplines.
b) The selection and definition in each country of the most relevant geological frameworks. A framework is
a topic (geomorphological, stratigraphic, paleontological, etc.), geologic event, time period, regional
geotectonic element, or metallogenic phase, which is important or significant at international level.
c) The selection and definition, using standard formats, of geosites representative of the geological
frameworks defined in the previous phase. Hence, geosites are not to be selected in isolation but from a
particular and predefined geological framework.
d) Comparison of the interest and merit of the geosites established in the different countries for the same
geological framework, followed by final selection of those warranting inclusion in the final list of sites of
geological interest (i.e., geosites) of international relevance. This phase should be undertaken by experts
from different countries, grouped by thematic and/or regional frameworks.
The 21 Spanish geological frameworks already approved are listed at the end of this form. NEW
FRAMEWOKS SHOULD BE PROPOSED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR INTERNATIONAL RELEVANCE.
Proposer(s)
Institution or workplace
e-mail
GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK PROPOSAL FORM (1)
Framework name
Geological Units
involved (2)
Geological
domains involved
(2)
Description
Justification and
comparative
assessment
(why is it significant
and conspicuous
within the global
geological record)
Location within
Spain
Key references
State (Autonomous Region):
County(ies):
In order to facilitate subsequent field work and, do not hesitate to add or attach additional
documentation evaluation (GIS shape files, scanned documents, documentation in pdf, etc.)
(1) Data will be treated as proposals that can be modified in later phases of the inventory.
(2) See the list of geological units and domains at the end of this document. In some cases, these data may seem
irrelevant but they must be filled in if they provide key information to understand the meaning of the framework.
IN ORDER TO PROPOSE NEW GEOSITES RELATED TO THIS CONTEXT, IT IS NECESSARY TO FILL
IN THE FORM: nuevas_propuestas_lugares_geosites_Inglés.doc
This file is available on the website: http://www.igme.es/internet/patrimonio under the section: Proyectos
destacados→Global Geosites
EXPERT SELF-ASSESSMENT
PRELIMINARY INFORMATON
Mark with an X the main lines of argumentation used in answering the questionnaire, indicating the
importance (high - medium - low) of each one of them..
LINES OF ARGUMENTATION
My experience on the subject and/or area as a
professional, researcher, etc.
Previous work by Spanish researchers on the
subject.
Previous work by foreign researchers on the
subject
My intuition, based on previous knowledge, due to
the lack of objective information.
HIGH
MEDIUM
Comments:
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COLLABORATION
Please
DO NOT FORGET to submit your answers
to the project manager: garcia.cortes@igme.es
LOW
GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORKS OF INTERNATIONAL RELEVANCE
(Annex VIII-2 Act 42/2007, updated in the project Global Geosites in Spain)
1. Fluvial network, raña deposits and appalachian relief of the Iberian Massif.
2. Coastlines of the Iberian Peninsula.
3. Carbonate and evaporite karst systems of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.
4. Lower and Middle Paleozoic stratigraphic successions.
5. Carboniferous of the Cantabrian Zone.
6. Rifting of Pangea and Mesozoic successions of the Betic and Iberian Ranges.
7. Mesozoic continental fossils and ichnofossils.
8. The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K/T) boundary.
9. South Pyrenean synorogenic basins.
10. Continental Tertiary basins and associated deposits of eastern Spain.
11. Olistostrome units of the Betic Foreland.
12. Messinian evaporite episodes
13. Vertebrate deposits of the Spanish Pliocene and Pleistocene.
14. Neogene and Quaternary volcanism of the Iberian Peninsula.
15. Volcanic edifices and morphologies of the Canary Islands.
16. The Iberian Variscan Orogen.
17. Miocene extension in the Alborán Domain.
18. Mercury mineralization in the region of Almadén.
19. The Iberian Pyrite Belt.
20. Lead-Zinc and Iron mineralization in the Urgonian of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin.
21. Ophiolitic complexes of the Iberian Peninsula.
MOST REPRESENTATIVE GEOLOGICAL UNITS (Annex VIII-1, Act 42/2007)
1. Structures and outstanding geological formations of the Variscan Orogene in the Iberian Massif.
2. Structures and outstanding geological formations of the basement, allochthonous units and MesoCenozoic cover in the Alpine ranges.
3. Structures and outstanding geological formations of the Cenozoic continental and marine basins.
4. Volcanic systems.
5. Deposits, soils and outstanding landforms representative of current and past climate action.
6. Deposits and outstanding landforms of aeolian and fluvial origin.
7. Coastal and shallow water deposits and landforms.
8. Carbonate and evaporate karst systems
GEOLOGICAL DOMAINS
12. Balearic Islands
13. Prebetic range and tabular cover of the
Ebro basin
Iberian plateau
Guadalquivir and postorogenic Betic basins
14. Subbetic ranges
Guadiana basin
15. Gibraltar Domain
Tajo-Mancha basin
16. Betic Internal Zone
Eastern basins
17. Cantabrian Zone
Canary Islands
18. West Asturian-Leonese Zone
Iberian Range
19. Galicia Tras-os-Montes Zone
Coastal-Catalonian ranges
20. Central-Iberian Zone
Pyrenees
21. Ossa-Morena Zone
Basque-Cantabrian ranges and basin.
22. South Portuguese Zone
1. Duero-Almazán basin
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.