Jurassic Global Stratotype Section and Points (GSSPs) – a potential serial World Heritage Site?

• Autorzy: Page K. , Melendez G. , Henriques M.
• Konferencja: International Congress on the Jurassic System (7 ; 06-18.09.2006 ; Kraków, Poland]
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The Operation Guidelines for the World Heritage Convention include the following criteria for the selection of natural heritage sites, which states that they should: "…be outstanding examples representing major stages of Earth's history, including the record of life, significant ongoing geological processes in the development of land forms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features" [Criteria a (i)]; "The sites listed in a (i) should contain all or most of the key interrelated and interdependent elements in their natural relationships…" [Criteria b (i)]; "The site described in paragraph (a) should have a management plan…" [Criteria b (v)]; "A site described in paragraph (a) should have adequate long-term legislative, regulatory, institutional or traditional protection..." [Criteria b (vi)]. Global Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs) represent, by definition, the most stratigraphically complete and globally important stage-boundary sections known. They therefore fully satisfy the World Heritage criterion a (i). Crucially, their identification and ratification is regulated globally by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) which also advises UNESCO on the selection of World Heritage Sites for geological features - such a ratification can be taken as confirmation of global significance in more than just a technical or scientific sense. In addition, as part of the GSSP selection process aspects of the site's conservation status and safeguard for future study are also taken into consideration, Criterion b (vi) and be satisfied, if not b (v) as well. The proposal of any single GSSP in isolation as a World Heritage site is unlikely succeed, however, as individually such sites may lack a broader context. Combining a suite of GSSPs sites in a "serial" World Heritage site proposal - a well established approach in other contexts - is however, conceptually much more likely to succeed. In particular a proposal incorporating all the applicable GSSPs for a single system could certainly satisfy Criterion b (i), especially as all key interrelated and interdependent elements would then be included, i.e. all component stages of that system. Such a proposal could be an ultimately goal for the ISJS, as a celebration of decades of intensive work by many colleagues from many countries. Such a project would require a high degree of international agreement and already five countries are implicated in the process: Portugal, Spain, England, Scotland and France. Nevertheless, the close working relationships between specialists in different nations established through the Working Groups of the Subcommission can offer a marvellous opportunity for such collaboration.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

Jurassic; world heritage; GSSP; natural heritage; geoconservation; stratotypes

• Wydawca: Państwowy Instytut Geologiczny - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy
• Czasopismo: Volumina Jurassica
• Rocznik: 2006
• Tom: Vol. 4, no. 1
• Strony: 253--253

Twórcy

autor

Page K.

autor

Melendez G.

autor

Henriques M.

• School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Science, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK,