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Urban Geodiversity and Decorative Arts: the Curious Case of the “Rudist Tiles” of Lisbon (Portugal)
Abstract and Figures
One key element defining the appearance of Lisbon is the whitish Cretaceous fossiliferous limestone locally known as “liós.” The liós is abundantly used as ornamental stone in Lisbon’s monuments and buildings. Ceramic tiles are also paramount in creating Lisbon’s character. Their ubiquitous presence, their colourful patterns and even the unique way they reflect sunlight make them inextricable from the city’s ambiance. In nineteenth century tiles, the urge to emulate liós—a noble and expensive building material—in building façades led to the use of the trompe l’oeil technique to mimic the appearance of the stone. The representation of the fossiliferous liós pattern is so realistic that Radiolitid and Caprinid rudists may easily be identified. At present, “rudist tiles” are not recognized as such by decorative arts experts. These tile panels are commonly seen as lesser productions depicting indistinct “marbled” patterns and often ignored or even discarded. This novel interpretation of rudist tiles leads to the clear recognition of the liós—a typical element of local geodiversity—depicted in them, thus revealing their uniqueness and close connection with the geodiversity and the cultural ambiance of Lisbon. Hopefully, this will boost the geoawareness of the public and art experts alike, making the need for the geoconservation of the liós and its palaeontological record and the preservation of these tiles as cultural heritage all the more obvious. This example of the influence of geodiversity in the creation of artistic concepts and representations and, consequently, in the shaping of the cultural landscape of Lisbon is all the more important now that the application of Portuguese tiles for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List is being prepared.
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... This concept is particularly important since the 97-million-year-old Liós or Lioz (old spelling) limestone integrates the geoheritage legacy as an ornamental stone used extensively as a widespread construction material in Lisbon and former Portuguese colonies, a status further enhanced by the international designation of Global Heritage Stone Resource (GHSR) conferred by UNESCO (Pereira and Van den Eynde, 2019;Silva, 2019Silva, -2020. It was in 2016 at the International Geological Congress that took place in Cape Town (South Africa), that the IUGS Council ratified the creation of the International Commission for Geoheritage, where both heritage sites and stones working groups would collaborate to spread the importance of geoheritage to the public outside and inside scientific communities (Pereira and Van den Eynde, 2019;Silva, 2017;2019. ...
... The Liós limestone as part of urban geology is a topic that has already been extensively documented (e.g. Marques da Silva, 2017;Silva, 2019Silva, -2020. However, the National Palace of Ajuda, as many other national monuments, has never been the focus to approach its importance. ...
... The Liós was, undoubtedly, a favoured material for building monumental works in Portugal (Pereira de Sousa, 1897;Cachão et al., 2007) as well as in former Portuguese colonies (Silva, 2007(Silva, & 2019Lopes, 2017), being one of its major examples the Convent and Palace of Mafra built during King D. João V's reign in the eighteenth century, which made the rudist limestone, extracted from nearby Pero Pinheiro's quarries, the official 'royal stone' (Lopes, 2017;Silva, 2017Silva, , 2019Silva, -2020. ...
The geological processes that provide building materials as well as the characterization of its lithotypes are commonly overlooked in what concerns the natural and cultural heritage of many historical buildings. The present paper focuses on the use of a particular limestone, the Liós, to build the National Palace of Ajuda located in Lisbon, Portugal. From a mere draft to a Royal residence since 1862, the inner and outer façades of the Portuguese National Palace of Ajuda hold a significant and captivating story about the rocks themselves that add significance to the already rich cultural heritage of the building. The geological nature (fossil assemblages) of the façades of this historical building is here presented, emphasizing the role of the National Palace of Ajuda as a large-scale urban geology patrimony and its importance in terms of geodiversity and geoheritage. Liós is a type of Cretaceous limestone with about 97 million years of age, particularly rich in rudist fossil assemblages, in most cases reflecting paleo-reefs produced by this extinct order of Bivalvia molluscs. The white to pinkish compact microcrystalline Liós limestone was used for centuries to build the city of Lisbon and its surroundings, including Lisbon’s most iconic buildings such as palaces and churches also having an important role during Lisbon’s reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. For this reason, and since the eighteenth century with the construction of the monumental Palace and Convent of Mafra, as well as the fact as being exported to the former Portuguese colonies, the Liós became known as the ‘royal stone,’ extracted from multiple quarries located inside and outside of the urban perimeter of the city of Lisbon. The National Palace of Ajuda adds further information to the Liós limestone since one of its façades shows a small coral head co-occurring with the rudists. This fossil association has never been reported in the Cretaceous (upper Cenomanian) Bica Formation from which the Liós derives. Furthermore, the importance of the Liós limestone as an ornamental stone with widespread use for construction works in Lisbon and former Portuguese colonies was highlighted when it was recognized as a Global Heritage Stone Resource (GHSR) and its recognition can be strengthened with the future establishment of an International Geodiversity Day.
... For some of these, local language literature may have been available earlier, but broadly accessible sources were missing. Places of recent interest include São Paulo [37], Lisbon [38,39], Poznań [40], Segovia [41], Oslo [42], Khorramabad in Iran [43], Brno [34,44], Ljubljana in Slovenia [45], and Zagreb in Croatia [46]. Apart from large cities, small towns are also occasionally evaluated in this context, such as Pruszków in Poland [47]. ...
... A theme in its own right is heritage stone, usually analysed in an urban context (Figure 2c), even though its use in vernacular architecture is also addressed [38,[49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60]. De Wever et al. [50] reviewed the significance of geosites and heritage stones in a more general way, providing numerous examples from European cities of how background geological knowledge may be used to design rock-focused geotrails, leading visitors to famous historical buildings erected from characteristic stones and to the very sites of stone extraction, that is ancient quarries now located within city limits or just outside. ...
Relationships between geoheritage and cultural heritage are being increasingly explored and have become one of the mainstreams within studies of geoheritage and geodiversity. In this review paper, we identify the main and secondary themes at the geoheritage—cultural heritage interface and provide examples of specific topics and approaches. These themes include added cultural value to geoheritage sites, geoheritage in urban spaces, cultural landscapes, and the contribution of geoheritage to their identity, mining and quarrying heritage, linkages with natural disasters, history of science, and art. Intangible cultural heritage is also reviewed in the geoheritage context. In the closing part of the paper, various classifications of geoheritage—cultural heritage linkages are proposed, although it is concluded that themes and fields of inquiry are overlapping and interlinked, rendering one classification system not very feasible. Instead, a mind map to show these diverse connections is offered. The paper closes with recommendations for future studies, arising from this review and the identification of research gaps and under-researched areas.
... Thus, one can explore the history of Earth, study the natural processes, and admire the natural wonders adorning a city, simply by combining sightseeing of human monuments, architectonic structures, and cultural events with geotourism and geoeducation (e.g., Zagożdżon and Zagożdżon, 2016). This specific style of geotourism is known as urban geotourism which is increasingly gaining popularity and is corroborated by world-wide examples, such as Prague (Březinowá et al., 1996) and Brno (Kubalíková et al., 2017) in Czech Republic, Vienna in Austria (Seemann and Summesberger, 1998), Kraków in Poland (Rajchel, 2004), Berlin in Germany (Schroeder, 2006), Lisbon in Portugal (Rodrigues et al., 2011;da Silva, 2019), Mexico City in Mexico (Palacio-Prieto, 2015), São Paulo City in Brazil (Del Lama et al., 2015), Paris in France (De Wever et al., 2017), Torino in Italy (Gambino et al., 2019), and so on. ...
... For Non-Commercial Use Geosites in the cities include wide range of objects such as architectonic structures with vast history and interesting buildings or decorative stones (e.g., Březinowá et al., 1996;Seemann and Summesberger, 1998;Magiera, 2003, 2015;Rajchel, 2004;Schroeder, 2006;Rodrigues et al., 2011;Del Lama et al., 2015;da Silva, 2019), underground cities (e.g., De Wever et al., 2017), parks and gardens (e.g., Palacio-Prieto, 2015;Portal and Kerguillec, 2018), decorative arts, sculptures and structures of the city, even pavements (e.g., Březinowá et al., 1996;Seemann and Summesberger, 1998;Magiera, 2003, 2015;Rajchel, 2004), mines, quarries, and remnants of ore exploitation (e.g., Nita and Myga-Piątek, 2010;Zagożdżon and Zgożdżon, 2016;De Wever et al., 2017;Gaidzik andChmielewska, 2020), landforms (e.g., Palacio-Prieto, 2015), interesting outcrops (e.g., Nita and Myga-Piątek, 2010;Palacio-Prieto, 2015), museum collections (Rajchel, 2004;Słomka et al., 2006;Pieńkowski, 2011;De Wever et al., 2017), cultural events, costumes and practices related to earth processes or structures, and so on. Also, recent advances in mobile technology contribute to the rapid development of specific forms of geotourism, offering a variety of urban geotourism tools, such as mobile applications aiding geotourism (Pica et al., 2018). ...
... Consequently, geodiversity has gained in acceptance and usage among the scientific community over the years (e.g. (Azevêdo 2006;Brilha 2005;Brilha et al. 2018;Burek 2001;Gray et al. 2013;Guthrie 2003;Johansson 2000;Kiernan 1997;Manosso and Nóbrega 2016;Silva 2017;Stanley 2002)). ...
... It would be practically impossible for the Portuguese culture to have arisen in the mountainous regions of the Andean Plateau or in the far north-eastern Siberian tundra, as it would be equally challenging to give rise to the Andean or the Chukchi cultures on the sunny shores of Western Iberia (e.g. (Silva 2017)). ...
The concept of geodiversity is extensively used in geoconservation and geoheritage contexts. Its cultural value, i.e. the value attributed by society to aspects of the abiotic natural environment because of its historical, emotional or community importance, is widely recognised. One important manifestation of the cultural value of geodiversity is the strong bond experienced by humans when interacting with their natural physical environment. These ties to native geodiversity contribute to their sense of place. But how to adequately measure the importance of local abiotic nature in the making of the place identity of a given human community? In this work, municipal heraldry, a widespread and unbiased expression of local identity, is used to empirically show the contribution of geodiversity for the creation of a sense of place in Portuguese local communities. After all, what better display of identity than heraldry? Therefore, in this paper, based on Portuguese contemporary civic symbols, an attempt is made to assess the relative importance of geodiversity in originating place identity based on its representations in municipal emblems. As it turns out, geodiversity depictions are present in 56.2% of the Portuguese municipal coats of arms, corresponding to 18.5% of all the charges represented in municipal insignia. Only the representation of biological elements is more common than that of natural abiotic features, present in 74.4% of the coats of arms and corresponding to 29.6% of all representations. This objectively testifies the importance of geodiversity in the development of place attachment in Portuguese local communities. One could venture to say that even more so than such identity elements as architectural landmarks, local economic activities, historical events, etc., also widely represented in municipal symbols, but in a lesser degree. For humans, the question of “who we are” is inextricably linked to “where we are”, and based on this work, it may be shown that in Portugal geodiversity is a significant part of “who we are”.
... There are now many case studies exploring the urban landscape and the origin and use of building stones through geotours linking scientific, educational and cultural themes (Liccardo et al., 2012;Brocx and Semeniuk, 2017;De Wever et al., 2017;Erikstad et al., 2017;Portal and Kerguillec, 2018), using both conventional and digital methods (Pica et al., 2017). They include London (University College London, 1999, Lisbon (Rodrigues et al., 2011;da Silva, 2017), Madrid (Perez-Monserrat et al., 2013), Mexico City (Palacio-Prieto, 2015), Rome (Pica et al., 2016), São Paulo (Del Lama et al., 2015), Turin (Borghi et al., 2014) and the 'Collection Balades géologiques' published by the Société Géologique de France and the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (http://www.geosoc.fr/publication/boutique-en-ligne/collection-balades-geologiques.html). In the future, such activities could be linked to the Global Heritage Stone initiative which aims to establish a new international designation for important types of natural stone that have been widely used or have acknowledged cultural and architectural recognition (Pereira et al., 2015). ...
... Não nos relacionemos, pois, com estes temas, com a natureza, como se estivéssemos em casa, confortavelmente instalados no sofá, assistindo a um documentário sobre os rituais de acasalamento da Todos estes aspectos estão intimamente ligados com a geodiversidade e a biodiversidade do nosso entorno natural, incluindo na geodiversidade aspectos como o contexto geográfi co e as condições climáticas. Seria complicado desenvolver a cultura portuguesa tal como a conhecemos nos confi ns da fl oresta amazónica (Silva, 2019b). Até a nossa história é moldada pela geodiversidade. ...
A 6 de Outubro de 2022 assinalou-se, pela primeira vez,
o Dia Internacional da Geodiversidade. Trata-se de uma iniciativa
Unesco que tem como objectivo dar visibilidade à natureza
abiótica, ou seja, àquela vertente da natureza que não faz parte
do mundo vivo. Pretende-se assim promover a sua conservação e
fomentar a consciencialização da sua relevância para a preservação
dos ecossistemas terrestres e para a sobrevivência da Humanidade.
Costuma dizer-se: “Olhos que não vêem, coração que
não sente”. O problema da geodiversidade (até agora) é que,
apesar de estar bem à vista de todos, ainda não é vista.
Ou seja, a geodiversidade é óbvia, mas se não for mostrada,
não será reconhecida e, mais importante, não será entendida.
Em suma, feliz Dia Internacional da Geodiversidade!
... En este caso cabe destacar alguno ligado al propio concepto de patrimonio geológico y su vinculación al ámbito urbano, cuyo aprovechamiento puede venir dado por el reciente geoturismo urbano, que adapta herramientas del geoturismo tradicional a dichos ámbitos. Por ejemplo, a través de geo-caminatas o geo-senderos, en los que se alude a la riqueza geológica de elementos ornamentales o monumentales de la ciudad (Da Silva, 2019;Kubalíková et al., 2017). ...
El creciente interés que está generando el patrimonio geológico pone de relieve la necesidad de evaluar su producción científica. Por ello, en el presente trabajo se ha realizado una revisión bibliográfica sobre dicha temática. Concretamente, la metodología empleada se ha sustentado en la búsqueda exhaustiva por palabras clave. Para los artículos españoles se han empleado las bases de datos bibliográficas del Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales del CSIC y Dialnet y para los publicados en revistas internacionales se han utilizado las bases de datos bibliográficas de Scopus, la Web of Science y Google Scholar. En el apartado de resultados se ofrece un análisis diacrónico de la producción científica, su origen académico, científico y espacial, los temas específicos abordados y las revistas que participan en la publicación y difusión de los conocimientos y avances sobre patrimonio. Los resultados se ofrecen de forma sintética, no sólo a partir de gráficos y tablas, sino también mediante el empleo de cartografía. Como conclusión destacable, conviene subrayar la consolidación de la investigación sobre el patrimonio geológico.
... Furthermore, it should be noted that the abiotic resources of most of these territories are prone to numerous threats and human disturbances (e.g., urbanisation, deforestation, intensive agriculture, mineral extraction) (Bétard et al., 2018). Hence, it is essential to consider that geodiversity cannot simply be found in the countryside but also urban and cultural environments, being urban geodiversity a necessary tool for disseminating and awareness of Earth Sciences and geoheritage (da Silva, 2019;Kubalíková et al., 2020). ...
Geodiversity is the variety of earth materials, forms and processes that constitute and shape the Earth planet. Therefore, geodiversity includes essential for developing nature-based solutions and must be adequately characterised. This research aims to evaluate the geodiversity of Mainland Ecuador by estimating a Geodiversity Index, which is the sum of five partial indexes (Lithological, Geomorphological, Paleontological, Pedological, and Mineral occurrences), in a 25 × 25 km grid. In addition, the study shows and analyses the geodiversity index map obtained as a basis for the development of policies for the use and conservation of geodiversity. The cartography developed generally illustrates the distribution of the geological diversity existing in Ecuador. Specifically, the ranges of the indices reached in the geodiversity map, including the medium, high, and very high categories, corresponding to 47.52% of the extension of Ecuador using the Pereira method and to 52.91% using the procedure proposed in this study. These special categories are located mainly along the Andes Mountain range and in the newly formed mountain ranges in the coastal zone. In addition, these categories defined in the geodiversity map coincide, spatially, with the main initiatives of geoparks and geo-routes catalogued in the country. The maps generated and the estimated indices represent relevant tools in territorial planning and calculated future geoconservation strategies. Furthermore, a series of initiatives are proposed to develop a policyfavouring the characterisation, use and protection of geodiversity.
... City centres have an important historical, cultural and social value, and usage of natural stone as traditional building materials, as well as construction techniques, represent important tourist attractions and part of urban geoheritage (e.g. Moshammer et al. 2014;Kramar et al. 2015;da Silva 2017;Zoghlami et al. 2017;Habibi et al. 2018; Freire-Lista and Fort 2019) which need to be preserved for future generations (Mısırlısoy and Günçe 2016). Finally, the whole idea concerning basic knowledge on types and usage of natural stones should be creative and include a cultural and artistic aspect, to show not only the history of a place or a city but also the fundamental geological history of the area. ...
Natural stones, their origin and usage represent a segment of geoheritage. They not only represent natural value and beauty in their in situ areas but also bring their qualities closer to all of us in the ex situ places, where these stones are used. Knowledge about certain rock types, their age and origin, as well as exploitation methods, can give additional information on their importance and preservation. This knowledge should not be connected only with scientific work or displayed in museums but should be available daily to people of all ages and interests. Croatia is a country rich in sedimentary rocks due to its geological history. Therefore, natural stones represent valuable Croatian geoheritage and Zagreb urban geoheritage. Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is a city in which strong connection of the building stones used in the city and geology of the area can be seen from the historical usage of local rocks, mainly from the quarries in the area of the nearby Medvednica Mt. Other commonly used natural stones include mostly limestones, which are exploited from quarries in southern parts of Croatia (Istria and Dalmatia), like various types of rudist limestones (Veselje unito, Veselje fiorito, Rasotica), oncolytic and stylolithic limestones and Lithiotis limestones. Magmatic stone varieties are not exploited in Croatia, but their beauty, quality and common usage in modern times contribute to the geoheritage in general. This paper presents an overview of varieties of different natural stones, their usage and contribution to Croatian geoheritage and their potential for the promotion of urban geoheritage and geotourism in the City of Zagreb.
... This is the case of all ex-situ forms, as these represent unique geological features moved and/or installed by humans. For instance, building, decorative and ornamental stonesare among very typical geoheritage of this sort [53,[74][75][76][77]. Although these can be essentially natural (e.g., granites, limestones or sandstones), their occurrence in a given construction reflects human activity and sometimes such an occurrence increases heritage value. ...
The growth of interest in the Anthropocene has coincided with the rise of geoheritage research and these ideas seem to be mutually enriching. However, very few previous investigations were devoted to the Anthropocene geoheritage. The conceptual treatment of the geoheritage classification demonstrates that the majority of geoheritage types and forms are relevant to the Anthropocene. From types, the most relevant are the stratigraphical, economical and geomorphological types, which include, for instance, such unique objects as the Anthropocene global stratotype candidate sections, exploited ore deposits and man-made landforms, respectively. Ex-situ forms (such as museum collections) and many in-situ forms (such as quarries and roadcuts) result from the geological-scale activity of humans. The practical importance of the strong Anthropocene–geoheritage relationship is linked to communication of Anthropocene-related knowledge and better research coordination. Importantly, geosites and geopaks themselves manifest human influence on the global geological environment, that is, their establishment among the Anthropocene-related forces.
... Stone elements in towns and the role they play have already been described many times, considering various aspects. These peculiar georesources are valuable examples of geological heritage (=geosites) occurring in towns (Rubinowski & Wójcik, 1978;Migoń, 2012;Dowling, 2013;Del Monte et al., 2013;Lollino et al., 2015;Pica et al., 2015;Zagożdżon & Zagożdżon, 2016;Chylińska & Kołodziejczyk, 2018;Brocx & Semeniuk, 2019;Pereira & Van den Eynde, 2019;da Silva, 2019). Palacio-Prieto (2015) defines urban geosites as the places representing geological or geomorphological values, formed as a result of geological processes or created by man but closely connected with geology. ...
The geological heritage of Pruszków, although with an easy access, remains beyond the knowledge and consciousness of its inhabitants. Besides the short description of the area’s geodiversity, the article presents ten large erratic boulders and other stone elements occurring in the town. It is indicated that they have high scientific, educational, cultural-historical, and – not less important – aesthetic values. The promotion of these values can stimulate the development of urban geotourism. Geoconservation activities can contribute to the creating the image of the town, in which the principles of sustainable development are taken into account.
... Taking inspiration from previous experiences, to which others have been added over time as highlighted in the references list [29][30][31][32][33][34] some already tested items were proposed in the exhibition. One of the most successful approaches is to highlight and illustrate some of the stones used for historical buildings [35,36]. The identification of petrographic characteristics is the starting point to expand the information linked to the paleoenvironmental conditions. ...
Multimedia materials represent a promising approach to the promotion of geoheritage. Despite geology being normally associated with natural environments, new tendencies are noted towards better knowledge of the "geological reason" for the selection of a location and the development of urban settlements. The urban environment is, in fact, a perfect laboratory for opening the scientific topics to a broad audience. In this paper, the experience of a geological exhibition organized in the city of Perugia (Umbria, central Italy) is discussed, highlighting the SECRET (SEe and CREaTe) for creating an effective dissemination activity. Panels, interactive tools, laboratories, and trekking tours outside the museum are the main activities, which hosted more than eight thousand visitors in a few months. Moreover, the exhibition was the starting point for ongoing projects on geotourism in the city, with important consequences in terms of visibility and financial return.
... Taking inspiration from previous experiences, to which others have been added over time as highlighted in the references list [29][30][31][32][33][34] some already tested items were proposed in the exhibition. One of the most successful approaches is to highlight and illustrate some of the stones used for historical buildings [35,36]. The identification of petrographic characteristics is the starting point to expand the information linked to the paleoenvironmental conditions. ...
Multimedia materials represent a promising approach for the Geoheritage promotion. Despite Geology is normally associated with natural environments, new tendencies are projected towards a better knowledge of the “geological reason” for the location and the development of urban settlements. The urban environment is, in fact, a perfect “laboratory” for opening the scientific topics to a broad audience. In this paper the experience of a geological exhibition organized in the town of Perugia city (Umbria, central Italy) is illustrated, highlighting the SECRET (SEe and CREaTe) for an effective dissemination activity. Panels, interactive tools, laboratories and trekking tours outside the museum represent the main activities, which counted more than eight thousand visitors in a few months. Moreover, the exhibition was the starting point for ongoing projects on geotourism in the city with important consequences in terms of visibility and financial return.
A geodiversity assessment is one of the basic steps in the development of geoprotection activities. It is important to establish parameters that quantify the elements and locations of abiotic nature. Here, the focus is on those who are richer than the average population. In doing so, it is possible to manage areas for the protection of important geoheritage and develop sustainable activities, e.g., geotourism. The monitored territory (Slovenské rudohorie Mts.) lies in southeast Slovakia and occupies an area of 4986 km2. The geodiversity assessment is based on overlaying a grid onto different maps at a scale of 1:500,000, where the final geodiversity index is the sum of six indices calculated in 5 × 5 km grid squares. These indices consist of a geological index, a geomorphological index (composed of two sub-indices: geomorphological subdivision and morphological–morphometric types), a hydrological index (composed of three sub-indices: the type of aquifer, the density of the river network, and the occurrence of springs and mineral waters), a soil index, a tectonic index, and a mineral resources index (composed of four sub-indices: the occurrence of ore, non-ore, construction, and energy resources). The resulting geodiversity index map is presented in the form of five isoline classes: very high (10% of the monitored area), high (28%), medium (32%), low (23%), and very low (7%). The geodiversity map of the territory of the Slovenské rudohorie Mts., together with the indices, creates a useful tool for conservation, management, sustainability programs, and education at the national level. However, Slovak legislation does not mention the concept of geodiversity, its protection, valuation, restoration, or responsible usage. Only its specific forms and processes are preserved as a natural resource supporting biodiversity. Considering the mineralogical richness of the area, some locations with a very high geodiversity may be the focus of mineral exploration. It is very important to set up appropriate landscape management for these sites. Valuable geotopes located in biodiversity cold spots that are not subject to protection within the state’s nature protection program should be considered as small protected areas (up to 1000 ha) at the fourth or fifth level of protection under Act No. 543/2002 Coll. or could form the core areas of a possible Geopark.
Este trabalho resultou de uma mesa-redonda, realizada online, com a participação de professores e investigadores, tendo como ponto de partida o artigo "A geodiversidade urbana como recurso educativo" da autoria de Carlos Marques da Silva e Sofia Pereira, publicado em 2021 na Revista de Ciência Elementar. No artigo, recorre-se aos aspetos de geodiversidade presentes em ambiente urbano contribuindo para a eliminação da visão fragmentada e reducionista da natureza que separa a biodiversidade da geodiversidade. Nesta mesa-redonda estiveram presentes um investigador (primeiro autor do artigo), dois professores de Biologia e Geologia dos ensinos básico e secundário com experiência em abordagens pedagógicas que integram o conceito de geodiversidade urbana e dois editores da APEduC Revista. A conversa foi orientada com base em três questões: a) Quais as ideias principais apresentadas no artigo, qual o seu contexto, motivação, relevância e potencial impacto desta proposta do conceito de geodiversidade urbana como recurso educativo? b) Tendo em conta o vasto conhecimento desenvolvido pela investigação nesta área e o facto de a geodiversidade ser, ainda assim, um conceito pouco explorado nos currículos escolares, como poderá a comunidade de investigadores apoiar os professores para que possam fazer uso dos aspetos da geodiversidade urbana enquanto recursos educativos? c) Como poderemos perspetivar em conjunto uma agenda para a relação investigação-prática, na área da geodiversidade, em particular dos aspetos associados à geodiversidade urbana, de modo a potenciar uma visão holística e integradora dos aspetos biológicos e geológicos no mundo natural, tendo como horizonte os Objetivos para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável? A mesa-redonda decorreu durante cerca de duas horas e nela se refletiram questões importantes sobre a necessidade de encontrar um equilíbrio e promover abordagens educativas, nas escolas, mas também fora delas, que façam uso do conceito de geodiversidade, enquanto fio condutor, para que ele possa ser tão útil na Geologia, como o de biodiversidade é para a Biologia. Falta-nos pôr em prática novas metáforas, como a da sustentabilidade geológica, que à semelhança da sustentabilidade biológica, nos permitam, (re)pensar as ligações entre geodiversidade e biodiversidade em contexto urbano, para, a partir daí, aprofundar e integrar estas vertentes no Ensino das Ciências.
A revista Terr@ Plural tem a missão de publicar artigos científicos relacionados à área de Gestão do Território que contribuam com o desenvolvimento do conhecimento teórico e metodológico deste campo de saber. Além disso, visa estimular o debate acadêmico daqueles que atuam na temática e ampliar as relações com profissionais de outras regiões do Brasil e do exterior. A revista é uma publicação semestral e é composta pelas seções de artigos e resenhas.
El creciente interés generado por el patrimonio geológico y la geoconservación pone de relieve la necesidad de evaluar su producción científica. Por ello, en esta investigación se realiza una revisión bibliográfica sobre dicha temática. La metodología se ha basado en la búsqueda por palabras clave en las siguientes bases de datos bibliográficas: el Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales del CSIC, Dialnet, Scopus, Web of Sciences y Google Scholar. En el apartado de resultados se ofrece un análisis diacrónico de la producción científica, su origen académico, científico y espacial, los temas abordados y las revistas que participan en la publicación y difusión de los conocimientos y avances sobre el patrimonio geológico. Los resultados se ofrecen de forma sintética, no sólo a partir de gráficos y tablas, sino también mediante el empleo de cartografía. Como conclusión, cabe destacar que el patrimonio geológico se está afianzando como tema de interés en diferentes áreas de conocimiento.
In the study of past cityscapes, the inclusion of geodiversity and geomorphological dynamics can help in understanding the history of a settlement since before its foundation, and highlight the landscape processes involved in their cultural decline. In turn, this approach can give the opportunity to engage with a non-expert public on the themes of landscape and climate change at a global and local level. This work is a first step in exploring the geoheritage potential of the archaeo-geosite of Nora in southern Sardinia, a seaport of great importance during the Punic and Roman periods. The reconstruction of its Late Quaternary landscape history, especially of sea level change, would bring examples and guidelines on how to valorise the interaction between cultural heritage and geoheritage in archaeo-geosites. It would also enhance communication of geomorphological and climate issues. Landforms and stratigraphic sequences show the influence of sea level changes since Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. The passage from cemented coastal deposits to pedogenised fluvial sediments indicate lower sea levels during later stadial periods, up to a progressive land regression since the passage to the Holocene. Sea level rise impacted on the city of Nora in several ways during its development and later abandonment. Human structures now submerged show evidence of shielding against a progressively more damaging wave action. The visible effects of landscape processes on past urban settings would provide an effective tool to visualise the impact of landscape change on the lifestyle of human communities, and understand the potential associated risks.
Sidewalks are not a trivial topic. They are a fundamental element of streets, the main public spaces in urban environments. In modern cities, paving materials are mostly artificial. In Portugal, stone-paved sidewalks are still prevalent and quite characteristic. Walking down a street, you do not need to lift your eyes off the ground to know you are in Portugal. In nineteenth-century Lisbon, a new type of pavement was introduced, the calçada portuguesa, the Portuguese artistic pavement mainly made with white and black limestone or basalt. This pavement is examined herein. More than simply highlighting its geological components, the different meanings and values of the calçada will be discussed from a semiotic perspective. It will also be debated how this geocultural heritage asset became key in shaping the city’s image. How it boosted Lisbon’s memorability, thus generating a strong sense of place among its inhabitants. So much so that these days the calçada patterns are everywhere, from table ware to post stamps, and even on socks. And yet, the long-term survival of the artistic pavement may be in peril. To ensure its preservation, the calçada portuguesa was recently included in the Portuguese Cultural Heritage list, a crucial step towards UNESCO world heritage status. However, in the document ratifying its newly attained status, the geological component of the pavement is mostly neglected. To maximize the conservation effort, the many meanings and heritage values of the calçada, namely the geological ones, should be actively involved, this work hopefully contributing to this end. Available online at https://rdcu.be/cUwk6
This study aims to reveal existing geosites in vulnerable rudist fossil areas in SE Turkey through an assessment of geoconservation,
geotourism, and geoeducation. Two paleobiogeographically diverse areas located within the extent of the SE Turkey
Carbonate Platform were selected as study sites: the Alidamı–Kahta, Adıyaman District, and the Yayladağı-Hatay District.
We highlight the importance of the rudists in the geological record by pointing out the outstanding Upper Cretaceous outcrops
in these localities. This study is based on features consisting of field observations, mapping, and measured stratigraphic
sections, both geological and folk cultural. The methodology of this study includes scientific, geoheritage, geoconservation
and geotourism characterization, and assessment of the selected areas. We highlight the proposal to consider this unique
geoconservation as geoheritage, as well as geotourism and geoeducational potential. The composition of beneficial elements
with different characteristics (e.g., geological, archeological, ethnographic, and socio-historical backgrounds) could allow
sustainable management and local development plans.
This study aims to reveal existing geosites in vulnerable rudist fossil areas in SE Turkey through an assessment of geoconservation, geotourism, and geoeducation. Two paleobiogeographically diverse areas located within the extent of the SE Turkey Carbonate Platform were selected as study sites: the Alidamı–Kahta, Adıyaman District, and the Yayladağı-Hatay District. We highlight the importance of the rudists in the geological record by pointing out the outstanding Upper Cretaceous outcrops in these localities. This study is based on features consisting of field observations, mapping, and measured stratigraphic sections, both geological and folk cultural. The methodology of this study includes scientific, geoheritage, geoconservation and geotourism characterization, and assessment of the selected areas. We highlight the proposal to consider this unique geoconservation as geoheritage, as well as geotourism and geoeducational potential. The composition of beneficial elements with different characteristics (e.g., geological, archeological, ethnographic, and socio-historical backgrounds) could allow sustainable management and local development plans.
To provide a more holistic approach to the conservation of ecosystem services (ES) there is a need to further develop our understanding of how features of biotic and abiotic nature, as well as people and society, interact to provide them. However, the role of geodiversity – the diversity of geology, geomorphology, sediments and soils and hydrology – is overlooked in ES literature and frameworks. Furthermore, geosystem services (GS) – the services that geodiversity provides in isolation of interactions with biotic nature – are also currently underrepresented in ES science.
This thesis will focus on the role of geodiversity in providing cultural ecosystem services (CES), in particular how we interact with geodiversity when undertaking recreational actives. Here, social media datasets from the website Flickr and, for the first time in the field of CES, Reddit are used to assess human-nature interactions through a range of analytical methods including image content analysis, textual sentiment analysis and distribution modelling. The results of these methods contribute to our understanding of both the complex relationship between geodiversity and CES and to the applications of social media data to CES studies.
First, the empirical methods highlight that geodiversity is important at driving both the distribution of CES as well as the positive experience of the activity undertaken. It is demonstrated that geomorphological features, such as topography, and hydrological features, such as coastal waters and lakes, play an important role in determining the distribution and experience of the recreational activity of hiking. The results also highlight the complex relationships between geodiversity and biodiversity features, such as trees and plants, as well as between geodiversity and human-made features, such as trails and roads, in providing CES. The results of these studies can help inform future geoconservation management with the aim of promoting the sustainable use of geodiversity to ensure the future of the ES it provides.
Second, this work advances current uses of social media data by providing novel methods of obtaining data through an accessible R package, photosearcher, as well as informing on the best practice for enriching social media datasets. Furthermore, we investigate Reddit as a novel source of data for CES and demonstrate its usefulness in assessing a range of CES.
It is suggested that future work continues to investigate the role of geodiversity on ES, using both social media data and other analytical methods, to better inform the holistic conservation of ES for now and for future generations.
The landscape of Rio de Janeiro manifests a controversial relationship between urbanization and geodiversity, which can be unveiled through geotouristic tours around the city. The local geodiversity set limits and provided possibilities for the occupation of the city, as observed in the transformations during its urbanization and in the presence of rocks and fossils of different origins in the local buildings and monuments. To stimulate the conservation and dissemination of the Natural and Cultural Heritage, the Geotouristic Tour by the Historic Center of the City of Rio de Janeiro was structured to highlight the relationships between geodiversity and urbanization through the integration of Geosciences, History, and Arts
We provide a brief account of the building stone geology and architectural development of a stone wall that features as part of the Lighthouse Hotel in Bunbury, Western Australia (WA). Our purpose is to highlight the ‘big ideas’ of geology contained in the key building stones of the hotel’s walls, which are visible to passing tourists. We also investigate the architecture, art and cultural stories of the Lighthouse Hotel and the role they have in fostering the future development of geotourism in Bunbury and the South West region of Western Australia.
Inventory and assessment of urban geomorphological heritage as a fundamental necessity and prerequisite for urban geotourism development are the main purposes of this research. Accordingly, the present study has been carried out in Khorramabad City, Iran. This research has been conducted using inventory and quantitative assessment of urban geomorphological heritage through fieldwork and (Brilha Geoheritage 8 (2):119–134, 2016) method with modification for urban geomorphosites. The results showed that among the 32 geomorphosites inventoried in karstic, fluvial, tectonic, anthropogenic and specific geomorphosites categories, the Falak-ol-Aflak Castle Hill has the highest score in all three scientific, educational and geotourism criteria. The highest degradation risk due to urban development is in the Absharan Valley. The lowest scientific, educational and geotourism value is related to the Masur Hill, Robat River and Gilvaran Cave respectively and the lowest degradation risk is related to the Gilvaran Cave. The total value of the geomorphosites varies between scores of 28 and 94 in all criteria. In general, in all three criteria, most urban geomorphosites are of high value, indicating the high potential of Khorramabad City for urban geotourism development. Further, due to intensive human activities in the city proper and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, they often require special protection; hence, paying attention to the conservation status of these geomorphosites is essential for preserving their scientific, educational and geotourism values.
در سالهای اخیر ایدههای میراث ژئومورفولوژیک شهری و ژئوتوریسم شهری در بین دانشمندان و متخصصان، اهمیت زیادی یافته است. این در حالی است که مخاطرات انسانی مؤثر بر محیط طبیعی شهرها، موجب آسیب، تخریب و تهدید میراث ژئومورفولوژیکی شهری شده است؛ بنابراین ارزیابی میراث ژئومورفولوژیکی شهری و ارائۀ یک برنامۀ حفاظتی، ضرورتی بنیادی و لازمۀ توسعۀ ژئوتوریسم شهری پایدار بوده و هدف اصلی این تحقیق است. پژوهش حاضر بهصورت موردی در شهر خرمآباد انجام گرفت. این تحقیق با رویکردی یکپارچه و نوآورانه از طریق تلفیق مطالعات میدانی، ارزیابی کمّی میراث ژئومورفولوژیکی، بررسی عوامل آسیب و تخریب و در نهایت ارائۀ یک برنامۀ حفاظتی برای نخستین بار صورت گرفته است. دادههای تحقیق بیشتر از طریق مطالعات میدانی، منابع تصویری و نقشههای موضوعی تهیه شده است. ابزارهای مورد استفاده نیز شامل نقشههای موضوعی، ابزارهای میدانی و نرمافزارARC GIS 10.6 است. برای تجزیهوتحلیل از مدل پیکا و همکاران (2017) برای ارزیابی ژئومورفوسایتها و از کارهای میدانی نیز برای بررسی مخاطرات انسانی مؤثر بر آنها و ارائۀ برنامۀ حفاظتی بهره گرفته شده است. نتایج نشان داد که از میان 33 ژئومورفوسایت ارزیابیشده، تپۀ فلکالافلاک با 25، مخملکوه با 24 و تنگ شبیخون با 22 امتیاز، بیشترین امتیاز را برای توسعۀ ژئوتوریسم شهری کسب کردند. در بین مخاطرات تهدیدکنندۀ میراث ژئومورفولوژیکی، بیشترین سهم بهترتیب مربوط به راهسازی، ساختوساز در کوهپایهها و رهاسازی زبالهها و پسماندها در محدودۀ ژئومورفوسایتهاست؛ بنابراین در تحقیق حاضر یک چارچوب حفاظتی در پنج بخش ایجاد حمایت سازمانی، ارزیابی، شناخت مخاطرات، اقدامات حفاظتی و پایش برای حفاظت میراث ژئومورفولوژیکی و توسعۀ پایدار ژئوتوریسم شهری خرمآباد ارائه شده است.
The practice of tourism in urban areas exploring geological aspects is called urban geotourism. Despite the possibility of finding natural rock outcrops in a city, urban geotourism has more bias toward built heritage, focused on stone materials. Cemeterial geotourism and ecclesiastical geotourism are branches of this activity. Cemeteries and churches all over the world have a very diverse petrographic collection, and this information could be explored in the itineraries of the existing visits, enriching the tour and contributing to the dissemination of geosciences. Urban geotourism is still underexplored in Brazil, but these geotrails are gradually emerging. The present work explores the potential of cemeteries and churches, both in Brazil and abroad, as appropriate places to know one of the most important building materials: stone.
Geotourism is based especially on geodiversity, but it also uses the cultural-historical aspects of an area, it is linked to the education and counts with active engagement of the local people. Currently, geotourism is developed mainly within rural areas, but there are activities that point on the geodiversity and its importance within urban areas. Rational and sustainable use of geodiversity within urban areas can represent an alternative to the traditional tourist destinations and contributes to the understanding of the importance and necessity of protection of geodiversity itself. Geodiversity, respectively geoheritage within urban areas does not include only issues of primary (natural) geodiversity (substrate, landforms, soils), but also anthropogenic landforms and processes (secondary geodiversity), hydrological features (wells, millraces) and geodiversity ex-situ (museum collections, building material). The paper presents this new form of tourism, gives the examples of good practice and focuses on geodiversity/geoheritage within the Brno city.
A Bacia Lusitaniana1 é uma bacia sedimentar que se desenvolveu na Margem Ocidental Ibérica (MOI2) durante parte do Mesozóico, e a sua dinâmica enquadra-se no contexto da fragmentação da Pangeia, mais especificamente da abertura do Atlântico Norte. Caracteriza-se como uma bacia distensiva, pertencente a uma margem continental do tipo atlântico de rift não vulcânica.
Ocupa mais de 20 000 km2 na parte central da MOI, alongando-se por cerca de 200 km segundo direcção aproximada NNW-SSE e por mais de 100 km na direcção perpendicular; cerca de 2/3 aflora na área continental emersa e a restante área, encontra-se imersa, na plataforma continental (fig. 1). Trata-se da única bacia das margens do Atlântico Norte com extensa exposição superficial, pelo que tem atraído nas últimas décadas um número considerável de geólogos, especialistas de variados domínios, para a realização de trabalhos de investigação integrados em equipas nacionais e internacionais, muitos delas ligadas à indústria do petróleo. Ao longo das várias décadas de prospecção foram efectuadas cerca de 50 sondagens profundas e mais de 37 000 km de perfis sísmicos de reflexão 2D.
IntroductionThe biota of rudist formationsDepositional fabrics of rudist formationsPhysiography of rudist formationsThe stratigraphical history of Cretaceous rudist formationsHydrocarbon prospectivity of rudist formationsConclusions
AcknowledgementsReferences
The use of geotouristic trails will be an efficient means of publicising geosciences. The proposal here is a trail in the old centre of São Paulo City, Brazil, describing the main types of stones that have ornamented buildings since the nineteenth century when São Paulo ceased to be a city of taipa (rammed earth) buildings and became the masonry city of the republic. Itaquera Granite is one of the most important stones in the ornamentation of the floors and facades in this new phase of construction in the city of São Paulo. Later, other types of stones were used, such as the Mauá, Ubatuba, Itupeva and Piracaia granites, as well as imported stones, such as travertine and lioz limestone. There is also a discussion of the influence of geomorphology in the establishment of the former urban core, with the location of the so-called Historic Triangle at higher topographic levels. This paper discusses the history and evolution of São Paulo City and its relation to the local geology.
The inventory and quantitative assessment of the most valuable occurrences of geodiversity are essential steps in any geoconservation strategy and in the establishment of priorities in site management. Despite the existence of many site inventories applied to different scales (countries, municipalities, parks, etc.), the criteria used for their selection are often unclear and poorly defined. This paper proposes a new approach to the concepts of geosite and geodiversity site and reviews the procedures used in the development of a systematic site inventory applied to different scales and values. Procedures to achieve a numerical evaluation of the value and degradation risk of sites are reviewed and new criteria are proposed. Finally, guidelines are presented, bearing in mind the preparation of effective geodiversity inventories, to support geoparks’ strategies. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding and use of the above-mentioned concepts, which are essential for the implementation of geoconservation actions worldwide.
Geosites, or sites of geological and geomorphological
interest, are not restricted to rural, open or outdoor areas.
Valuable geoheritage examples can be found as well in urban
spaces. An urban geosite can be defined simply as a site of
geological or geomorphological interest within a city and may
be natural, derived from geological processes or man-made
structures where representative types of rocks were used for
their construction. They may also represent a place of interest
associated with representative geological and geomorphological
processes related to the development of the urban area
itself. In this paper, three urban geosites within Mexico City
are described: an ecological reserve, an emblematic historical
building in the old centre of the city and an archaeological
area. All sites show the relation between geologygeomorphology
and society in this urban space. The paper
aims to promote the geological and geomorphological heritage
within cities and the knowledge of earth sciences among
members of the general and specialized public.
As reflected in the ecosystem approach, conservation strategies for the natural environment are responding to society's needs and the changing climate. Ecosystem assessments, particularly the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the UK National Ecosystem Assessment, have reviewed the benefits that society gains from the natural environment, but they under-represent and undervalue the contribution of geodiversity. Geodiversity underpins and delivers many vital ecosystem services, informs their management and is an important element of natural capital. This includes the application of knowledge of physical processes and evidence from Quaternary archives of recent environmental change to help future-proof ecosystems and their services. Key principles include working with natural processes, based on understanding their spatial and temporal dynamics, and adopting where possible soft engineering practices to enable multiple benefits for nature and society. The ecosystem approach and the need for climate change adaptation require more integrated approaches to geodiversity, biodiversity and landscape conservation and management to enable a more sustainable future. Engaging with these issues will also demonstrate the wider relevance today of geodiversity and geoconservation. Contributing successfully in these critical areas requires closer partnership working, both across the geoscience and geoconservation communities, and with other sectors of nature conservation, policy makers, planners and communities, as well as other disciplines. Geoscience has an essential contribution to make in addressing knowledge gaps recognised in ecosystem assessment and in implementing robust solutions to broader environmental, economic and social issues.
According to UN data, today, the majority of the world's population lives in cities. City people, typically, are sedentary, highly dependent on their urban environment, and easily loose touch with the natural world beyond city limits. Hence, urban pedestrian tours aimed at the observation of palaeontological and geological aspects are paramount for promoting public awareness about geological issues and about the values of geodiversity. The "Fossils around the corner" walking tour in downtown Lisbon, is a perfect example of this. The observation and interpretation of geological and palaeontological aspects that not simply occur in the city but are also part of it, merging together in it's buildings and in it's urban structure, literally forming the foundations of Lisbon, makes it easy for the general public to understand the importance
of Geology and geodiversity, and its intimate connection with Culture and every day urban life. The direct
observation of fossils of rudist bivalves and Nerinea gastropods, as well as Thalassinoides trace fossils, among others, in the ornamental stone and building materials used in Lisbon’s buildings and monuments, as well as learning that the city’s unmistakably morphology – Lisbon is known as “the city of the seven hills” – is
shaped by the underlying geological structure, for example, makes it evident for the participants that
the character of Lisbon, as well as that of any other town, is inextricably connected with the geological
features of the region where it has been erected. By means of walking tours like this one it is possible to
show to city residents, without forcing them out of their familiar “habitat”, basic aspects of geology and,
more important, to make them understand the fundamental value of geodiversity and the need for its
preservation, in a wider context of respect for diversity in general, and for the fragile and dynamic balance
linking both natural (geological and biological) and cultural diversity.
Portugal produces a great diversity of ornamental stones. Besides the internationally known white and pink marbles, also light cream limestones are produced, as well as grey, yellow and pink granites, and dark grey slates. From these, limestones are the most request variety today, especially by the Chinese market.
An 8 million year record of subtropical and midlatitude shelf-sea temperatures, derived from oxygen isotopes of well-preserved brachiopods from a variety of European sections, demonstrates a long-term Cenomanian temperature rise (16-20degreesC, midlatitudes) that reached its maximum early in the late Turonian (23degreesC, midlatitudes). Superimposed on the long-term trend, shelf-sea temperatures vary at shorter timescales in relation to global carbon cycle perturbations. In the mid-Cenomanian and the late Turonian, two minor shelf-sea cooling events (2-3degreesC)coincide with carbon cycle perturbations and times of high-amplitude sea level falls. Although this evidence supports the hypothesis of potential glacioeustatic effects on Cretaceous sea level, the occurrence of minimum shelf-sea temperatures within transgressive beds argues for regional changes in shelf-sea circulation as the most plausible mechanism. The major carbon cycle event in the latest Cenomanian (oceanic anoxic event 2) is accompanied by a substantial increase in shelf-sea temperatures (45degreesC) that occurred similar to150 kyr after the commencement of the delta(13)C excursion and is related to the spread of oceanic conditions in western European shelf-sea basins. Our oxygen isotope record and published delta(18)O data of pristinely preserved foraminifera allow the consideration of North Atlantic surface water properties in the Cenomanian along a transect from the tropics to the midlatitudes. On the basis of fossil-derived delta(18)O, estimated deltaw ranges, and modeled salinities, temperature-salinity-density ranges were estimated for tropical, subtropical, and midlatitude surface waters. Accordingly, the Cenomanian temperate shelf-seas waters have potentially the highest surface water density and could have contributed to North Atlantic intermediate to deep waters in the preopening stage of the equatorial Atlantic gateway.
The concepts of biodiversity and ecosystem services have become widely established and adopted within and beyond nature conservation circles. But biotic nature is only part of nature. The existence and importance of abiotic nature often goes unrecognized and is certainly undervalued. This Comment tries to redress the balance by outlining some recent developments in valuing and conserving abiotic nature, particularly the important concepts of geodiversity and geosystem services.
This paper shows how geological heritage can be evaluated using an open system of values or contents displayed by the geological
objects. Contents are designated as indicial, documental, iconographic, symbolic, scenic, and conceptual. Their qualification
depends on both the relevance of the meaning attributed to the objects by scientific communities (defined as relevance grade) and the public understanding of such meanings related to the social use of the objects (defined as abstract perceptiveness). Contents are ranked into three categories of increasing importance. They are rank I—indicial contents; rank II—documental,
iconographic, and symbolic contents; and rank III—conceptual and scenic contents. A higher category (rank IV) is available
for a feature with universal content, for example, geological heritage in outer space.
Today, more people live in urban areas than in rural ones. Hence, there is a strong case for using urban geodiversity, rocks, fossils, landforms, etc., in outdoor geological educational and geoawareness activities. On the other hand, the present-day world is deeply influenced by technology. Smartphones, GPS-capable devices, tablet computers, and Internet access are widely available technologies to an increasingly large portion of the world’s population. Therefore, why not combine the two facts expressed above – mostly urban population with access to technology – and use them in outdoor geoeducational and geoawareness activities in urban areas and also in natural environments? In this work, a series of activities and experiments in geoeducation and geoawareness actions using commonly available technology, set both in urban and natural environments, will be presented and briefly discussed. These activities have been used in middle school, high school, and university teaching and in science popularization activities mainly fostered by undergraduate and graduate students and teachers of the Department of Geology of the University of Lisbon: GPS-assisted geological trails, QR codes for urban fossils, geotagged geodiversity photos, etc. Used collectively they constitute a technological geoeducational bundle, contributing to the attractiveness and the success of outdoor geological activities. This process is an interactive one, because, on the one hand, new technologies are being used in geoeducation, but, on the other hand, the usage they were originally designed for is being modified and adapted in novel ways as a result of the know-how ensued from their educational use.
Three textural features seem especially useful in classifying those carbonate rocks that retain their depositional texture (1) Presence or absence of carbonate mud, which differentiates muddy carbonate from grainstone; (2) abundance of grains, which allows muddy carbonates to be subdivided into mudstone, wackestone, and packstone; and (3) presence of signs of binding during deposition, which characterizes boundstone. The distinction between grain-support and mud-support differentiates packstone from wackestone—packstone is full of its particular mixture of grains, wackestone is not. Rocks retaining too little of their depositional texture to be classified are set aside as crystalline carbonates.
Hippuritaceans, colloquially known as rudists, are an extinct group that encompasses some of the most specialized and successful bivalved molluscs that have ever lived. These were sessile marine organisms that dominated tropical shallow waters during the Cretaceous, becoming the most important reef builders during the Mesozoic. Rudists are notorious for their varied and extravagant shapes, which allowed them to exploit a wide range of ecological niches during their long-lived history of almost 100 million years.
Probably the most striking feature of rudist bivalves is their bizarre appearance, which for centuries puzzled renowned scholars of the calibre of Lamarck and Cuvier; as a matter of fact, Lamarck coined the name ‘Les Rudistes’ to emphasize their rather rugged and aberrant morphology. However, deep inside, rudists are not very different from other bivalved molluscs, although they possess an interesting array of adaptations for their peculiar mode of life.
There are two versions of Leonardo da Vinci's "Virgin of the Rocks," the first in the Louvre and the second in the National Gallery in London. There has been some debate as to whether Leonardo painted any or all of the National Gallery version. So far, research on the two works has centered upon an analysis of historical documents. The author, a geologist, has studied Leonardo's paintings and drawings from a geological perspective. She discusses the differences in the depictions of geological formations in the two versions and concludes that Leonardo did not paint the rocks in the National Gallery work.
Visual art and the geological sciences share common threads that are worthy of exploration. In the first part of this article. I give a brief and selective historical perspective of interaction between these two disciplines, beginning with the cave paintings of Lascaux some 15,000 years ago, in aspects of Chinese art, in Leonardo da Vinci's work, in nineteenth-century landscape painting, and in various features of twentieth-century art. In the second part, I briefly consider how aesthetics entered into my scientific work and give examples of my current photography, painting, and constructivist sculpture. Most of these works contain conceptual or physical components of rock at some level. I discuss the potential for using geological concepts and materials as metaphors of the human condition, the human transformation, and inner exploration directed toward self-knowledge.
The term ‘geodiversity’ was first used in 1993 as the geological equivalent of biodiversity. It has gained in international acceptance and usage in recent years and now warrants the status of a geological paradigm. This article develops some new theoretical and practical aspects of geodiversity, including a discussion of the origin and evolution of the geodiversity of Planet Earth and whether there are geodiversity hotspots. Although the word ‘geodiversity’ is a relatively recent introduction, the concept has been used as the basis for selecting geoconservation sites in many countries and is being used increasingly to guide the nomination and assessment process for geological World Heritage Sites. The paper then discusses the aims and methods of geoconservation and how these vary depending on which element of geodiversity is being considered. Finally, the relevance of geodiversity to geotourism, leisure activities and geoparks is explored.
The development of the climate during the Cretaceous greenhouse interval is reviewed based on geological and paleontological records, geochemical proxy records for paleotemperature and atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentration (pCO2), the production rate of oceanic crust, and the timing and scale of emplacement of large igneous provinces. Geological and paleontological evidence, and paleotemperature records indicate that the Early Cretaceous climate was relatively cool, possibly accompanied by the development of continental ice sheets. Subsequent warming reached a peak in the Turonian, when sea surface temperatures in equatorial and high-latitude regions exceeded 36° C and 20° C, respectively. The possibility of a maximum temperature above 36° C at the equator is inconsistent with the cirrus cloud negative-feedback hypothesis proposed for the modern ocean, which may indicate that the hypothesis is not valid for an ice-free greenhouse system. Although elevated levels of pCO2 are thought to be responsible for this extreme warming, the timing of the pCO2 maxima differs from the timing of oceanic volcanic activity, which emitted massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, by 30 m.y.: volcanic activity peaked at 120 Ma, whereas pCO2, temperature, and sea-level peaked at ~90 Ma, indicating that the abiotic Mesozoic marine revolution was not a simple, single event. Moreover, the occurrence of intermittent cooling during the Late Cretaceous, coupled with sea-ice development in the Arctic Ocean, suggests that the mid-Cretaceous greenhouse system was capable of producing not only extreme warmth but also seasonal freezing. Although the Mesozoic marine revolution is assumed to have been triggered by the general warming that occurred during the Cretaceous, a more precise analysis of the timing and magnitude of biotic events is required to understand the paleoecosystem of this greenhouse period.
The stratigraphy of the western Portugal on-shore Cretaceous record (western Iberian margin, Lusitanian Basin) is described, including formal units and a selection of informal units prevailing in the geological literature. This paper is a synthesis based on a review of previous works, but with an innovative emphasis on the interpretation of eustatic and tectonic controls. The sedimentary record is dominated by siliciclastics and comprises fluvial and deltaic coastal marine siliciclastic systems, as well as extensive deposits of shallow marine carbonate platforms, both open and rimmed. Several regional unconformities and transgressive/regressive cycles are identified and the allogenic controls interpreted, namely the geodynamic events along the boundaries of the Iberian plate. Above the Berriasian deposits belonging to the Upper Jurassic cycle, the five main unconformity-bounded units are: (1) upper Berriasian–lower Barremian, (2) upper Barremian–lower Aptian, (3) upper Aptian–uppermost Cenomanian, (4) mid lower Turonian–lower Campanian and (5) middle Campanian–Maastrichtian. These units show transgressive peaks in the lower Hauterivian, lower Aptian, base of the upper Cenomanian and mid lower Turonian. The general trend of the Lower Cretaceous reflects the transition from late rifting to passive margin, with the last break-up unconformity dated as late Aptian. The Lusitanian Basin achieved full infill by the Cenomanian, when a large carbonate platform extended far inland. The later deposits were preserved only in the northern sector and the accompanying unconformities reflect transpressive intraplate stresses generated in boundaries of the plate with Africa and Eurasia. With very low accommodation being created throughout the Late Cretaceous, fluvial deposits were dominant, including a few marine levels related with eustatic rises in the early Turonian, the Coniacian, the early Campanian and the Maastrichtian.
Apresentam-se os resultados da intervenção de emergência realizada, durante o Inverno de 1998, no sítio arqueológico de Colaride, em Sintra, na sequência dos trabalhos de implantação da Rede Primária de Gás Natural. Para além do registo de diversas estruturas tipológica e cronologicamente díspares - concretamente uma conduta e um conjunto de fossas escavadas na rocha de base -, destaca-se a identificação de uma pedreira explorada a céu aberto durante a ocupação romana de Colaride, bem como do telheiro que lhe estava associado, para trabalho da matéria-prima então recolhida. This article presents the results of emergency fieldwork carried out during the winter of 1998 at the archaeological site of Colaride, in Sintra, in association with the installation of the Primary Line of Natural Gas. In addition to the registry of diverse typological and chronologically disparate structures - specifically a canal and a group of pits excavated in the bedrock, we highlight the identification of an open-air quarry exploited during the Roman occupation of Colaride as well as a tile factory with which it was associated.
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