Toronto 
International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have selected 100 geological sites that contribute to understanding the Earth and its history.
Photo Credit: Joggins Fossil Cliffs
The first 100 Geological Heritage Sites were chosen from 181 applications from 56 countries and include 34 locations in the Americas, 28 in Europe, 15 in Africa, and 23 in Asia-Pacific / Middle East.
Regarding the selection of these sites, the International Union of Geological Sciences on its website states, “They are inspiring and extraordinary places that have contributed significantly to the development of Geological Sciences. They represent the memory of the Earth and are part of the natural heritage that we must in equal parts value, manage, use and conserve with determination.”
The list of first 100 geological heritage sites features six Canadian sites and they include:
Travel Alberta/Roth-Ramberg
- Mistaken Point (Newfoundland and Labrador): Located in the Avalon Peninsula, Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve preserves the oldest and most spectacular assemblage of Ediacara biota, and showcases a critical time in history: when life “first got big” (the first appearance of large, biologically complex organisms). Mistaken Point was designed as a World Heritage site in 2016. IUGS description
- Gros Morne National Park (Newfoundland and Labrador). Recognized as a World Heritage site in 1987, Gros Morne National Park features the world’s best exposures of the Moho, the boundary between crust and mantle rocks, preserved at the Earth’s surface in a dramatic glacial landscape. IUGS description
- Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Nova Scotia): Canada’s 15th UNESCO World Heritage Site about two and half hours drive from Halifax, preserves the world’s best and most complete known fossil record of ‘Coal Age’ tropical forests and Earth’s earliest known reptiles. IUGS description
- Eo-Archean Nuvvuagittuk Greenstone Belt (Quebec): Located 40 km southeast of Inukjuak, Quebec on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay, this site features some of the oldest rocks on Earth and potential traces of early life. IUGS description
- Dinosaur Provincial Park (Alberta): Designated as a World Heritage site in 1979, Dinosaur Provincial Park preserves the greatest concentration of Late Cretaceous dinosaur fossils yet found on Earth. About 166 species of vertebrates including 51 species of dinosaurs and many other organisms were found here. IUGS description
- Burgess Shale (British Columbia): Part of Yoho National Park, Burgess Shale is one of the most significant fossil areas in the world featuring a diverse, abundant marine community dominated by soft-bodied organisms. IUGS description
Other sites around the world include the Grand Canyon and Yellow Stone National Park in the U.S., Archaean Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa, and Mount Everest among others.
If you like to order a hard copy of the First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites book featuring spectacular photos, which is authored by more than 350 experts from more than 40 countries, it is available online for 70€ + shipping cost.
A pdf of the document is also available for downloading online.
