pdf Proposal for EG-GEOCON Expert Group, 2022

Proposal for Expert Group on Geological Heritage and Geoconservation (EG-GEOCON)

Expert Group of the Geosciences Group

Name(s) of the lead proponent(s): Jeronimo Lopez-Martinez (Spain), Marcelo A. Reguero (Argentina), Kevin Hughes (UK), Anne Grunow (USA) and Cliff Atkins (New Zealand)

Summary

The main purpose of this Expert Group is to advance the identification of Antarctic geological sites of exceptional value to be designated geological heritage of international relevance, and to contribute to SCAR advice to the CEP and the ATCM on matters related to conservation of geological heritage.

A success of the former SCAR Action Group on Geological Heritage and Geoconservation was the development of a practical methodology for the identification of the most valuable geological sites in Antarctica, including criteria for the identification of Antarctic Geological Heritage, as a means of enhancing Antarctic geoconservation. A major aim of the new Expert Group is to apply this methodology more widely across all of the Geological Frameworks identified for the continent by the previous Action Group, which will enable the systematic identification of individual Geosites across the entire region. The intent is to enable SCAR to more widely implement the methodology, thus ensuring that the geological heritage of Antarctica is adequately identified, internationally recognised and, if necessary, provided with further protection under the Antarctic Treaty System.