Conserving Quaternary geoheritage in Northern Ireland |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Klondyke Building, Cromac Avenue, Ormeau Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT7 2JA, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;2. Cable Road, Whitehead, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;1. Department of Geography, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom;2. School of Science, The University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Central Avenue, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TB, United Kingdom;3. Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, United Kingdom;4. 34A Chyngton Road, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 4HP, United Kingdom;1. Harran University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Geography Department, 63300 Sanl?urfa, Turkey;2. Akdeniz University, Faculty of Literature, Geography Department, 07000 Antalya, Turkey;3. School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, University of Newcastle, Daysh Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK;4. Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK;1. School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, Burnaby Building, University of Portsmouth, PO1 3QL, United Kingdom;2. CGG, Llandudno, North Wales LL30 1SA, United Kingdom |
| |
| Abstract: | Northern Ireland has a rich and varied Quaternary geoheritage. Landforms and sediments from the last glacial phase of the Late Pleistocene are most prevalent, though the record extends from the last interglacial (MIS 5e) to the Holocene. The glacial record in the region continues to play a crucial role in the development of models of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet, with many sites having international significance. It is the role of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to legally protect and conserve this important Quaternary heritage, and a programme of statutory designation of these sites as Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) has been in place for over twenty years. ASSIs are selected from the Pleistocene and Holocene themes of the Earth Science Conservation Review, the process through which geological sites in Northern Ireland are assessed to determine their importance to science, and so to geoconservation. This produced a significant series of reports that have contributed much to the grey and white literature for the Quaternary in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Quaternary geoheritage is recognised in the local planning system and existing and potential UNESCO Global Geoparks further serve to promote and protect this aspect of Northern Ireland's natural heritage. This paper summarises the Quaternary history of Northern Ireland, how ASSIs are selected to reflect this and how they are monitored and managed. It also considers how to ensure continued protection and recognition for Quaternary sites and features in the region. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
