An online English version of the book “A story with many millions of years – from the Thetys ocean to the Algarve barrocal” is launched this Friday, October 6th, International Geodiversity Day, in an initiative by Albufeira City Council and the aspiring Geopark Algarvensis.
Originally written in Portuguese and released in 2022, during the Celebrations of International Geodiversity Day, the book “A History with many millions of years – From the Thetys Ocean to the Barrocal of the Algarve” now takes on a new dimension by being published in Portuguese English, “as it contributed to internationalizing knowledge about the Escarpão Plateau as a place of geodiversity and science”, highlights the president of Albufeira City Council.
The book tells the geological history of the Planalto do Escarpão – a part of the territory of the aspiring Algarvensis – Loulé, Silves and Albufeira.
“This is one of the 10 geosites to be part of the candidacy of the aspiring Algarvensis Geopark to the UNESCO World Geoparks Network, which uncovers the geological history of the Algarve basin born millions of years ago in the Thetys Ocean, a geological phenomenon of extreme importance in scientific, archaeological, tourist terms and the sustainable development of aging populations in the interior of the Algarve”, says José Carlos Rolo.
“Geotourism is an activity with enormous potential, highlighting the interpretation of the landscape, history, knowledge, traditions, culture and built heritage, which helps to settle populations and support the local economy”, reinforced the mayor.
The book was written and illustrated by Delmina Moura and Sónia Oliveira, researchers at the Center for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA) at the University of Algarve and had the collaboration in field research of Luís Pereira, coordinator at the Municipality of Albufeira for the territory's candidacy Algarvensis a UNESCO World Geopark.
Scientific reviewers were Cristina Veiga-Pires, scientific coordinator of the aspiring Geoparque Algarvensis, and Nuno Pimentel, scientific coordinator of the aspiring Geoparque Oeste, who also wrote the preface.
This work resulted in the implementation of a pedestrian route in this geosite, the PR4 ABF – Escarpão Plateau, which allows those who perform it to go back in time around 161 million years, and truly dive into a tropical sea from the time of the dinosaurs, giving shape to a much broader project of interpretation of the territory's geological heritage.
International Geodiversity Day was established in 2021 by UNESCO, with the aim of alerting society to the role that geodiversity plays in ensuring the well-being and prosperity of human beings and the care necessary to preserve biodiversity.
In this year 2023, the celebrations are celebrated under the motto “Geodiversity is for everyone – We are all related to Geodiversity”, a way of drawing attention to what is around us, affects the lives of all people in all the latitudes of the world.
The book is available in English and Portuguese in the following repositories: in English – Algarvensis Geopark website e Ualg Sapientia; it's in Portuguese - Algarvensis Geopark website e Ualg Sapientia.
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