Dilemma of Geoconservation of Monogenetic Volcanic Sites under Fast Urbanization and Infrastructure Developments with Special Relevance to the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand

Geoheritage is an important aspect in developing workable strategies for natural hazard resilience. This is reflected in the UNESCO IGCP Project (# 692. Geoheritage for Geohazard Resilience) that continues to successfully develop global awareness of the multifaced aspects of geoheritage research. Geohazards form a great variety of natural phenomena that should be properly identified, and their importance communicated to all levels of society. This is especially the case in urban areas such as Auckland. The largest socio-economic urban center in New Zealand, Auckland faces potential volcanic hazards as it sits on an active Quaternary monogenetic volcanic field. Individual volcanic geosites of young eruptive products are considered to form the foundation of community outreach demonstrating causes and consequences of volcanism associated volcanism. However, in recent decades, rapid urban development has increased demand for raw materials and encroached on natural sites which would be ideal for such outreach. The dramatic loss of volcanic geoheritage of Auckland is alarming. Here we demonstrate that abandoned quarry sites (e.g., Wiri Mountain) could be used as key locations to serve these goals. We contrast the reality that Auckland sites are underutilized and fast diminishing, with positive examples known from similar but older volcanic regions, such as the Mio/Pliocene Bakony–Balaton UNESCO Global Geopark in Hungary.

History of the development of Eemian Interglacial lakes on the basis of Cladocera subfossil analysis (Central and Eastern Poland)

This paper presents the results of Cladocera subfossil analysis using material obtained from five paleolakes of the Eemian Interglacial located in central and north-eastern Poland. Analyses of Cladocera subfossils in Poland and other parts of the world have revealed detailed results covering the last 13,000 years. Cladocera subfossils from sediments older than the last glaciation have been analysed occasionally. The first analyses of older sediments were conducted in Denmark by Frey in 1962. In Poland, the first analyses of this type were conducted on material obtained in Konin. The Eemian lakes subject to the study were formed at the end of the Warta Glaciation in tunnel and kettle holes. A continuous record of environmental changes throughout the Eemian Interglacial until the early Vistulian Glaciation has been preserved in lake sediments. The bottom part of the profile consists of sands and silts, followed by gyttja and peat. The upper part of the profile contains peat and organic shales. Cladocera subfossils found in Eemian sediments were thinner and their structure was more damaged. The low degree of subfossil preservation forced a change in the method of preparation of subfossils for microscopic analysis as required by IGCP Project 158. Cladocera species determined within the studied paleolakes correspond to the present-day species inhabiting the area of Poland and Europe. The species composition and the variability in the frequency of Cladocera specimens made it possible to distinguish discrete phases of lake development associated with changes in temperature and water level, trophic state and the presence of macrophytes. The results of Cladocera analysis are well correlated with data obtained in pollen analyses.

Polymetamorphic greenschists with Al-rich green spinels (the Western Carpathian Mts.)

During the course of the UNESCO/IGCP project nr. 442 (1999–2001) the present author, along with several colleagues, has described rare raw material types, used in the Neolithic/Aeneolithic, for the construction of stone implements. A metamorphic rock-type (greenschist) containing a substantial amount of Al-rich green spinels, is of special interest. This raw material type is characterized in this contribution.The rocks, which are the object of the present study, are metamorphic rocks of the greenschist association (containing monoclinic as well as rhombic amphiboles, and Al-rich green spinels in a substantial (5–20 vol. %) amount). Accessory mineralsnot necessarily encountered in each thin section, are olivine, orthopyroxene, corundum, clinozoisite, muscovite, cordierite, various plagioclases (albite and anorthite included), phlogopite, ilmenite, magnetite and sphene. The results of microprobe analyses for individual rock-forming minerals are presented. The genesis of the described rock-types is complicated; they are product of three metamorphic events (M1, M2, M3).