Geology, landscape and human interactions: examples from the Isle of Wight

Abstract

Abstract:The British Geological Survey has recently re-mapped the Isle of Wight at a scale of 1:10,000. This has added to a wealth of geological research already published. Within this paper, we highlight the importance of geology to the heritage of the Isle of Wight and its impacts on everyday life. There is a growing cultural awareness of the variety of landscapes and resources, the geology that underpins them, and the need to manage and understand them in a sensitive and sustainable way. 'Geodiversity', which collectively embraces these themes, is defined as "…the natural range (diversity) of geological (rocks, minerals, fossils), geomorphological (land form, processes) and soil features…" (Gray, 2004). This paper will focus on the geomorphological features; that is, the link between geology, the landscape it influences, and the human interactions with it. Examples from the Isle of Wight of the influences of geology on landscape include the landslides at Ventnor; geotourism at The Needles, Alum Bay and various dinosaur sites; and the artificial landscapes resulting from resource extraction. The geological issues and examples that we have used are some of the most applicable to everyday life, and therefore ones that many people will be able to relate to, such as geohazards (e.g. landslides), water supply, economic value (e.g. quarrying) and tourism. The paper is aimed at the non-specialist and students but also may provide a contextual element to professionals. Keywords:Isle of Wight; geological mapping; geological landscape interpretation; geodiversity; geotourism; human interaction; mineral extraction. IntroductionGeology and geodiversity have received more interest in recent years particularly with the focus on climate change and impacts on our environment. Many Local Authorities are now publishing Local Geodiversity Action Plans (Burek and Potter, 2006) and DEFRA has provided various policies and guidance, e.g. Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund, to reduce the impact of activities such as aggregate extraction (Defra, 2006). The value of outreach for both geology and geodiversity have been comprehensively reviewed in Anderson and Brown (2010), which concentrates on the Quaternary aspect of geology but their reasoning and assumptions can readily apply to all areas of geology. The method of outreach and communication is important and depends upon the target audience. Good communication will lead to better understanding of the geological environment, its implications and consequences. This paper draws on the increased scientific knowledge gained from detailed new mapping of the Isle of Wight and helps to highlight the importance of continued scientific research as well as raise awareness of environmental issues and sensitivity. This case study of the Isle of Wight can easily be applied across a variety of other regions. BackgroundThe first geological survey of the Isle of Wight was carried out by the British Geological Survey (BGS) (then named the Ordnance Geological Survey) and published in 1856 (British Geol...

New dinosaur footprints exposed in rocks of the Wessex Formation, Lower Cretaceous, at Sandown, Isle of Wight, southern England

“…Dinosaur footprints have been found in rocks of the older Wealden Group (Wessex Formation) on exposed foreshores from Compton Bay to Brighstone Bay (near Chilton and Grange Chines and onwards towards Atherfield Point) and at Yaverland (Beckles, ; Bristow et al ., ; Osborne White, ; Blows, ; Delair, , ; Insole et al ., ; Wright et al ., ; Martil & Naish, ; Booth & Brayson, ; and more recently elsewhere in this volume: Pond et al ., ; Lockley et al ., ; Lockwood et al ., ). Natural casts have also been found on the underside of coquina limestones within the younger Wealden (Shepherds Chine Member of the Vectis Formation) at Compton Bay and near Atherfield Point (Fig.…”

“…More recently, Booth & Brayson () briefly cite the footprints at Hanover Point. Other reports of dinosaur trackways are reported elsewhere in this volume (Pond et al ., ; Lockley et al ., ; Lockwood, Lockley & Pond, ).…”

Research Trends in Geotourism: A Bibliometric Analysis Using the Scopus Database

“…There are links between geodiversity and the three essential aspects such as geointerpretation, geohistory, and geoconservation in order to achieve a sustainable management that protects geographical heritage and motivates people to seek new experiences to commemorate their travels [96,102,104]. Thus, they managed to register geosites, geoheritages, and geoparks through evaluations to validate and expose their geodiversity, uses, and interests that they present in order to generate adequate information on tourism management and disclosure for geotourism [1,97,98,[107][108][109].…”

Methodological proposal for characterization of marine geodiversity in the South Atlantic: Vitória-Trindade Ridge and adjacent areas, southeast of Brazil

“…However, in the marine realm, there have been few studies related to geoheritage and geoconservation. Relevant research to date has been restricted to coastal areas and submerged portions of oceanic islands and the adjacent seafloor (Nunes et al, 2007;Felton, 2010;Booth & Brayson, 2011;Kaskela et al, 2012;Lima et al, 2014).…”