The Deterioration of Geoheritage in the Central Spanish Volcanic Region by Open-Pit Mining

Abstract

The geoheritage of the Central Spanish Volcanic Region (Ciudad Real) has been severely affected by open pit mining since the beginning of the 20th century until 2017. Field work, photointerpreta-tion of aerial images, and consultation of the Mining Cadaster of the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME), have been used to characterize the impact that open-pit mining has on the geomorphology of this volcanic area. As a result of this intense mining activity, uninterrupted over the course of a century, 18,76 million tons of basalt and more than 16,11 million tons of scoriaceous.deposits (considered as industrial minerals) have been extracted, which has caused irreversible damage to the region's geoheritage. Some thirty volcanoes have been destroyed, with cinder cones and exogenous domes being particularly affected. Currently, the validity of this mining exploitation system repre-sents a serious threat to the conservation of the rich volcanic heritage of the area. Therefore, urgent measures are needed to rationalize the management of natural resources, namely, to make their use and preservation compatible for the future generations. Response to Reviewers:We warmly thanks reviewers for their constructive reviews. All the suggested changes have been made.

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

“…Geoheritage for Geohazard Resilience) promotes sites allowing complex volcanic processes to be engaged with and visualized by laypeople and scientists alike [15][16][17][18]. Though a promising new avenue for protection and utilization of abandoned quarries, high rates of urbanization and increasing economic value of geological commodities seen as necessary for local economic and development needs may override geoconservation policies and in some cases result in overexploitation [2,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. Here we provide demonstrative case studies from two monogenetic volcanic fields and highlight the paradoxical situation whereby in an intact condition their inner structure remains hidden, while the destructive practice of quarrying can reveal the succession of eruptive phases and their geological components.…”