Hong Kong Geopark’s Early Cretaceous rhyolite columns selected as one of the 100 IUGS geological heritage sites

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) announced on October 22 that the Early Cretaceous rhyolitic columnar rock complex (i.e. hexagonal volcanic columns) located in the Hong Kong UNESCO World Geopark (Hong Kong Geopark) has been selected as the 100th International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) geological heritage site. 　　 A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said: "The Early Cretaceous rhyolite columns found along the coast of Sai Kung and on several nearby islands are called the Leung Shuen Wan Formation. They were included in the Hong Kong Geopark in 2009. The columns are numerous, large in size, well-preserved and widely distributed, making them rare and most representative geological wonders in the world. The Leung Shuen Wan Formation was selected as one of the first 100 IUGS geological heritage sites, which means that its international importance has been recognized." 　　 Most of the hexagonal rock columns around the world are dark gray basalts with low silica content, but the Liangchuanwan Formation is a light-colored rhyolitic volcanic rock rich in silica. This group of rock pillars is distributed over an area of ​​about 100 square kilometers, including Leung Shuen Wan in Sai Kung East Country Park, Kau Sai Chau, Tiu Chung Chau, the Ug Kong Islands and the Kwo Chau Islands, covering both land and sea. The average diameter of the rock pillars is 1.2 meters, while the largest can reach 3 meters, and the height above the ground is up to 100 meters. 　　 According to geologists, the Saigon volcanic columnar rock group originated from volcanic activity in the area about 140 million years ago. The violent crustal activity at that time led to the formation of a large volcano in the southeast of Hong Kong. Experts believe that the volcanic eruption spewed out a large amount of volcanic ash and lava, and the volcano eventually collapsed to form a caldera with a diameter of about 20 kilometers. A large amount of volcanic material accumulated in the caldera and slowly cooled and contracted, forming hexagonal volcanic rock columns. 　　 The International Union of Geological Sciences' List of Geological Heritage Sites aims to recognize geological heritage sites around the world that are of high international scientific significance in order to promote their conservation, education and geotourism. The first 100 IUGS geological heritage sites were inscribed on the list between October 25 and 28 (Spanish time) in the Spanish town of Zumaia, located in the Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark. The selected geological heritage sites include the Stone Forest Karst landform in the mainland, Ayers Rock in Australia, the Grand Canyon in the United States and Pamukkale in Türkiye. 　　 This project is the result of cooperation among international organizations such as UNESCO's International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme, geological survey agencies and research institutions around the world. The organizers received a total of 181 nominations from 56 countries. All nominations were evaluated by no less than three international experts, and a total of 33 international experts participated in the evaluation. #goodplacestodischarge #discharge #goodplacesforfamily #holidayfamilytravel #localtravel #goodplacesinhongkong #goodplacesonweekdays #goodplacesonweekends #goodplaces #localfamilytravel #familytravel #parents #familyactivities #check-inattractions #check-in #hklifestyle #hkdaily #hkiger #hkig #hongkong #hk #instadaily #travelhk #discoverhk #explorehongkong #exploringhongkong