List of UNESCO Global Geoparks in North America

In North America [lower-alpha 1], there is no regional geopark network so far. As of July 2020, there are five UNESCO Global Geoparks in Canada and several aspiring geoparks projects going on, under the framework of the Canadian Geoparks Network.[1] In the United States, there are no active UNESCO Global Geoparks so far, but there are certain plans to establish geoparks,[2] applying for this label. Further elements of the geodiversity of the continent is represented on the World Heritage list, under criterion VIII or VII.

UNESCO Global Geoparks
UNESCO Global Geopark Image Location Area
(km2)
 Year Geodiversity
Cliffs of Fundy[3] Nova Scotia
 Canada
45°41′44″N 64°27′05″W		 2020 It includes exposures of the Central Atlantic Magmatic province.[4]
Discovery Geopark[5] Newfoundland & Labrador
 Canada
48°33′08″N 53°08′18″W		 2020 A coastal Geopark within the Appalachian orogen. Includes important fossils of Ediacaran biota[6]
Percé Quebec
 Canada
48°31′18″N 64°13′02″W		 555 2018 The geopark is located in the Appalachian Mountains, with rocks and fossils documenting a 500 million years evolution, from Paleozoic orogenies to magmatic and tectonic events of the divergence of North America from Eurasia and Quaternary glaciation. It is also an important location from the viewpoint of the history of geology, as the starting point of the geological mapping of Canada by William Edmond Logan.[7][8]
Stonehammer EthNew Brunswick
 Canada
45°34′46″N 65°32′40″W		 2500 2010 The range of outcrops, fossils and landforms from the Precambrian to Quaternary was an important location for the pioneer years of Canadian geology. The complex geology of collision and divergence of continents, and glaciation was interpreted by Abraham Pineo Gesner, the first provincial geologist of the British Empire or the name-bearing Steinhammer Club a group of young men with the aim of exploring the local geology.[9][10]
Tumbler Ridge British Columbia
 Canada
54°59′24″N 121°22′48″W		 7822 2014 Tumbler Ridge is a globally important paleontological site with Cretaceous dinosaur tracks and bones, Triassic fish and reptiles. The sedimentation record from the Precambrian to the Cretaceous were deformed into mountain chain during the Laramide Orogeny, carved into a rugged terrain by a series of glaciations in the Quaternary.[11][12]

Aspiring geoparks
1
Appalachian
Discovery
Cabox
2
3
4
Temiskaming Rift Valley
5
6
Saanich Inlet
Gold Belt
7
Geoparks in North America:
UNESCO Global Geopark
Aspiring geopark project
1: Stonehammer, 2: Cliffs of Fundy, 3: Saguenay, 4: Charlevoix 5: Ohnia:kara, 6: Big Impact Sudbury, 7: Keeweenaw,

According to the register of Canadian Geoparks Network, the following geopark projects are going on with the future request for UNESCO status.[1] There are further plans to establish geoparks in the United States as well.

Name Location
Cabox[13] Newfoundland & Labrador
 Canada
48°50′00″N 58°29′03″W
Saguenay Quebec
 Canada
48°25′42″N 71°04′21″W
Charlevoix Quebec
 Canada
47°36′51″N 70°10′10″W
Temiskaming Rift Valley[14] Quebec / Ontario
 Canada
47°32′02″N 79°32′09″W
Ohnia:kara[15] Ontario
 Canada
43°03′29″N 79°17′25″W
Big Impact Sudbury Ontario
 Canada
46°26′11″N 81°02′30″W
Saanich Inlet British Columbia
 Canada
48°38′54″N 123°30′14″W
Appalachian[2] West Virginia
 United States
39°38′46″N 79°58′02″W
Gold Belt[16] Colorado
 United States
38°47′14″N 105°27′36″W
Keweenaw[17] Michigan
 United States
47°15′02″N 88°19′51″W

The Canadian Geoparks Network

The Canadian National Committee for Geoparks (CNCG) or the Canadian Geoparks Network was founded in 2009, under the patronage of the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES). As the national committee of Canada of the Global Geoparks Network, it is the coordinator of UNESCO Global Geopark applications from Canada and a forum for capacity building among active UNESCO-labeled geoparks and aspiring ones. The committee is helping the currently running and future geopark applications with established guidelines, site visits prior to applications for SWOT analysis.

North America is currently not represented with a regional geopark network in the Global Geoparks Network, such as the Asia Pacific Geoparks Network. With the lack of active UNESCO Global Geoparks in the United States, the Canadian Geoparks Network represent the North American geoparks movement in international conferences and regional meetings.

Recognition of North America's geodiversity under different international frameworks

World Heritage sites

Sixteen sites are represented currently on the World Heritage list under criterion VIII,[18] as an outstanding representative of Earth's history:

Further sites are inscribed under criterion VII[19] of superlative natural phenomena and aesthetic importance. Some of them, which have a special geoheritage importance are:

Notes
  1. Mexico is member of the Latin American and the Caribbean Geoparks Network, therefore treated there. Greenland, although a territory of Denmark is treated under North America.

References
  1. "Aspiring Geoparks - Canadian Geoparks Network". canadiangeoparks.com. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  2. "Appalachian Geopark | Home". appalachiangeopark.wvu.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  3. "Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark". Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  4. "UNESCO designates 15 new Geoparks in Asia, Europe, and Latin America". UNESCO. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  5. "Discovery Geopark | Newfoundland Labrador". Discovery Geopark. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  6. "UNESCO designates 15 new Geoparks in Asia, Europe, and Latin America". UNESCO. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  7. "Percé | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  8. "Geopark of Percé - Official website". Géoparc de Percé. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  9. "Stonehammer | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  10. "Stonehammer Geopark - Official website". Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  11. "Tumbler Ridge | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  12. "Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark". Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  13. "Cabox Aspiring Geopark". Cabox. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  14. "Temiskaming Rift Valley Aspiring Geopark". Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  15. "Ohnia:kara – Aspiring Global Geopark". Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  16. "Gold Belt Geopark - Proposal" (PDF). Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  17. "Keweenaw Geopark Proposal". pages.mtu.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  18. "UNESCO World Heritage sites, filtered to North America (and Europe) and criterion VIII". Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  19. "UNESCO World Heritage sites, filtered to North America (and Europe) and criterion VII". Retrieved 22 January 2020.

Canadian Geoparks Network (accessed 22 January 2020)

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