Causses de Quercy UNESCO Global Geopark

“If stones could speak…”

Celebrating Earth Heritage

Causses du Quercy UNESCO Global Geopark is located in the southwest of France, at the northern end of the Occitanie / Pyrenees-Méditerranée region. The limestone plateau of the Quercy, called Causses, stands out from the low plains of the Aquitaine Basin bordering them to the south and west (average 135 m above sea level) and from the mountainous area of the Massif Central situated to the north and east (average 700 m above sea level, culminating at 1,885 m). The Causse is formed by Jurassic carbonate rocks deposited during the opening of the Atlantic Ocean, and is the result of an intense karstic polyphaser activity that started 70 million years ago. As the result of unique geological circumstances, the Quercy “phosphatières” form an exceptional fossiliferous recording. In fact, those ancient phosphorite caves were carved during a first karstic period, and then sealed by phosphate-rich clay containing thousands of fossils in perfect conditions of preservation. The Quercy palaeokarst is the longest chronological sequence currently known in a continental domain worldwide and enabled the recording of the climatic and environmental conditions for the evolution of life (European reference for the upper Eocene and Oligocene epochs). 3.5 million years ago, resumed karstic activity allowed for the development of typical karst landforms such as swallow holes, resurgences, caves, chasms, and dolines. It thus made this area a true “natural evolution laboratory” of international significance. Each of the 48 geosites accessible to visitors tells a part of the local geological story and the close relationship humans kept with the geology of their territory. Four categories describe geological interest of each integrated geosite: paleokarst, use of the karst by humans, natural karst and geological history of the territory. On the other hand, the 110 other geosites dedicated exclusively to research.

Characteristics

Designation date
2017
Country(ies)
Transnational
No
Area (ha)
185,500
Population
31,500
Density
17
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