Sedimentology and society: Societal impacts on sedimentary systems, shallow marine processes and hazards, sea level change
Geoheritage and geodiversity of the sedimentary record
Professor Karoly Nemeth1, Professor Daniel Ariztegui2
1Saudi Geological Survey, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2University of Geneva, Switzerland
Recognizing geoheritage, which encompasses the abiotic nature of geological features, is becoming an increasingly important component of geosciences, including geoconservation, geotourism, and geodiversity research. The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) has successfully initiated a program to acknowledge globally significant geosites by designating them as IUGS First and Second 100 Geological Heritage Sites. In 2022 and 2024, the top 100 locations received this prestigious designation, forming an inventory. An IUGS Geological Heritage Site is characterized by extraordinary geological elements or processes of the highest scientific relevance, serving as global references and making substantial contributions to the advancement of geological sciences. Among the First 100 list, twelve locations under Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, and eighteen locations under Palaeontology received recognition. During the selection of the Second 100 sites, the International Association of Sedimentologists actively participated to ensure representation, resulting in seventeen new sedimentology and stratigraphy sites being included. Additionally, the UNESCO Global Geopark Network has significantly expanded in recent years, incorporating locations where sedimentology is the central geoheritage element.
This session invites contributions that present innovative methods for evaluating the geoheritage values of sedimentological sites and sedimentary processes preserved within the geological record, using both traditional inventory methods and advanced technologies. We particularly welcome submissions on new techniques for measuring the geodiversity of sedimentary systems, and studies addressing the challenges of geoheritage valorisation in modern sedimentary environments, such as Quaternary settings relevant to current global and planetary changes. As geoheritage can be fundamental in addressing geohazards, this session also seeks contributions on how various sedimentary process-related geohazards can inform the development of a hazard-resilient society.
Plastic Pollution in Sedimentary Systems: Detection, Transport and Remediation from Source to Sink
Dr Thomas Dowling1, Dr Marta Ribo Gene2, Dr Florian Pohl3
1University of Auckland, New Zealand, 2Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, 3University of Bayreuth, Germany
Despite increasing public awareness about global plastic pollution and rising concerns about associated ecotoxicological risks, the annual amount of plastic waste released into natural environments continues to increase drastically. This pollution inevitably leads to the spreading and accumulation of plastics that exist, and break down during their lifetime, from macro to nanoscales through any sedimentary system. This persistence and transportability is why plastics have been detected in almost every environment and natural habitat on Earth. With the failure to agree on the UN Plastics Treaty, there is a pressing need to address fundamental questions about the transport, accumulation, and distribution of plastics, from source to sink. While simultaneously enabling the evaluation of the impact of plastics on the ecosystems and human societies in which they are found.
To fully comprehend the magnitude of global plastic pollution and the timescales associated with its ecotoxicological consequences, it is essential to understand where plastic waste accumulates and how plastic items are fragmented, degraded, and altered along their pathways. This requires a fundamental understanding of hydrodynamic transport processes, including plastic-sediment interactions, and the leaching behaviour of different plastic types under various environmental conditions. We also need to develop faster and more spatially extensive methods of detecting plastic in diverse environments (from lab to satellite). This will allow us to create matrices that enable the tracking of pollution pathways and assess remediation efforts effectively.