(Zaragoza, Tuesday, August 27, 2024). The International Geological Congress is the world’s premier conference on Earth Sciences. Organized and sponsored every four years by the IUGS, it brings together a significant portion of the global geological community.

The announcement of the “Second 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites” solidifies this global initiative, which began with the announcement of the “First 100” during the 60th anniversary celebration of the IUGS in 2022 in Zumaia (Guipúzcoa, Spain).

These “Second 100 Sites” are recognized by the IUGS for their exceptional global scientific value and interest, representing the best examples of geological formations and processes that help us understand the dynamics and history of our Planet. At the same time, they are places that provide invaluable educational resources and which our society has a duty to preserve.

The “Second 100 Sites” are distributed across 53 countries (see attached list) and cover all aspects of Earth Sciences. Both the “Second 100” and the “First 100” are described and illustrated in an engaging book available for download and purchase on the International Commission on Geological Heritage website: www.iugs-geoheritage.org

The Aliaga Geological Park likely contains the largest and most original examples of superimposed tectonic folds, magnificently visible in the local landscape. These folds formed in two successive stages within the Alpine Orogeny (approximately 60 to 20 million years ago), due to the compressive forces between the Iberian and Eurasian Plates, and later between the African and Iberian Plates. The superimposed folds of Aliaga represent a global reference for this type of tectonic structure. While most types have been reproduced in laboratory models, no other real set of examples worldwide is as singular and as visibly large-scale. Its most representative example is the vertical-axis anticlinal fold of La Olla, located near the town of Aliaga.