TAG 166 - Geological Society of Australia

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China, Australia and geoparksLate last year, I had the privilege to visit China’s latest global geopark —Tianzhushan (Tianzhu Mountain) in Anhui Province, west of Shanghai.Tianzhushan is a truly amazing natural heritage icon of world-classstanding. With spectacular and breathtaking scenery underpinned by acomplex granite and metamorphic landscape, this geopark is unique in theworld. An outstanding feature of the geopark is the design and constructionof an extensive network of walkways and other essential infrastructurethat immerse the visitor into the landscape and geology of Tianzhushan,the centrepiece of the geopark, but without detracting in any way fromthe visual amenity of the visitor experience. This feature is worthy of aglobal park design award, but significantly it is also a lasting tribute to thevast amount of human effort that was required to construct these worksand the absolute dedication of the local community to put in place accessto the landscape for the world community.Also visited was the Valley Stream cultural park, which featured wellprotectedcarved stone relics, with the constructed tourist facilities totallyharmonious with the natural environment. On display in nearby QianshanCounty Museum were unearthed stone tools, pottery, bronze and fossils.A ‘global geopark’, as defined by UNESCO, is a unified area withgeological heritage of international significance. It is a concept thatenhances ‘branding’ of natural areas for tourism purposes. A geopark isnot part of a designated land system that creates public reserves aimed atprotecting or preserving natural heritage.Currently there are 90 global geoparks — a large number of which arein China — spread across 27 countries forming part of the Global GeoparkNetwork (GGN). The GGN is a growing movement that is perceived by hostcountries as a key driver of global ‘geotourism’.In 2011, the GSA established a Geotourism Subcommittee of theStanding Committee for Geological Heritage to advance and promotegeotourism development in Australia, and to raise public awareness andappreciation of geodiversity. Although the issue of the future of geoparkshas not been formally included within the Subcommittee’s charter, it isrecognised that some members of the Geotourism Subcommittee are ableto provide advice about ‘geopark’ development in Australia.The Subcommittee is very mindful that a November 2009 resolutionof Australian Government Ministers for the Environment (EPHC) hasdetermined that existing mechanisms are considered sufficient to protectgeoheritage in Australia. After consultation with Resource ManagementMinisters, EPHC has expressed significant concerns with the applicationof the UNESCO geoparks concept in Australia, especially without governmentendorsement. Australia’s only attempt to establish a global geopark,which embraces parts of Victoria and South Australia (Kanawinka), hasnot been approved by the Australian Government. Kanawinka Geopark hasrecently been delisted from the GGN.Nevertheless, the Geotourism Subcommittee has also recognised thatthere is an opportunity to foster and promote geotourism initiatives withinAustralia’s 16 designated National Landscapes with geological andgeomorphological significance, as a model for advancing geotourism andgeoheritage considerations in other regions.ANGUS M ROBINSONChair, GeotourismSubcommitteeChina’s latest global geopark — Tianzhushan in Anhui Province. Imagecourtesy Xu Dian.Fossil problematica fromMoreton National Park, NSWI’m seeking assistance with a tricky fossil found in Moreton National Park,NSW.Some time ago I was shown some unusual structures on the surfaceof steeply dipping arenaceous rocks in Moreton National Park. Thesetightly folded metasediments are Late Ordovician in age and locally formthe basement to Permian sandstones of the Sydney Basin.The patterns on the rock surface (see photographs below) suggestedto me that they might be of organic origin.I am also aware that they may simply represent some kind of solemarkings on the sedimentary bed.If they are organic in origin, could they be imprints left by some formof sedentary sponge-like animal living in a deep-sea environment?Graptolites are found in the Upper Ordovician rock sequence in thissoutheast region of NSW but they are confined to black slate horizons.They provide the only other fossil evidence in the Upper Ordovicianmetasediments.If you think you can assist, please contact me.PHIL SMARTRetired Member GSA, Volunteer Fossil Walk Leaderand Discovery Ranger with National Parks NSWinfo@145ontheparade.com.au. Telephone 0408 588 166Structures found in sediments in Moreton National Park, NSW.Negative image of structures found in sediments in Moreton National Park,NSW. Images courtesy Phil Smart.TAG March 2013| 21
Feature 1Feature 1Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric SchemeAt the 34th International Geological Conference (IGC) inBrisbane last August, I presented a lecture on the SnowyMountains Scheme. This fostered some interest among myengineering geology colleagues and I plan to publish a paper on it indue course. This article provides a brief summary of the project and thehuge legacy it has provided the geotechnical profession.The Snowy’s contribution toengineering geologyThroughout the 1950s and 1960s I was aware of this great scheme whilegrowing up in Canberra. With my family I would visit the Snowy Mountainsfor skiing and bushwalking and for trips to see the large dams.While a student at ANU I was also privileged to attend a field trip led byDavid Stapledon, one of the first engineering geologists to work on theconstruction. It was probably this trip that inspired me to follow a careerin this field.The Snowy Mountains Scheme, often known simply as the ‘Snowy’,was constructed from 1949 to 1974 and is located in southeast NewSouth Wales, about 100 km from Canberra. The high country forms adivide between three main catchment areas for the Snowy, Murray andMurrumbidgee Rivers. Broadly, the scheme was devised to transferwaters from the Snowy River to the inland for irrigation purposes, withthe combined benefit of generating hydroelectricity.The project is in two sections:l northern — Snowy–Tumut developmentl southern — Snowy–Murray development.Both developments are connected by tunnels to a mainregulating storage on the Eucumbene River. The completed schemecomprises 16 large dams, over 145 km of tunnels and seven powerstations with an installed generating capacity of 3756 MW.The area was first surveyed in the mid-19th Century and the conceptof diverting water inland can be traced back to the 1880s. However, itwas not until 1949 that the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Power Act1949 was enacted, after much deliberation between the bordering statesof Victoria and New South Wales. This was a large ‘Plan for the Nation’and the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority (SMHEA) wasset-up under the leadership of the indefatigable Sir William Hudson. Hebrought together a team of world specialists to undertake this challenge.After World War II there were many displaced people, including skilledprofessional and trades people who also made the move to Australiato start a new life and take up the challenge in the remote SnowyMountains. The construction period was from 1949 to 1974, startingwith the Guthega Dam in 1951, well above the snow line.The engineering challenges were immense in the remote and ruggedmountains, with steeply incised river valleys and extensive snow coverin winter. The decision to construct underground powerhouses was partlydue to the tough climatic conditions and partly to reasons of nationaldefence. The Snowy Mountains Scheme is clearly the largest hydroelectricdevelopment in Australia and at the time of construction wasone of the largest development projects in the world.An information sign at one of the key locations for the Scheme — a familiarsite for visitors to the area up to the 1970s. Image courtesy SMEC collection.Inspection of the Jindabyne Dam site in 1951. The chief of the SnowyMountains Commission, Sir William Hudson, in the grey coat, is with DanielMoye on his left. From Dan Moye collection at http://www.daniel-moye.org.Geology of the areaThe Snowy Mountains are a set of high plateaus dominated by granitesand metamorphics of the Lachlan Foldbelt. Generally the area hasOrdovician metamorphosed sedimentary rocks that have been intrudedby Silurian to Devonian granites with some development of gneisses. Onthe northern flanks are Devonian volcanic and sedimentary rocks, thena capping of remnants of Cenozoic basalt lava flows. Also of significanceare the Quaternary to Holocene lacustrine and alluvial deposits, inaddition to one of the few areas of glacial formations in the main range.The geological structure comprises prominent north–southfoliation, with extensive normal and strike-slip faulting thatdeveloped prior to and during uplift in the Cenozoic.The geomorphological history is complex and has beeninherited from one of fault-scarp development, crustal uplift and warping.This has resulted in stream capture, such as where the upper Murrumbidgeeused to flow south to the Snowy River catchment, and nowforms a significant about-turn to the north and then west.22 |TAG March 2013
Page 3 and 4: From the PresidentWelcome back from
Page 5 and 6: Society UpdateGovernance changesCom
Page 9 and 10: Society UpdateFrom the AJES Hon Edi
Page 11 and 12: Society UpdateEducation&OutreachIn
Page 13 and 14: A conference in 2014 is envisaged a
Page 15 and 16: NEWSIn the news this issuen NRG Roc
Page 17 and 18: It is proposed that an important el
Page 19 and 20: IGCP projects with Australian leade
Page 21: Ediacaran Golden Spike localityVisi
Page 25: Tumut 2 tailwater tunnel during con
Page 31 and 32: Fossil hunting organised by Kronosa
Page 33 and 34: Fortunately for Paul Stumkat, he is
Page 35 and 36: Year 12 EES students from across WA
Page 37 and 38: Special Report 3Global warming and
Page 39 and 40: As indicated in the table accompany
Page 41 and 42: Ian Percival spoke on protecting an
Page 43 and 44: Books for reviewPlease contact the
Page 45 and 46: An introductory paper to the volume
Page 47 and 48: this land, and showing the richness
Page 49 and 50: Geology of QueenslandP Jell (Ed)Dep
Page 51 and 52: O B I T U A R I E SSylvia Whitehead
Page 53: The Australian GeologistBackground

TAG 166 - Geological Society of Australia

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