Por Jorge Miros y Antonieta Valenzuela

San Quintín Bay, located in the municipality of Ensenada, is a lagoon complex that owes its origin to the emergence of a volcanic field in the Quaternary period; the bay is the only one of its kind along the peninsula.

In addition, the geodiversity of the bay includes examples of coastal geological processes, paleontological deposits and a rich cultural heritage that represent a high geotourism potential for educational, scientific and recreational use.

With the support of Terra Peninsular A.C., the Coastal Geology Department of the Marine Sciences Faculty at the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) is currently developing the project named “Coastal Geodiversity of the San Quintín Bay and surrounding areas”.

Pioneer in using the concept of geodiversity in Mexico, this study is part of the thesis of graduate student Jorge Miros, who is studying a Master’s Degree in Coastal Oceanography. Together with the thesis supervisor, Miguel Téllez PhD, he approached Terra Peninsular to ask for support in order to continue with the project.

Field trip and geodiversity inventory

After presenting the project at Terra Peninsular, the field trip was conducted from June 26 to July 2, 2016 at the area of study to corroborate important geological sites and complete the study.

The trip was led by Miguel Téllez PhD, along with professor Raúl Herrera and Jorge Miros, as well as the Field and Operations Officer of Terra Peninsular, Enrique Alfaro.

The field trip started in Laguna Figueroa, also known as Laguna Mormona, where endemic stromatolites can be found; these structures represent one of the oldest evidences of life in our planet in the fossil record.

After that, they continued through the San Quintín Volcanic Field, the only one in the Pacific coast of Baja California, and the source of xenoliths, a rock from the upper mantle that is only found in two sites around the world. Other important aspect is the presence of abundant fauna of fossils of mollusks that document the formation process of the bay.

The field trip ended in El Rosario, where the sediments contain marine mollusks, like giant ammonites, dinosaur bones and petrified wood.

With the data gathered, a detailed inventory of the region’s geodiversity elements will be completed in order to assess its vocation and geotourism and ecotourism potential, this to promote sustainable development through geoconservation.

Because of the value of the natural and cultural scenery of the bay, a geopark model is proposed as an option to promote sustainable development and diversify the economic opportunities among the locals in the San Quintín Bay with geotourism.

What is geodiversity?

As a management tool, geodiversity is a sustainable economic alternative for communities. Recently, the concept has been applied in Mexico to value the geological landscapes, including the cultural and natural heritage.

In general terms, geodiversity is the diversity of geological environments, phenomena and processes that shape the landscape, rocks, mineral, fossils and soils that provide the reference for life on Earth, including how man has used it throughout history. In addition, geodiversity is a concept that highlights the outstanding elements of the natural and cultural heritage of the landscape.