Friday, December 23, 2016

Korea Tour : Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (1)


A Spectacular Geological Museum
 
Jeju Island was created by the volcanic activities that went through four stages between 1.2 million and 250,000 years ago. With diverse and unique volcanic features and beautiful landscape stretching in every direction, the entire island is a virtual volcano museum.
 


Formed in the Quaternary Period of the Cenozoic Era, which is a relatively recent geological past, the initial volcanic landforms of Jeju Island have been well preserved, providing precious information about global volcanism.



 
Some of the best examples of Jeju Island’s volcanic landforms are Mt. Halla, its 368 parasitic cones, and the lava tubes formed by explosive eruptions of basaltic lava. Specifically, the mountain has the world’s largest number of parasitic cones (called oreum in the Jeju dialect) to be derived from a single volcano. These sites are highly regarded not only for their superb scenic beauty but also for their research value as examples representing the earth’s geological history.
 


The UNESCO World Heritage Committee selects a World Natural Heritage in view of the site’s natural beauty, properties as a habitat for endangered species and its geological features that shed light on the history of the earth. In other words, the site’s outstanding scenic beauty is not the sole condition for an inscription on the World Heritage List, but its exceptional geological and ecological values are also assessed as important prerequisites. As such, more weight is placed on the site’s objective qualities, including its contributions to scientific research, rather than on aesthetic considerations, which can be inherently subjective.
 



In 2007, UNESCO listed Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes as a World Natural Heritage in recognition of its landscape of surpassing natural beauty, unique volcanic landforms and ecology. Juju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, comprised of three sites - Mt. Halla Natural Reserve, the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System and Seongsan Sunrise Peak- is the first natural site in Korea to be placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
 
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