Orígens Geopark presents the final episode of the series Formation of the Pyrenees: Carboniferous volcanoes in Sarroca de Bellera

  • The video will premiere on August 28 at 7:00 p.m. on the Orígens Geopark YouTube channel.
  • This is a geology class taught by Dr. Joan Martí Molist, recorded between Coll de Fades and Coll de Sas (Sarroca de Bellera).
  • The video is titled Formació dels Pirineus: els volcans del Carbonífer a Sarroca de Bellera and can be viewed on the Orígens Geopark YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/pMEP2vxbtfs).

Orígens Geopark is expanding its collection of informative videos with a new master class recorded between Coll de Fades and Coll de Sas, in the municipality of Sarroca de Bellera. This outdoor geology class, held on October 27, was given by Dr. Joan Martí Molist, an expert in volcanology at the Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (CSIC), and brought together 21 participants.

Explanation by Dr. Joan Martí Molist in Sarroca de Bellera. @geoparcorigens

The video deals with one of the oldest chapters in the geological history of the Pyrenees: the volcanic activity of the Carboniferous period, about 300 million years ago. This activity gave rise to large volcanic calderas that, over millions of years, were buried kilometers deep. During the formation of the Pyrenees, these rocks were deformed and the erosion processes of the mountain range brought these volcanic calderas back to the surface. As Dr. Joan Martí states, these volcanic calderas are among the best examples of their type worldwide. Volcanic rocks allow us to interpret what the landscape was like in that remote time, when the area was part of a mountain range that preceded the current Pyrenees, and help us understand the complex geological evolution of the territory.

Participants of the master class on the Formation of the Pyrenees: the Carboniferous volcanoes in Sarroca de Bellera, given by Dr. Joan Martí Molist. @geoparcorigens

With this release, the collection of geological videos from the Orígens Geopark continues to grow and consolidate itself as a dissemination tool to bring the geological history of the Pyrenees closer to the general public, with rigorous and accessible explanations recorded in emblematic places in the territory. This is the third and final video in the Formation of the Pyrenees series. However, the collection also includes videos on other geological topics, and new educational content will be added soon.

This activity has been possible thanks to the collaboration of the Sarroca de Bellera City Council, the Lleida Provincial Council Economic Promotion Board, the University of Barcelona, ​​the Geomodels Research Institute, the Generalitat de Catalunya and the VIGEOCULT project (A natural open museum in the Pyrenees: virtual reality experience for dissemination and conservation of the geological and cultural heritage), funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/50110001103 and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.