The area around Seville is remarkable in many aspects: The visitor is impressed by the astonishing cultural background manifested in remarkable monuments like the Giralda and the Alcazar. The geologist is amazed by the complicated geology extending from the old formations of the Sierra Morena to the youngest sediments at the coast of the Atlantic ocean. The mining engineer faces a terrain that has been subject to intensive mining since Phoenician times.

The ecologist is intrigued by the Doñana National Park, a remarkable ecosystem that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. And the environmentalist is alarmed by the fragility of this region, threatend by environmental desasters like the failure of the Aznalcollar sludge dam in 1998, that caused the contamination of some five-thousand hectares with heavy metals and toxic chemicals.

When taking a closer look, all these different aspects are linked in one way or the other. This 4-day excursion aims at discovering some of these links.

Programme

1^st day: The geologic basics About wealth coming from the Earth and the devastation of nature: processes of orogeny, ore enrichment, natural erosion and the effects of mining on nature.

2^nd day: The cultural heritage (1) About mining as a prerequisite to power and wealth: From the Neolithic to Roman times.

3^rd day: The cultural heritage (2) About mining as a prerequisite to power and wealth: From the Arabs to the discovery of America.

4^th day: Ever changing nature Landscape evolution takes time: From a lagoon to the today's Doñana National Park.

Excursion guidance by Dipl.-Geol. Monika Huch, egs-network environmental geosciences

Excursion fees per person: 400 Euro
The fees include:
- All travel expenses related to the excursion in Spain starting from the lodging.
- Excursion guidance by scientists of the Swiss egs-network.
- Excursion guidance from partner associations.
- Documentation.

We stay at the B&B La Caldera Vieja, Zalamea la Real. The accomodation costs are due to be paid to the lodging (60 Euro p.d. in a 2-bed-room).

Registration form | Programme (pdf)

Dates 2010: October 24 to 29
(Arr./Dep., 4 days in the field) and upon arrangement

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