Hike in the footsteps of Sauerland volcanism

The "Day of the Geotope" will take place this year on 19 September. It is an initiative of the Academy for Geosciences and Geotechnologies, formerly the Academy of Geosciences in Hanover. While the Open Monument Day focuses on historical buildings, the Geotope Day focuses on geological facts and the importance of geotopes and geotope protection. The event is under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and is supported by UNESCO.

The GrenzWelten National Geopark also regularly participates in Geotope Day, this year by supporting a very special event: on the trail of volcanism in the Sauerland. The Förderverein für Kultur, Denkmalpflege und Naturschutz e. V., the Verkehrs- und Heimatverein and the branch of the Sauerländische Gebirgsverein (SGV) in Winterberg-Züschen are jointly organising a hike to the small "Helleköpfchen" quarry above the village on 19 September. As geologist Dr. Matthias Piecha from the Geological Service of North Rhine-Westphalia emphasises: "The quarry is a stroke of luck for geological research in the Sauerland."

At the "Helleköpfchen", among other things, a volcanic rock was exposed that became known among experts as the "Züschener Quarzkeratophyrtuff". The volcanic rock is almost 3 metres in size there in the quarry and is intercalated between clay shales. Both rocks are rich in fossils, mainly trilobites, brachiopods, crinoids, corals, mussels and snails. These fossils once inhabited a sea that covered large parts of Central Europe in the Lower Devonian period, about 390 million years ago. Around today's Züschen, mainly clay mud was deposited on the seabed in the Lower Devonian, as well as ash that had been thrown into the air by volcanic activity in the area. The wave ripples of the Devonian sea are still very clearly visible.

The local organisers and the GrenzWelten National Geopark cordially invite all interested parties to the free hike on 19 September. The hike starts at 10:00 a.m. at the church in Züschen, where the geologist Dr. Manfred Gerike from Marburg will provide scientific explanations of the rocks. From 10:30 a.m., the hiking group will climb to the "Helleköpfchen" quarry under expert guidance. Finally, at 2 p.m., there will be a guided tour of the local museum "Borgs Scheune" including the fossil and mineral collection, taking into account the 3G rule (vaccinated, recovered, tested). For further information, please contact the SGV department in Züschen at vorstand@sgv-zueschen.de or the project office of the GrenzWelten Geopark at 05631 954-512, e-mail geopark@lkwafkb.de.