El Geoparc Mundial de la UNESCO "Comarca Minera, Hidalgo": Un resultat de la cooperació científica entre Mèxic i Catalunya

Abstract

The Comarca Minera, Hidalgo UNESCO Global Geopark (Mexico) was formally designated on May 5th, 2017. This achievement was the result of a transdisciplinary, three-year project, for which there has been close cooperation among Mexican and Catalan universities, as well as Hidalgo's government institutions. The project was leaded by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM in its Spanish acronym) and brought together geoscientists of all disciplines, as well as specialists outside geology. It also prompted the collaboration of agrarian (ejidos) and civil organizations, as well as of students and volunteers. At present Comarca Minera is one of the six geoparks in America, treasuring an outstanding geoheritage around the silver mining of the historical district of Pachuca-Real del Monte. In addition, the geoheritage includes the follow highlights: (a) the type locality of cristobalite and tridymite, (b) the columnar jointed basalts of Huasca de Ocampo, described for the first time by the Prussian naturalist Alexander von Humboldt in 1803, and (c) Cerro de Las Navajas, which was one of the most important obsidian deposits for Mesoamerican cultures.