Cretaceous dinosaur coast of Korea as potential geopark

CRETACEOUS DINOSAUR COAST OF KOREA AS POTENTIAL GEOPARK

MIN HUH

Korea Dinosaur Research Center & Faculty of Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences,

Chonnam National University, Gwangju, S. Korea.

Abstract: Among the geological heritage sites in South Korea, the Cretaceous sites are the most abundant. The Cretaceous sites consist of fossil sites including dinosaurs, pterosaurs, birds, invertebrates, and plants, inorganic sedimentary structure sites, unique geological feature sites, and geologically scenic view sites. Dinosaur sites include bone sites, egg sites, and footprint sites. Among them dinosaur footprint sites are the most common. The most Natural Monuments are designated for their unique preservation of dinosaur footprints and they are world-class scale in preservation. In some of dinosaur footprint sites, bird footprints are associated. Most of the Mesozoic bird-footprint taxa are identified in Korea.

Very extensive dinosaur trackways and eggsites exist mainly along the southern coast of the Korean peninsula. At Uhangri site at Haenam the largest pterosaur footprints, dinosaur and webbed bird-footprints are associated in the same horizons. A large dinosaur museum at Haenam, three exhibition halls protecting different sets of trackways, outdoor dinosaur models and interpretive features have been provided. Many hundreds of thousands of visitors use the site annually. The representative dinosaur egg site is Bibongri site at Boseong County, in which dinosaur egg clutches are repeatedly preserved in several horizons and turtle and dinosaur bones (Koreanosaurus) are associated. Facilities to support geotourism at Boseong include a very large and modern museum under construction. It will supplement an outdoor exhibition plaza containing models of dinosaur egg clutches, a very large dinosaur sculpture, boardwalks and interpretive signage. Again many hundreds of thousands visit annually. Hwasun is a disused quarry site near the provincial capital, Gwangju. Nearby are important resorts dependant on hot spring and their attendant spas. This site is of Early to Mid Cretaceous age and contains about 1,500 individual footprints and sixty trackways. In displays a diverse variety of gaits with unusual walking patterns and postures of mainly theropod dinosaurs. A board walk and interpretive material have been provided here and plans are afoot to develop a visitor center and a boardwalk linking the nearby hot springs resorts. A further proposal is to light the trackways for nighttime viewing utilizing low angle, high intensity LED lights to throw the tracks into stark relief. Five islands in the coast Yeosu City make up the Yeosu Late Cretaceous site. This site is the youngest dinosaur track site in Asia. There are more than 3,500 tracks and 82 trackways representing use of the site by ornithopod, theropod and sauropod dinosaurs. One ornithopod trackway at 85 metres length is the longest trackway of this species anywhere in the world. The presence of fossil conifers indicate mesic environmental conditions in an estuarine of lacustrine environment as these dinosaurs walked across a drifting world. There is an outdoor dinosaur education park at this site as well as a pathway with interpretive signs.

A striking feature of the dinosaur sites is the intense interest in utilizing the sites for school and community education. These sites have been nominated as a serial World Heritage property. These sites span the whole Cretaceous to the end of the 'Age of Dinosaurs' and provide considerable insight into the ecology and behavior of dinosaurs in contrast to the more abundant, but less-securely date, nearby Mongolian and Chinese body-fossil deposits. Although protection, development and promotion of these sites for scientific, geotourism and public education purposes has only taken place within the last decade they have already became very heavily used. All four sites are protected as National Monuments and have been developed for public education associated with its adjacent cultural and historical heritages, geographical and scenic sites .

Oversea tourism by South Korea is growing every year. The major oversea touring program is to visit culture sites in China, Japan, southeast Asia, and Europe. The programs to enjoy natural sites include visits to national parks in USA, Canada, and New Zealand. There are no specialized geotourism programs and no experts in geotouristic guide in those tourism. The sophisticated geotourism programs to make the tourists to explore the nature with understanding its value on our lives are needed in South Korean overseas tourism to visit natural sites. One example of the oversea geotourism programs to develop in South Korea including Chullanam-do is to visit Geoparks. The development of oversea geotourism will contribute to activate domestic geotourism. The development in geotourism industry in South Korea will contribute to make growth in job opportunity for the students majoring geological sciences in University. Geotourism in South Korea is now beginning and has a prospering future.

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