Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/11 11.04 Side 1 NOMINATION OF STEVNS KLINT STEVNS KLINT Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/1111.04Side2 Photo: Peter Warna-Moors Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/11 11.04 Side 3 Foreword As part of the Danish implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the Heritage Agency of Denmark decided in January 2009 to include Stevns Klint on the Danish Tentative List for sites for future consid- eration as World Heritage sites. The Stevns Klint area is a significant Earth science site that includes a theme not yet present on the World Her- itage List: Global mass extinction associated with an asteroid impact. The scenic Stevns Klint site is outstanding between 500 sites around the world comprising the spectacular mass extinction event at the Cretaceous−Tertiary boundary because of the long and accessible exposures of the complete boundary section and because of its long and continued importance to the scientific studies. Since joining UNESCO, the Danish Government has been working to affirm its support for the World Heritage Convention, and we are pleased to be able to nominate this natural site for inclusion in the prominent list. Local people and authorities in the Stevns area have participated in the successful development, protection and designation of the Stevns Klint site in qualifying cooperation with the national level. We therefore fully support the nomination of Stevns Klint for World Heritage status. Anne Mette Rahbek Poul Arne Nielsen Director Mayor Heritage Agency of Denmark Stevns Municipality Denmark Denmark January 2012 Photo: Peter Warna-Moors 3 Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/1111.04Side4 Photo: Jakob Lautrup Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/11 11.04 Side 5 Preface Achievement of long-term protection and positive management of the nominated site is a central concern of the proposal. Work towards this nomination has involved active local, national and international consultation, and the princi- ples and priorities for management have been established through thorough debate and investigation. A management plan approved by the local authorities outlines the future management of the nominated area. The nomination document is prepared with the assistance and advice of many people and institutions. We are delighted to commend this nomination to the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO. The World Heritage steering committee of Stevns Klint Poul Arne Nielsen Mogens Haugaard Nielsen Chairman of Steering committee Co-chairman of Steering committee Stevns Municipality Stevns Municipality Bolette Lehn Petersen Steen S. Hansen Heritage Agency of Denmark Stevns Municipality Bjørn Voltzmann Jens Carl Jørgensen Stevns Municipality Østsjællands Museum Bjarne Østergaard Rasmussen Østsjællands Museum Berith Burkandt Tove Damholt Project co-ordinator Nomination co-ordinator Stevns Municipality Østsjællands Museum January 2012 Photo: Jakob Lautrup 5 Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/1111.04Side6 Photo: Jakob Lautrup Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/11 11.05 Side 7 Nomination of STEVNS KLINT for inclusion in the World Heritage List Tove Damholt and Finn Surlyk Photo: Jakob Lautrup Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/11 11.05 Side 8 NOMINATION OF STEVNS KLINT The present project has received financial support from the Heritage Agency of Denmark, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland and Nordea-fonden. GEUS Authors: Tove Damholt (Østsjællands Museum) and Finn Surlyk (Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen). Background material: Anne Mehlin Sørensen, Thomas Hansen (Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen); Thomas Tram Pedersen, Helle Ålsbøl, Kirstine Østergaard (Østsjællands Museum); Niels Richardt (Ramboll Denmark A/S); Thomas W. Johansen (Senatur); Karsten Dahl (Section for Marine Ecology, Aarhus University); Stig A. Schack Pedersen (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland). Technical editor: Henrik Klinge Pedersen (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS) Cover: Carsten E. Thuesen/Henrik Klinge Pedersen, (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS) Lay-out and DTP: Henrik Klinge Pedersen, (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS) Reprographic work: Benny Schark (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS) Drawings: Carsten Egestal Thuesen, Stefan Sølberg, Eva Melskens, Henrik Klinge Pedersen, Kristian Rasmussen (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS) and Charlotte Clante. 3D interpretation: Carsten Egestal Thuesen and Stefan Sølberg, (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS) Maps: Anka Nordvig Sonne (Stevns Municipality). Photos: Source is given at individual photographs Print: Rosendahl/Schultz grafisk ISBN: 978-87-994430-2-4 © 2012 Østsjællands Museum Højerup Bygade 38 4660 St. Heddinge Denmark Photo: Jakob Lautrup 8 Photo: Jakob Lautrup Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/1111.05Side9 Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/11 11.05 Side 10 Executive Summary State Party Justification Statement of Outstanding Universal Value Denmark. Stevns Klint (klint = cliff) is a 15 km long scenic State, Province or Region coastal cliff one hour drive south of the Danish capital Copenhagen. Stevns Klint illustrates the most spectac- Stevns Municipality. ular global mass extinction event in the history of Earth: The Cretaceous−Tertiary boundary. The mass Name of Property extinction that occurred 65 million years ago is partic- ularly spectacular due to its association with an aster- Stevns Klint. oid impact and because it marks the extinction of more than half of all species, including land-living Geographical Co-ordinates to the Nearest dinosaurs and large marine reptiles. Second Stevns Klint forms the best exposed Cretaceous−Ter- N 55° 16' 02" E 12° 25' 24" tiary boundary section in the world with the excep- tional boundary layer being easily recognisable imme- Textual Description of the Boundaries of the diately beneath a pronounced topographic overhang, Nominated Property which separates the underlying soft Cretaceous chalk from the overlying, harder Tertiary limestone. The thin The nominated property comprises the 15 km long black boundary clay layer found in the up to 40 m and up to 41 m high rugged coastal cliff of Stevns high, white cliff clearly marks the fall in primary pro- Klint, Denmark, encompassing the geological forma- duction and makes the exceptional boundary layer vis- tions covering the Cretaceous−Tertiary mass extinc- ible even to the inexperienced eye. tion event. The nominated property covers 50 ha in- cluding the exposure of Cretaceous and Tertiary strata Criterion viii: Stevns Klint is an outstanding example within the coastal cliff, on the seafloor, in a tunnel sys- representing a major stage in Earth’s history and the tem, and in abandoned quarries. record of life: The mass extinction at the Cretaceous −Tertiary boundary. An example of the major changes The boundary of the nominated property accommo- caused by an asteroid impact is presently not found on dates the natural processes of coastal erosion and as the World Heritage List and based on the combination the cliff face migrates landward so too does the nomi- of quality of exposure, fossil diversity, and scientific nated property boundaries. The boundaries of the cliff impact the Stevns Klint site stands out from the more are defined by topographic features visible in the land- than 500 registered localities globally comprising the scape and therefore ensures that they are clearly iden- spectacular catastrophe at the Cretaceous−Tertiary tifiable on the ground and ultimately useful for site boundary. management. A buffer zone is outlined following boundaries of existing areas of legal protection. Land- wards, the buffer zone follows a national 300 m coastal protection zone and seawards it follows the boundary of an area included in the European Natura 2000 net- work of protected areas. Map of the nominated Stevns Klint area and the surrounding region, showing the boundaries of the nominated area and the buffer zones. The location of the nominated area in Den- mark and the World is also shown. 10 Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/11 11.05 Side 11 NORTHERN HEMISPHERE DENMARK Denmark Stevns Klint 55˚ 22’ N E: 720000 m N: 6140300 m 20’ E: 716000 m N: 6134200 m 18’ 16’ Nominated area Buffer zone E: 720000 m 0 1 2 3 km N: 6127300 m ETRS89 zone 32 14’ 15’ E 20’ 25’ 12˚ 30’ 11 Stevns_new_07-12_Stevns 13/12/11 11.05 Side 12 NOMINATION OF STEVNS KLINT The nominated site has played a significant role in the Criteria under which the Property international study of the causes of mass extinction is Nominated and the effect of extraterrestrial impact on life on Earth Stevns Klint is proposed to be inscribed under the cri- as it was among the original study localities that first teria (viii) of Paragraph 77 of the Operational Guide- led scientists to the hypothesis of an asteroid impact as lines for the Implementation of the World Heritage a cause for mass extinction and is thus of high value for Convention (2008), stating that the nominated prop- understanding of key evolutionary problems. erties shall: The key to the integrity of Stevns Klint lies in the com- “Be outstanding examples representing major stages pleteness of the boundary section, the good preserva- of earth’s history, including the record of life, signifi- tion of rich fossil assemblages, and in the high quality cant ongoing geological processes in the development of the outstanding exposure of high permanency and of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiogeo- great lateral extent. The site boundaries are defined to