Nature Park Terra Vita, Germany

Terra Vita Geopark is located in northwestern Germany and has an area of 1,220 km². It became a member of the Global Geoparks Network in 2004. Geologically, the park is subdivided into two regions. In the northern ‘Aenkum-Bippener Berge’, the hills formed during the ice age, and its elevation is higher than the surrounding northern German lowlands. The southern part of the park is classified as a typical mountain landscape. It consists of massive rock masses and separates the ‘Muensterland Basin’ in the south from the northwestern lowlands. The North Westfalian-Lippian ridge was folded and is characterised by several smaller sub-structures, such as overthrusts, faults, horsts, small anticlines and uplifts. Its northern edge is composed of Jurassic rocks, and the crest of the central mountain chain is made up of Upper Jurassic sandstones and limestones bearing the ‘Dinosaur Footprints of Barkhausen’, which is one of the most important geosites. Outcrops of Middle and Lower Jurassic...