Stevns Klint joins international list of geological sites

Stevns Klint in eastern Denmark has been named one of 100 geological localities of international importance, DR reports. The coastal cliff will be presented on the list at an event in Portugal on Friday.

The list is compiled by the International Union of Geological Sciences and is the third of its kind. Eva Rose Waldorff, the UNESCO World Heritage coordinator for Stevns Klint, said she was delighted by the recognition and, with a glint in her eye, thought: “Of course.”

Stevns Klint is recognised in part for its fish clay, a thin, dark layer in the white cliff. The clay preserves evidence of the asteroid that struck Earth about 66 million years ago, when half of all animal species, including the dinosaurs, became extinct.

The cliff has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 2014. Waldorff said the new recognition was a different kind of honour and confirmed that the decision to seek World Heritage status was right. She hopes it will attract researchers.