Macquarie Island World Heritage values
Macquarie Island was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 on the basis of its outstanding natural universal values. The World Heritage criteria against which Macquarie Island was listed remain the formal criteria for this property. The World Heritage criteria are periodically revised and the criteria against which the property was listed in 1997 are not necessarily identical with the current criteria.
Criteria
Outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features.
Macquarie Island, formed by the exposure of the ocean crust above sea level at the oceanic plate boundary between the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates, is the only place on earth where tectonic forces have brought oceanic mantle-derived rock to the surface within the context of a currently active plate boundary. The World Heritage values include:
- above sea level evidence of sea-floor spreading and tectonic processes that occur along a mid-oceanic spreading centre;
- the only known example of two oceanic plates colliding, producing a ridge and island feature at a major strike slip plate boundary;
- the only known example of oceanic crust being uplifted as a result of transpression at an ocean-ocean plate boundary;
- the only known example of an ophiolite (distinctive assemblage of mafic to ultramafic rocks) complex in the process of being formed and currently in its original geological setting;
- a near-pristine example of an ophiolite;
- evidence of the structure, processes of formation and geochemistry of lower layers of Earth's lithosphere providing sequences from all crustal levels down to 6 km;
- an example of the structure and composition of both the oceanic crust and the upper mantle;
- the only known example of oceanic crust formed by sea-floor spreading, which is accessible above sea level and still actively forming, undeformed, and uncontaminated;
- evidence of the exposure of a segment of a major active plate boundary in an oceanic setting;
- evidence of continuing tectonic and structural processes, including frequent and large earthquakes and dramatic uplift; and
- an example of the reversal of geological processes, from tectonic plates moving apart and then reversing movement to collide.
Contain superlative phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
Macquarie Island has exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance and contains superlative natural phenomena. The World Heritage values include:
- spectacular steep escarpments;
- extensive peat beds;
- large numbers of lakes, tarns and pools;
- dramatic changes in vegetation cover due to climatic conditions;
- extensive congregations of wildlife, including Royal and King penguins, present especially during the breeding season;
- majestic albatross (4 species) nesting on cliffs that are easily viewed;
- impressive colonies of elephant seals, allowing ability to view breeding and mating behaviour; and
- the remote, dramatic and essentially undisturbed location.
Heritage values
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