Geodiversity is a term that can be broadly defined as encompassing the variety of rocks, fossils and minerals and natural landscape forming processes on the earth. This is taken to include all geomorphological features and landscapes resulting from weathering and transportation of soils and rocks. Familiar sights in the Staffordshire countryside such as The Roaches and the Trent Valley are prime examples of a 'resource' in the sense of their contribution to an environment with a degree of geodiversity. Geodiversity in Staffordshire will be managed through the Staffordshire Geodiversity Action Plan - SGAP.

The economic development of Staffordshire has been greatly influenced by its geological resources from coal mining in the Potteries to the extraction of sand and gravel from the Trent Valley. Aggregates extraction - both sand & gravel and hardrock - has provided some of the RIGS exposures that we are now looking at promoting in the community and educational establishments. Coal mining has also contributed to the economy of Staffordshire and placing RIGS localities and an Action Plan in the context of the place of geology in society if one the key objectives.

The Earth's 4600 million year history has been divided into 12 geological time periods. Staffordshire has exposures of rock from half of these periods, dating from the Carboniferous through to the Triassic and from the Paleogene to the Quaternary. The Ice Age too has played its part in shaping Staffordshire's landscape.The South West & White Peak, Potteries, Churnet Valley and the Midlands Plateau combine to make Staffordshire one of the most geologically varied counties in Britain.

Link: http://www.sgeoap.org.uk