Geopark route: Sacred Hill in Alajärvi
Alessandro and Santtu:
Geologist Teemu Öhman spoke about the birth of the crater lake and illustrated the probable velocity of the meteorite that hit the earth. He pointed out various traces of the Ice Age and shed light on how and when they were born. He then expanded on the geology of the region and explained what kind of soil we have in Finland and why.
The hill has strong roots in the folk tradition, which is why Teemu Öhman also told about the folk tales and legends concerning e.g. the sacrificial stone and the cave found on the hill.
On our walk back to the bus we dug, under the guidance of the biology teacher Annaleena Rauma, some samples of soil to be analyzed in the lab later in the afternoon.
Interview with geologist Teemu Öhman
1. Job description
Teemu Öhman is a geologist who is speacialised in crater formation and bedrock geology.. He started as a professor in University of Oulu by teaching bedrock geology. In 2016 he moved to work in Lappajärvi and now he has been working without a contract for a month.
2. Opinion on the depletion of natural resources
The biggest problem with the depletion of natural resources is that not enough countries in Europe decide to open mines. For example there is a lithium mine in Kaustinen and they are thinking about opening another mine. Too many countries depend on the production and materials of China. Also recycling is very important to preserve natural resources.
3. Opinion on climate change
Climate change is the biggest problem on earth currently. Current generation is trying to stop climate change but older generations don’t care about that much. The effects of climate change have been studied already in the 1800s by a couple of scientists and we have known the effects for a long time but nothing has been done until now.
4. Opinion on ecotourism
In correct amounts ecotourism is a very good thing because it spreads information about important geological sites. But mass tourism isn’t good for the environment.
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