Guide des curiosités géologiques du Géoparc de La Hague, published by Éditions du BRGM in 2025. In the background can be seen the line of contact between the Flamanville granite and its hornfels or metamorphic rock platform (Flamanville, Manche, France, 2007).
© BRGM - François Michel
Located in the north of the Cotentin peninsula, La Hague Geoparc is home to an exceptional geological heritage of international interest, spanning almost half of the Earth's history. Its landscapes feature the relics of three mountain ranges and the oldest rocks in France. All this makes the peninsula an ideal place to learn about Earth sciences.
A guidebook to the geological curiosities of La Hague Geoparc
The new La Hague Geoparc guidebook is the latest addition to the Geological Curiosities collection, aimed at anyone interested in discovering the rocks and landscapes of France and learning about its geology. An opportunity for a trip to discover how geology, human history and biodiversity are linked.
The twenty-five sites covered in this guidebook bear witness to this extraordinary geological heritage: they illustrate a variety of geological phenomena such as magmatism and the melting of the Earth's core, glaciations and fluctuations in sea level, and how tectonic plates shift during compression. La Hague's geological heritage is also reflected in its buildings, with each village and hamlet having its own geological identity, visible in the building materials used.
Price: €19
The authors
Alexis Plunder
Has a PhD in geology and is a geologist at BRGM, the French Geological Survey. During his training, he first studied the Tethyan subduction zones (in Turkey, Oman and India). Since joining BRGM, his main focus has been on the formation processes of recent mountain ranges such as the Alps, but also ancient ones such as the Variscan chain (Massif Central, Alps) or very ancient ones (Malawi, Chad), using metamorphic petrology, structural geology and geochronology.
Yohann Poprawski
Has a PhD in geology and is a freelance geologist. His PhD thesis was on the geometry of diapirs and corresponding syn-sedimentary deformation, in particular at the Bakio site in Spain. He is now promoting Normandy's geological heritage and doing scientific mediation in geology.
Carte pédagogique du Géoparc de La Hague, published by Éditions du BRGM in 2025.
© BRGM
An educational map of La Hague Geoparc
The La Hague Geoparc educational map is aimed at connoisseurs wishing to supplement the information in the guidebook or simply to learn more about geology in France in this emblematic sector. It covers, among others, the oldest rocks in France (Icartian gneiss), just over two billion years old, as well as the Flamanville granite, which is much younger at just 318 million years old.
It incorporates the latest findings from research projects carried out in recent years, including in marine geology, and presents some interesting subjects for study, making up a rich geological history.
Price: €14
