The three new guidebooks were published in June 2024 by BRGM Éditions.
© BRGM
The Curiosités géologiques series
BRGM Éditions aims to make a complex field of research accessible to the general public by explaining the processes of rock formation over geological time periods, illustrated by examples from field observations.
The geological curiosities series opens up the geology of different French regions to a wide audience. The books also include ways of discovering plants, wildlife, architecture and culture in general. All these aspects are tied to specific local environments, often shaped by the history and nature of the subsurface.
Discover the latest in this series of 35 guidebooks.
Mean Ruz lighthouse in the commune of Perros-Guirec (Côtes d'Armor).
© BRGM - Frédéric Simien
Geological curiosities of the Pink Granite Coast, Trégor and Goëlo (new, expanded edition)
With hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, the Pink Granite Coast is world-famous for its magnificent landscapes. The shimmering granite boulder fields are the main attraction, but the Trégor and Goëlo regions are full of other geological curiosities that are well worth a visit.
They are home to the oldest rocks in France, some 2 billion years old, as well as extraordinary underwater lava flows.
From Trébeurden to Paimpol, the authors take us on a tour of 30 sites selected for their beauty and educational value.
This book is an expanded and revised version of the Trégor and Goëlo guidebooks, as well as the former Pink Granite Coast guidebook.
Authors: Pierrick Graviou and Odile Guérin
Price: 19 euros
Reference: CURGROSE
Extract from the guidebook to the Geological Curiosities of the Saint-Etienne Basin and the Pilat massif.
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Geological curiosities of the Saint-Etienne basin and the Pilat massif
Between the Loire and Rhône rivers, the Saint-Étienne basin is world famous for its coal deposits. Together with the Pilat massif, they form a geographical entity in which one can see the remains of the old Hercynian mountain chain and evidence of its disintegration at the end of the Carboniferous period (around 300 million years ago).
In Saint-Étienne, coal mining has left its traces (slag heaps) and its mark on town planning and architecture.
The Pilat massif offers a wide range of plutonic and metamorphic rocks, from granite to mica-schist including migmatites, gneisses and leptynites. Despite their moderate elevations, the slopes are sometimes steep and the valleys deeply incised. The highlands also contain remnants of the last ice age.
Authors: Hervé Cubizolle, Pierre Habig and Bernard Guy
Price: 19 euros
Reference: CURSAINPIL
Extract from the geological curiosities guidebook to the Eure-et-Loir.
© BRGM
Geological curiosities in Eure-et-Loir
Located between the Île-de-France, Normandy and the Val de Loire regions, the Eure-et-Loir features contrasting landscapes, from the plains of the Beauce to the Perche hills and the valleys of the Chartrain region. The Loir, Blaise and Huisne rivers have exposed the chalk formations in the ground on which the castles of Châteaudun, Dreux and Nogent-le-Rotrou are built. The Gour de Spoy (a natural reservoir) and the buttes (hills) of Vichères and Broué are surprising.
The diversity of the rocks in the subsurface can be seen in the buildings and contributes to the architectural identity of many different regions: Beauce limestone rubble, Dunois perrons (raised platforms in front of buildings), Hurepoix grès et meulière (sandstone and millstone), Thymerais and Perche-Gouet grisons (greywacke sandstone), Perche roussards (red sandstone) etc.
This guidebook explains the historical links between the Earth and humankind, as seen through the eyes of a geologist, a geographer and a botanist.
Authors: Claudine Guillemin, with the collaboration of François Bétard and Pierre Boudier
Price: 19 euros
Reference: CUREURL
