The Facade of the Earth Science Park Museum
Museums are inherently intertwined with art and creativity. Around the world, there is constant competition to showcase items that embody artistic and creative expression within museums. However, at times, visitors may overlook the deeper message behind an exhibit.
Building Stones
A major portion of the world’s mines—as well as those in Iran and, consequently, in Razavi Khorasan Province—consists of building stones, ranging from igneous rocks and rubble stone to dimension stone and marble. In Razavi Khorasan Province, out of 632 active mines, about 340 are related to rubble and building stones. In other words, in terms of quantity, more than 50 percent of the mines fall within the category of building stones.
Precambrian
The earliest geological era is the Precambrian, which began 4.6 billion years ago and lasted until 542 million years ago.
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic is the second geological era, beginning 542 million years ago and continuing until 241 million years ago.
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic is the third geological era, lasting approximately 186 million years, from about 251 to 65 million years ago.
Cenozoic
The fourth geological era, the Cenozoic, began 65 million years ago and continues to the present day.
Dinosaur T-Rex
The species Tyrannosaurus rex (rex meaning "king" in Latin), often called T-Rex, is one of the most well-represented of the large theropods.
Dinosaur Footprints
Based on the first report published by the Geological Survey of Iran (Report No. 26 – 1972), these footprints of dinosaurs found in the Liassic formations.
Edaphosaurus
Edaphosaurus (meaning “pavement lizard”) was a distinctive synapsid characterized by a large body, a relatively small head, and a prominent dorsal sail. It was an extinct member of the synapsids, neither a true dinosaur nor a modern reptile.
Vertebrate
Vertebrate fossils are the remains of organisms possessing a backbone, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. These fossils provide valuable information on evolution, paleoecology, and past climatic changes.
Bivalve
movable shells and filter-feeding system, play an important role in aquatic ecosystems.
Ammonites
Ammonites (Ammonoidea) are an extinct group of mollusks that inhabited the world's oceans during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. As one of the most significant fossil groups, they provide valuable information on evolution, paleoecology, and past climatic changes.
Trilobites
Trilobites are an extinct class of marine arthropods that flourished throughout the Paleozoic era. They first appeared in the early Cambrian, around 521 million years ago, and persisted until the mass extinction at the end of the Permian, roughly 250 million years ago.
Gastropoda
Gastropoda is the largest and, after insects, the most diverse group within the phylum Mollusca.
Brachiopods
Brachiopods are a group of marine invertebrates whose shell symmetry, unlike that of bivalves (Bivalvia), is oriented perpendicular to the hinge axis.Today, only a few hundred living species remain; however, in the geological past—particularly during the Paleozoic—they were among the most abundant and diverse marine taxa. Their present-day habitats are mainly restricted to cold and deep marine environments.
Trace Fossils
Trace Fossils (Ichnofossils) are fossilized evidence of the activities of organisms rather than their bodies or skeletons. In other words, these fossils record traces such as footprints, burrows, nests, scratches, and feeding marks.
Echinodermata
The phylum Echinodermata comprises a diverse group of marine invertebrates, including sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, and crinoids.
Corals
Corals represent one of the marine ecosystems with the highest biodiversity and play a vital role in oceanic environments. However, climate change, pollution, and human activities pose serious threats to their survival.
Plant fossils
Plant fossils are the preserved remains or traces of plants that have been conserved in sedimentary rocks over millions of years.
Silicate Minerals
Silicate minerals are a group of minerals formed from the combination of silicon (Si), oxygen (O), and one or more metals.
Non-Silicate Minerals
A mineral is a natural, inorganic, solid substance with an orderly crystalline structure and a definite chemical composition that occurs in the Earth’s crust.
Non-silicate minerals are minerals that contain elements and compounds other than silicon-oxygen groups. Although they typically make up less than 10% of the Earth's crust compared to silicate minerals, they are economically and industrially very important.
Museum ramps
The museum ramps include sections featuring various types of silicate and non-silicate minerals, as well as different types of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.
