The meaning of the IAPG logo

 

The inner circle represents the Earth, which is not a closed system, but opened. So other circles represent the "Earth System", consisting of geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere. The six designs inside the internal circle represent bio- and geo-diversity. 

 

To give more efficacy to the logo, a quote by the Roman Stoic philosopher Lucio Anneo Seneca has been chosen (taken from his literary work "Naturales quaestiones" – III, 15, 1): "Placet natura regi terram". The literal translation from Latin is: "it is a shared opinion that the Earth is supported by Nature". 
2000 years ago Seneca writes this sentence while he is comparing the water flowing in a river with the blood that flows in human veins and with the lymph along the trunk of a tree. And the meaning of the sentence is all in this analogy. So we can intend the quote as an invitation to consider that all the things belonging to the Earth system (mineral, plant and animal kingdoms) are closely connected. Man has to consider this close connection when takes decisions on the environment and resources, and geoethics can be an useful tool in this direction, helping in the respect of right balances.

Many thanks to Arduino Maiuri (Latin scholar at the Sapienza University, Rome - Italy) and to Daniela Riposati (graphic designer of INGV, Rome - Italy).