Better Understanding of Geoheritage Challenges within the Scope of Economic Geology: Toward a New Research Agenda

Abstract

Recognizing geoheritage, i.e., the entity of unique geological features with heritage value, as a geological resource for society is a relatively novel idea. It is argued that non-industrial exploitation of this resource brings benefits through tourism, eco-/geosystem services, and research and education. Experience-related peculiarities of the contemporary economy can be brought in correspondence with the geoheritage value. This new resource deserves extensive investigation and exploration, just like mineral and energy resources. The scope of economic geology should, consequently, embrace also geoheritage as an economically important geological resource. This requires joint efforts of both economic geologists and experts in geoheritage and nature conservation.