Geomorphological Heritage Research Articles

Geoheritage in the Minett UNESCO Biosphere (Southern Luxembourg): Inventory, Evaluation, and Conservation Aspects of Representative Geosites

The southwestern part of Luxembourg, known as Minett in the local language use, exposes an exceptionally high diversity of marine near-shore sediment rocks from the Early to Middle Jurassic, owing to its proximal position at the north-eastern margins of the Paris Basin. The iconic Minette ironstone formation is known as the worldwide largest oolitic ironstone deposit from the last 500 my and the abandoned open cast mines are nowadays protected sites with a high biodiversity, intrinsically linked to geodiversity. The schistes bitumineux unit, a lateral equivalent of the well-known Posidonienschiefer of the Holzmaden region (South Germany), is frequently studied for its exceptionally preserved fossils of marine vertebrates, cephalopods, and insect remains, deserving its status as a Fossil-Lagerstätte of international relevance. Of regional importance are the Rumelange limestones, with coral patch-reef paleo-environments. The geomorphological main feature of the region is the Cuesta of the Middle Jurassic (‘Dogger-Schichtstufe’), with several outliers (‘Zeugenberge’) that represent widely visible landmarks in the landscape. In this paper, 16 geosites, representative of the geological, palaeontological, geomorphological, and hydrogeological heritage in the Minett UNESCO biosphere, are presented and evaluated according to scientific, educational, and geotouristic criteria.

Geodziedzictwo obszarów chronionych, ich ochrona i promocja turystyczna na przykładzie Parku Narodowego Gór Stołowych w świetle analizy dokumentów

Geodziedzictwo obszarów chronionych, ich ochrona i promocja turystyczna na przykładzie Parku Narodowego Gór Stołowych w świetle analizy dokumentów

INVENTORY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EROSIVE FORMS IN THE BARBANTIÑO RIVER (MIÑO BASIN, GALICIA, NW PENÍNSULA IBÉRICA)

The existence of forms sculpted by fluvial erosion is frequent in Bedrock Rivers. Since 1999, the Area of Physical Geography of the University of Vigo (Ourense Campus) has been conducting research on these rock cavities in various reaches of the middle Miño River. The exploratory study that is presented corresponds to the case of a section upstream of the Barbantiño river waterfall (Ourense, Galicia). Carried out within the framework of a research line with the objectives of inventorying, characterizing, interpreting and evaluating the erosive forms in the rocky channels of the Miño River and its tributaries, the employed methodology included phases of field work, creation of a database, and statistical analysis. From the records in the sampled sectors of the Barbantiño River, an inventory was made with 60 erosive forms, considering quantitative variables (measurements of length, width, depth) and qualitative variables (morphology of the bottom, state of the walls, and presence of deposits). The preliminary results of the exploratory analysis provide new information on the sculpted forms in bedrock, allowing comparison with previous studies. The erosive forms of the studied section are characterized by great variability in their depth (between 2 cm and 2.7 m), length (between 7 cm and 2.5 m) and width (between 4 cm and 2 m); the strong correlation between surface and bottom dimensions (Spearman's r> 0.85); and the coexistence of cavities in an incipient state, furrows and potholes. These results contribute to the advancement of knowledge of a natural legacy that is part of the geodiversity of the Miño River basin, with a complex of values associated with its condition of geomorphological heritage.

Inventory and Assessment of the Geomorphosites in Central Cyclades, Greece: The Case of Paros and Naxos Islands

The Cycladic landscape is characterized by landforms of natural beauty and rarity. Landforms resulting from differential erosion, weathering, tectonics, drainage network, sea level changes, and depositional processes can contribute to the development of geotourism in the area. This can be achieved by supporting conservation, protection and promotion of the geo-environment and nature, educating students, residents, and visitors. The aim of this work is to develop an inventory of the main geomorphosites of Paros and Naxos islands by assessing their scientific and additional values, using qualitative and quantitative criteria. Our results show that, besides the high scientific interest of the 75 geomorphosites, most are also characterized by a high ecological value and can potentially lead to a significant increase in the islands’ tourism. The results of this work aim at raise awareness on the geomorphological heritage of central Cyclades and provide a basis for their promotion, protection, and management.

Comparing quantitative methods on the evaluation of scientific value in geosites: analysis from the Itatiaia National Park, Brazil

Despite efforts by the scientific community to create a single universal quantitative method to assess geological sites, dozens of methods have been designed and applied around the world with the purpose of assessing geosites with specific interests. Although several studies have already compared quantitative assessment methods with different objectives, there is not yet research that compares the application of general-purpose (method applicable to any geosite) and special-purpose methods (designed to assess geomorphosites) on the assessment of geosites with geomorphological and other geological interest. In view of this fact, this study aims (i) to make a quantitative assessment of the scientific value of the inventoried geosites of the Itatiaia National Park, Brazil, adopting geological and geomorphological approaches, using both general- and special-purpose methods and (ii) to discuss whether special-purpose methods provide different results that justify their application and whether general-purpose methods appropriately assess geomorphological heritage. The methodology procedures consisted of applying two general- and three special-purpose methods adopting the geological and geomorphological approaches to each geosite. The results show two main patterns: (i) different scores in the assessment of the geological and geomorphological approaches when applying the same method and (ii) similar scores in the assessment of each geosite among each method type –general- or special-purpose methods. The comparison of these five methods showed that general- and special-purpose methods could be applied in geosites with geomorphological and other geological interest without strongly affecting the final results.

A Comprehensive Assessment of Geomorphodiversity and Geomorphological Heritage for Damavand Volcano Management, Iran

A comprehensive understanding of geomorphodiversity and geomorphological heritage is crucial for their use, conservation, and management. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the geomorphodiversity and geomorphological heritage in an integrated approach for the management of Damavand volcano and its surroundings. Damavand is the highest mountain in Iran and the highest volcano in Asia. In this research, the analyses were performed in five steps: (1) the assessment of geomorphodiversity; (2) the identification and selection of geomorphosites; (3) the assessment of geomorphosites; (4) the comparison and synthesis of results; (5) the determination of suitable visit routes. In these steps, the geomorphodiversity index elaborated by Melelli et al. in 2017 and a method developed by Reynard et al. in 2016 were used, with extensive fieldwork. The results showed the areas with high and very high geomorphodiversity values provide a rich set of different types of landforms and processes. Also, the intrinsic value of 66.66% of selected geomorphosites is more than 50 (from 100) and only 33.33% have a value of less than 50, while their use and management status are unsuitable (75%) and very unsuitable (5.6%). Moreover, where the value of geomorphodiversity is higher, the number of geomorphosites is also higher, but there is no correlation between the level of geomorphodiversity value and the level of the intrinsic value of the geomorphosites. Nevertheless, the Damavand volcano needs special attention for geotourism promotion, scientific and educational uses, world heritage, or geopark. Finally, the development of an integrated management plan to conservation is necessary. In this regards, the comprehensive assessment of geomorphodiversity and geomorphological heritage has been implemented as a first step in starting management and conservation strategies. Also, the suitable visit routes have been proposed as one of the management measures.

SPATIAL CONCENTRATION OF GEOMORPHOLOGICAL HERITAGE ELEMENTS IN GUARITAS DO CAMAQUÃ GEOMORPHOSITE (RIO GRANDE DO SUL – BRAZIL)

Geomorphological mapping of geomorphosites should allow the identification and characterization of the landforms that comprise the geoheritage of these places and demand actions of geoconservation and geotourism. The objective of this study was to identify and analyse the areas with the largest spatial concentration of landforms that comprises the geomorphological heritage elements in Guaritas do Camaquã geomorphosite – Rio Grande do Sul state – Brazil. Using as the starting point the geomorphological map (1:50,000) produced by Santos (2016), the following methodological procedures were performed: (a) selection of the vector data from the geomorphological map and their conversion to raster data; (b) classification of raster data regarding the values of spatial concentration of the geomorphological features into null, very low, low, medium, high and very high; (c) individualization and reclassification of the very high and high values of spatial concentration of the geomorphological features (given value 1), and the other values (given value 0); and (e) overlap of information with value (1) to verify the spatial coexistence of areas with high concentration of geomorphological features. The results allowed to identify the location and the extension of the areas where high concentrations of geomorphological features coexist, and to identify the geomorphological heritage elements that demand priority in geoconservation actions. Some of these geomorphological heritage elements are already part of geotouristic routes, as Pedra das Guaritas, while others are isolated and little explored. Such spatial arrangements of the landforms must be incorporated to the geotouristic routes to integrate the geomorphological heritage elements present in the geomorphosite.

Worldwide Research on Geoparks through Bibliometric Analysis

Since the Digne Convention in 1991, the literature related to Geoparks has gained a growing interest on the academy’s part, especially in achieving the preservation of geological interest sites through sustainable tourism. This article aims to provide an analysis of the academic research on Geoparks, based on publications in the Scopus database in the period 2002–2020. Bibliometric analysis methods and bibliographic display maps were examined using VOSviewer software. The bibliometric analysis process comprises three phases: (i) Search Criteria and Source Identification, (ii) software and data extraction, and (iii) data analysis and interpretation. The results show geoparks in full growth as a scientific discipline, thanks to the contribution of various authors, institutions, journals, and related topics that confirm the importance of this field of study. Additionally, bibliometric maps lead to an understanding of the intellectual structure of the subject, in which keyword co-occurrence analysis shows six main themes, ranging from ‘UNESCO Global Geoparks’ to ‘Geo-tourism-Sustainable Tourism’. this, combined with maps of co-citation, broadly exhibits this structure and development, showing areas of current interest and potential development, thus offering the latest knowledge on Geopark research worldwide. There is a growing concentration of research on geomorphological heritage and geo-tourism, focusing on methodologies to evaluate the specialities of this type of heritage and define the concept of geo-tourism; there is a great interest especially in the evaluation and identification of geo-site/geo-morphosites which try to eliminate subjectivity in methods and focus on sustainable development of the localities.

Comparative Study of Quantitative Assessment of the Geomorphological Heritage of the Coastal Zone of Icapuí - Ceará, Brazil

Comparative Study of Quantitative Assessment of the Geomorphological Heritage of the Coastal Zone of Icapuí - Ceará, Brazil

AVALIAÇÃO QUALITATIVA DO PATRIMÔNIO GEOMORFOLÓGICO DO SPIT DE GALINHOS, PORÇÃO NORTE DA ZONA COSTEIRA DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Na década de 1990, no auge das discussões a respeito da exploração dos recursos naturais e da busca pelo desenvolvimento sustentável, surge o termo geodiversidade. Inicialmente o mesmo foi utilizado nos estudos geológicos e geomorfológicos para descrever características físicas do planeta. Desde então, pesquisas desenvolveram-se com o objetivo de apresentar às sociedades elementos abióticos com importância científica, educativa, turística, cultural, econômica, entre outras. Nessa perspectiva destaca-se o litoral, composto por elementos de beleza cênica indiscutível, que promove o desenvolvimento de atividades focadas na apreciação de elementos geomorfológicos como dunas, praias, falésias, por exemplo. Assim, esse trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o Patrimônio Geomorfológico do spit de Galinhos-RN, representada por elementos abióticos com características inerentes à temática apresentada. Para tanto, a metodologia utilizada foi a pesquisa bibliográfica e análise de fotografias da área para a seleção dos elementos e a inventariação, realizada por meio da aplicação da ficha de caracterização da geodiversidade. Com isso, concluiu-se que o spit de Galinhos é composto de elementos representativos da geodiversidade local como praias, dunas e recifes que se configuram como fundamentais para o desenvolvimento econômico do município em função, principalmente, da atividade turística.

Geological characteristics of potential geoparks in the South central of Viet Nam

The coast of South Central Vietnam from Danang city to Binh Thuan province is about 1200 km long, distributing many geological and geomorphic heritages of high scientific values, including representativeness, integrity and rarity, deserving to build a national geopark such as: i) Ly Son volcanic island geopark is formed up of volcanic materials mainly explosive in the late Holocene age; ii) Phu Yen coastal geopark possessed geological and geomorphic diversity with the presence of ancient Pre-Cambrian rocks; iii) Red Sand Plateau and Rocky Coast Ninh Thuan- Binh Thuan geopark has shaped by intrusive and extrusive igneous rock tips and characterized by majestic red sand plateau. The three geological parks will be established as a legal basis for the conservation of geological and geomorphological heritage for the research, education and local economic development.

Assessment of karst geomorphosites on Kučaj and Beljanica mountains as a resource for the development of karst-based geopark

Protection and promotion of geoheritage has been changing and improving in recent decades, in line with the growing research in this field. Some research papers specifically study geomorphological geoheritage and introduce a special term − geomorphosite. Karst geomorphosites present specific objects of geomorphological heritage. On Kučaj and Beljanica mountains there is the largest karst area in Serbia. The purpose of this paper is to select and evaluate the scientific value of karst geomorphosites of Kučaj and Beljanica. More than one hundred karst geomorphosites were analyzed. In order to achieve more adequate coverage and representation, they were grouped into 25 geomorphotypes in three major geomorphological components of the investigated area. The results of this analysis highlighted the most important natural potentials of this area for establishing a karst-based geopark. More than 20 geomorphotypes have a positive recommendation index, which provides a good basis for further geotourism analysis.

Geomorphosite Comparative Analysis in Costa Rica and Cameroon Volcanoes

Volcanic geoheritage is an emerging field with limited assessments and particular methodological approaches worldwide. The scarcity of volcanic geomorphosite evaluation is higher in tropical countries, particularly developing ones such as Costa Rica and Cameroon. To contribute to reducing this gap in the literature, we evaluate and compare the geomorphosites of the Irazu and Eboga volcanoes, which are renowned massifs for both their natural and their cultural qualities in their respective countries. We used an integrated approach for the inventory and management of volcanic heritage crossing geomorphological and cultural information in order to promote geotourism among all their geodiversity. The study shows that Irazu and Eboga volcanoes are representative for Costa Rica and Cameroon. This information is critical for the promotion of geotourism to a larger public through geoconservation. Our results demonstrate the importance and value that these volcanoes have in promoting and preserving geoheritage in Costa Rica and Cameroon. It is our hope that these outputs may encourage new research in regions less studied tropical volcanic regions. The methodology used proves to be a useful tool in evaluating geomorphological heritage in tropical volcanic environments. Consequently, our study aims to enhance the state of the art of tropical volcanic geoheritage.

Research Trends in Geotourism: A Bibliometric Analysis Using the Scopus Database

Geodiversity has elements of exceptional scientific value that are considered to represent geoheritage, or geological heritage. One way to conserve and promote the knowledge of these elements is through the initiatives of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Global Geoparks, which, over a decade ago, began to notably highlight a new sustainable tourism alternative called geotourism, or geological tourism, that promotes the protection of the unique geological resources of territory and, at the same time, provides social, economic, and environmental benefits. This study aims to investigate the scientific information related to geotourism in the Scopus database through a bibliometric analysis, using the VOSviewer software, for the evaluation of the structure, conceptual evolution, and trends of geotourism following related publications. The research comprises four study phases: (i) search criteria of the research field; (ii) search and selection of documents; (iii) software and data extraction; and (iv) analysis of results and trends. The results present geotourism as a scientific discipline that is in a phase of exponential research growth and exhibits its scientific productivity from 1984 to 2019, where three main periods are differentiated: introduction, theoretical development, and diversification of information. The most active research area is geomorphological heritage, which is very far from the emerging line of research of engineering geology in geotourism. However, growing exploration during the last six years has generated the development of various geoscientific branches promoted by geotourism that, currently, present their research area trends such as geosites, geoheritages, and geoparks.

Geomorphological Heritage Attractions Proposed for Geotourism in Asir Mountains, Saudi Arabia

This study is going to deal with attractions proposed by the geomorphological heritage in Asir Mountains. The reason behind conducting this study is for presenting the abilities of geo-tourism development in Asir Mountains. The geomorphological heritage embraces landforms and processes playing a key role in the understanding the history of earth and having a strict relationship with both the geomorphological and cultural heritage. The geomorphological heritage is unique and distinctive within the geo-heritage and has promoted great interest over time from a touristic viewpoint. Geomorphological heritage is more than ever in a position to become a significant sustainable territorial resource, enhanced through geo-tourism. A heritage geomorphology emerges, which are not only the characterization of the geomorphological heritage, but also methods of protection and management. In order to analyze geomorphological features of this area and to achieve a digital map, a GIS database created by using both of topographic and lithological maps and satellite images. Using these datasets, the main geomorphologic features extracted and realized based on two stages. First stage is consisted of field campaigns to collect morphological information, and selection of significant geomorphologic sites was based on field survey and study of relevant literature, which chose ten geomorphologic sites. The second one achieved the map of landforms that have geo-touristic potentials in the study area. As a result of this study, the main geomorphological heritage sites were extracted; these geosites can help to interest of the geotourism attractions in Asir Mountains. All these geosites should be conserved and developed to maintain and protect natural and geological attractions while supporting the geotourism for the use of scientists and students and tourists and other casual recreationalists in Asir Mountains.

The creation of innovative tourism products via local actor analysis and their organization in the territory

Over decades, tourism has grown steadily and has become increasingly diverse, becoming one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Indeed, among all this forms of tourism, emerging geological tourism in recent years is considered as an alternative that can be associated with classical tourism, which constitutes a presentation of the geological and geomorphological heritage of a territory and highlights the Enormous geological and cultural diversity. Our study forms part of the ongoing work on a territorial project which aims the structuring of these resources/territory (what can be done? what happens? Offers, events). The valorization, mobilization and combination of these resources are made to give various forms of geological tourism in a transversal and territorial approach.

Unique Geology and Climbing: A Literature Review

Geological and geomorphological heritage (geoheritage) is often found in mountain domains that also provide resources for climbing, mountaineering, bouldering, and canyoning. The relevant research has grown in the 2010s, and its main findings need systematization. The present paper reviews the available scientific articles dealing with geoheritage and climbing activities. The number of sources remains limited, and the majority of them focus on Europe. However, these sources are rather diverse thematically. A total of 11 principal topics are delineated, and these are attributed to geoconservation, geoeducation, the tourism industry, and tourism opportunities. Several methodologies for assessment of geoheritage and climbing sites are proposed. These provide important insights, but focus on particular issues and can be applied in particular situations. Critical consideration of the available literature permits the identification of several research gaps that should be addressed by future research. The analysis of the sources implies several dimensions for sustainability judgments. Finally, the importance of the world’s highest peaks for the understanding of geoheritage and climbing activities is underappreciated by the reviewed works, and this deficiency should be addressed by future investigation.

A bacia hidrográfica do Lago Paranoá como Geopatrimônio fundante de Brasília, Brasil: unidade de paisagem referência de cultura e sustentabilidade geográfica

A Bacia Hidrográfica do Lago Paranoá de Brasília localizada inteiramente na região central do Distrito Federal-Brasil, no domínio do Planalto, sob as zonas de chapadas e abundante hidrografia, condicionantes para acomodar o projeto urbano inovador de Lucio Costa para a capital. Entende-se a bacia como patrimônio geomorfológico por sua relevância ambiental generosa e condicionante para a formação da moderna Brasília. Como questão, partimos: pode, a bacia ser legitimada como paisagem original e matriz, por representar o ambiente geossistêmico complexo e exemplar para a formação da cidade? Como método, buscou-se revisão bibliográfica, comparativo de mapas e imagens em tempos distintos e da imprescindível pesquisa de campo para melhor referendar nosso objetivo em reconhecer a Bacia do Lago Paranoá como paisagem original e base física de relevância fundante para a formação cultural urbana e ambiental da capital tombada do Brasil.

LEVANTAMENTO DA GEODIVERSIDADE DO SETOR NORDESTE DO MUNICÍPIO DE PIRIPIRI/PIAUÍ, BRASIL

A presente pesquisa objetivou levantar a nível exploratório a geodiversidade e o patrimônio geológico/geomorfológico do município de Piripiri/Piauí como suporte a iniciativas de geoconservação e geoturismo, fomentando assim pesquisas relacionadas a estas temáticas, por demais importantes, porém ainda escassas no Estado. Para essa caracterização da Geodiversidade de Piripiri realizou-se a inventariação – segundo a metodologia de Oliveira (2015) – considerando as etapas de identificação, avaliação e seleção dos geomorfossítios do município em questão, contribuindo assim para os estudos relativos à geodiversidade no estado do Piauí. Os locais de interesse geológico/geomorfológico foram inventariados, isto é, identificados/avaliados qualitativamente, em seguida, caracterizados e quantificados. Foram identificados 9 geomorfossítios na porção Nordeste do município, a saber: Geomorfossítios Cachoeira do Bota Fora, Afloramento de Arenito do Bota Fora, Açude Caldeirão, Blocos de Arenito do São Bento, Sítio da Gruta, Casa de Pedra, Pedra da Tartaruga, Pedra do Atlas e Sítio dos Bruxos. Na sequência os mesmos foram avaliados qualitativamente considerando distintos critérios e ranqueados para fins de analise de suas relevâncias. Os geomorfossítios de maior relevância identificados foram Açude Caldeirão, Sítio dos Bruxos, Cachoeira do Bota Fora, Casa de Pedra, Pedra do Atlas, Pedra da Tartaruga e Sítio da Gruta por outro lado os de menores pontuações foram os Blocos de Arenito do São Bento e o Afloramento de Arenito do Bota Fora. Constatou-se de modo geral a necessidade de implantação de infraestrutura nestes geomorfossítios de modo que os mesmos possam ser abertos ao público, para fins geoturísticos, como forma de gerar renda a população do referido município.
 Palavras-chave: Geodiversidade. Patrimônio Geológico/Geomorfológico. Geomorfossítios.

Inventory and Assessment of the Mbepit Massif Geomorphosites (Cameroon Volcanic Line): Assets for the Development of Local Geotourism

Mbepit Massif, located in the central part of the continental Cameroon Volcanic Line, is characterised by several geomorphosites of volcanic origin. Eight geomorphosites, namely South Rhyolitic Protrusion, South Volcano, North Rhyolitic Needle, NW cone, North Volcano, Dome-casting, Tam-chi Depression and Maar Nfou, have been selected in this structure based to their scientific and additional values. Majority of these geomorphosites have a relatively high scientific value (0.79), due to their integrity, representativeness and rarity. Regarding additional values, they have high ecological and aesthetic values, but moderate cultural value. Despite all these assets, the Mbepit Massif geomorphosites are not at the centre of any local geotourism development project. This lack of interest in geotourism explains the absence of tourist facilities in most of the sites and the low consideration of their educational interest. To raise local geotourism offer, it is imperative to draw the attention of competent authorities and the local population to the importance of geomorphological heritage; popularise geomorphosites through field trips, leaflets, websites, conferences and exhibitions; and establish a sustainable management policy for the selected geomorphological units. This initiative will create awareness and help to protect the sustainable touristic potential of the geological heritage of the Mbepit Massif.