Search Results (182)

The lithological record of past climates and climate changes reveals significant potential in enhancing education and understanding of global climate changes and their impacts on contemporary societies. A relatively young geological record of Pleistocene cooling and glaciations serves as one of the most useful geo-educational tools. The present study encompasses a comprehensive review of ongoing efforts to assess and communicate the glacial geoheritage of the Pleistocene, with a detailed case study of Poland. A literature review is conducted to evaluate the extent of scientific work on inventorying and communicating the geodiversity of Pleistocene glacial and periglacial environments globally. The study demonstrates a steady increase in the number of scientific contributions focused on the evaluation and promotion of Pleistocene geoheritage, with a notable transition from the description of geosites to the establishment of geoconservation practices and educational strategies. The relative complexity of the palaeoclimatic record and the presence of glacial geodiversity features across extensive areas indicate that effective scientific communication of climate changes requires careful selection of a limited number of geodiversity elements and sediment types. In this context, the use of glacial erratic boulders and rock gardens for promotion of Pleistocene glacial geoheritage is advocated, and the significance of educational initiatives for local communities and the preservation of geocultural heritage is outlined in detail. Full article

Tinos Island, part of the Cyclades Complex in the central Aegean Sea, represents a distinctive case of geocultural heritage where geological formations and cultural identity intersect. This study evaluates the geoeducational and geotouristic potential of Tinos’ geosites using GEOAM methodology, which assesses their scientific, educational, and conservation value. Six geosites are examined to explore their geoeducational potential, including prominent locations such as the Tafoni formations and the Exombourgo granite massif. The findings highlight the significance of these sites, while also identifying challenges related to infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable management. By integrating geoethics into geotourism practices, Tinos can adopt a balanced approach that enhances environmental conservation alongside community-driven economic benefits. The study underscores the need for collaborative initiatives to optimize the island’s geoheritage for education and tourism, ensuring its long-term preservation. Geotourism, when responsibly implemented, has the potential to strengthen local identity while advancing sustainable tourism development. Full article

Geoethics emphasizes responsible human interaction with the Earth, promoting ethical practices in the geosciences to ensure sustainability for current and future generations. UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps) are designated areas that support sustainable development by integrating geoconservation, geoeducation, and community engagement, thereby raising awareness of geological heritage. This quantitative study employed an online questionnaire (n = 798) to assess geoethical awareness among residents of all nine Hellenic UGGps, with the aim of profiling environmental engagement and perceptions. The results indicate a generally high level of geoethical awareness, with Sitia UGGp exhibiting the highest average mean score (M⁻ = 8.98, SD⁻ = 1.34), reflecting strong community support and effective outreach efforts. In contrast, Lavreotiki UGGp (M⁻ = 8.48, SD⁻ = 1.15) and Psiloritis UGGp (M⁻ = 8.33, SD⁻ = 1.36) scored lower in areas such as community engagement and geotourism, suggesting opportunities for targeted improvement. Regional differences suggest that management, visibility, and local context significantly influence public perceptions. Cluster analysis identified four respondent profiles: (a) highly engaged environmental stewards (28.7%), (b) supportive but selective advocates (40.5%), (c) moderately indifferent participants (26.9%), and (d) disengaged or critical respondents (3.9%). Demographic factors such as age, residence, prior visits to Hellenic UGGps, and education significantly differentiated these groups. Mapping geoethical awareness provides a valuable tool for assessing societal benefits and enhancing the governance of UGGps. Overall, the findings underscore the need to shift from an anthropocentric to a more geocentric worldview that prioritizes the well-being of both humanity and Earth’s systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite its well-established health benefits, adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle (MedLife) has declined globally, including in its region of origin, alongside a significant shift toward ultra-processed food consumption. Understanding the factors associated with MedLife adherence is essential for developing targeted interventions and tailored policy recommendations. As part of the MEDIET4ALL PRIMA project, this cross-sectional study aimed to comprehensively examine geo-demographic, socio-economic, psychological, behavioral, and barrier-related factors associated with and potentially contributing to MedLife adherence. Methods: Data were collected from 4010 participants aged 18 years and above across ten Mediterranean and neighboring countries using the multinational MEDIET4ALL e-survey, which included the validated MedLife index, along with various other questionnaires. Results: Results indicate that only 22% of respondents demonstrated high adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle (MedLife), with significant variability observed across countries, age groups, education levels, and health statuses. Spain had the highest proportion of participants with high adherence (38%). Factors associated with significantly higher adherence rates include older age, living in the Mediterranean region, higher education levels, a greater awareness of MedLife principles, lower perceived barriers, normal BMI, better health status, and stable economic and marital conditions (p-values ranging from 0.04 to <0.001). Additionally, individuals with high MedLife adherence exhibited more socially and physically active lifestyles and experienced less psychological strain (p < 0.001). Regression analyses identified MedLife awareness as the strongest positive predictor of adherence (β = 0.206), followed by social participation (β = 0.194) and physical activity (β = 0.096). Additional positive contributors include life satisfaction, sleep quality, living in the Mediterranean region, age, and education (β ranging from 0.049 to 0.093). Conversely, factors that are negatively associated with adherence include sedentary behavior, living environment, and barriers such as low motivation, taste dislike, price unaffordability, limited availability, and the time-consuming nature of preparing Mediterranean food (MedFood; β ranging from −0.036 to −0.067). Conclusions: These findings indicate that fewer than one in four adults across Mediterranean and neighboring countries demonstrate high adherence to MedLife, supporting prior evidence of suboptimal adherence even within Mediterranean regions. This study identified a range of behavioral, socio-demographic, and environmental factors—both positive and negative predictors—that can help guide the design of targeted, culturally adapted interventions to promote MedLife behavior. Future research should incorporate objective measurements and longitudinal monitoring to better understand underlying mechanisms, establish causality, and develop sustainable strategies for enhancing MedLife adherence in diverse populations. Full article

Augmented Reality (AR) is an innovative tool in education, enhancing learning experiences across multiple domains. This literature review explores the application of AR in education, with a particular focus on geographical learning. The study begins by tracing the historical development of AR, distinguishing it from Virtual Reality (VR) and highlighting its advantages in an educational context. The integration of AR into learning environments has been shown to improve engagement, comprehension of abstract concepts, and collaboration among students. The use of AR in geographical education through interactive applications, such as GeoAR and AR Sandbox, improves the exploration of spatial relationships, topographic maps, and environmental changes. Studies demonstrate that AR enhances students’ ability to recall information and understand geographical processes more effectively than with traditional methods. Furthermore, AR Sandbox implementations, including Illuminating Clay, SandScape, and AR Sandbox, are analyzed and compared. The paper also discusses future developments in AR for geography education for AR Sandbox, such as the integration of a mobile application for extended learning and improving computing solutions through Raspberry Pi. These advancements aim to make AR systems more accessible and to increase the benefits to both students and professors. Full article

This study reviewed the benefits of outdoor activities and educational programs that take place in nature in terms of the cognitive and mental development of children. Research has highlighted the benefits offered to children by their participation in experiential activities that take place outdoors and are related to natural phenomena. These activities help children realize how important it is to conserve nature and protect sites of world heritage, thus becoming active citizens in the future. In this study, the uniqueness of Syros Island is presented, emphasizing the need for the world-renowned geological heritage of Syros to be preserved and promoted, both for the scientific community and for the public, with the aim of establishing a geopark in Apano Meria, as proposed by local authorities, along with a local museum. In this context, a working methodology was developed involving the design and implementation of a pilot educational program combining field-based activities, guided interpretation, and interactive learning tools. An indicative educational program was piloted with primary and secondary school students, as well as postgraduate students from the University of Athens. Recognizing the important role of geoparks in school education, the program focused on the rare geological phenomena on the northern side of Syros and was adapted to the characteristics of each participant age group. Full article

AetherGeo is a standalone piece of software (current version 1.0) that aims to enable the user to analyze raster data, with a special focus on processing multi- and hyperspectral images. Being developed in Python 3.12.4, this application is a free, open-source alternative for spectral analysis, something considered beneficial for researchers, allowing for a flexible approach to start working on the topic without acquiring proprietary software licenses. It provides the user with a set of tools for spectral data analysis through classical approaches, such as band ratios and RGB combinations, but also more elaborate techniques, such as endmember extraction and unsupervised image classification with partial spectral unmixing techniques. While it has been tested on visible and near-infrared (VNIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), and VNIR-SWIR datasets, the functions implemented have the potential to be applied to other spectral ranges. On top of this, all results can be visualized within the software, and some tools allow for the inspection and comparison of spectra and spectral libraries. Providing software with these capabilities in a unified platform has the potential to positively impact research and education, as students and educators usually have limited access to proprietary software. Full article

This paper presents an initial output of the project “Augmented Intelligence in Mathematics Education through Modeling, Automatic Reasoning and Artificial Intelligence (IAxEM-CM/PHS-2024/PH-HUM-383)”. The starting hypothesis of this project is that the use of technological tools, such as mathematical modeling, visualization, automatic reasoning and artificial intelligence, significantly improves the teaching and learning of mathematics, in addition to fostering positive attitudes in students. With this hypothesis in mind, in this article, we describe an investigation that has been developed in initial training courses for mathematics teachers in several universities in Madrid, where students used GeoGebra Discovery automated reasoning tools to explore geometric properties in real objects through mathematical paths. Through these activities, future teachers modeled, conjectured and validated geometric relationships directly on photographs of their environment, with the essential concourse of the automated discovery and verification of geometric properties provided by GeoGebra Discovery. The feedback provided by the students’ answers to a questionnaire concerning this novel approach shows a positive evaluation of the experience, especially in terms of content learning and the practical use of technology. Although technological, pedagogical and disciplinary knowledge is well represented, the full integration of these components (according to the TPACK model) is still incipient. Finally, the formative potential of the approach behind this experience is highlighted in a context where Artificial Intelligence tools have an increasing presence in education, as well as the need to deepen these three kinds of knowledge in similar experiences that articulate them in a more integrated way. Full article

Geoethics, which addresses the ethical, social, and cultural dimensions of geoscientific activities, is essential for fostering responsible human engagement with the Earth, particularly within frameworks such as UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps). UGGps play a critical role in safeguarding geological heritage and advancing sustainable regional development. This study introduces the Geoethical Awareness Scale (GAS), a 32-item instrument developed across 16 thematic axes, designed to assess geoethical awareness. We analyzed responses from n = 798 residents across nine Hellenic UGGps using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses, retaining items with factor loadings of ±0.30 or higher. Six factors emerged: (1) geological heritage conservation and sustainable georesource use, (2) community engagement and collaborative governance, (3) sustainability through geoenvironmental education, (4) environmental challenges and risk adaptation, (5) sustainable geotourism, and (6) climate awareness and ecosystem resilience. Collectively, these factors explained 60.12% of the variance, with Cronbach’s alpha values demonstrating acceptable to excellent reliability. Structural Equation Modeling confirmed the scale’s validity, with fit indices indicating acceptable model adequacy. Incremental indices suggested moderate alignment, while parsimony-adjusted metrics supported a balance between model complexity and fit. Overall, the GAS demonstrated generalizability and sufficient sample robustness. Correlation analyses highlighted the role of geoeducation, organizational involvement, and direct experience in fostering pro-geoconservation attitudes. While perceptions of sustainable development and ecosystem resilience varied geographically across UGGps, community engagement and governance remained consistent, likely reflecting standardized policy frameworks. GAS offers a valuable tool for assessing geoethical awareness and underscores the importance of targeted geoeducation and participatory governance in promoting ethical geoscientific practices within UGGps and similar socioecological systems. Full article

Geosciences today play a vital societal role beyond their traditional extractive functions, offering innovative approaches to disseminate knowledge that supports local problem solving and climate resilience. UNESCO Global Geoparks have emerged as strategic platforms for promoting sustainable geoscientific values such as geodiversity, geoeducation, geoconservation, and geoethics. Within the Volcán del Ruiz Geopark Project (VRGP), an effusive andesitic monogenetic volcanic field contains both volcanological and industrial geoheritage. Using Brilha’s evaluation framework, this study assessed eight volcanic features and one industrial site, identifying La Capilla volcano and the Cementos Caldas ruins as having the highest scientific, educational, and touristic value. A structured georoute was proposed, integrating interpretive strategies to enhance public engagement with geodiversity, spatial awareness, and volcanic processes. The success of such initiatives depends on active community participation and interinstitutional collaboration to ensure the appropriation and operationalization of geoscientific knowledge. The VRGP stands out as a promising territorial strategy for anchoring geoeducation and geotourism within broader sustainability and community empowerment goals. Full article

The “GeoGecko” project stands as an innovative effort in both technical and educational advancements, focusing on creating educational materials grounded in experiential learning principles with a strong gamification framework. This report provides a detailed account of the project’s development, leveraging e-learning components to create an engaging and immersive online program specifically designed to meet the expectations and needs of today’s high school and university students. Through a structured methodology, the study implemented gamified learning elements to assess their effectiveness. In addition to describing the development of the project, it also examines the teaching methods applied and the outcomes observed. Drawing on feedback from learners, the report highlights the program’s practical impact, effectiveness, and the lessons learned during its implementation. Results indicate that the platform successfully enhances student motivation, with higher engagement levels observed among younger participants compared to older learners. By sharing these insights, the “GeoGecko” project aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on integrating serious games and gamification into education. Full article

The “Gutâi-Maramureș” UNESCO Global Geopark project is to be realized in the Gutâi Volcanic Zone in the northwestern part of the East Carpathians (Romania), an area with long-lasting and complex Miocene volcanic activity and a centuries-long mining history. In order to identify the volcanism and mining-related patrimonial values, in combination with other natural and cultural assets able to support the establishment of a UNESCO geopark, and to develop a sustainable tourism in the area, this paper presents the main objectives of the adopted research methodology, namely to realize (1) a geological synthesis of the area, (2) an inventory and assessment of geological and mining heritage sites, (3) a synthesis of local biodiversity, and (4) documentation of the cultural, historical and archaeological values. Furthermore, we conducted a SWOT analysis to help define the optimal territory for the geopark, to establish the core values for a strong brand identity, and to develop educational and sustainable tourism activities. This paper presents all the significant heritage values located within the future geopark area: geosites of international scientific significance, sites related to centuries-long mining of precious metals, natural protected areas, including European Natura 2000 sites, important cultural heritage sites such as old wooden churches (five of them included in the UNESCO World Heritage List) and museums. The promotion of sustainable tourism in the area by harnessing all these patrimonial values could be realized by the implementation of the geoeducation and geotourism concepts during the project development based on previous experiences/activities in the area involving local people, NGOs and institutions. Full article

An analysis of different geosites as territories of high geo-biodiverse value located within the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ) in Ecuador is performed based on the geoscientific inventory of thirty-six territorial zones and their geological history, cultural, and biological wealth. This is based on years of research and was complemented with the Geosites Assessment Model (GAM) methodology, the application of the criteria of which results in an impartial quantitative evaluation of each of these geosites, resulting in the determination of geographic areas with high tourist, archeological, and social potential. It also establishes a baseline to generate conservation strategies, scientific dissemination, and the determination of priorities in the management of the conservation of the geological heritage of the DMQ in Ecuador. The geological and geomorphological evolution of the DMQ grants this region a variety of sites formed by mainly cretaceous and quaternary volcanic and sedimentary deposits, geological faults, and other remarkable formations or sequences, which, together with the geoarchaeological sites, give a unique geohistorical value to the DMQ. In this context, the protection of each of the regionally important study sites for their scientific, educational, and cultural value in the geological area, as well as their scenic beauty and biodiversity, is essential. All of these attributes will be input to the future sustainable development approaches of the proposed UNESCO-DMQ Global Geopark by academic experts and researchers working in this territory. Additionally, this study also defines the need for the protection of each study area. The results of the evaluation will help to plan the effective management of the geosites based on their strengths and weaknesses and thus promote the Global Geopark. In this context, the value of the geodiversity of the DMQ has been recognized in this research, specifically for each of the geosites proposed as part of the UNESCO Global Geopark; the DMQ project, highlighting this geological and biodiverse heritage, contributes to direct benefits for the community and at an international level. Full article

One of the most important challenges facing the development of geotourism is the preparation of tourism products that present geoheritage assets. Nowadays, the Internet and various mobile applications are the primary sources of information about the tourist attractions of specific destinations. Key areas of geotourism development are currently geoparks. However, only about 5% of them have their own mobile applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the existing mobile applications of geoparks, obtain information on tourists’ expectations of such products, and propose an application concept for the area of the potential Geopark Małopolski Przełom Wisły. One of the challenges for the potential geopark is the concentration of tourist traffic, primarily in the vicinity of the town of Kazimierz Dolny, due to the lack of knowledge of tourists about the values of the rest of the territory. The prepared application is the first geotourism product that we believe will become an important source of information for tourists and will help them in deciding which sites to visit during their stay in the aspiring geopark. When made available, it will affect more tourist traffic in places that have been rarely visited so far but have high geoheritage values, which may encourage local communities to support activities for the creation of the geopark. Full article

Agricultural practices significantly impact environmental sustainability, making the enhancement of Agricultural Ecological Efficiency (AEE) crucial for China’s sustainable agricultural development. However, the spatial-temporal evolution patterns and underlying driving forces of AEE remain insufficiently understood in the context of China’s rapid agricultural transformation. To address this research gap, we analyzed AEE across 30 Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2021, identifying spatial patterns and key influencing factors. Employing a Super-Efficiency EBM model with undesirable outputs, we calculated provincial AEE scores. Spatial analysis tools, including Moran’s I, Dagum Gini decomposition, and kernel density estimation, were applied to explore regional differences. We also utilized Geo-detector to quantify driving factors and their interactions. The results demonstrated a clear west-to-east and south-to-north gradient of declining AEE, with western provinces exhibiting higher efficiency levels. Despite narrowing disparities within the eastern and western regions, central regions displayed increasing intra-regional differences. Geo-detector analysis further highlighted significant interactive effects among factors such as urbanization, governmental agricultural support, education levels, and precipitation, enhancing the explanatory power of AEE spatial variations. These findings support region-specific policies for optimizing agricultural structures and resource efficiency, facilitating China’s ecological transition in agriculture. Full article