Search Results (38)

Geoheritage assessment supports inventory design, geoconservation, geoeducation, public interpretation, and geotourism, yet many methods still merge intrinsic site significance with present-day conditions of access, interpretation, and management. This paper introduces the Geoheritage Evaluation and Classification Alphanumeric System (GECAS), a modular, non-compensatory framework for classifying geosites and geomorphosites through autonomous profiles rather than through a single total score. The revised framework distinguishes a minimum deployable core from standard and full applications, separates descriptive metadata from evaluative axes, and produces purpose-specific outputs for scientific significance, geoeducational suitability, public-facing visit readiness, geotourism use potential, and conservation priority. GECAS also formalises evidence quality, expert- and user-derived channels, degradation-risk gates, and the Geo-Pass communication profile. A structured comparison with established assessment approaches, a step-by-step workflow, time–effort guidance, and a secondary-data demonstrator is provided. The framework is proposed as a scalable methodological grammar that improves transparency, avoids hidden compensation among non-equivalent criteria, and supports future calibration through field trials, inter-rater testing, and comparative applications. Full article

Studying Geography and Geology in formal education involves learning about landforms, landscapes, and the importance of preserving Natural Heritage. Geomorphosites are valuable resources with significant educational potential, as they can help students understand Earth’s history, appreciate Natural Heritage, and recognize their cultural and historical connections to the territory. By analyzing the curricular contents of the educational systems in Spain and Italy, this research proposes a novel method, focused on formal education, to assess the didactic potential of geomorphosites. The assessment is based on (i) how representative geomorphosites are of physical processes, (ii) their potential to support interdisciplinary learning, (iii) the availability of didactic materials, and (iv) the possibility of applying field techniques. The results revealed varying levels of didactic suitability among the analyzed geomorphosites, with Ulaca Hill (Spain) and Nirano mud volcanoes (Italy) having the highest didactic potential, also allowing evaluation of their relevance across different educational stages. The application of the methodology in both the Spanish and Italian contexts, with minor adjustments, showed that this approach is readily adaptable to other educational systems. Overall, this study provides a transferable framework for integrating geomorphological heritage into formal teaching, promoting place-based learning and fostering awareness and conservation of Natural Heritage. Full article

This study examines the morphology and development of Dobreștilor–Brusturet Cave, located in the Brusturet gorge at the western edge of the Bran–Dragoslavele Corridor, an important tourist route in the Romanian Carpathians. The research aims to analyze the geomorphological characteristics and establish the heritage value of the Dobreştilor Cave geomorphosite, supporting protection efforts for invertebrate species that led to the cave’s designation as a natural monument. The inventory of physical features prompted the Piatra Craiului National Park Scientific Council to consider including this speleological site in a thematic geotourism circuit called “The Road of Gorges and Caves in the Upper Basin of the Dâmbovițean”, integrated within protected areas. This represents the first geomorphological study of the cave. Given its ecological significance within the national park’s strict protection zone, recreational tourism is prohibited. The cave should only be used as a geotourism resource for scientific research and education. Morphogenetic analysis reveals that the cave has evolved in a vadose hydrological regime since the Pleistocene, with cavity expansion influenced by free-flowing water alternating with that under pressure during torrential episodes, concomitant with the precipitation of calcium carbonate that formed various speleothems. This research supports documentation for promotional materials and could assist local authorities in the Dâmbovicioara commune with geotourism development decisions, potentially integrating the site into a proposed “Moieciu–Fundata–Dâmbovicioara–Rucăr Geological and Geomorphological Complex”. Full article

Geomorphosites include all those places of abiotic heritage that are important for understanding the Earth’s history, with a landscape and territorial component. These places may not have high scientific value at an international, national, or regional scale, but they hold local value due to their connection to the territory, environmental and cultural legacy, and their link to the populations that inhabit them, especially in Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) where there is already recognition of natural heritage but not geomorphological heritage. The first objective of this work was the recognition of geomorphological heritage, for which an inventory of geomorphosites in the NPA Sierras de la Paramera and la Serrota was developed. The potential of these sites is currently diminished by the lack of recognition of geotourism, with no proper integration of geomorphosites in the planning of NPAs in Spain, particularly in Castilla y León, where the study area was located. This work proposes a methodology for evaluating the potential use of the inventoried geomorphosites, focused on their geotourism potential, to enable the development of a geotourism offering that promotes the dissemination of geomorphological heritage and the development of tourism infrastructure, benefiting the local population and ensuring the survival and use of this cultural service. In the Sierras de la Paramera and la Serrota, 12 geomorphosites were inventoried with medium to high value but lacking any tourism infrastructure. The next step is to evaluate their potential, study their geomorphological heritage, and carry out dissemination activities to enhance their value in this area. Full article

The geoheritage present on the “Tindari Cape and Marinello Lakes” site (TCML, Messina Province, NE Sicily, Italy) drew our attention due to the acquired contrasting information. Indeed, the TCML geoheritage was classified in the geosite national catalogue as a geosite (albeit under a non-evaluated status and with regional scientific interest), whereas it was classified in the geosite regional catalogue as a site of attention. The coastal geoheritage included in this site was analyzed by means of a literature review, field work, and a sedimentological and petrographic investigation. Moreover, the reconstruction of the historical to modern evolution of the lagoon and spit’s shapes was carried out across a time span of 85 years. The investigation results were used for the inventorying and quantitative assessment of the TCML geoheritage with the Brilha method. The primary and preeminent scientific interest was geomorphological, the lagoon and spit being an active geomorphosite. This system showed elements of rarity, representativeness, and exemplariness. Secondary-type geomorphological, structural, and palaeontological aspects were also evidenced in geological elements found on the cliffs of the Tindari Cape. For the quantitative assessment of the geodiversity, the scientific value (SV), potential educational use (PEU), potential touristic use (PTU), and degradation risk (DR) were evaluated. The obtained weighted scores were 320 (SV), 250 (PEU), 290 (PTU), and 285 (DR). The high SV suggested that the TCML, due to its geodiversity, could be classified as a geosite. Notwithstanding, the moderate PEU, PTU, and DR (fragility and vulnerability depending on natural climate and anthropogenic factors) values indicated that it was not fully compatible with educational and touristic purposes. The results of the inventorying and quantitative assessment of the TCML site provide scientific data that are useful in establishing the TCML as a global geosite, placing it in the national catalog of geosites. Full article

The present study contributes to the morphogenesis of the Miresii Cave, located in Cheia Mare of Dâmbovița in the area of the Bran—Dragoslavele Corridor, an important tourist axis in Romania. The main aim of the research is the proposal to the Scientific Council of Piatra Craiului National Park to bring to the attention of the national decision-making commissions that the cave be declared a natural monument. The inventory of this speleological geomorphosite suggested its inclusion in a thematic geotouristic circuit integrated into national and EU-protected natural areas. The novelty of the present research lies in the fact that the cave has never been studied before, being difficult to access. This cave, spatially found in the strict protection zone of the national park, is not included in its management plan. When being integrated into other nature protection areas, it is necessary to exclude any form of recreational tourism so that the cave can be exploited as a geotouristic resource strictly for research and educational purposes. The morphogenetic analysis of the cave, based on the information synthesized from geomorphological and geological literature, allowed us to decipher the morphological individualization of Miresii Cave in the local and regional geocronomorphological context, in accordance with the chronological separation of the karstification phenomenon manifested first in phreatic and later in vadose karst. The diversified typology of speleothems has been rendered according to the geomorphologic generating processes. The identification of the Rhinolophus ferrumequinum chiropteran colony and observations of its biotope highlighted the ecological significance of the cave. The inventory of the individuals of the colony led to the conclusion that the cave harbors one of the first two largest bat communities of this species in the national park and the adjacent depressional corridor. The present study may allow the documentation of the photographs and description of the geomorphosite integrated into the proposed thematic circuit to be included on billboards and in promotional brochures. Thus, it could also be useful for the decision-making authorities of Rucar and Podu Dâmboviței villages, which are interested in making decisions related to the promotion of geotourism, especially due to the existence of numerous geological and geomorphological tourist resources in the administrative territories. Full article

This paper proposes an unusual method for the dissemination of geological sciences and the promotion of geotourism: a scientific documentary, where a representative itinerary of geological and geomorphological evolution of the Umbria and Marche regions was presented. The considerations that led to the identification of the geological route proposed to the editorial staff of FOCUS TV are presented in detail. At each stop, there was an explanation by academic professors and researchers, mainly from the Geology Division of the University of Camerino (MC), who explained the outcrops in detail. During the episode, insights were also given into the anthropogenic frequentation of the epigean caves in Frasassi (AN), ancient places of frequentation and worship thanks to their suggestiveness and the sense of magnificence that they can elicit. In addition to the illustration of the individual stops, the article offers further insights into the geomorphology of the most important geosites depicted, all of which are in natural parks or protected areas and characterized by a high landscape value. The result was the production of an episode of the television program ‘Geological Wonders of Italy: the Marche and Umbria Regions’, which was broadcast in October 2022 by the Italian national Mediaset group. Full article

Geomorphosite inventory remains an urgent task for many geographical domains where it can facilitate the exploration of geoheritage resources. The present study reports a new and sufficient portion of information from Mountainous Adygeya in southwestern Russia, which is a geoheritage-rich area in the western part of the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The Cossack, Monk, and Three Teeth mountains were analyzed qualitatively and semi-quantitatively. Their morphology and geological settings were described, their geoheritage properties were scored by several criteria, and their cultural meanings were considered. It was established that the total heritage values of these geomorphosites are comparable. The challenging accessibility of these landforms is offset by the availability of sites for distant observation. Each proposed geomorphosite has its own cultural meaning reflected by its name. The proposed geomorphosites are constituents of the geoheritage resources of Mountainous Adygeya, and they can be exploited via local product branding and georoute functioning. Full article

Natural protected areas (NPAs) are territorial resources that have received an increasing number of visitors in societies with a high demand for landscapes of high aesthetic and scenic value. Tourism is one of the main activities in NPAs, and within this, geotourism plays an important role, becoming an effective resource in the promotion of natural heritage with repercussions on local and regional economic development. The aim of this work is to analyse geomorphosites’ tourist potential in natural protected areas, focusing on the case of the Río Lobos Natural Park (Castilla-León, Spain) and its geotourism cartography, as well as the proposal of different geotourism routes. To this end, a methodology is applied to the 14 geomorphosites inventoried in the Cañón del Río Lobos, based on a combination of different methods. Its application results in a classification with three thresholds (high, medium and low) for each geomorphosite analysed. In addition, a series of management proposals are included. The validity of this methodology applied for the evaluation of the tourist potential of geomorphosites endorses its application for other natural protected areas. Full article

The attractions and capabilities of geomorphosites are among the unique assets of each country, and their identification, classification, and planning have great importance for the development of tourism. The purpose of this research was to identify, quantitatively analyse, and classify landforms treated as geosites and landscapes of Yazd Province, using the Pralong method. The present study is a descriptive analytical research based on library studies and field surveys. After determining the study area using satellite imagery, six geomorphosites were selected. Using the Pralong method, six geomorphosites were evaluated: Chak Chak, Mountain Eagle, Siahkooh, Shirkooh, Qanat, and Barfkhane Tezerjan. In this method, using the extraction of collected data from the questionnaires completed by 41 geotourism experts in the first stage, the four grades that were evaluated in terms of potential capability of geomorphosites include the appearance aesthetic, scientific, historical-cultural, and socio-economic variables, and in the next step, two variables of productivity value and quality of productivity were evaluated. The results of evaluations showed that the geomorphosites Chak Chak and Barfkhane Tezerjan had the highest score (0.62) and are the best geomorphosites for converting to geotourism and ecotourism applications, and they have high potential for attracting tourists. The second place was dedicated to the Shirkooh geomorphosite, which is considerable in terms of the average tourism grade. The best average productivity value belonged to the Chak Chak geomorphosite with 0.52, and the last one was Mountain Eagle with 0.32. All six attractions in this study had a medium grade in the qualitative scale index, meaning that they have good potential in geotouristic and ecotouristic points of view and could be improved by regional planning. Therefore, the results of this study can be used by local managers and planners to develop and promote geotourism and ecotourism. Full article

The Atlantic margin of South America is considered passive and stable. However, there are some local points of discordance within the Brazilian coastal region with more than 7490 km of extension, where there is only one tectonic relief. These sites are located in a marginal sedimentary basin in which there is a small area of Quaternary tectonic relief, which makes it scientifically relevant at an international level. The present work proposes using two methods for quantifying the geomorphological heritage of this area. The main difference between the methods is the use of aesthetic values together with scientific ones as central values in one of the methods, while the other method focuses only on scientific values. The quantitative evaluation performed here allowed for the identification of seven geomorphosites with one method and only four with the other. Considering the results obtained, meetings were held with civil society and with the state and local municipalities which presented the possibility of creating a geopark, given the area’s importance for understanding the history of the Earth and potential as a priority area for geoconservation. Full article

The evaluation of viewpoint geosites is a recent topic in geosciences, as most works deal with a more general analysis of places and areas, but this one deals with something more specific. Therefore, the general objective of this paper is to propose a method for evaluating viewpoints, based on the assumption that it is necessary to use scientific and aesthetic values as core values in quantitative evaluation. The method used was built based on criteria from other authors, relating the issue of viewpoints to geodiversity, considering scientific and aesthetic values as central, but in addition to other values. With the application of this method at some viewpoints in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, it was possible to verify that from 12 sites, 9 were considered geomorphosites and only 3 geodiversity sites. Consequently, this method shows a significant response in highlighting the potential of a site, its geological composition, geomorphology, and landscape visualisation. Full article

Most of the natural geomorphosites represent main attractions that have a high tourism potential and need great care in terms of their capitalization. The irrational tourism capitalization of the geomorphosites may lead to their degradation because of the lack of proper tourism infrastructure and the practice of random and uncontrolled tourism. The reintroduction in the tourism circuit of such geomorphological structures that have a high landscape and scientific value claims, first of all, the assessment of the current state of degradation and the drawing up of sustainable development proposals from a geomorphological point of view. This study deals mainly with the assessment of a geomorphosite (Grădina Zmeilor Geomorphosite, North-West Region, Romania), using a complex methodology, which is based on the identification of criteria influencing the tourism development of the geomorphosite, and their analysis by means of qualitative points given according to the impact of each criterion. A total of 17 criteria have been therefore identified. They are structured along four levels of analysis which are integrated in the form of spatial analysis based on weighted average, and highlight the overall value of the analysed geomorphosite. By implementing the methodology in the proposed research, a total value of 0.29 has been obtained in an interval between 0 and 1. This value underlines the high degree of degradation of the geomorphosite. The planning proposals have the main purpose of increasing the overall value of the geomorphosite by providing sustainability in its capitalization. To achieve this, proposals have been made to mitigate the shortcomings for a total of four criteria. The overall value of the geomorphosite has been recalculated, resulting a significant increase of the value (0.33), highlighting the impact of the implementation of these proposals in practice for the development of the geomorphosite and the increase of its level of tourism attractiveness. The introduction of this objective on the tourist map, following the application of the suggestions proposed in this paper, can lead to favorable economic development both at the local and regional level. This analysis model can also be applied to other geomorphists facing the problem of degradation and involution. Full article

Relief inversion is the result of an unusual interplay between landform evolution and peculiarities of geological settings. Recent fieldwork in Mountainous Adygeya in the western part of the Greater Caucasus mountains has enabled the identification of several inverted landforms. The Gud and Gudok mountains constitute a “classical” inverted landform with the top corresponding to the syncline’s core, which consists of relatively hard Middle Jurassic crinoid limestones. The Kabanya mountain, with the nearby branch of the Skalisty range, has a similar geological setting, although the hard Upper Jurassic carbonates that form the monocline and overlie the syncline also contribute to the preservation of the topographical high above the structural low. The northwestern segment of the Skazhenny range is formed of relatively soft Lower–Middle Jurassic shales, and its inversion results from the protection of the syncline’s core by capping Upper Jurassic carbonates. These landforms represent progressive, transitional, and regressive inversion, respectively. Their relative diversity and significance in local topography allow them to be classified as geomorphosites, i.e., important elements of the geoheritage of Mountainous Adygeya. Each of these has certain touristic potential, and a geotouristic route allowing the comprehension of these geomorphosites from several viewpoints is proposed. Climbing these mountains for closer examination may combine geotourism and adventure tourism. Additionally, the Gud and Gudok landform “symbolizing” the geodiversity of the study area can be used for branding local food products such as cheese, which is popular among visitors. Full article

The Tremiti Islands Archipelago is located in the Central-Southern Adriatic Sea and is characterized by a strong karst activity. Due to their landscape, geological, hydrological, archaeological, and historical value, Tremiti Islands are considered a geomorphosite. We carried out a preliminary, non-destructive survey by studying the speleological and biological features of the submerged sea cave Elle, located at Cala Sorrentino (Capraia Island), representing an EU Natura 2000 Priority Habitat. Topographic (perimeter length, width, height, GPS location, depth) and hydrological parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, irradiance, water movement) were measured and its map was produced, based on morphological measurements and biological evidence. Species composition and biotic cover were investigated by image analysis. The benthic community was dominated by poriferans, together with remarkable assemblages of scleractinians and polychaete serpulids and clearly reflected the sharp light and hydrological gradients from the entrance to the cave bottom. Furthermore, different phases were hypothesized for the genesis of the cave during sea regression and flooding periods. To be signaled is the record of Petrobiona massiliana, a sponge was protected under both Barcelona and Bern Convention and of some individuals of polychaete Serpulinae, which are still under description. Full article