Cangshan Glacier is one of the southernmost mountains in the Northern Hemisphere (Asian Continent) during the last Quaternary glaciation, and is a standard area with well-preserved and abundant ...traces of Quaternary Dali glaciation. In this study, the geological heritage resources of Cangshan Mountain are evaluated in terms of condition indicator and value indicator. Through the determination of quantitative evaluation indicators and evaluation factor weights of geological heritage landscapes, the geological heritage resources of Cangshan Mountain are identified and classified. The results show that there are two world-class geological heritage landscapes, 14 national geological heritage landscapes, 54 provincial geological heritage landscapes and 55 geological relic landscapes below the provincial level in the park. Cangshan Mountain’s geological heritage resources are compared with glacial heritage resources, Quaternary glaciation resources and tectonic geomorphic heritage resources both at home and abroad, so as to form a complete evaluation of the geological heritage landscape resources of Cangshan Mountain.
After the German geologist Emil Jakob Grosse concluded his work as head of the General Geological Commission of Colombia in April 1931, he lived and worked between Germany and Brazil, where his ...record has been largely unknown to the present date. In this contribution, we document some historical aspects of his life and briefly review Emil Grosse’s trajectory from Germany to Brazil. The oldest record of Emil Grosse in Brazil dates from August 20, 1936, when he worked at the “Fábrica mine” until 1939. The Fábrica mine contains an iron deposit located southeast of the São Francisco Craton in what is now known as Quadrilátero Ferrífero, within the municipality of Ouro Preto. Grosse worked in a hematite ore site located in a banded iron formation (BIF), but there is no record of him having worked in the coal deposits. Years after, in 1946, the Fábrica mine changed owners and name to Ferteco, a subsidiary of the German corporation Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau, with headquarters in Bochum, Germany, where Grosse possibly worked to validate the deposit. In the 1940s, Grosse lived between the steelworks town of Peine, Germany, and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. There is a record of his trip in the middle of the Second World War on October 26, 1942. In 1946, his work on the Fábrica mine was finally published in Volume XI (No. 62) of the Brazilian journal Mineração e Metalurgia. Later, on August 18, 1949, Grosse obtained his permanent visa through the mediation of the Brazilian Military Mission and the German control council. Finally, he settled in Würzburg, Germany, where in 1971, he died at the age of 91.
Geodiversity research is a growing industry. However, in contrast to diversity studies in other branches of natural sciences, geodiversity specialists have only paid attention to one side of the ...coin. They focused on the conservation of geological heritage (geoconservation) and its role/use for economic development through geotourism. Most geodiversity experts forgot the more strictly scientific side of the coin such as the use of standard techniques to inventory georesources and analyze their spatial patterns. Furthermore, the lack of a consensual definition with universal classifications and standards to carryout inventories inhibits progress in the inventory and quantification of planetary geodiversity. Even though most definitions of geodiversity include soil resources, pedodiversity is generally ignored in geodiversity research and publications. On the other hand, pedodiversity studies tended to follow the path previously created by biodiversity experts over a period of decades, although they have not convinced policymakers to approve strategies to preserve global soil resources (parks, pedosites, reserves, etc.). Biodiversity studies paid attention to the role of diversity in the structure and function of biocenosis, ecosystems, and biomes, with preservation being placed in the hands of experts in conservation biology. The structure and dynamics of all the Earth surface systems could be analyzed using the standard mathematical tools developed for biodiversity studies and that have been applied with success in pedodiversity analyses. In fact, most of the patterns detected in biodiversity also appear in pedodiversity. According to the canons of the philosophy of science, geodiversity has not reached a paradigm shift, despite the claims of some geodiversity experts. Thus, geodiversity research is at a crossroads as it seeks to reach a genuine paradigm shift.
Participatory Action Research (PAR) involving local communities and geological heritage were examined in the framework of the ‘Litoral del Biobío’ Mining Geopark project (Chile). A broad spectrum of ...the population was involved in testing the suitability of PAR methods to determine the sociological perception of geology, geo-tourism and geoconservation, and thus to contribute to define future local development initiatives. Specifically, 56 workshops were realized on basic geological concepts, field experiences in geosites, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis and identification of specific strategic plans. The study involved 637 participants, including local administrators, private companies, chambers of commerce and tourism, social entities, the general public and Lafkenche indigenous communities. Participants considered important the workshops and their learning about basic geological concepts. The main result of these workshops was the collection of information for the design of strategic plans for each of the communes and the empowerment of the local community. This was ratified by letters of commitment from associations and participants to the Geopark initiative. This research enabled the communities to identify four strategic areas: education; tourism; heritage; and public-private coordination, which will be considered in the elaboration of specific development plans.
This bottom-up strategy has allowed demonstration that geotourism has the potential to contribute to the sustainable development of the territory, and can benefit areas with very different socio-economic realities: the indigenous peoples of the south, which are rural (sustained by agriculture and fishing) and those of the north, which lives mainly in highly populated cities with high unemployment, where industrial reconversion did not allow all of them to overcome the crisis after the closure of the mining industry.
Geosites can be organized in Geosite Types based on genetic, compositional and structural characteristics, with each Geosite Type (e.g. geomorphological, paleogeographical, structural) being defined ...and identified by a corresponding feature or set of features as evidence of geological processes. This evidence must be accessible and well-conserved for a Type to be considered interpretable and must be meaningful and suitable for wider correlations for a geosite to be considered an expressive example of a particular Type. The quantitative assessment of geodiversity provides a general overview of an area's potential heritage for research and education by measuring the number of geosites, Geosite Types, geosites per Geosite Type and geodiversity loci (i.e. areas with high concentrations of geosites). The qualitative assessment considers each geosite as actual heritage. The Interpretation Score (IS) establishes how accessible and meaningful in situ geological evidence is and whether wider geological connections are possible. The Heritage Value (HV) measures how common or unique geosites are in a particular area. The Bucegi Natural Park in Romania's Southern Carpathians hosts a high number of geosites, but proper use of geological resources is overshadowed by economic interests. Some geological heritage sites hold valuable evidence of pre-glacial conditions and glacial stages having occurred on both a local and regional scale. These geosites could be successfully used for geotourism purposes and could help increase knowledge and appreciation of the park's geological history among national and international visitors.
In recent years, there has been a surge in interest towards innovative methods of landscape presentation across various tourism sectors, including natural heritage. Geotourism exemplifies this trend, ...emerging as a distinct form of tourism primarily centered on inanimate elements of nature, accentuating the aesthetic value of landscapes. Presently, geotourism serves as a platform for showcasing landscape along with its historical narrative, contemporary attributes, and, inherently, its evolutionary trajectory. This paper delves into novel avenues within geotourism, introducing the concept of nostalgic geotourism. This concept involves the portrayal of geological heritage through the lens of historical inquiry. The authors employ a multidimensional analysis to forge a robust theoretical framework underpinning the emergence of this unconventional form of tourism dedicated to landscape presentation. Additionally, the paper furnishes a case study conducted in the High Tatras region, featuring a 19th-century guided tour (lecture) on non-living nature. Through this illustration, the theoretical construct of nostalgic geotourism is applied to the locale. This heralds a fresh dimension of tourism reminiscent of traditional nostalgia-based tourism, with a pronounced cultural focus. The innovative concept fosters an increased interest in exploring geological heritage and natural landscapes, while emphasizing their sentimental value.
Recently, geotourism has enriched the range of tourism products with its relatively new attraction—geoparks. In addition to high-quality management, geoparks must also offer excellent geological ...attractions (geosites). Several scientific works dealt with the geoheritage management and geosite evaluation procedure. The paper evaluates geosites from the geopark management point of view while considering the needs of such geoparks. Using newly created methodology, we have selected the limiting criteria that indicate the usability of geosites in the geopark. The management and the methodology above were tested at the proposed Zemplín geopark. The results indicate the importance of such an evaluation throughout all the phases of the geopark creation process.
The volcanic sandstone, well exposed in the Kenteng area, Sempor District, and Kebumen Regency, indicates strongly deformed and complex structural complications. The research area is in the middle of ...The Karangsambung - Karangbolong National Geopark. Unfortunately, the geological heritage at the research area has not yet become one of geosite at The Karangsambung - Karangbolong National Geopark. This location is interesting to study further. It can be the key to answering geological events related to the older rocks, which is pra-Tersier Luk Ulo Melange Complex or younger rocks. Several parts of volcanic sandstone in the research are associated with thrust fault zones and intensive folding structures accompanied by drag faults. Detailed observations and measurements of geological structural elements well preserved were conducted around the deformation zone. Identifying the type of structure, geometry, and kinematics supported by the interpretation of the damage zone using a drone. Synthesis of a primary and secondary show that the structure developed in this research area is categorized as a fold-thrust system with a fault bend fold type. Intensive deformation of the fault bend fold structure is estimated to involve the entire Waturanda Formation regionally. The geological heritage of the fault bend fold phenomena at the research area can be the basis for creating the master plan that integrates the visual structural morphology of the hills and other geosites, especially in the middle part of the Karangsambung - Karangbolong National Geopark area.
