Geoheritage最新文献

Awareness of geoheritage, geoconservation, and geotourism research has significantly increased globally during the past two decades. A peri-cratonic Kachchh rift basin in western India exposes varied geological formations and structures, from the Jurassic to Recent. Kachchh basin is characterized by rocky uplifts and pediments with deciduous and scanty forest, which suggest a semi-arid climate while hypersaline Rann and Banni plains show an arid to hyper-arid climate. The deteriorating grasslands of Banni were known as Savanna-type grasslands of Asia. Several natural and anthropogenic factors have led to its depletion. Owing to its unique geological, aesthetic, botanical and cultural values, the Banni Grasslands hold a potential candidature for a critical geo-observatory site status, both at national and international levels. The geological evolutionary history of this fragile eco-zone with a strong anthropological background calls for a holistic sustainable development that encompasses the socio-economical needs and ecological agility at the same time. The plains of Banni are unique geomorphic features with distinct ecology, traditional climate-human sustainable practice model and diverse folk arts and skills of making climate-tectonic resistive dwellings. The grasslands to the north merge into the marshes and uplifted mudflats as the Rann terrain. The present paper is an attempt to understand the socio-economic intricacies of Banni grassland in light of its unique geological origin and ecological vulnerabilities. It focuses on traditional and sustainable ecological knowledge of the local folks with distinct harmony of their art and architecture so interwoven with the activeness of the climate and tectonics of Banni. The inter-sectorial conflicting interests have redefined the fate of this terrain, in recent decades. It presents the status quo of its geological, anthropological and ecological facets and establishes the way forward that sustains the social, economic and above all ecological obligations in the long run.

The Upper Silurian exposures on Saaremaa Island, mostly represented by small coastal cliffs, are the best in Estonia. Among these exposures are two coastal cliffs that are in many ways unique. The Pridoli crinoid fauna at Kaugatuma and the Ohesaare cliffs contains several endemic genera such as Methabocrinus, Saaremaacrinus, and Velocrinus, which occur exclusively in the Pridoli of Saaremaa Island. These localities have great potential for future studies of crinoid paleobiology and paleoecology. The fossil symbiotic associations have high value for studies devoted to evolutionary paleoecology. The Kaugatuma and Ohesaare cliffs yield the only symbiotic associations that are known from the Pridoli worldwide. Both cliffs are also famous localities of early vertebrates. The Kaugatuma and Ohesaare cliffs are places of scenic beauty, and the rarity of fossiliferous Pridoli outcrops in the Baltic Sea region makes these cliffs important destinations for European geotourism.

Located in the southern part of Central Anatolia Region, Manazan Caves is situated in the east of Yeşildere Valley. It is a five-storey mass dwelling carved into a human-made high rock mass. Although there are no exact data to determine when the caves were carved, it is assumed that the caves were carved and settled in the Byzantine period during the 6th − 7th centuries. The geological and geotechnical data analyses were conducted in Manazan Caves. As a result of these analyses, it was observed that rock blocks of different sizes fell into the field in various times of the year, and there were instabilities in some individual rock blocks. In the study area, the movement mechanisms of rock slopes due to discontinuity were analysed by using various computer programs (DIPS, RockFALL, GEO5); and in order to ensure the safety of life and property and to protect this heritage cave, the current rockfall potential and risk along with slope instabilities were determined, and the fundamental prevention measures to be taken were discussed.

The concept of “geoheritage” that has emerged as a new discipline over the last few years has advocated for the preservation of geological features, such as landforms, towards a cultural perspective. It aims for the conservation of geological entities referred to as “geosites”, that are significant from geoscience education point of view, as well as for the development of local “geotourism”. In this paper, five potential geosites located across India have been identified. The “geosites” identified are located in the states of Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. These five geosites are located in five different geological terrains, and the idea of proposing these geosites is that they are uniquely significant from geological, geomorphological as well as cultural perspective. These geosites are significant for geoscience education, and have scope for the development of “geotourism”. Hence, these geological entities need to be conserved for the forthcoming generations of geoscientists, researchers, students and science enthusiasts, in addition to growth and development of the local tourism.

A concurrent qualitative-quantitative assessment of geodiversity was carried out within the Midriff Islands, a priority region within the Gulf of California that stands out for its geological, ecological, and cultural importance. This study is carried out on the coast of central Sonora, where the Comcaac indigenous community has lived for more than a thousand years imbuing their territory with material and symbolic values. The objective of this study was to highlight the elements of geodiversity and contribute to the management and conservation strategies that are carried out in the area. The qualitative approach consisted of detailed fieldwork and a descriptive-documentary assessment of the geodiversity attributes of the study area, which led to the preparation of geomorphological and geological maps. The quantitative approach consisted of the elaboration of a geodiversity index map using an adapted methodology that considered some sites of cultural value due to their relationship with abiotic natural elements of geodiversity. As a result of both approaches, several localities and zones of high to medium geodiversity were identified mainly located along the mountain ranges and the coast. Coastal areas, although not having the highest geodiversity, could be considered the most relevant in terms of geological heritage and geoconservation, because they comprise a variety of rocky outcrops and extraordinary landforms with scientific interest, as well as cultural and aesthetic values. In addition, the concurrent assessment was favorable to recognize localities where geoconservation and sustainable use strategies, such as geotourism, can be implemented.

The conservation interventions of crusts or patinas formed on the surfaces of stone monuments should be evaluated within a comprehensive approach in archaeological excavations, taking into account their material characteristics. In this study, the mineralogical, chemical and microstructural characteristics of whitish crusts formed on the surfaces of buried and later excavated andesite surfaces at the archaeological sites of Aigai and Assos (Turkey) were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) analyses in order to establish a conservation approach at the archaeological sites. The whitish crusts formed on the excavated andesite surfaces are mainly composed of calcite with freshwater diatom species. Calcite is most likely formed by the alteration of plagioclase by carbon dioxide in the soil during the burial of the andesites. In the soil, CO₂ reacts with plagioclase to produce kaolinite and calcite which are precipitated on the andesite surfaces after excavation. The presence of freshwater diatom species in the whitish crusts may indicate that the andesite remains were buried in the waterlogged soil for many years and later excavated. Therefore, whitish crusts should not be cleaned from the andesite surfaces, as they are a sign of the burial history of the monuments and a protective layer against weathering.

NEOM is a new regional development in Saudi Arabia with a strong focus on the environment and sustainable development. In the cultural aspect, NEOM represents an opportunity for urban development that considers the protection of natural heritage assets. The Hismah desert in the northeast part of NEOM is characterised by sandstone and aeolian landscapes which are important in terms of scientific, educational, tourism, archaeological, ecological, and cultural value. This paper aims to assess the geomorphological landscape in the Hismah desert and provides a sustainable development plan for geoconservation and geotourism. The assessment method considers the landscape’s scientific and economic value, mainly derived from fieldwork. Economic value is calculated from ecological, aesthetic, and cultural value. Scientific and economic value for the whole landscape is high. The prolonged weathering and denudation process leads to mesa, butte, pinnacle, scarp, yardang, wadi, and rock pedestal formation. Key aeolian features are nebkha, sand and gravel sheets. The geological features are honeycomb structures, sandstone crossbed, and sedimentary deformation. Historical and cultural features enhance economic value. Considering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, geoconservation and geotourism can be developed sustainably to support regional development in an arid region. Therefore, in link with the NEOM Project, this paper proposes Hismah Desert as a geopark for conserving geomorphological landscape, geotourism and regional development.

This short paper describes 8 practical pointers to improve visitors’ experience of geoheritage sites and areas. These are based around 5 themes: putting communication and education at the heart of geoconservation, focussing communication on the target audiences, challenging the current scientific thinking, making sure there is a duty of care towards the visitor and connecting geoconservation to other conservation interests of the public. It is written on the basis of personal experience from visiting protected areas in many parts of the world. Examples of good practice with web links are provided. It builds on the IUCN Best Practice Guideline on geoconservation. The key message is that visitor target audiences and visitor experience should be included throughout the development of geoconservation protected areas, rather than the more traditional approach of adding these considerations later in the developmental process.

Over 250 fossils belonging to the Ediacaran biota have been recognised from a single site in the town of Upper Island Cove, Newfoundland. These fossils preserve high-relief, sub-mm morphological detail providing an opportunity to further our understanding of some of the earliest Ediacaran organisms. Unlike many other Ediacaran localities, the geoheritage of this site is at risk to both high impact anthropic and environmental events due to its location within the town and close proximity to the ocean. As part of a year-long study, cameras were set up to record potentially deleterious events impacting the fossiliferous surface. Rare high impact anthropic events such as vandalism have been noted at the site, alongside the potential for inadvertent damage caused by misuse through poor footwear and inappropriate activities. Environmental events are more common and present a high risk of damage to the fossils through high-energy waves covering the surface and the formation of sheets of ice during the winter that engulf the fossils on numerous occasions. Work is now underway to implement geoconservation methods that will mitigate the challenges that the site faces and minimise any future damage. Some of these methods may be pertinent to other at-risk fossil localities found across the world.

When a historical building, monument, or cultural heritage artifact is affected by a natural or anthropic event, the first reaction is to recover and restore to maintain our heritage for the next generations. If they are made of stone, some are completely destroyed, but it is often still possible to recognize the facts that made them a cultural item. In many cases, the marks of violent actions are visible on the stone, especially if the impacts came from a non-massive destructive weapon, such as rifle bullet marks or cannon marks from centuries ago, with a lower level of destruction than today. These marks are also part of our heritage and, as a reminder of the history of our cities and countries for generations, it is recommended that they be preserved as a testimony to avoid the repetition of unnecessary violence. This is the aim of the stones that tell stories.