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Geosciences
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Geoheritage as A Tool to Increase Awareness about Past and...
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Geoheritage as A Tool to Increase Awareness about Past and Present Climate Change

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263). This special issue belongs to the section "Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 April 2024) | Viewed by 6234

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anna Masseroli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
Interests: pedosites; soil; paleosols; high-altitude environments
Dr. Cristina Viani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
Interests: geodiversity in high-altitude environments; glacial geomorphology; cryosphere

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The geodiversity of planet Earth is evidently dynamic. Among the different factors influencing geodiversity modifications, past and present climate change is one of the most important.

In this light, geosites, as sites of high scientific value, a component of our heritage, and representative of the geodiversity of a region, may show important evidence of ongoing climate change, in some cases, being deeply affected by it. Moreover, geosites could be considered a useful archive to reconstruct not only ongoing, but also past climate changes. Unfortunately, in this framework, some categories of geosites are often disregarded (e.g., pedosites).

In this Special Issue, we aim to collect papers that demonstrate the importance of different kinds of geosites for the analysis, comprehension and dissemination of the effects of past and present environmental changes linked to climate shifts.

Therefore, we would like to invite you to submit high-quality research articles, mainly focused on new study cases, highlighting current challenges or knowledge gaps about the following topics:

  • Techniques for the identification, assessment and monitoring of geosite status;
  • Scientific studies on geoheritage sites testifying past and present evidence of climate change in different morphoclimatic contexts;
  • Research about dynamic geodiversity;
  • Strategies for promoting geoheritage sites in view of the increasing awareness in the general public about past and present climate change.

Dr. Anna Masseroli
Dr. Cristina Viani
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geoheritage
  • geodiversity
  • climate change
  • geosite
  • geomorphosite
  • pedosite
  • geoeducation
  • geotoursim
  • public awareness

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 7884 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Geotourism in the Chiusella Valley (NW Italian Alps): A Tool for Enhancing Alpine Geoheritage in the Context of Climate Change
by Arianna Negri, Elena Storta, Rasool Bux Khoso, Agnese Maria Colizzi, Fiorella Acquaotta, Mauro Palomba and Marco Giardino
Geosciences 2024, 14(7), 175; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14070175 - 24 Jun 2024
Viewed by 336
Abstract
The Chiusella Valley (NW Italian Alps) is a key area for both the history of the alpine orogeny and its environmental context. It presents major structural features (including the Traversella neoalpine intrusion and a section of the Insubric line) and evidence of past [...] Read more.
The Chiusella Valley (NW Italian Alps) is a key area for both the history of the alpine orogeny and its environmental context. It presents major structural features (including the Traversella neoalpine intrusion and a section of the Insubric line) and evidence of past climate changes in the region. Even if the Chiusella Valley was previously renowned for mining activities and most recently considered an alpine rural area with minor tourist attractions, its important geoheritage could offer alternatives to traditional mountain activities, which are facing adversity from increasing temperatures. This paper emphasises the role of geotourism in both enhancing sustainable development and raising awareness of climate change. For this purpose, the geodiversity of the Chiusella Valley has been analysed and several geosites have been identified. The research methodology includes field surveys, analysis of an existing educational activities and scientific literature, and assessment of geosites by quantitative analysis of five groups of indicators, including scientific, cultural, and educational values. The geosite selection within the Chiusella Valley reveals memories of past and present climate changes but also supports the development of targeted geotourism activities in the area. Additionally, a specific location has been identified for hosting indoor activities showcasing climate change action. These valuable contributions to sustainable geotourism provide opportunities for exploring the Alps in the vicinity of the Po Plain urban areas, while minimizing the environmental impact and facilitating educational activities on geodiversity and geoheritage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geoheritage as A Tool to Increase Awareness about Past and Present Climate Change)
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21 pages, 80416 KiB  
Article
Present Climate Change as a Threat to Geoheritage: The Wildfire in Bohemian Switzerland National Park and Its Use in Place-Based Learning
by Artur Boháč and Emil Drápela
Geosciences 2023, 13(12), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13120383 - 14 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1639
Abstract
Bohemian Switzerland is a national park in Northern Czechia famous for its sandstone rocks, which were affected by a massive fire in 2022. Specific geomorphology of the region affected the spreading of the fire and complicated its extinguishing. The fire directly or indirectly [...] Read more.
Bohemian Switzerland is a national park in Northern Czechia famous for its sandstone rocks, which were affected by a massive fire in 2022. Specific geomorphology of the region affected the spreading of the fire and complicated its extinguishing. The fire directly or indirectly damaged several geosites in Bohemian Switzerland. The catastrophe brought a possibility of showing the unique connection between geoheritage and present climate change and increasing awareness about the problems. The text is focused on field education of geography, striving to strengthen environmental awareness among students through educating their teachers. The research is based on desk research, field observation and didactic principles application. The causes of the fire were complex, including physical geographical (drought and bark beetle calamity within climate change) and human geographical phenomena (mass tourism and tourist misbehavior, inappropriate forestry practices). The teachers we worked with reached similar conclusions at the end of our course. Our fieldwork educational concept proved viable and was appreciated by them mainly thanks to the incorporation of research-based learning and the absence of unnatural emphasis on climate change. Climate change is a politicized topic, bringing controversies to the classrooms in the peripheral region. The approach we proposed is anchored in inquiry-based methods and touches on the issue indirectly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geoheritage as A Tool to Increase Awareness about Past and Present Climate Change)
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26 pages, 7931 KiB  
Article
Reviewing the Palaeontological and Palaeoenvironmental Heritage of the Monti Pisani Massif (Italy): A Compelling History of Animals, Plants and Climates through Three Geological Eras
by Alberto Collareta, Chiara Sorbini, Simone Farina, Valerio Granata, Lorenzo Marchetti, Chiara Frassi, Lucia Angeli and Giovanni Bianucci
Geosciences 2023, 13(11), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13110332 - 30 Oct 2023
Viewed by 2969
Abstract
The Monti Pisani massif (Tuscany, central Italy) is an isolated mountain relief known for its rich geodiversity, including a remarkable palaeontological heritage from the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. The Palaeozoic record consists of exquisitely preserved plant remains and rarer invertebrates of Permo-Carboniferous [...] Read more.
The Monti Pisani massif (Tuscany, central Italy) is an isolated mountain relief known for its rich geodiversity, including a remarkable palaeontological heritage from the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. The Palaeozoic record consists of exquisitely preserved plant remains and rarer invertebrates of Permo-Carboniferous age, which testify to extensive rainforests and large swamps that thrived in an alluvial system under a humid, (sub)tropical climate. In addition to invertebrate shells, invertebrate trace fossils and microbial structures, the Mesozoic record features a diverse Middle Triassic tetrapod ichnoassemblage consisting of tracks of lepidosauromorphs, archosaurs (among which are the earliest dinosauromorph fossils of Italy) and nonmammalian therapsids. These vertebrates lived in a subsiding costal setting that stretched across an expanding rift valley under a subarid climate. The Cenozoic record features abundant fossils of terrestrial vertebrates (including spectacular members of the mammalian megafauna) from karst deposits, testifying to the manifold inhabitants of the massif during the glacial and interglacial phases of the Late Pleistocene. Overall, this long-lasting fossil record remarkably demonstrates how much the Earth’s environments have been changing through the Phanerozoic. The outstanding palaeontological heritage of the Monti Pisani area is in need of specific efforts of conservation and valorisation, especially with respect to the many palaeontological sites that punctuate the massif. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geoheritage as A Tool to Increase Awareness about Past and Present Climate Change)
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Review

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19 pages, 7861 KiB  
Review
Geosites and Climate Change—A Review and Conceptual Framework
by Piotr Migoń
Geosciences 2024, 14(6), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14060153 - 5 Jun 2024
Viewed by 663
Abstract
Geosites are windows into the geological past, which may be recorded in rocks and their properties, the fossil content, and landform produced by processes no longer operating. Since the histories of sedimentation, life, and landscape evolution are to a certain extent controlled by [...] Read more.
Geosites are windows into the geological past, which may be recorded in rocks and their properties, the fossil content, and landform produced by processes no longer operating. Since the histories of sedimentation, life, and landscape evolution are to a certain extent controlled by climatic conditions, some geosites may be used as illustrations of various themes linked to the issue of climate change. In this paper, a coherent systematic framework is proposed for how to look at geosites through the lens of climate change. Four major aspects of relevance are recognized: (i) geosites providing evidence of changing climatic conditions in the past; (ii) geosites providing evidence of an environment different than that of today at the place; (iii) geosites providing evidence of extreme weather events; and (iv) dynamic geosites, subject to change as a response to ongoing climate change. The use of geosites to raise awareness and educate the public about climate change faces various interpretation challenges. In particular, linking with ongoing climate change requires caution and balanced presentation as most geosites record changes which occurred without any anthropogenic component. The preferred focus should be on environmental instability in general rather than on any specific reasons for change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geoheritage as A Tool to Increase Awareness about Past and Present Climate Change)
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