Landslides, a Key Landform in the Global Geological Heritage

Landslides are important components of global geoheritage, but awareness of their significance and value in such terms seems scanty in the scientific community. Landslides are normally identified among various features of geological and geomorphological interest, and often considered a source of hazard. However, they are seldom identified as geosites and as part of geoheritage. This paper aims at filling these gaps by highlighting the importance of landslides in the global geoheritage. After a short introduction on the values and criteria to define landforms as geosites, based on literature review, we show to what extent landslides have been defined as geomorphosites and as part of geoheritage around the world. We then outline three aspects that should be specifically considered in the identification of landslides as geomorphosites, namely 1) past and present climate changes, 2) anthropic signature, and 3) risk perception. Finally, we describe four cases of spectacular landslides that serve as significant examples worldwide

Increasing Geoheritage Awareness through Non-Formal Learning

Non-formal learning can have a crucial role in increasing citizens’ literacy to geoscience providing the opportunity to raise the public profile of geology and geomorphology. Starting from these remarks, the project presented here is one of the first attempts, at national level, aimed at achieving the territorial upgrading based on geoheritage enhancement. The project started thanks to a bottom-up input and involved the collaboration between scholars and local administrations and stakeholders for the valorization of a fluvial area within the Municipality of Castellarano (Emilia Apennines, Northern Italy). To achieve this aim of non-formal learning activities, based on the interpretation of the geoheritage, have been implemented. In fact, the investigated area includes valuable geological and geomorphological features which have been used, in the frame of the project here presented, to promote local geodiversity and geotourism. In particular, three geosites of regional significance were considered for the creation of EarthCaches, interpretative panels and guided excursions. Interpretative contents were designed to be educational, providing accurate but non-technical explanations. Attention was given in including illustrations playing an important role in the learning process. The results revealed that the implemented activities positively contribute to raising public awareness on the value of geoheritage

Geosites and geological landscapes of Liguria (Italy)

Liguria is a small region in Northwestern Italy which is characterized by significant and valuable geoheritage. The 1:250,000 map presented in this paper displays the 120 geosites of Liguria, officially approved by regional and national authorities, framed in the context of the geological landscapes of the region. The geological landscapes were obtained by categorizing and thematizing geological, lithological and geomorphological data in macro-units with similar characteristics. Protected areas (National parks, regional parks and natural reserves) and caves are also highlighted in the map. This work aims to give a better understanding of the Ligurian geoheritage, its relationship with the geological and geomorphological context, and the framework of protected areas. Thus, the present map can be a useful tool for developing effective geoheritage management and enhancement strategies

Degradation Risk Assessment: Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change on Geoheritage

Several factors and processes, both natural and anthropogenic, can threaten the integrity of any geosite, leading to their degradation. For this reason, geoheritage degradation risks should be considered a fundamental step in any geoconservation strategy, all the more when the aim is to tackle the effects of climate change. The present work proposes a quantitative methodology for the degradation risk assessment of geosites by considering the extrinsic factors that can damage the geoheritage. The methodology has been tested on the Maltese Islands, where considerable previous research has been undertaken in order to highlight the international significance of the Maltese landscapes. Three criteria to assess the degradation risk are proposed: natural vulnerability, anthropogenic vulnerability and public use. For each criterion, several parameters have been identified in order to propose a detailed numerical evaluation. The results show that the degradation risk of geosites is mainly related to negligence and lack of knowledge of its inherent geological heritage, and which leads to public misuse and mismanagement of the geosites. The results give an overview of the condition of the geosites and provide information for the design and management of suitable protection measures, especially in the light of future threats related to climate change

Geomorphology of the Rio Cisles basin (Odle Group, Dolomites, Italy)

The results of geomorphological investigations carried out in the Rio Cisles basin in the Odle Group (Italian Alps) are presented. This is one of the most famous and spectacular mountain groups of the Dolomites, located in the north-western sector of the Gardena valley, an area of high tourism appeal. Field surveys and multitemporal aerial-photo interpretation led to the production of a geomorphological map at a 1:12,000 scale. This map outlines the features of an area of about 20 km2 , characterised by high relief energy, mainly due to the overlapping of large dolomite rocks masses on clayey rocks. The present morphology is the result of intense postglacial and paraglacial geomorphic activity, which has affected the area since the Upper Pleistocene. The geomorphological evolution of this area has been reconstructed and a new contribution is given to the comprehension of the geomorphology of the eastern Dolomites

Current research on geomorphosites

Geomorphosites are landforms of special interest for society. Their recognition as such by increasingly larger sectors\u2014including political, educational, tourism and nature conservation\u2014 is the result of a process of \u2018heritage making\u2019 in which different groups (Earth scientists, conservationists, tourism providers, etc.) are involved. The recognition of geological structures and geomorphological landforms as heritage, however, is relatively ancient (Reynard et al. 2011a), but over the last 20 years, or so, this view has been influenced by a renewed interest in Earth sciences sites led mainly by geoscientists. This new development necessitates conceptual and methodological improvements in various domains of the Earth sciences. In the field of geomorphology, it is the Working Group on Geomorphosites created by the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) at the 5th International Conference on Geomorphology held in Tokyo in 2001 that has acted as the principal arena for the development of a specific field of research on geomorphological heritage within the community of geomorphologists (for a review of the scientific production of the Working Group\u2019s members, see Reynard and Coratza 2013)

Geomorphology of the seafloor north east of the Maltese Islands, Central Mediterranean

This paper presents a geomorphological map of the seafloor north east of the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean) at a scale of 1:50,000. The map was compiled following the integration, analysis and interpretation of several high-resolution seafloor bathymetry datasets. Several structural features, coastal and marine landforms and anthropogenic features have been mapped. Most of the mapped submerged landforms–including fluvial, gravity-induced and karst landforms–appear to have been formed during the sea-level lowstand of the last glacial cycle. The map provides valuable insights on the submerged landscape of the Maltese Islands and its evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum

Geositi nel paesaggio mediterraneo: confronto tra aree costiere maltesi e siciliane.

Le isole maltesi mostrano aspetti geologici, geomorfologici e ambientali comparabili con quelli siciliani che danno luogo alla presenza di elementi paesaggistici ad elevata potenzialit\ue0 turistica, ad oggi non sufficientemente valorizzati. Nell\u2019ambito di un progetto di ricerca internazionale volto alla realizzazione di reti ecologiche transfrontaliere Malta-Sicilia (RE.MA.SI.), sono stati condotti studi sulla valorizzazione, divulgazione e corretta fruizione del patrimonio geologico di alcuni territori di queste due isole. Vengono qui presentati i risultati preliminari che hanno portato all'identificazione e valorizzazione di geositi di interesse geomorfologico, le cui caratteristiche sono state analizzate qualitativamente e quantitativamente, tramite l\u2019applicazione di metodologie gi\ue0 sperimentate a livello internazionale e basate sulla stima del loro valore scientifico, addizionale e di fruibilit\ue0. Sono state analizzate principalmente forme di rilevante interesse scientifico, didattico e paesaggistico, quali morfotipi costieri, evidenze morfologiche di processi gravitativi e di erosione idrica e forme carsiche

Episodic displacement on a sackung scarp in Benasque Valley (Central Spanish Pyrenees). Paleoseismic record?

A sackung scarp has been investigated by trenching in the El Ubago glacial valley (central Spanish Pyrenees). The scarp is located 18 km to the SW of the North Maladeta Fault, which was the source of the Mw 5.3 Vielha earthquake of 1923. Three displacement events have been inferred based on colluvial wedge stratigraphy and fault truncation. Event X at ca. 16.9 ka created the sackung. Events Y and Z have been constrained at 15-8.3 and 8.3-5.3 ka. The timing of event Y partially overlaps with that of a faulting event recognised in a previously investigated sackung at about 2 km. A minimum vertical slip rate of 0.18 mm/yr has been calculated for the sackung. The spatial association of the sackung features in this sector of the Pyrenees with the North Maladeta Fault and the millennial recurrence of the inferred displacement events (5.6 kyr) suggests that the kinematics of the studied sackung has been controlled by seismic activity. Demonstrating in future investigations that the sackung features in the area constitute archives of large paleoearthquake would be of great interest for seismic hazard assessments. They might help to improve the catalogue of paleoearthquakes and might provide information on earthquake recurrence intervals and the age of the MRE