Geodiversity

Lake Pedder, south west Tasmania, prior to inundation as part of a hydro-electric development. Submergence of this unique landform assemblage and geoheritage feature beneath 15 m of water was one of many triggers to formulation of geoconservation philosophy.

Geodiversity is the variety of earth materials, forms and processes that constitute and shape the Earth, either the whole or a specific part of it.[1] Relevant materials include minerals, rocks, sediments, fossils, soils and water.[2][3] Forms may comprise folds, faults, landforms and other expressions of morphology or relations between units of earth material. Any natural process that continues to act upon, maintain or modify either material or form (for example tectonics, sediment transport, pedogenesis) represents another aspect of geodiversity. However geodiversity is not normally defined to include the likes of landscaping, concrete or other significant human influence.[2]

  1. ^ Zwolinski, Zb. 2004. Geodiversity, in: Encyclopedia of Geomorphology, A.Goudie (ed.), Routledge: pp. 417-418.
  2. ^ a b Gray, M. 2004. Geodiversity: Valuing and Conserving Abiotic Nature. John Wiley & Sons Ltd ISBN 978-0470848951
  3. ^ Brilha, José (2014). "Inventory and Quantitative Assessment of Geosites and Geodiversity Sites: a Review". Geoheritage. 8 (2): 119–134. doi:10.1007/s12371-014-0139-3. hdl:1822/32896. S2CID 55232122.