# Geomorphosite

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The [Simien Mountains National Park](/source/Simien_Mountains_National_Park) in [Ethiopia](/source/Ethiopia) hosts a rich array of geomorphosites[1]

Landform of scientific or social value

The [Lonar Lake](/source/Lonar_Lake) in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, India

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with North America and Europe and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (January 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

[Hoodoos](/source/Hoodoo_(geology)) in [Bryce Canyon National Park](/source/Bryce_Canyon_National_Park), [Utah](/source/Utah)

[Monte Testaccio](/source/Monte_Testaccio) in [Rome](/source/Rome)[2]

A **geomorphosite**, or **[geomorphological](/source/Geomorphology) heritage site**, is a [landform](/source/Landform) or an assemblage of landforms that have a scientific, educational, historic-cultural, aesthetic or socio-economic value.[3][4]

The [Frank Slide](/source/Frank_Slide) is a geomorphosite[5]

Geomorphosites are included among the [geoheritage](/source/Geoheritage) sites (geosites) and may comprise landforms (or sites of former landforms) that have been hidden or destroyed due to human activities,[6][7] as well as anthropogenic landforms[8][9] of archaeological or historical interest.[10]

[Iguazu Falls](/source/Iguazu_Falls) on the border of Argentina and Brasil

The value of a geomorphosite, for purposes of analysis, comparison and protection, can be qualitatively assessed using several methods.[11] Some of these methods are based only on expert judgements and a few evaluation criteria, while others involve assigning a qualitative score to each relevant characteristic of a site (e.g. its scientific importance, educational value etc.) and then weighting and summing (or ranking) the scores to obtain the site's overall value (or rank).

The concept of geomorphosite has its roots in Western scientific thought. In recent decades, natural heritage conservation has increasingly focused on preserving representative examples of specific natural phenomena.[12] This shift aligns with the growing influence of scientific approaches and economic rationalism, which often prioritize objective, data-driven arguments over those perceived as emotional or subjective. However, this representative methodology may not be suitable, for instance, for sites considered sacred by faith communities, as these locations are unique and hold profound spiritual significance that transcends scientific categorization.[12] A solution to this problem may be to consider multiple value dimensions of a geomorphosite and to include into the evaluation process the interested stakeholders and right holders (e.g. indigenous communities), which also ensures a greater degree of objectivity in the evaluation itself.[13]

[Uluru](/source/Uluru), one of the largest and best known [inselbergs](/source/Inselberg) in the world, which constitute a fundamental landform in the traditional belief of [Aṉangu](/source/A%E1%B9%89angu) people. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987

Mount Langshan in Xinning County, Hunan, China, part of the China Danxia collection of landforms that entered the World Heritage List in 2010[14].

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Mauerhofer, Lukas; Reynard, Emmanuel; Asrat, Asfawossen; Hurni, Hans (2018-12-01). ["Contribution of a Geomorphosite Inventory to the Geoheritage Knowledge in Developing Countries: the Case of the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia"](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12371-017-0234-3). *Geoheritage*. **10** (4): 559–574. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2018Geohe..10..559M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018Geohe..10..559M). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s12371-017-0234-3](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12371-017-0234-3). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1867-2485](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1867-2485).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Del Monte, M.; Fredi, P.; et, al. (2013-12-30). ["Geosites within Rome City center (Italy): a mixture of cultural and geomorphological heritage"](https://doi.org/10.4461/GFDQ.2013.36.20). *Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria*. **36** (2): 241–257. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.4461/GFDQ.2013.36.20](https://doi.org/10.4461%2FGFDQ.2013.36.20). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0391-9838](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0391-9838).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Panizza, Mario (2001-01-01). ["Geomorphosites: Concepts, methods and examples of geomorphological survey"](https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03187227). *Chinese Science Bulletin*. **46** (1): 4–5. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2001ChSBu..46S...4P](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001ChSBu..46S...4P). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/BF03187227](https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF03187227). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1861-9541](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1861-9541). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [94082658](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:94082658).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Reynard, Emmanuel. ["Geomorphosites: Definitions and characteristics"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288265820). *[ResearchGate](/source/ResearchGate)*. Retrieved 14 August 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Morino, Costanza; Coratza, Paola; Soldati, Mauro (2022). ["Landslides, a Key Landform in the Global Geological Heritage"](https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffeart.2022.864760). *Frontiers in Earth Science*. **10**. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2022FrEaS..10.4760M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022FrEaS..10.4760M). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3389/feart.2022.864760](https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffeart.2022.864760). [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[11380/1274358](https://hdl.handle.net/11380%2F1274358). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2296-6463](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2296-6463).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Clivaz, Mélanie; Reynard, Emmanuel (2018-12-01). ["How to Integrate Invisible Geomorphosites in an Inventory: a Case Study in the Rhone River Valley (Switzerland)"](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-017-0222-7). *Geoheritage*. **10** (4): 527–541. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2018Geohe..10..527C](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018Geohe..10..527C). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s12371-017-0222-7](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12371-017-0222-7). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1867-2485](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1867-2485). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [131909317](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:131909317).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Pica, Alessia; Luberti, Gian Marco; Vergari, Francesca; Fredi, Paola; Monte, Maurizio Del (2017-09-01). ["Contribution for an Urban Geomorphoheritage Assessment Method: Proposal from Three Geomorphosites in Rome (Italy)"](https://doi.org/10.1515%2Fquageo-2017-0030). *Quaestiones Geographicae*. **36** (3): 21–36. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2017QGeo...36c..21P](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017QGeo...36c..21P). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1515/quageo-2017-0030](https://doi.org/10.1515%2Fquageo-2017-0030). [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[11573/1012514](https://hdl.handle.net/11573%2F1012514). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [54893540](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:54893540).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Szabó, József; Dávid, Lóránt; Lóczy, Dénes, eds. (2010). [*Anthropogenic Geomorphology*](https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-90-481-3058-0). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/978-90-481-3058-0](https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-90-481-3058-0). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-90-481-3057-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-90-481-3057-3). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [251582329](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:251582329).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Howard, Jeffrey (2017), Howard, Jeffrey (ed.), ["Anthropogenic Landforms and Soil Parent Materials"](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54331-4_3), *Anthropogenic Soils*, Progress in Soil Science, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 25–51, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/978-3-319-54331-4_3](https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-3-319-54331-4_3), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-319-54331-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-319-54331-4), retrieved 2022-08-14{{[citation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Citation)}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_work_parameter_with_ISBN))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Filippo, Brandolini; Cremaschi, Mauro; Manuela, Pelfini (2019-12-01). ["Estimating the Potential of Archaeo-historical Data in the Definition of Geomorphosites and Geo-educational Itineraries in the Central Po Plain (N Italy)"](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-019-00370-5). *Geoheritage*. **11** (4): 1371–1396. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2019Geohe..11.1371F](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019Geohe..11.1371F). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s12371-019-00370-5](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12371-019-00370-5). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1867-2485](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1867-2485). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [182383348](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:182383348).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Mucivuna, Vanessa Costa; Reynard, Emmanuel; Garcia, Maria da Glória Motta (2019-12-01). ["Geomorphosites Assessment Methods: Comparative Analysis and Typology"](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-019-00394-x). *Geoheritage*. **11** (4): 1799–1815. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2019Geohe..11.1799M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019Geohe..11.1799M). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s12371-019-00394-x](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12371-019-00394-x). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1867-2485](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1867-2485). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [199668533](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:199668533).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_12-1) Kiernan, Kevin (2015-06-01). ["Landforms as Sacred Places: Implications for Geodiversity and Geoheritage"](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12371-014-0128-6). *Geoheritage*. **7** (2): 177–193. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2015Geohe...7..177K](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015Geohe...7..177K). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s12371-014-0128-6](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12371-014-0128-6). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1867-2485](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1867-2485).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Cameron, Enrico (2024-02-20). ["Objectivity in Geosites Inventorying and Assessment Methods"](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12371-024-00938-w). *Geoheritage*. **16** (1): 30. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2024Geohe..16...30C](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024Geohe..16...30C). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s12371-024-00938-w](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12371-024-00938-w). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1867-2485](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1867-2485).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["China Danxia World Heritage Site"](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1335/). *whc.unesco.org*. Retrieved 2025-01-17.

## Further reading

- Geographica Elvetica 62(3) (2007) [\[1\]](https://gh.copernicus.org/articles/62/issue3.html)

- Geomorphologie 11(3) (2005) [\[2\]](https://journals.openedition.org/geomorphologie/42)

- Reynard E, Coratza P, Regolini – Bissig G (edd., 2009) *Geomorphosites*. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, München

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Geomorphosite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomorphosite) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomorphosite?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.