A geomorphosites selection method for educational purposes: a case study in Trebbia Valley (Emilia Romagna, Italy)

Abstract

In the Earth Sciences, geoheritage evaluation is becoming increasingly important. The dissemination to the general public of knowledge of landforms and the related genetic and evolutionary processes that characterize the Earth’s surface may be considered a useful tool because these processes, that concur to the modification of the landscape, interact directly with human elements in the landscape and may be influenced by human activity too. The efficacy of methodologies for evaluation and selection of sites of geomorphologic interest (geomorphosites) remains of fundamental importance in order to correctly individuate the most meaningful natural spots that represent the stages of geological/geomorphological evolution of an area to be presented to an audience. For this reason, the structuring of a relational database for storing and managing data related to geomorphosites, specifically for educational purposes, is herein proposed. The efficacy of popularization of the geomorphosites depends on the selection of the most suitable geomorphosites. The results of a comparison of 13 sites along the Trebbia River (Emilia Romagna, Italy) are presented in order to highlight the differences that can emerge among these sites using the database. On the basis of these results, some sites along the Trebbia Valley have been selected to create an educational itinerary, including fieldwork, to be proposed to a first level of secondary school.