Conveners:
Roberto Buccione (Università della Basilicata)
Giovanni Brodu (Università di Cagliari)
Rosalda Punturo (Università di Catania)
Elena Marrocchino (Università di Ferrara)
The study and conscious management of Geoheritage are now fundamental to the protection of the identity and memory of the territories. The enhancement of these natural sites of scientific interest can transform geological sites into valuable cultural and educational resources, often through the development of Geotourism, promoting sustainable development. In this session, integrated research frameworks, including advanced multi-scale diagnostic protocols and non-destructive techniques in ensuring the sustainable management of geological heritage, will be discussed. The session aims to present multi-analytical approaches such as geochemical, mineralogical, petrographic, geophysical, and high-resolution imaging techniques, applied to geomaterials, geosites of interest, and Georesource, with a focus on disused mines and quarries and on the waste recovery by promoting the circular economy. Contributions demonstrating how the integration of scientific, geological, and environmental data improves the interpretation of natural resource management and Geoheritage valorisation practices are welcome. The session also highlights the role of geological heritage in strengthening territorial identity, in human-environment interactions and in the enhancement and conservation of natural geological beauties, also paying attention to climate change. Geological materials and their multi-analytical characterization emerge as a powerful interface between science, nature, environment, and society, offering robust and evidence-based perspectives to understand the deep connections between terrestrial processes and the communities to which they belong.