Geoheritage: definition, classification, qualitative and quantitative assessment, its relation with the tourism. Examples from Iran

Over the past several years, geoheritage and conservation of valuable earth science features have become important issues for several developed countries. In our country, the geologists and other related specialists such as geoarcheologists are not well familiar with the concept of geoheritage. So, in this paper, we tried to define the geoheritage and related terms including geoconservation and geodiversity. In order to explore the value of the geological features in different fields, this paper can help the geologists and other related specialists like geoarcheologists to evaluate the geological features during their routine research activities. Different types of classification of geoheritage resources are represented in this paper. They can be classified on the basis of the scale of occurrence of the geodiversity, in-situ or ex-situ occurrence of geodiversity, levels of significance for sites of geoheritage significance and the uses of geoheritage. The uses of the geoheritage site are so important and critical for characterization of a geodiversity as a geoheritage site. The main uses proposed for the geoheritage are scientific, educational or geotourism/recreational. In this paper, it is shown that how geodiversity elements can be classified qualitatively and quantitatively. Geodiversity assessment can lead to the characterization of a geodiversity element as a geoheritage with scientific, educational or geotourism/recreational value. Here mentioned some examples from Iran.