Quantitative Assessments of Geodiversity in the Area of the Seridó Geopark Project, Northeast Brazil: Grid and Centroid Analysis

The evaluation of geodiversity is one of the initial and main steps in the development of geoconservation actions. It is fundamental to establish parameters that quantify elements and places of abiotic nature in order to draw attention to those that are richer than the average. In doing so, it is possible to manage areas for the protection of notable geoheritage and to develop sustainable activities such as geotourism. The literature comprises several methodologies for the quantitative assessment of geodiversity, but the use of geoprocessing tools appears to be the least subjective type of analysis. From this standpoint, this work aimed to analyze the geodiversity in an area of geological interest in the northeast of Brazil by using two methodologies. The first is widely used and involved the definition of a grid to overlay the cartographic datasets that are used to define the geodiversity index. The second method is based on a centroid analysis of intersected datasets. These investigations showed that the two methodologies have similar aspects and produce a high geodiversity index for the area. This outcome supports the reliability of these methods when the results converge, with respect to the delimitation of the valuable places where geodiversity should be protected. These methods may be used as basis for the sustainable management of natural resources.