Quantitative Assessment of Spatial Pattern of Geodiversity in the Tibetan Plateau

Areas of very high geodiversity on the Tibetan Plateau—including the Pamir Plateau, Mt. Kunlun, and the Lhasa region—correlate with international tourist destinations such as UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites and Global Geoparks. This study quantifies geodiversity across 1145 areas using 96 abiotic units in six geo-groups (hydrology, pedology, landform, elevation, geology, and geosites), revealing that zones with high geodiversity hold significant potential for geotourism development. The research employs a normalized geodiversity index to assess spatial patterns, offering new insights for geoconservation planning in China.

Rong, T., Xu, S., Lu, Y., Tong, Y., & Yang, Z. (2022). Quantitative Assessment of Spatial Pattern of Geodiversity in the Tibetan Plateau. Sustainability, 15(1), 299. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010299