National inventory of geosites

The geosites are elements, areas or places of geological interest of significant value and important witnesses of Earth’s history. They make "typical" places and geographical areas in which they are inserted for their specific physical, morphological, climatic and structural factors.The project "National Inventory Geosite", launched in 2002, aims to create at national level an inventory of geosites in order to develop a useful tool the geological knowledge of the territory and for the environmental protection. At the moment the inventory includes about 3700 geosites surveyed in the country. It is a number that changes continuously because the work proceeds simultaneously with the insertion of new geosites, both with the revision and, sometimes, the elimination of geosites already present in the database.

The data base is available on line at :

http://sgi2.isprambiente.it/geositiweb/

The Geosite format

The inventory of geosites is completed by sending to ISPRA a specific format that contains geographical and descriptive information about the site, with emphasis on their usability, the conservation status and their protection. Regions, local authorities, research institutes, geologists, students and professionals and interested organizations which to give their contribution to the national census of geosites may send their reports to geositi@isprambiente.it