Avaliação do geopatrimônio do município de Carnaúba dos Dantas, NE do Brasil, com vista ao seu aproveitamento geoturístico

Abstract

Geosite assessment is a relatively recent topic in geosciences. Several methods have been proposed to evaluate geodiversity with qualitative and quantitative objectives, either broadly (considering scientific, economic, aesthetic, touristic, and other values) or narrowly (considering scientific value as central). Some works developed for the evaluation of geological and geomorphological heritage can be cited, such as Brilha (2005), Reynard (2006), Pereira (2006), Reynard et al. (2007), Pereira (2010), Brilha (2012), and Reynard et al. (2016). However, in this work, we propose something more specific, directing our analysis towards identifying the still little-explored potential of the geoheritage of Carnaúba dos Dantas. From this perspective, this manuscript proposes an evaluation of the geoheritage of Carnaúba dos Dantas, a municipality located in the interior of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, specifically in the microregion of Eastern Seridó. To achieve the objective of inventorying new geosites, we used the quantitative assessment form method, developed by Diniz; Araújo; Chagas (2022), which takes into account scientific, touristic and/or aesthetic values, and the qualitative method developed by Araújo et al. (2024). Six sites of geological interest were evaluated, and five stood out as geosites based on the criteria of scientific and aesthetic values. Consequently, this method shows a significant response in highlighting the potential of a site.