Abstract
The Ryukyu Islands strongly promote the geodiversity of Japan. A sub-tropic natural environment forms coral reefs and various landscapes linked to surface processes, active tectonics, and Quaternary environmental changes. Field excursions permit geoscientific observations of such landscapes, which reveal geodiversity and a framework for geotourism. Fieldwork was undertaken to arrange an educational program for conserving geodiversity and for geotourism. This program demonstrates the geodiversity and geotourism of the Ryukyu Islands, in terms of geomorphology and related disciplines. Basic geotours observe landforms and sediments, and consider geomorphic processes: weathering, erosion, transport, sedimentation, uplift, and sea level change. Applied geotours observe landscapes indicating global environmental problems, such as global warming, climate change, sea level rise, acid rain, and ecosystem based on geomorphology and related geosciences. For instance, acid rain accelerates the chemical weathering (decomposition) of limestone and erosion of karst landforms that are distributed widely on raised coral reefs. Such geotours require both scientific and attractive geostories managed by geoscientists. Japanese geoscientists should propose models for geotours derived from field excursions for landscape observations that will contribute to education, conservation, and geotourism.
