A rigorous assessment is an essential part of geoconservation, and choosing an appropriate evaluation method is essential for this process. Globally, an increasing number of sites are being assessed for their geoheritage values, but the most popular methods have been created by researchers with experiences centred in Europe, without considerations of regional differences. To understand whether regional perspectives are required in the evaluation process, this study developed a new method targeting the scientific value of Quaternary geoheritage sites in arid environments, using input from 49 researchers in geosciences and related disciplines with interests in arid landscapes. The results demonstrated the need for a new or modified method, given the different preferences in the weighting system and the necessity to include additional criteria specific to the type of sites targeted by the study. The strong preference to include a new criterion on connections with archaeology/anthropology highlighted the significance of the interdisciplinary scientific values of Quaternary geoheritage sites in arid environments. These findings imply the need for regional diversity or adjustments in geoheritage evaluation. Future research is required to consider such differences for geoheritage values beyond the scientific dimension, such as educational values and touristic values in diverse geographical settings. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Geodiversity for science and society'.

中文翻译：

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促进地质遗产评估的多样性：创建干旱环境下第四纪遗址的科学价值评估方法

严格的评估是地质保护的重要组成部分，选择合适的评估方法对于这一过程至关重要。在全球范围内，越来越多的遗址正在接受地质遗产价值评估，但最流行的方法是由具有欧洲经验的研究人员创建的，没有考虑区域差异。为了了解评估过程中是否需要区域视角，本研究利用 49 名对干旱景观感兴趣的地球科学和相关学科研究人员的意见，开发了一种针对干旱环境中第四纪地质遗产地的科学价值的新方法。结果表明，考虑到权重系统中的不同偏好以及包括针对研究目标站点类型的附加标准的必要性，需要一种新的或改进的方法。强烈倾向于纳入与考古学/人类学联系的新标准，突显了干旱环境中第四纪地质遗产地的跨学科科学价值的重要性。这些发现意味着地理遗产评估需要区域多样性或调整。未来的研究需要考虑科学层面之外的地质遗产价值的差异，例如不同地理环境中的教育价值和旅游价值。本文是西奥·墨菲会议问题“科学与社会的地理多样性”的一部分。