Abstract
The Central Highlands in Vietnam are well known for their large basalt plateau and their natural touristic resources with impressive landforms, such as ancient volcanoes, lakes and waterfalls, which are the result of volcanic activities, and of which the waterfalls are especially spectacular scenically. The Dray Nur and Dray Sap waterfalls located on the Serepok River of Dak Lak and Dak Nong provinces, respectively, are remarkable landscapes with a significant aesthetic value. Not only are these waterfalls well known as tourist attractions, they are also noted for a system of impressive geological objects, including basalt columns beneath torrential waterfalls, contemporaneous columnar and pillow basalts, fan-shaped columnar structures, collapsed wells, cliffs formed at the base of basalt columns, and the boundary between columnar basalts and Jurassic sediments. The aim of the study reported here is to demonstrate the relevance of this site as a geomorphological and geological heritage site, according to current inventory and evaluation methods. The results show that the Dray Nur and Dray Sap waterfalls include 10 inventoried geo-points, relevant to four key themes, namely science, culture, education and tourism. The ultimate goal of the study is to use these results as justifications for the conservation of the area.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barr SM, MacDonald AS (1981) Geochemistry and geochronology of late Cenozoic basalts of southeast Asia. Geol Soc Am Bull (Part II) 92:1069–1142
Bat DV, Toat DD, Truong V, Tan MT, Thu LT (2002) Correlation and comparison of Cenozoic effusive magmas in continent and continental shelf of Vietnam. J Geol (Hanoi) 272:9–10(in Vietnamese with English abstract)
Bates RL, Jackson AJ (1984) Dictionary of geological terms. Doubleday, New York
Braga JC (2002) Propuesta de estraté gia andaluza para la conservación de la geodiversidad [Andalucia strategy proposal for the conservation of geodiversity]. In: Junta de Andalucı’a. Medio Ambiente, Consejerı’a de 105 pp. (in Spanish)
Brilha JB, Andrade C, Azeredo A, Barriga F, Cachao M, Couto H, Cunha PP, Crispim JA, Dantas P, Duarte LV, Freitas M, Granja HM, Henriques MH, Henriques P, Lopes L, Madeira J, Matos JMX, Noronha F, Pais J, Picarra J, Ramalho M, Relvas J, Ribeiro A, Santos A, Santos V, Terrinha P (2005) Definition of the Portuguese frameworks with international relevance as an input for the European geological heritage characterisation. Episodes 28(3):177–186
Carreras J, Druguet E (1998) The geological heritage of the Cap de Creus Peninsula (NE Spain): some keys for its conservation. Geologica Balcanica 28(3–4):43–47
Dingwall P, Weighell T, Badman T (2005) Geological world heritage: a global framework. In: A contribution to the Global Theme Study of World Heritage Natural Sites. Protected Area Programme, IUCN (http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/geology.pdf)
Eder W, Patzak M (2004) Geoparks—geological attractions: a tool for public education, recreation and sustainable economic development. Episodes 27(3):162–164
Fedorov I, Koloskov AV (2005) Cenozoic volcanism of southeast Asia. Petrology 13(4):352–380
Gray M (2004) Geodiversity: valuing and conserving abiotic nature. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8SQ, England
Gray M (2008) Geodiversity: developing the paradigm. Proc Geol Assoc 119:287–329
Henriques MH, Tomaz C, Sa AA (2012) The Arouca Geopark (Portugal) as an educational resource: a study case. Episodes 35(4):481–488
Hoang N, Flower MFJ (1998) Petrogenesis of Cenozoic basalts from Vietnam: implication for origins of a diffuse igneous province. J Petrol 39:369–395
Hoang N, Flower MFJ, Carlson RW (1996) Major, trace element, and isotopic compositions of Vietnamese basalts: interaction of enriched mobile asthenosphere with the continental lithosphere? Geochim Cosmochim Acta 60:4329–4351
Hoang N, Flower MFJ, Chi CT, Xuan PT, Quy HV, Son TT (2013) Collision-induced basalt eruptions at Pleiku and Buon Me Thuot, south-central Viet Nam. J Geodyn 69:65–83
Worldwide basic inventory/register card for cultural landscapes. International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS): Cultural Landscape inventory sheet proposal (http://www.icomos.org/landscapes/inventory_card.htm)
Lima FF, Brilha JB, Salamuni E (2010) Inventorying geological heritage in large territories: a methodological proposal applied to Brazil. Geoheritage 2(3–4):91–99
Newsome D, Dowling RK (2006) The scope and nature of geotourism. In: Dowling RK, Newsome D (eds) Geotourism. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 3–25
Reis RP, Henriques MH (2009) Approaching an integrated qualification and evaluation system of the geological heritage. Geoheritage 1:1–10
Rocha J, Brilha J, Henriques MH (2013) Assessment of the geological heritage of Cape Mondego Natural Monument (Central Portugal). Proc Geol Assoc. doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2013.04.005
JL Whitford-Stark (1987) A survey of Cenozoic volcanism on mainland Asia. Geological Society of America, Special Papers 213, 74 pp
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the project ‘Research, comprehensive evaluation on tourist resources and spatial organization for proposals towards tourism development in the Central Highland of Vietnam’ (Code: TN3/T18), which is under the key state-level program of ‘Science and technology for socio-economic development in the Central Highlands of Vietnam’ (Code: KHCN-TN3/11-15). The chemical composition of columnar basalts was analysed by XRF (XRF—1800 Shimadzu) at the Faculty of Geology, VNU University of Science.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Phuong, T.H., Duong, NT., Hai, T.Q. et al. Evaluation of the geological heritage of the Dray Nur and Dray Sap waterfalls in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Geoheritage 9, 49–57 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-016-0176-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-016-0176-1