Volcanic geoheritage supports geoconservation and sustainable development, yet effective management requires comparable, transparent geosite assessments across diverse tectonic settings. This study evaluates and contrasts the geotourism potential of volcanic geosites in the Tungurahua Volcano UNESCO Global Geopark (TVG, Ecuador; active subduction-related volcanism) and Tenerife Island (TI, Canary Islands, Spain; intraplate volcanism). Thirty-one geosites were identified, inventoried, and characterized (20 in TVG; 11 in TI) and quantitatively assessed using the intrinsic scientific value and additional value framework of Reynard et al. (2007) scoring each criterion from 0 to 1. To reduce bias associated with unequal sample sizes, geosite scores were aggregated by geological typology (e.g., stratovolcanoes, calderas, lava flows, pyroclastic deposits, debris avalanches, hydrothermal manifestations, lahars/alluvial deposits, and glacial–periglacial landforms). Scientific and additional values show a moderately high positive association (Pearson r = 0.77), indicating that geosites with higher scientific relevance tend to exhibit higher ecological, aesthetic, cultural, and/or economic values. TI generally attains higher ecological and aesthetic averages, consistent with the fact that low volcanic activity enhances the integrity and representativeness of its geosites.In contrast, TVG stands out for its palaeogeographical interest in lava-flow landscapes and for typologies with marked cultural significance linked to local communities. Using tercile thresholds (0.33 and 0.66), 22 geosites (≈71%) were classified as high and 9 (≈29%) as medium, with no sites in the low category. The proposed typology-based comparison provides a practical baseline for prioritizing geoconservation and designing context-sensitive geotourism strategies, while highlighting the need to incorporate indicators of degradation risk into future management-oriented assessments. Comparative analysis of volcanic geosites in subduction and intraplate settings. Geosite evaluation using GIS tools, statistical analysis, and heatmap visualizations. Tenerife geosites scored higher in scientific values than Tungurahua’s counterparts. Additional values highlight cultural and economic differences between regions. Fidings propose guidelines for sustainable geosite management and geotourism.
Morales et al. (Tue,) studied this question.