Geodiversity of Samoa : An Untapped and Unique Geoheritage Hot Spot in the Southwestern Pacific

This book represents a pioneering effort, offering a comprehensive summary of the Geoheritage of the Southwestern Pacific (SW Pacific). Despite its globally significant Geoheritage , the region has not yet been addressed in its entirety within a cohesive geocultural context, either in book form or through similar media. The SW Pacific is still emerging as a focal point of Geoheritage research, and exploration of the vast geodiversity of this region has only recently begun. While some initial scientific reports exist for specific areas within the SW Pacific, there has been no comprehensive summary covering the entire region. Although the region is primarily renowned for its picturesque beaches and tranquil coastal landscapes, its rich Geocultural aspects remain largely underutilized and understudied. It aims to fill this gap by providing a holistic exploration of the geodiversity and geoheritage of the Samoa islands. By offering an evidence-based and scientifically valid overview of the islands' geoheritage and geodiversity, the book seeks to serve as a foundational resource for future developments in the tourism sector and to define research directions and methodologies for expanding our understanding of volcanic oceanic islands' geoheritage. It will focus on geodiversity and geoheritage within the context of volcanic oceanic islands, which are unique in terms of their geological formations (such as volcanoes and lava fields) and their limited spatial extent within the vast Pacific Ocean basin. This book will also highlight the special coastal regions of volcanic oceanic islands, which often feature fringed reefs and broad shallow marine environments housing unique and fragile ecosystems sensitive to global and planetary changes. By estimating geodiversity, the book will provide insight into how volcanic islands' geoheritage intersects with biodiversity. Geodiversity will be explored as the backdrop for the evolution of tropical marine and mountainous biodiversity in spatially limited areas under tropical conditions. Moreover, this book aims to be a pioneering contribution, offering a methodological manual for exploring other islands from a geodiversity perspective. Currently, there is no similar publication on the market, making this book one of the first of its kind. The authors have conducted extensive research in Samoa, resulting in numerous high-level scientific publications and a wealth of information to be included in this book.