A framework for the establishment of an interpretive center at the Lake Bosumtwi Impact Crater, Ghana: a hub for geoscience education and social geosciences

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Published: 2026-01-29
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4401/jgsg-95
Keywords:
Geoethics, Social geosciences, Geoscience education, Geoheritage, Lake Bosumtwi Impact Crater

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Marian Selorm Sapah
Department of Earth Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3428-2897
Yvonne Sena Akosua Loh
Department of Earth Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3075-2003
Cyril Dziedzorm Boateng
Department of Physics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1721-4158
Daniel Kwadwo Asiedu
Department of Earth Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7410-8223

Abstract

The Lake Bosumtwi Impact Crater in Ghana, approximately 1.07 million years old and designated as an IUGS Geological Heritage Site, holds significant geological, educational, cultural, aesthetic, and economic importance. Historically, its potential for education and community involvement has been underutilized. This study developed a framework for creating an interpretive center for the Lake Bosumtwi Impact Crater by conducting a systematic literature review and comparative analysis of Geopark Ries (Germany), Vredefort Dome (South Africa), and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania), along with local knowledge gathered through field visits. Our framework offers a model that combines geoethics, geoscience education, and social geosciences. It is built on three pillars: 1) immersive geoscience education to improve public geoliteracy; 2) implementing geoethics through community-led governance and ethical geotourism; and 3) advancing social geoscience through participatory research and sustainable local initiatives. We conclude that this integrated approach can transform the Lake Bosumtwi Impact Crater from a site focused on scientific research to a hub for inclusive knowledge sharing and sustainable development. It can also serve as a replicable model for connecting geological heritage with community well-being and addressing issues of geoscientific marginalization.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 2 No. Special Issue (2026): Geoethics and Social Geosciences in Africa: Challenges, Practices, and Perspectives

Section

Special
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Marian Selorm Sapah, Department of Earth Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana

Geochemist and Cosmochemist, Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana;  Founding and steering committee member of the Africa Initiative for Planetary and Space Science (AFIPS); Board Member of the Geochemical Society; Regular member of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)-Commission on Geoscience Education (COGE); National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) for the International Astronomy Union’s Office for Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO); Professional member of Ghana Institute of Geoscientists (GhIG); Member of the Meteoritical Society (METSOC), Geological Society of Africa (GSAf), Ghana Science Association (GSA), and the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OSWD).

Yvonne Sena Akosua Loh, Department of Earth Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana

Hydrogeologist/Hydrochemist, Geoscience Education Researcher at University of Ghana; Chair, Department of Earth Science Newsletter Committee; Lead, Department of Earth Science Media Team; Director, Terra-Pangea Resources Management Ltd.; Executive Director and Communications Lead of Center for Geoscience Studies (CfGS); Second Vice President of Women in Mining Ghana (WIMGH); Board Member of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC); Board Chair of the National Nuclear Research Institute (GAEC); Board Member of the Ghana Geological Survey Authority; Field Officer of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)-Commission on Geoscience Education (COGE). Life Member, Geological Society of Africa (GSAf), Council Member, Ghana Institute of Geoscientists (GhIG).

Cyril Dziedzorm Boateng, Department of Physics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana

Geophysicist, Lecturer and Researcher, Department of Physics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana; Scientific Director, West Africa Geophysics (WAGeo) Lab, KNUST; Iso Lomso Fellow; Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) 2024 Honorary Lecturer for Middle East and Africa; Special Advisor, Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) Council; General Secretary, Ghana Institute of Geoscientists; Executive Council Member, Ghana Young Academy; Founder, AfroScience Network.

Daniel Kwadwo Asiedu, Department of Earth Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana

Sedimentary Geologist, Professor of Geology at the University of Ghana; Lead of the Geoscience Education Research Group at the University of Ghana; Research Lead at the Center for Geoscience Studies (CfGS); Member of the Editorial Board of the Science and Development Journal; Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS); Fellow of the Ghana Institute of Geoscientists (GhIG); Fellow of the Geological Society of London; Member of the SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology; Professional Member of the Geological Society of America; Member of the Geological Society of Africa.

How to Cite

Sapah, M. S., Loh, Y. S. A., Boateng, C. D., & Asiedu, D. K. (2026). A framework for the establishment of an interpretive center at the Lake Bosumtwi Impact Crater, Ghana: a hub for geoscience education and social geosciences. JOURNAL OF GEOETHICS AND SOCIAL GEOSCIENCES, 2(Special Issue). https://doi.org/10.4401/jgsg-95

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