Modern Ripples and Oxide Limestone at Pasir Padi Beach, Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung Province, Indonesia: A Case for Geotourism Development

Abstrak

Bangka Island, located in the eastern coast of Sumatra, is part of Indonesia’s unique and diverse geological heritage. Despite its potential, many of its coastal geosites remain poorly exposed and managed in terms of geoheritage value and geotourism development. This study focuses on Pasir Padi Beach, Pangkalpinang, aiming to evaluate its potential as a geotourism site using a integrated approach consisted of field surveys, geosite inventory assessment, and petrographic analysis of oxide-rich limestone from the Tanjung Genting Formation. Observations captured well-preserved modern ripple structures and dynamic shoreline processes that reflect active coastal sedimentation processes, offering valuable knowledge for both education and research. The site accessibility, combined with its past and modern geological features, showing it as a potential natural field laboratory for coastal sedimentology and geomorphology. Furthermore, the development of geotourism in this area bring a positive impact for supporting local economies through community engagement and sustainable tourism practices. The results support the inclusion of Pasir Padi Beach in Bangka Island geoheritage planning and recommend further efforts toward site conservation, interpretation, and integration into local tourism strategies towards becoming Unesco Global Geopark.