Geosites in Karamay city, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China

Karamay city in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, has a developed petroleum industry and has many geosites of high educational and scientific interest. For example, an ophiolitic melange displays a complete sequence of ancient oceanic crust and allows analysis of the tectonic evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean; Black Oil Hill, asphaltum deposit, and outcrops of the source rock display a complete system of fault-controlled oil seepage from depth to the surface; and World Ghost Town is one of the three most striking yardang landforms in China, and its Junggar pterosaur fossils provide clues to the evolutionary ecology and paleogeography of global pterosaurs. Through multitemporal remote-sensing technology and fieldwork, this study found that Karamay’s geosites have been severely damaged or are threatened by human activities. Geoconservation action is urgently needed.