Geomorphological research in Spain (original) (raw)
Sustainability, 2017
This work performs a geomorphological mapping procedure applied to the evolutionary analysis of the landscape, such that it groups different geomorphological units photointerpreted in large geomorphological domains. This allows greater utility and ease of identification and application in the different multidisciplinary studies of environmental geology and the evolution of the landscape. Geomorphological analysis allows the investigation of the reconstruction of the relief from the processes that have shaped the landscape over time. This work is a tool for the analysis of palaeolandscapes and palaeoreliefs applied to correct environmental and sustainable planning of the territory. The process starts from a morphostructural zoning in which they are grouped according to their erosive and depositional forms and the morphogenetic system to which they belong: structural, fluvial, gravitational, and polygenic. The procedure is applied to two natural parks: Batuecas and Quilamas, differentiating 18 geomorphological domains. The 2D and 3D cartographies have been implemented in virtual 3D balloons allowing a greater ease of landscape analysis in the spatial distribution of the different units over orthophotographs. The morphological and chronological evolution of the evolution of the landscape is established from the relative age of the lithological units and the geomorphological domains, as well as by their geospatial position. Georeferenced digital mapping complies with the Inspire directive for these natural spaces.
Geomorphology of the northern sector of the Alfambra-Teruel depression (Iberian ranges, NE Spain)
Journal of Maps
The area of Alfambra (NE Spain) is very representative of the relief evolution of the Eastern Iberian ranges. The geomorphological cartography (Main Map) includes the northern sector of the Alfambra-Teruel Neogene depression and its mountainous surroundings. The cartographic process started by using aerial photographs (1:30000 scale) and fieldwork. The structural reliefs, erosion surfaces, karst landforms, Quaternary pediments and terraces, and fluvial network are represented over a lithological background. The main cartography is complemented with two maps of lithological and geomorphological units. The obtained information enabled the main geological and geomorphological stages of the regional relief to be established.
Geomorphology of the Curueño River headwaters, Cantabrian mountains (NW Spain)
Journal of Maps, 2017
The article presents the 1:25,000-scale geomorphological map of the upper reaches of the Curueño River, on the southern slope of the Central Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain. The study area spans approximately 125 km 2 and corresponds to the 1:25,000-scale Spanish National Topographical Map Sheet 104-I of Lugueros. The area is moderately mountainous with elevation ranging from 1100 to 2100 m.a.s.l. The main landforms are river gorges, karst, and glacial landforms. The map legend contains 78 elements divided into 9 groups: lithostructural, polygenic, karst, fluvial, glacial, periglacial, nival, gravitational, weathering, and anthropic forms. The map was prepared using Esri ArcGIS with the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM, Zone 30) projection. In addition, a database and style set were created for each landform with the goal of using this set of symbols in other areas and performing complementary mapping of geologic and geomorphologic risk, protection of natural geoheritage, land-use classification, and applied geomorphology.
Geological Heritage and Geoconservation in Spain: Past, Present, and Future
Geoheritage, 2009
Geoconservation in Spain dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. During the first decades, the protection of biotic and geological heritage developed together, and geologists played an important role, but the conservation of geological values was overlooked during the second half of the twentieth century. As a general rule, the protection of geological heritage was limited to scenic elements of a great value in the landscape but did not pay attention to their scientific interest and representativeness or to geological exclusiveness criteria. On the other hand, the beginnings of the study of geological heritage in Spain date back to the 1970s. Although the methodological bases were defined at that time, the work done on research, promotion, and conservation of the geological heritage has been mainly developed in the last 15 years. The increasing presence of geological heritage in the Spanish scientific and social fields has been completed with Law 42/2007 on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity, which mentions the conservation of geodiversity and geological heritage as one of its sources of inspiration. This Law replaces the Law 4/1989 on the Conservation of Wild Flora and Fauna that was the main legal framework for nature conservation in Spain during three decades. The purpose of this paper is to analyze—from a historical perspective—the evolution of the study and protection of the geological heritage in Spain since the beginning of the twentieth century, both referring to the legal framework and the studies required. Finally, an estimate is presented of challenges to be faced by geoconservation in Spain in the next decades.
Journal of Iberian Geology, 2012
The Malaga Basin is located in the westernmost part of the Betic Cordillera. This alpine cordillera in the south of Spain is the most active region of the Iberian Peninsula. Some of the most destructive earthquakes occurred historically in Spain took place within the Malaga Basin. In this work we focus on geomorphic and morphotectonic observations in the aim of finding active tectonic structures that could be seismogenic sources. First, we study the spatial arrangement and age of the Quaternary alluvial fan system as well as the drainage pattern of the basin, followed by the analysis of the distribution of regional markers like marine erosive surfaces and the extend of Pliocene marine deposits in the Malaga Basin. The tectonic structures inferred as active by the morphotectonic analysis are grouped into four main families: N60º-85ºE folds associated with blind thrust faults, N20º-30ºE and N40º-50ºE high angle dip-slip faults, and N165º-170ºE tear faults. Finally, their seismic potential in terms of maximum moment magnitude (Mw) is assessed by means of empirical relationships, varying between 6.0 and 7.0 depending on the hypothesis considered..
XX Simposio sobre Enseñanza de la Geología
Fieldwork activities could be important strategies for the outdoor learning of Geology, as a complement of the practical hands-on of minerals, rocks, fossils and models. They have been increasingly used in the last years, by teachers and students of different grades, and planned in line with the formal teaching taught in the classroom and contextualized with themes adopted by the national curricula of Natural Science. Our purpose is to explore an Iberian context of cooperation, using examples of outcrops with analogous stratigraphic contexts of the same age, and closely related facies, fossils and palaeoenvironments, to develop these outdoor activities around concepts of stratigraphy, sedimentology and palaeontology. Two Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous) sections with fossiliferous marine carbonate units (Figueira da Foz, in Portugal, and Tamajón, in Spain) have been chosen, due to the many stratigraphic and palaeontological characteristics they have in common, allowing students to understand that despite distance, both geographical areas can be compared, as they shared contemporaneous flora and faunas and a common overall palaeogeography, when the Iberian microplate was extensively flooded by shallow warm seas.
The Geosites Project, initiated by the IUGS Global Geosites Working Group and supported by UNESCO, aims to produce a global inventory of the Earth's geological heritage. This global inventory requires a systematic methodology, based on the selection of geological frameworks of international significance in each country. These frameworks are topic events, temporal or regional geotectonic elements, etc. The second step of this methodology is the selection of the most valuable and representative sites of these geological frameworks (geosites). Fortunately, the geological diversity of Spain provides a great number of frameworks of global significance. In addition, the high quality of the outcrops (for topographic and climatic reasons) will allow for the selection of illustrative geosites. This paper presents a list of Spanish geological frameworks drawn up by consensus. It was prepared in accordance with the Geosites Project methodology, without taking into account the National Inventory of Geosites, which is in progress and covers 40% of Spanish territory. The IGME (Geological Survey of Spain) drew up a preliminary list, which was sent to all the university departments of geology, mining schools and research centres, for analysis, discussion and improvement. The result of this request was the selection of 20 frameworks, forming the first Spanish contribution to the Geosites Project.
The geological and paleontological heritage of Manresa municipality (Catalonia, Spain)
Se ha llevado a cabo un inventario preliminar de 14 puntos de interés geológico en el término municipal de Manresa (Barcelona, Cataluña, España). La totalidad de las rocas que se encuentran en esta zona pertenecen al relleno sedimentario de la cuenca del Ebro que tuvo lugar durante el Eoceno. El municipio es relativamente pequeño pero concentra un patrimonio relevante de tipo sedimentológico, paleontológico y, en menor medida, geomorfológico y estructural. La propuesta de puntos de interés geológico incluye varios afloramientos relativamente pequeños mostrando: geomorfología (un puente de roca), dos estructuras sedimentarias (un slump y estratificación cruzada), sedimentología clástica, un arrecife, fallas, diaclasas y dos terrazas fluviales. Otro punto combina geomorfología, sedimentología y mineralogía. Finalmente la geozona relativamente más grande de Malbalç es el punto más representativo e incluye paleontología, sedimentología y antiguas canteras. En 1926 esta zona fue visitada en el XIV Congreso Internacional de Geología. El conjunto de todos los puntos de interés geológico son ideales para la enseñanza de la geología desde un nivel divulgativo a académico.