지중해 카르스트 경관의 특징과 지형발달

Abstract

The lithological and tectonic features of the Sierra de Pela limestone massif (northeastern Spanish Central System) constitute a case study of Mediterranean karst landscapes. The karst massif shows folded and faulted morphostructures, shaped by fluvial incision and erosion. Sierra de Pela is a hanging syncline of Cretaceous limestones over 200m thick, bordered by faults. These lithotectonic conditions control the water table, giving rise to springs, small canyons, and dolines associated with the main rivers draining the massif. Travertine formations record karst evolution in the limestone massif and its connection with human presence since the Neolithic. Thermoluminescence dating of travertine sediments indicates Upper Pleistocene ages, with at least two major climatic phases of travertine formation, one around 40,000 BC and another around 13,000 BC at the headwaters of the Bornova and Pedro rivers. Moreover, a close relationship is established between the archaeological remains of Tiermes and the water channels fed by springs on the northern escarpment of Sierra de Pela. As observed in other Mediterranean landscapes, there is a direct relationship between travertines, springs, and human presence, reflected in settlement patterns and resource utilization in the area.