Portugal and Spain
Iberian Peninsula
Session 3
Senior University Winter 2011
Vagabonds tramping geologyin Iberia, France, UK, & Germany Don Beaumont, Sandi Phillips, & Rocky Romero
Geology in the NewsFirst: Alaskan Arctic Ocean
The past is never dead. It’s not even past William Faulkner
Geology in the News
Royal Dutch Shell cancels 2011 Arctic Ocean drilling due to slow government approval of permits
Greenland
Alaska
Canada
Alaska
Canada
Siberia
Shell drilling delayed
Next: Quebec and Asbestos Mining
Canadian asbestos company hopesto resume mining in Quebec to supply demand in third world countries.
Geology in the News
Geology of Serpentine
Next: Southern Sudan, a new nation
South Sudan (non Islamic) votes to become anindependent: what happens to their oil reserves?
Friday Feb. 11
Next: More early humans to Polynesia
Early human migration to Polynesia now thought to be 6,000 years earlier than 4,000 years ago: i.e. during low sea level due to last continental glacier
The latest on 3 million year old Lucy
New data on the earthquake in Chile
Chilean earthquake produced by sudden 25 feet of plate movement; normal annual movement = 3 inches.
Modeling suggests another major quake since earth stress not completely released
Friday Feb. 11Gold mining beginning again in old, long abandoned USA mining areas
Old Mines Reopen in a Revival of California’s Gold Rush; NYT online 2-10-11By JESSE McKINLEYPublished: February 10, 2011
Gold price, $1300/oz. supports reopening old gold mines in many abandoned gold mining areas including California and Nevada.
Gold is a mineral that is deposited when hot hydrothermal solutions cool as they move upward through the continental crust. These deposits are:
1. gold “flecks to nuggets” often in quartz veins or2. gold “flecks” disseminated in a host rock, often limestone
When gold impregnated rocks weather and erode the heavy gold often accumulates in stream beds (placers) and even in ocean beaches & bars,
Consequently, gold is mined in:1. underground tunnels and shafts (gold veins)2. open pit mines (disseminated gold flecks)3. stream panning and dredging
Finally, back to Iberia and France
The creation of today’s landscape in Iberia: beginning 5 to 3 mmybp
North Africa collides withEurope 5 to 3 million years ago
Mediterranean Sea divided into two large “salt lakes”Iberia crushed between France and Morocco
The creation of today’s landscape in Iberia: beginning 5 to 3 mmybp
How did the crushing affect Iberia?
The Crushing (folding) of Iberia
North Africa
France
The corrugation of Iberia
And a little more of what we’ve covered
Rivers concentrate erosional debris in the oceans at their deltasThe Big Rivers create Geosynclines in the oceans at their deltas
What is the thickness of a Geosyncline?
Let’s look at the Mississippi River Geosyncline
A little of what we’ve covered
Example of a Geosyncline:Gulf of Mexico
1. Integration of the debris of several rivers
Modern Sediment
Accumulations
Swamp Muds
Shallow water Sands
Deep water Muds
2. Accumulation of thick layers of debris
New Orleans
Gulf of Mexico Geosyncline (debris)
Sun City
Austin
Debris Loading of the Continental MarginDebris Loading of the Continental Margin
Gulf ofGulf of
MexicoMexico
12 miles thick!
Now let’s apply that to the Iberian Gulf of Valencia
Ebro River drainage area
Douro River drainage area
Tagus River drainage area
Mass Transfer by the Rivers of Iberia
Guadalquivir Riverdrainage area
Guadiana Riverdrainage area
Debris split to the open Atlantic
Moving debris from the center of Iberia to the Med & Atlantic
Results: center rises, west and east margins sink! Warping Iberia.
Gulf of Valenciageosyncline
Gulf of Cadizgeosyncline
Mass Transfer Central continent being moved to the sea
Gulf of Valencia Geosyncline
The burial of the yellow rock Time 1: Gulf of Valencia now
Spain
The burial of the yellow rock Time 2: Future time
The burial of the yellow rock Time 3: Future-future time
The Yellow Rock in Time 3 has been squeezed, heated, & partially melted What will happen next?The Appalachian Model
Mediterranean Sea
Met
amor
phic
and
Igne
ous
Mou
ntai
ns
East
Dip
ping
San
dsto
nes
and
Shal
es
Limes
tone
s
Fold
ed S
ands
tone
and
Sha
le M
ount
ains
The Appalachian Geosynclinal Model The Fate of Thick Debris in the Sea along Continental Margins
Debris of the Appalachia geosynclineturned into the Appalachian MountainsHere’s how mountain building works
Rocks at the surface today
The Appalachian geosyncline has been welded back into the North American continent
Mountain BuildingMountain BuildingAppalachian ExampleAppalachian Example
Mountains welded onto continent
Today’s Gulf of Valencia Geosyncline
Limestones Sandstones Sandstones andShales Shales
VirginiaPennsylvaniaOhioIllinois
Appalachian Geosyncline 250 million years ago
Crushed MeltedRocks = Mountains
Pennsylvania Virginia
Back to the Gulf of Valencia Geosyncline
Onshore Spain
Spanish Continental Shelf
Gulf of ValenciaGeosyncline
Ebro RiverDelta
Futu
re V
alen
cia
Mou
ntai
ns
Bay of Valencia: Google Earth
How are geosynclines made into mountains?We’ll talk about those geological processes in another session
Now let’s look at the geology ofsome of the provinces of Iberia
Cantabrian Trough
Cantabrian Trough
Cantabrian Trough
60 million year old ,mountains made in 150 million year geosyncline
Contains the largest Iron and Coal deposits of Iberia
How does this relate to theNatural Resources of Iberia?
Cantabrian Trough
Natural Resources Map: Iberia
Mineral Resources Iberia
Minerals for the Bronze Age
Iron for the early Iron Age
Coal for the later Iron Age
Cantabrian Trough
Cantabrian Trough
Two periods of mountain building affecting two geosynclines:one geosyncline with mountains about 200 million years oldsecond geosynclinal mountains about 50 million years old
Next: the Iberian Massif
Cantabrian Trough
Iberian Massif
Mountains of Appalachian age 200 million years old forming the core of Iberia
Younger rocks deposited on theIberian Massif
Iberian MassifFoundation core of Iberia
Youngest rocks being deposited now
Now: Map of Appalachian age mountain building
Shaded areas are “mountain” rocks exposed at the surface
Appalachian Age Mountain Building
Iberian Massif
Metallic ores associated with the Iberian Massif mountains
Mineral Resources Iberia
Minerals for the Bronze Age
Iron for the early Iron Age
Coal for the later Iron Age
Iberian Massif
Iberian Massive hasthe Copper & Tin for the Bronze Age
A quick look at pre-written history of Iberia
Pre-written history Time Line, Iberia
Next, the Advent of Humans Chart
HomoerectusHomo
Antecessor/mauritanicus
Homoergaster
The Current Geological RecordAdvent of Humans: last 2 million years
Next, focus on the last 80,000 years
Homorhodesiensis
Homoneanderthalensis
Homo sapiens
PleistoceneIce Ages
h Erectusarrives in IberiaNeanderthals & sapiens
arrives in Iberia
Uniquely human characteristics?1. Reason
2. Conscience (right & wrong)3. Adapt to any climate
Time of WrittenWorld History
Now, a look at the human migration route
Last ice ageHomo sapiens in Spain
Rift ValleysLocation of earliest human fossils
Nile River
Migration of Hominids & Humans out of Africa
The Stone Age: 10,000 to 3,000 BC
Iberia in 5,000 years of World History