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The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Plio-Pleistocene archive of highstand sea-cave markers in the Rock of Gibraltar
Rodríguez Vidal, J.1; Cáceres, L.M.1; Gómez, P.1; Finlayson, C.2; Finlayson, G.2
1University of Huelva, Dep. Geodinámica y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Campus del Carmen, Av. Tres de Marzo s/n, 21071 Huelva, Spain. 2The Gibraltar Museum, 18-20 Bomb House Lane, Gibraltar.
1. INTRODUCTION The earliest morphotectonic studies (Rodríguez-Vidal et al., 2004) carried out in the Rock of Gibraltar display several sets of marine deposits along the steep coast, ranging from 0 to 210m N above the present mean sea level (amsl). The uplifting tectonic history of the Rock is preserved as a staircased landscape with five main morphotectonic steps (MTU in Fig. 1) between 0 and The Isthmus 25m (MTU 5: mid-late Pleistocene to Holocene), 30- 60m and 80- 130m (MTUs 4 and 3: early-middle Pleistocene), 180- 210m (MTU 2: Pliocene), and above (MTU 1: late Miocene?). The higher are older than lower ones and all of them represent the Mediterranean highstand story during the Mio-Pliocene and Quaternary times (Fig. 2). North Face Forbes’ Quarry
Devil’s Tower
Figure 1. Mapping of morphotectonic units (MTU) developed Catalan Bay along the Gibraltar Rock slopes. Late Miocene markers
0 Gibraltar 1 Harbour
Sandy Bay 3
4 0
0 0 0 Pliocene sea caves St. Michael’s Cave Martin’s Cave 2 MTU1 0 Rosia Bay 0 Goat’s Hair Twin Caves MTU2 Vanguard Cave Gorham’s Cave Early-Middle MTU3 Pleistocene Figure 2. Eastern flank of the Rock of Gibraltar. Morphotectonic steps MTU4 Windmill Hill Flats sea caves 100 representing staircased highstand history inside the sea caves and surficial lowstand record of climbing dune and scree breccias MTU5 Beefsteak Cave Middle-Late reclaimed land Europa Flats Pleistocene Europa Point 0 500 m Gorham’s Cave Vanguard Cave sea caves
2. MORPHOSEDIMENTARY RECORD
The geomorphological survey establishes both types 3. HIGHSTAND SEA-CAVE MARKERS of highstand marine markers, erosional and deposi- tional, from 180- 210m amsl (Pliocene) to the present The Rock of Gibraltar is a limestone promontory excavated by karstic and marine erosion. Most of the Eastern flank datum (Holocene). Marine terraces are located inside caves (Fig. 2) are marine in origin related with highstands of the global eustatic cycle. . the caves and along the Rock slopes, buried by low- stand scree breccia and climbing dunes (Fig. 3). Single sea caves have a horizontal morphology (Fig. 4), wider than high, and don't are controlled by stratal disposition. Bioerosion marine markers are also staircased as Inside the caves are frequent relict high-energy deposits as cemented sand, shingles and shells. Sometime this type of single or composite sea caves and other minor fea- cave is similar to a wide and deep notch with marine bioerosion features. . tures as notch, wave-cut platfom, algal encrustations and lithophagid borings. Composite sea caves are dominant at this Rock coast and form a wide panorama view from the sea (Fig. 2). The most Climbing sand dune famous sea caves are Gorham's and Vanguard Caves (Fig. 5A) which record a very important archive of the latest Nean- Talus scree breccia Figure 3. The Gibraltar cliff-talus model developed in the derthal hominin in this MIS-3 climate refuge (Finlayson et al., 2006). These wide coastal caverns present a bioerosional Beachrock lower morphotectonic step, with highstand shore deposits Present sea-level marine stillstand as notch levels and lithophagids borings.Gorham's Cave displays several highstand markers (Fig. 5B) (MIS 9-7-5) and lowstand scree-dune complex (MIS 8-6-4-3). related with MIS-5 to 9, between 120 and 300 ka (Fig. 5C). Others higher caves (MTU 2 in Fig. 1) also have morphosedi-
mentary evidence of shore processes in Pliocene composite sea caves, as Goat’s Hair Twin Caves (Fig. 6) and Martin Cave.
Composite sea caves: eustatic highstand and tectonic uplift Governor’s Beach
Figure 4. Ailsa Craig, south of Sandy Bay (Fig. 1). This sea cave at 5m amsl was formed during the MIS-5e highstand. The present notch at sea level.
Figure 5. (A) Eastern coast of Gibraltar with the main sea caves at the current shore.(B) Gorham’s + 21m (300ka) Cave and evidence of highstand levels during Mid- Late Pleistecene. (C) Upper Gallery of Gorham’s + 15-17m (210ka) Cave with sea-level features of notch and bench at + 8-10m (180ka) 21 m amsl. . + 5m asl (120ka)
Sea-level highstand Figure 6. Goat’s Hair Twin Caves is a morphologic remain of highstand during the Pliocene, now at 210m amsl. 4. CONCLUSION
-The Rock's morphotectonic record represents an geo-environmental archive of the Strait of Gibraltar from Late Miocene to Quaternary. . -The staircased sea caves and their marine and terrestrial record display a complementary history of tectonic uplift and sea-level fluctuations. . -This crossroad between two continents and two seas is a key record for human populations –Late Neanderthals and Early Modern Humans- and their probable interaction. REFERENCES Finlayson, C., Giles Pacheco, F., Rodríguez-Vidal, J., Fa, D. et al. (2006). Late survival of Neanderthals at the southernmost extreme of Europe. Nature, 443, 850-853. Rodríguez-Vidal, J., Cáceres, L.M., Finlayson, J.C., Gracia, F.J., Martínez-Aguirre, A. (2004). Neotectonics and shoreline history of the Rock of Gibraltar, southern Iberia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 23, 2017-2029.
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