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Geological Methods Applied to Speleogenetical Research in Vertical Caves: the Example of Torca Teyera Shaft (Picos De Europa, Northern Spain)

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Geological Methods Applied to Speleogenetical Research in Vertical Caves: the Example of Torca Teyera Shaft (Picos De Europa, Northern Spain) Carbonates Evaporites (2011) 26:29–40 DOI 10.1007/s13146-011-0052-7 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Geological methods applied to speleogenetical research in vertical caves: the example of Torca Teyera shaft (Picos de Europa, northern Spain) Daniel Ballesteros • Montserrat Jime´nez-Sa´nchez • Joaquı´n Garcı´a-Sansegundo • Santiago Giralt Accepted: 19 February 2011 / Published online: 5 March 2011 Ó Springer-Verlag 2011 Abstract Research in large vertical caves (shafts) is rare Introduction and usually restricted to speleological explorations because of difficult access. The systemic methodology of work in Research in vertical caves or shafts is typically limited due shafts has not been established. Picos de Europa massif, in to difficult access and methodological constraints. Scien- the Cantabrian Mountains of Spain, has a spectacular tific studies of these require speleological exploration, development of shafts deeper than 500 m. One of them is which can often include the discovery of new caves and Torca Teyera cave, which is 738 m deep and 4 km long. passages, as well as careful documentation (Kambesis The present study established a methodology to charac- 2007) such as cave surveys, exploration reports, photo- terize the geological and geomorphological aspects of this graphs and morphological descriptions of the cavities. special group of caves and to identify the factors contrib- The exploration of large shafts in Europe began in the uting to karst development. The research is multidisci- late 1970s with the publication of several speleological plinary, needs data from the cave and the caves’ studies on the Alps, Slovenia, the Pyrenees and the Picos surroundings and involves (1) the speleological cave sur- de Europa Mountains. Since 1981, the Oxford University vey at a 1:500 scale: the construction of a 3D model and Cave Club has explored the shaft Pozu del H.itu (1,135 m morphometric analyses; (2) the geomorphological mapping deep; Singleton and Naylor 1981). The calcareous massif on the cave survey at 1:500; (3) the geological and fracture of the Picos de Europa is considered as one of the prime mapping of the cave environment and cross section at sites for investigation by speleologists owing to the spec- 1:5.000; and (4) the comparison in stereographic projection tacular development of large shafts (e.g., Ogando 2007). of the obtained survey data and joint measures. The speleological documentation in Picos de Europa is extensive, but it is neither systematized nor inventoried. Keywords Karst Á Shafts Á Speleogenesis Á The main karst systems are well known through speleo- Picos de Europa Á Geomorphological maps Á logical publications, which sometimes include geological Structural control observations (e.g., Erheyden et al. 2008). Some geological research in large caves of this massif has been developed from speleological explorations (e.g., Laverty and Senior 1981; Senior 1987). Currently, Picos de Europa contains 13% of the shafts known in the world to be deeper than 1,000 m. Most of the karst systems have shafts of only a & D. Ballesteros ( ) Á M. Jime´nez-Sa´nchez Á few kilometers. The deepest shaft in this system is Torca J. Garcı´a-Sansegundo Departamento de Geologı´a, Universidad de Oviedo, del Cerro del Cuevo´n, which is 1,589 m (Este´vez 1998), C/Arias de Velasco s/n, 33005 Oviedo, Spain and the largest cave system is the Red del Toneyu, with a e-mail: [email protected] development of 18,970 m (Gea 1991). Nevertheless, few works have focused on endokarsts (Hoyos Go´mez 1979; S. Giralt Instituto de las Ciencias de la Tierra Jaume Almera (CSIC), Smart 1984, 1986; Hoyos Go´mez and Herrero, 1989; C/Lluı´s Sole´ i Sabarı´s s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain Ferna´ndez- Gibert et al. 1992, 1994, 2000). 123 30 Carbonates Evaporites (2011) 26:29–40 The present study documents a methodological and leading to the formation of the main relief approach useful for the geological and geomorphological (Alonso et al. 1996; Pulgar et al. 1999; Gallastegui characterization of these special environments and dis- Sua´rez 2000). cusses the conditioning of karst development. Picos de Europa is characterized by a rough and cal- careous relief with peaks exceeding 2,500 m above sea level (asl) and by the presence of narrow canyons, such as Setting the Cares Gorge. Canyons up to 2,000-m deep evidence the important fluvial incision derived from uplifting. The karst Torca Teyera is a large shaft, 738 m deep, located on forms dominate the landscape (Hoyos Go´mez 1979; Smart the northern part of the Picos de Europa (Fig. 1), a 1984, 1986; Hoyos Go´mez and Herrero 1989; Santos mountain massif located in the Cantabrian Mountains of Alonso and Marquı´nez Garcı´a, 2005), although glacial and northern Spain. From the structural standpoint, Picos de periglacial features are preserved (Alonso 1991; Gonza´lez Europa belongs to the Cantabrian Zone of the Variscides Sua´rez and Alonso 1994; Gale and Hoare 1997; Alonso domain (Lotze 1945; Julivert et al. 1972; Alonso et al. 1998; Jime´nez-Sa´nchez and Farias Arquer 2002; Gonza´lez 2009). The bedrock consists mainly of 1,200 m of car- Trueba 2006, 2007; Moreno et al. 2009; Serrano Can˜adas boniferous limestone affected by E–W to NW–SE and and Gonza´lez Trueba 2004). Moreover, nival, gravity and south-directed imbricate variscan system thrust (Fig. 2). fluviotorrential processes also control the geomorphologi- The de´collement level of the structures is above silici- cal evolution of the landscape. clastic rocks from the Pisuerga-Carrio´n province (Pe´rez- Torca Teyera shaft was discovered, explored and sur- Estau´n et al. 1988; Marquı´nez 1989; Farias and Heredia veyed by the Groupe Spe´le´o du Doubs, the Socie´te´ Suisse 1994; Bahamonde et al. 2007; Merino-Tome´ et al. 2009). de Spe´le´o-Section de Gene`ve, the Socie´te´ des Amateurs des During the Alpine orogeny, some of these thrusts were Caverns and the Spe´le´o Club of Nyon between 1979 reactivated, causing the rotation of some thrust sheets and 1982 (Borreguero 1986). During these explorations, Fig. 1 Situation map of the Picos de Europa massif. The locations of the cave of study (Torca Teyera, Fig. 5) are also shown 123 Carbonates Evaporites (2011) 26:29–40 31 Fig. 2 Geological map of Picos de Europa (after Martı´nez Garcı´a and Rodrı´guez Ferna´ndez 1984; Marquı´nez 1989; Merino-Tome´ et al. 2009). Location of Torca Teyera (Fig. 5) is shown Borreguero (1986) prepared the first karst research pre- discovered by the Asociacio´n Deportiva GEMA. At the senting the structural control and cave development. From present, Torca Teyera has 4 km of known passages 2007 to 2009, 2,700 m of new cave passages were reaching a depth of 738 m. 123 32 Carbonates Evaporites (2011) 26:29–40 Methodology Sa´nchez et al. 2006; Ford and Williams 2007). Sometimes, the geomorphological mapping and the survey were per- The present methodology includes multidisciplinary formed simultaneously. The limits of the different features observations to obtain both surficial data and data from the were established and projected on the survey map. Some of underground of the cave. The method is adapted to attain the geomorphological elements located in the cave walls access to the shaft, which is difficult, and is based on spe- could not be represented by projecting them on the survey, leological (Butcher 1950), geomorphological and structural since the survey had to be made at different heights above geology techniques (Alonso et al. 1999; Jime´nez-Sa´nchez the ground. This problem was due to the difficulties in et al. 2004, 2005, 2006). The method includes the defini- establishing objectively the boundary between the floor and tion of an area of 12 km 2 (Figs. 1, 2) including the cave the wall of the cave. Therefore, the geomorphological and its surroundings: (1) the speleological survey at a 1:500 elements are shown schematically on the outside contour of scale; (2) the geomorphological mapping of the cave at a the passages to minimize these problems. These elements scale of 1:500 and surrounding of the cavity at a 1:5,000 were brought down on the walls along an axis located on scale; and (3) the structural study that includes the geo- the edge of the passages. logical and fracture mapping at a 1:5,000 scale, the cross A geomorphologic mapping of the cave surroundings section, rose diagram analyses and the definition of the was charted at a 1,500 scale using field observations and joints families on stereographic projection. photo interpretation. This map covers a surface of 12 km2 and includes different landscape features that are classified Cave survey and morphometric analyses according to genetic criteria (Martı´n-Serrano et al. 2004)in karstic, glacial, snow, periglacial, gravity and mixed forms. The cave survey that corresponds to the Torca Teyera shaft This map also includes the entrances of the caves and the is the cave projection in a horizontal plane. The survey was projection of their passages that have been explored by the mapped using the speleological classical method at a 1:500 speleologists (Borreguero 1986; Carbajal Rodrı´guez and scale where successive stations were defined in the pas- Saiz Barreda 2003); Carbajal et al. 2008; Ballesteros et al. sages. Distances, orientation and dip data were measured 2009, 2010). between stations using a tape measure or laser, a ruler and a clinometer, respectively. The cavity survey was made by Geological mapping and structural analyses considering a reference level between 30 cm and 1.5 m above the cave floor. The collected data were managed The geological and fracture maps, covering a combined using the VisualTopo.503 software program (David 2009) total surface of 12 km2 (Fig.
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