Abstract
The Guadix-Baza Basin in Spain covers an area of approximately 3000 km2 and yields a sedimentary sequence ranging from Lower Miocene to Pleistocene. Twenty five meters of Lower Pleistocene lacustrine sediments have been located in the NE part of the Basin at about 1000 meters in altitude. This sequence which overlies dolomitic mud flat deposits consists of limestones, calcareous and dolomitic mudstones, dolostones, silty clays, sands and gravels. Salinity fluctuations and short dry episodes, related to lake level oscillations, have been recorded by textural, mineralogical and faunal changes throughout the sequence. Ostracods, which are the most commonly encountered fossils, permit to detect recurrent changes in water salinity and regime, and solute composition. The faunal changes indicate an alternation of slightly saline and bicarbonate-rich water (when ostracods and gastropods occur) with a saline NaCI-dominant water (in which ostracods, Cerastoderma bivalves and non-marine foraminifers are found).
The frequent and recurrent hydrochemical changes in the Baza Basin in the Early Pleistocene point to a climate of high contrast like in the Mediterranean region today but with a greater availability of water within the system compared to the present situation in the area.
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© 1987 Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht
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Anadón, P., De Deckker, P., Julià, R. (1987). The Pleistocene lake deposits of the NE Baza Basin (Spain): salinity variations and ostracod succession. In: Löffler, H. (eds) Paleolimnology IV. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 37. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4047-5_26
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4047-5_26
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