Descripció i anàlisi de la morfometria dels discs: l’espeleotema paradigmàtic de les Coves d’Artà (Capdepera, Mallorca)

[eng] Shields are a rare type of speleothem, with a very characteristic lenticular shape, the size of which can reach several meters in diameter. The cave known as Coves d’Artà, located in the northeast of the island of Mallorca, have an unusually high number of shields. For this r...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Enseñat, Juan José, Santandreu, Gabriel, Fornós, Joan J.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de las Islas Baleares
Repositorio:Biblioteca Digital de les Illes Balears
OAI Identifier:papersSocietatEspeleologica:PapersSEB_2023vol006p033
Acceso en línea:http://ibdigital.uib.es/greenstone/sites/oai-site/collect/papersSocietatEspeleologica/index/assoc/PapersSE/B_2023vo/l006p033.dir/PapersSEB_2023vol006p033.pdf
http://ibdigital.uib.es/greenstone/library/collection/papersSocietatEspeleologica/document/PapersSEB_2023vol006p033
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Speleology
Speleology -- Spain -- Balearic Islands -- Periodicals
Descripción
Sumario:[eng] Shields are a rare type of speleothem, with a very characteristic lenticular shape, the size of which can reach several meters in diameter. The cave known as Coves d’Artà, located in the northeast of the island of Mallorca, have an unusually high number of shields. For this reason, a statistical analysis of 242 shields has been carried out, recording their location, dimensions, and orientations. The results obtained support the existence of a relationship between the characteristics of the shields and the fractures in the rock, which contribute to the development of the cavity. The most common morphological characteristics are described and how they contribute to the current appearance of the cave. Despite the fact that all the specimens found are inactive, the observations are contrasted with existing theories about their development. It is also considered that capillarity by itself does not seem sufficient to explain the growth of large discs, suggesting a mixed mechanism, with contributions of water accumulated in the immediate environment at a higher level. The presence of horizontal ribs on the inner faces of most of the observable cases, which do not correspond to growth rings, is noted. The detailed observation of the precipitate of these ribs seems to indicate that they correspond to the final or later stage of development of the shields, with a different growth mechanism, or even to a distinct phenomenon. From a numerical simulation of the growth of a modelized shield, it is also hypothesized that the circular shape is only a consequence of the variation of the calcium carbonate precipitation rate along the growth front.