GEOMORPHOLOGY AND BIOSEDIMENTOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A LAGOON SYSTEM IN A MICROTIDAL WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN EMBAYMENT (ALBUFERETA-DE-POLLENCA, BALAERIC ISLANDS)
P. Pacheco et al., GEOMORPHOLOGY AND BIOSEDIMENTOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A LAGOON SYSTEM IN A MICROTIDAL WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN EMBAYMENT (ALBUFERETA-DE-POLLENCA, BALAERIC ISLANDS), Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie, 40(1), 1996, pp. 117-130
The Albufereta de Pollenca is one of the typical western Mediterranean
lagoons located on Miocene-age depressions of the Balearic Islands. I
c is characterized by a brackish salt marsh with ponds and channels se
parated from the sea by a bioclastic beach-dune system. This is crosse
d by an outlet that connects the marsh with the sea forming a microdel
ta. Tides are negligible and most of the morphology and dynamic proces
ses are related to wave activity and the oscillation of barometric pre
ssure. Alluvial processes are very irregular and limited depending on
the typical Mediterranean climatic regime. Eight different sedimentary
facies are described which may be grouped as lagoonal (dark brown sil
ts with bioclastic remains, nodular green lime mud, grey laminated sil
ts, terrigenous red silts and dark brown silts with Posidonia) and lit
toral (fine to medium laminated bioclastic sands, lithoclastic gravels
and fine sands with Posidonia) deposits. These facies describe the sy
stem the horizontal and vertical distribution of which are related to
the latest Quaternary transgression.