The Pico de Navas slump (Burgos, Spain): a large rocky landslide caused by underlying clayey sand fluidification

The Pico de Navas landslide was a large-magnitude rotational movement, affecting 50x106m3 of hard to soft rocks. The objectives of this study were: (1) to characterize the landslide in terms of geology, geomorphological features and geotechnical parameters; and (2) to obtain an adequate geomechanical model to comprehensively explain its rupture, considering topographic, hydro-geological and geomechanical conditions. The rupture surface crossed, from top to bottom: (a) more than 200 m of limestone and clay units of the Upper Cretaceous, affected by faults; and (b) the Albian unit of Utrillas facies composed of silty sand with clay (Kaolinite) of the Lower Cretaceous. This sand played an important role in the basal failure of the slide due to the influence of fine particles (silt and clay), which comprised on average more than 70% of the sand, and the high content presence of kaolinite (>40%) in some beds. Its geotechnical parameters are: unit weight (δ) = 19-23 KN/m3; friction angle (φ) = 13º-38º and cohesion (c) = 10-48 KN/m2. Its microstructure consists of accumulations of kaolinite crystals stuck to terrigenous grains, making clayey peds. We hypothesize that the presence of these aggregates was the internal cause of fluidification of this layer once wet. Besides the faulted structure of the massif, other conditioning factors of the movement were: the large load of the upper limestone layers; high water table levels; high water pore pressure; and the loss of strength due to wet conditions. The 3D simulation of the stability conditions concurs with our hypothesis. The landslide occurred in the Recent or Middle Holocene, certainly before at least 500 BC and possibly during a wet climate period. Today, it appears to be inactive. This study helps to understand the frequent slope instabilities all along the Iberian Range when facies Utrillas is present.

Upper-Pleistocene terrace deposits in Mediterranean climate: geomorphological and source-rock control on mineral and geochemical signatures (Betic Cordillera, SE Spain)

Mineral and chemical composition of alluvial Upper-Pleistocene deposits from the Alto Guadalquivir Basin (SE Spain) were studied as a tool to identify sedimentary and geomorphological processes controlling its formation. Sediments located upstream, in the north-eastern sector of the basin, are rich in dolomite, illite, MgO and KB2BO. Downstream, sediments at the sequence base are enriched in calcite, smectite and CaO, whereas the upper sediments have similar features to those from upstream. Elevated rare-earth elements (REE) values can be related to low carbonate content in the sediments and the increase of silicate material produced and concentrated during soil formation processes in the neighbouring source areas. Two mineralogical and geochemical signatures related to different sediment source areas were identified. Basal levels were deposited during a predominantly erosive initial stage, and are mainly composed of calcite and smectite materials enriched in REE coming from Neogene marls and limestones. Then the deposition of the upper levels of the alluvial sequences, made of dolomite and illitic materials depleted in REE coming from the surrounding Sierra de Cazorla area took place during a less erosive later stage of the fluvial system. Such modification was responsible of the change in the mineralogical and geochemical composition of the alluvial sediments.

La Mancha Triassic and Lower Lias Stratigraphy, a well log interpretation

La estratigrafía del intervalo sedimentario correspondiente al Keuper, Triásico, y al Lías basal ha atraído históricamente mucho menos interés que los sedimentos adyacentes del Muschelkalk y Buntsandstein, y del Lías Inferior y Medio. Se ha confeccionado una correlación de 12 sondeos profundos del área de La Mancha para mostrar la distribución de facies de estas formaciones, así como su ordenación en secuencias sedimentarias. Los datos de pozo muestran la existencia de secuencias evaporíticas complejas y multiepisódicas en la unidad inferior K1, de carácter más salino, y en la unidad superior K4-K5, relativamente más anhidrítica. El episodio clástico correspondiente a las unidades K2-K3 está extendido en toda la zona, con varias áreas preferenciales de acumulación de arenas. La unidad K6, la más alta del Keuper, constituye un excelente nivel guía. La sedimentación continúa en el Lías basal con otra potente unidad evaporítica, la Zona de Anhidrita, que muestra un episodio salino muy signifi cativo en la parte central de la correlación. Es de resaltar la buena correlación que existe entre los afl oramientos y las sondeos para estas formaciones.