LACATALAS

Environmental characterization of Miocene lacustrine systems with marine-like faunas from the Duero and Ebro basins: geochemistry of biogenic carbonates and palynology

The biogenic carbonates, particularly the ostracod and mollusk shells, reflect the isotopic features and temperature of the water where they form. Moreover, the trace element uptake in the shells is a function of the environmental features and biological processes.

In many cases a good correlation between the geochemical studies on these carbonates and the environmental changes exists. The combination of geochemical and palynological studies has become an important source of multidisciplinary paleoecological and paleoclimatic data from particular zones of continental settings.  With these premises, the project's main objective is to characterize the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic features of the athalassic Miocene saline lake systems with marine-like fauna of the Duero and Ebro basins from geochemical studies of biogenic carbonates (trace elements, stable isotopes d¹³C y d¹⁸O,  Sr isotopes) and pollen content. The project is based on the detailed study of the paleoenvironmental changes from the combined analysis of the faunal associations and geochemistry of the shells of ostracods and molluscs of selected sequences, and the evaluation of the relationship of these changes with climate changes recorded in the pollen sequences. It is also intended to evaluate the quality and reliability of geochemical indicators of shells of various species present in each selected sequence, and compare these results with environmental and climatic indications provided by the pollen content. The paleoecological reconstruction of plant communities that produced the palynomorph succession will allow make comparisons between the two lake systems, and considering other already studied exposures in the Duero and Ebro basins perform paleobiogeographic reconstructions. The intercalibrated environmental–climate generated model must be integrated into the framework of the Middle Miocene global climate change.

Researchers

• Pedro Anadon, ICTJA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain, Project Leader
• Eduardo Barrón López, IGME, Spain
• Mª Teresa Martin Rubio, Universidad del Pais Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Spain
• Julio Rodríguez Lázaro, Universidad del Pais Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Spain
• Rosa Utrilla Casal, ICTJA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
• Antonio Vazquez Martínez, ICTJA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain

PROJECT INFO

• Project Leader: Pedro Anadon

• Years: 2012-2014

• Funding

  Project Financed by PNIDI CGL - CGL2011-23438