Espeleosismología de la Cueva de los Casares, Guadalajaraevidencias de un posible paleoterremoto

  1. R. Pérez-López 1
  2. M. Alcaraz-Castaño 2
  3. M.Á. Rodríguez-Pascua 1
  4. P.G. Silva 3
  5. L. Luque 2
  6. M.A. Perucha-Atienza 1
  7. J. Elez 3
  8. J.L. Giner-Robles 4
  9. E. Roquero 5
  10. J. Alcolea-González 2
  1. 1 IGME
  2. 2 Universidad de Alcalá
    info

    Universidad de Alcalá

    Alcalá de Henares, España

    ROR https://ror.org/04pmn0e78

  3. 3 Universidad Salamanca
  4. 4 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
    info

    Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01cby8j38

  5. 5 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
    info

    Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/03n6nwv02

Journal:
Geotemas (Madrid)

ISSN: 1576-5172

Year of publication: 2021

Issue Title: X Congreso Geológico de España

Issue: 18

Pages: 1020

Type: Article

More publications in: Geotemas (Madrid)

Abstract

Los Casares Cave (Riba de Saelices, Guadalajara) represents an excellent Middle Palaeolithic archaeological site with evi- dence of Neanderthal –Sapiens different occupational stages (ca. 45±3 ka BP, Alcaraz-Castaño et al., 2017). Despite of the small karstic system spatial development (250 m length and E-W trend), a destruction layer was recognized affecting the spe- leothems. Different apparently coetaneous soda-straws, stalactites and even one stalagmite were broken. The location of this destruction layer is placed out from possible anthropogenic manipulation, in a hanging roof 6 m high. We have carried out a systematic measurement of broken soda-straws and samples were collected to be analysed by Uranium series. Preliminary results suggest the occurrence of a paleoearthquake either from far-field seismic source (> 50 km) of minimum magnitude M > 6, or near-field seismic source (< 10 km), and with magnitude M > 4.5. The age of this event could seed light about the hypothesis that the human communities living into the cave were affected by this earthquake.