General Information

Structure type
Deformed/Undeformed
Geological Setting
Outcropping/buried
Evaporite unit/s name
Evaporite unit/s age
Evaporite unit/s origin
Classif. (Hudec and Jackson, 2009)
Classif. (Jackson and Talbot, 1986)
Age of evaporite flow or deformation (when deformed)
Other comments Unprecise growth age of the Cardona, Suria and El Guix anticlines because of the absence of related syntectonic sediments.

Location

Location

Map (detail)

Location
Location

Geological map

Location

Cross section

Location

Structure type (Hudec and Jackson, 2009)

Location

Regional Stratigraphy

Location

Other maps 1

Location

Other maps 2

Generic Data

Unique ID 01
Name Cardona
Structure type Evaporite diapir
Deformed/Undeformed Deformed
Buried/Outcropping Partially buried
Geological setting Ebro Basin
Geological Regional Setting Catalan Potash sub-basin
Evaporite unit/s name Cardona Fm.
Evaporite unit/s age Priabonian (Eocene)
Evaporite unit/s era Cenozoic
Evaporite unit/s origin Marine
Evaporite unit/s composition Anhydrite-Halite-Potassium chloride-Sylvite-Carnallite
Post-kinematic unit/s (or post-evaporite units when evaporites are undeformed) Priabonian (Súria Fm.) ; Rupelian-Chattian (Solsona Fm)
Post-kinematic unit/s age (or post-evaporite units when evaporites are undeformed) Upper Priabonian-Lower Oligocene
Classification (Hudec and Jackson, 2009) Ductile piercement
Classification (Jackson and Talbot, 1986) Salt stock
Mining activity? Y
Mining activity start 1902
Mining activity end Active
Mining galleries? Y
Mining products Gem Salt, Common salt
Mining sub-products
Evaporite flow? Y
Age of evaporite flow Lower Oligocene
Flow or deformation triggering mechanisms Moderate folding of the overlying units / Post-shortening erosion
Flow-linked structures? Y
Halokinetic structures Cardona fault / Cardener fault / Cardona anticline / Intermediate syncline / Pinós anticline
Post-evaporite and pre-kinematic unit/s (overbuden) Oligocene (Barbastro and Súria Fms., marlstones, sandstones and shales) ; Oligocene (Castelltallat Fm., limestones, marly limestones, marlstones) ; Upper Oligocene (Solsona Fm., sandstones, red clays, microconglomerates)
Syn-kinematic unit/s
Available seismic profiles K-5 / K-3 / 5 / K-4 / K-1Y2 / 50 / 47 / 46 / 21 / 51-1 / 36 / 46 / 19 / 47 / 35 / 52 / 53-1 / 23 / K-5 / 34 / 39
Available boreholes (Private Access): Llardella / Marbà / Alberto shaft / Cardona
Additional comments Unprecise growth age of the Cardona, Suria and El Guix anticlines because of the absence of related syntectonic sediments.

Mining Data

UNIQUE_ID 1
Minning exploitations within <2km? Y
Historical/Active Active
Exploitation name #1 LAS SALINAS
Exploitation ID (Spanish National Mining Cadastre) #1 4167
Municipality #1 Cardona
Province #1 BARCELONA
Company #1 SALINERA DE CARDONA, S.L.
Main minning Products #1 Gem Salt, Common salt
Exploitation name #2
Exploitation ID (Spanish National Mining Cadastre) #2
Municipality #2
Province #2
Company #2
Main minning Products #2
Exploitation name #3
Exploitation ID (Spanish National Mining Cadastre) #3
Municipality #3
Province #3
Company #3
Main minning Products #3

Quantitative Data

UNIQUE_ID 1
Outcropping area (km2) Buried
Horizontal intersection area (km2) (when buried) 18.117
Depth of intersection area (km2) (when buried) 0.4
Max. Width (Km) 17
Max. Length (Km) 3
Max. Evaporites thickness (km) 2
Max. Deformation age (Ma) 33.9
Min. Deformation age (Ma) 27.8
Deformation stages 1

Reference Data

UNIQUE_ID 1
Section source Sans, M., and Koyi, H.A., 2001. Modeling the role of erosion in diapir development in contractional settings. In Koyi, H.A. and Mancktelow, N.S. (eds), Tectonic Modeling: A Volume in Honor of Hans Ramberg: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Memoir 193, 111–122. [link]
Well / Borehole availability #1 Private access
Well / Borehole availability #2 Private access
Available data (Stratigraphy) #1 Sáez, A., 1987. Estratigrafía y sedimentología de las formaciones lacustres del tránsito Eoceno Oligoceno del NE de la cuenca del Ebro [Ph.D. thesis]: Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, 245 p. [link]
Available data (Stratigraphy) #2 Del Santo, G., García-Sansegundo, J., Sarasa, L., Torrebadella, J., 2000. Estratigrafía y estructura del Terciario en el sector oriental de la cuenca del Ebro entre Solsona y Manresa (NE de España). Revista de la Sociedad Geológica de España, 13(2), 265-278. [link]
Available data (Stratigraphy) #3 Burbank, D. W., Puigdefàbregas, C. A. I., and Munoz, J. A., 1992. The chronology of the Eocene tectonic and stratigraphic development of the eastern Pyrenean foreland basin, northeast Spain. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 104(9), 1101-1120. [link]
Available data (Stratigraphy) #4 Vergés, J., Burbank, D., 1996. Eocene-Oligocene thrusting and basin configuration in the eastern and central Pyrenees (Spain). In P. Friend & C. Dabrio (Eds.), Tertiary Basins of Spain: The Stratigraphic Record of Crustal Kinematics (World and Regional Geology, pp. 120-133). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [link]
Available data (Stratigraphy) #5 Krzywiec P., Vergés J., 2007. Role of the Foredeep Evaporites in Wedge Tectonics and Formation of Triangle Zones: Comparison of the Carpathian and Pyrenean Thrust Fronts. In: Lacombe O., Roure F., Lavé J., Vergés J. (eds) Thrust Belts and Foreland Basins. Frontiers in Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. [link]
Available data (Stratigraphy) #6 Pérez-Villar, G., Gutiérrez, F., Zarroca, M., Roqué, C., Benito-Calvo, A., & Menció, A. (2024). Late Quaternary morpho-stratigraphic record of diapir rise in the Cardona salt extrusion, NE Spain. Halokinetic sequences, raised terraces and uplift rates. Quaternary Science Reviews, 324, 108462. [link]
Regional Stratigraphy Del Santo, G., García-Sansegundo, J., Sarasa, L., Torrebadella, J., 2000. Estratigrafía y estructura del Terciario en el sector oriental de la cuenca del Ebro entre Solsona y Manresa (NE de España). Revista de la Sociedad Geológica de España, 13(2), 265-278. [link]
Seismic data availability #1 Private access
Seismic data availability #2 Private access
Seismic data availability #3 Private access
Available data (Structure) #1 Pérez-Villar, G., Gutiérrez, F., Zarroca, M., Roqué, C., Benito-Calvo, A., & Menció, A., 2024. Late Quaternary morpho-stratigraphic record of diapir rise in the Cardona salt extrusion, NE Spain. Halokinetic sequences, raised terraces and uplift rates. Quaternary Science Reviews, 324, 108462. [link]
Available data (Structure) #2 Vergés, J., 1993. Estudi geològic del vessant sud del pirineu oriental i central. Evolució cinemàtica en 3D [Ph.D. thesis]: Universitat de Barcelona, 203 p. [link]
Available data (Structure) #3 Sans, M., and Vergés, J., 1995. Fold development related to contractional salt tectonics: Southeastern Pyrenean thrust front, Spain, in Jackson, M.P.A., et al. (eds), Salt tectonics: Aglobal perspective: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 65, 369–378. [link]
Available data (Structure) #4  Sans, M., Sánchez, A. L., and Santanach, P., 1996. Internal structure of a detachment horizon in the most external part of the Pyrenean fold and thrust belt (northern Spain). Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 100(1), 65-76. [link]
Available data (Structure) #5 Vergés J., Muñoz J.A., Martínez A., 1992. South Pyrenean fold and thrust belt: The role of foreland evaporitic levels in thrust geometry. In: McClay K.R. (eds), Thrust Tectonics. Springer, Dordrecht, 255-264 pp. [link]
Available data (Structure) #6 Sans, M., Muñoz, J. A., & Vergés, J.,1996. Triangle zone and thrust wedge geometries related to evaporitic horizons (southern Pyrenees). Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, 44(2), 375-384. [link]
Available data (Analogue modelling) #1 Sans, M., and Koyi, H. A., 2001. Modeling the role of erosion in diapir development in contractional settings. Tectonic Modeling: A Volume in Honor of Hans Ramberg, 111-122. [link]
Available data (Analogue modelling) #2 Sans, M., 2003. From thrust tectonics to diapirism. The role of evaporites in the kinematic evolution of the eastern South Pyrenean front. Geologica Acta, 1(3), 239-260. [link]
Available data (Analogue modelling) #3 Koyi, H. A., and Sans, M., 2006. Deformation transfer in viscous detachments: comparison of sandbox models to the South Pyrenean Triangle Zone. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 253(1), 117-134. [link]
Available data (Gravimetry – Tomography) #1 Pinto, V., i Ponsatí, A. C., Marginedas, L. R., & Salinas, R. L., 2002. Modelización Gravimétrica 3D del diapiro de Cardona, Cuenca del Ebro (NE de España). Acta geológica hispánica, 273-284. [link]
Available data (Gravimetry – Tomography) #2 ICGC, 2012. Mapa Gravimètric de Catalunya 1:500.000. Barcelona, Servei Geològic de Catalunya. [link]
Available data (Gravimetry – Tomography) #3 Casas, A., Deiana, D., Gili, J., Rivero, L., & Pinto, V., 2002. Geophysical surveys for detecting subsidence and collapse areas at Cardona salt diapir (Catalonia, Spain). In 8th EEGS-ES Meeting (pp. cp-36). European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers.
Available data (Geochemistry) #1 Pueyo, J. J. and San Miguel, A., 1971. Características petrológicas de las sales sódicas, potásicas y magnésica de la Cuenca Potásica Catalana». Rev. Inst. Inv. Geol. Dip, Prov. Barcelona, 29, 23-49. [link]
Available data (Geochemistry) #2 Pueyo, J.J., 1975. Estudio petrológico y geoquímico de los yacimientos potásicos de Cardona, Suria, Sallent y Balsareny (Barcelona-España)[Ph.D. thesis]: Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, 351 pp. [link]
Available data (Geochemistry) #3 De Las Cuevas, C., and Pueyo, J. J., 1995. The influence of mineralogy and texture in the water content of rock salt formations. Its implication in radioactive waste disposal. Applied geochemistry, 10(3), 317-327. [link]
Available data (Geochemistry) #4 Cendón, D. I., Ayora, C., Pueyo, J. J., Taberner, C., 2003. The geochemical evolution of the Catalan potash subbasin, South Pyrenean foreland basin (Spain). Chemical Geology, 200(3-4), 339-357. [link]
Available data (Petrophysics) #1 Miralles, L., Sans, M., Pueyo, J. J., and Santanach, P., 2000. Recrystallization salt fabric in a shear zone (Cardona diapir, southern Pyrenees, Spain). Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 174(1), 149-167. [link]
Available data (Petrophysics) #2 Landrø, M., Puigdefabregas, C., & Arntsen, B., 2011. Anisotropy in the salt outcrop at Cardona, Catalonia–implications for seismic imaging. First break, 29(8). [link]
IGME Geological Map (MAGNA50) Sheet number 330-Cardona. [link]
Other Maps #1 (source) Sans, M., 2003. From thrust tectonics to diapirism. The role of evaporites in the kinematic evolution of the eastern South Pyrenean front. Geologica Acta, 1(3), 239-260. [link]
Other Maps #2 (source) Del Santo, G., García-Sansegundo, J., Sarasa, L., Torrebadella, J., 2000. Estratigrafía y estructura del Terciario en el sector oriental de la cuenca del Ebro entre Solsona y Manresa (NE de España). Revista de la Sociedad Geológica de España, 13(2), 265-278. [link]
Other related references #1 Rosell i Ortiz, L. and Pueyo Mur, J. J., 1984. Características geoquímicas de la formación de sales potásicas de Navarra (Eoceno superior). Comparación con la cuenca potásica catalana. Acta Geologica Hispanica, 19, 81-95. [link]
Other related references #2 Canas, J. A., García, F., Clapés, J., Osorio, R., Pérez, V., Pujades, L. G. and Caselles, O., 1996. Estudio mediante técnicas de Geo-radar del subsuelo y galerías de la mina de sal abandonada de Cardona para su habilitación. Geogaceta, 20, 966-969. [link]
Other related references #3 Mottershead, D. N., Duane, W. J., Inkpen, R. J., and Wright, J. S., 2008. An investigation of the geometric controls on the morphological evolution of small-scale salt terrains, Cardona, Spain. Environmental geology, 53(5), 1091-1098. [link]
Other related references #4 Lucha, P., Cardona, F., Gutiérrez, F., and Guerrero, J. 2008. Natural and human-induced dissolution and subsidence processes in the salt outcrop of the Cardona Diapir (NE Spain). Environmental Geology, 53(5), 1023-1035. [link]