Geoturism Balearic Islands

Next to the previous stopping point, the path opened up by a small stream allows you to hug the shoreline. From here and heading towards Platja de Binimel·là beach, walking along the shoreline (towards the west), and after around 350 metres, you will come to the Escull des Francès tectonic, eustatic or antropical processes</span></p></div>">outcrop. Careful: the spectacular nature of the tectonic, eustatic or antropical processes</span></p></div>">outcrop is worth a visit, but the access along the shoreline is complicated and it can only be done when the sea is calm and you need to be extremely careful not to fall.

Escull des Francès represents a unique tectonic, eustatic or antropical processes</span></p></div>">outcrop in the Balearic Islands and a reference point for every scientist who has studied the island’s geology. It is a sedimentary rock of detritic origin (clasts larger than 2 mm).</p></div>">conglomerate formed from a mud outflow, which gave rise to rather chaotic materials in a fine, black and very abundant matrix, with fossils and cobbles of different compositions, without any type of internal order.

Mud outflows, which are repeated all along the Binimel·là massif coastline, and of which the Escull des Francès tectonic, eustatic or antropical processes</span></p></div>">outcrop is the most representative, have played a decisive role in our knowledge of the geological series of the area. It is in these outcrops that we have been able to determine the age of the geological series through their fossil content and that have enabled us to clarify, to a greater or lesser extent, the stratigraphic and structural layout and the sedimentation processes of the whole of the Binimel·là series. We should highlight the spectacular nature of these outcrops, especially due to their uniqueness and their variability of appearance.

The presence of fossils indicates that originally the sediment that was transported as a mud outflow was in shallow waters battered by the waves, which dragged along animals that were occasionally stuck to the substratum. As a consequence of an event, which may have been an earthquake, the cobbles, sands, clays and fossils that were on the continental shelf fell downwards as far as the great sea depths, where they sedimented. All of these geological elements moved together in a viscous flow, where the cobbles travelled floating in the matrix. As they moved downwards, the mud dragged with it pieces of the clayey substratum (sedimentary rock which tends to exfoliate in small flakes, similar to sedimentary rock formed by clay.</p></div>">pelite.&nbsp;</p></div>">llosella) and added them to the flow. The viscosity of the medium stopped it from falling apart.

The tectonic, eustatic or antropical processes</span></p></div>">outcrop displays a width of 10 to 15 metres and is characterised by an abundant clayey-silty matrix. We can differentiate between two main types of cobble, those that joined the mass before it fell into the great sea depths and those that joined the outflow as it was moving. The former were transported by rivers as far as the continental shelf and are primarily Sedimentary rock whose main component is calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Its origin can be chemical, organic or detritic.</p><p><br></p></div>">limestone, although we can identify other sedimentary and also metamorphic and volcanic rocks. The latter, added as substratum to the mass during its movement, are sedimentary rock which tends to exfoliate in small flakes, similar to sedimentary rock formed by clay.</p></div>">pelite.&nbsp;</p></div>">llosella, although we even find whole turbidite strata added to the outflow as large blocks of over 1 metre in length.

Usually, the sedimentary rock which tends to exfoliate in small flakes, similar to sedimentary rock formed by clay.</p></div>">pelite.&nbsp;</p></div>">llosella cobbles have been eroded by the sea, leaving a hole in their place. Among the fossils sedimented on more than one occasion, we should especially highlight the coral ones. We have also found fossils of sponges and bryozoa, and sporadically fossils of brachiopods, cephalopods, crinoids and trilobites. Some of these fossils are rounded as a result of the transport they were subjected to.

The cobbles display iron oxide patina that indicate prolonged sedimentary stoppages, which have allowed the formation of these fine mineralised layers. These stoppages over time are confirmed by the presence of fossils of a wide age range and from different ecological ambiences.