Geoturism Balearic Islands

From the viewpoint of the Torre des Verger we can observe the southern structure of the Serra de Tramuntana. 

The Serra de Tramuntana is a mountain range oriented SW-NE with a length of 89 km and an average width of 15 km. The lines of summits exceed 600 m and the highest part corresponds to the central sector, the Puig Major being the highest point at 1445 m.

These important reliefs are formed by large masses of rock called laminas which have slid and piled up one each other in the form of thrust faults due to a force of compression. 

The base of the slide tends to correspond to a more deformable soft level, in this case from the Rethian (Upper Triassic, 225-200 Ma) and is called the gliding plane or décollement, over which slide hard materials, normally of the Lias (Lower Jurassic, 200-185 Ma). The origin of these thrust faults is situated in a period of intense activity called the Alpine Orogeny, which began some 25 Ma ago. 

There is a great difference between the coasts of the central and northern sectors of the range and the southern sector where we are now. While the central and northern coast is predominated by the large Sedimentary rock whose main component is calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Its origin can be chemical, organic or detritic.</p><p><br></p></div>">limestone cliffs of the Lias, carved sheer over the sea, the southern sector has outcrops of the Triassic and the Lower Miocene which, being softer, form steep slopes.

Due to the steepness of the slope and the nature of the materials forming it, there are frequent spoon-shaped slides (also called circular or rotational) and, in the vicinity of the Jurassic reliefs, rock falls.

In this zone of the island there are abundant terracings on the slope (marjades) for agricultural exploitation, created by means of stone walls (marges). These terracings favour the stability of the slope.