Beach of Es Codolar.
Es Codolar consists of a littoral bar formed by round pebbles that was originated during the Holocene age (10.000 years) and is still active today.
The beach is aorund 3 km long and its width varies between 9 and 80 m. It lies between Puig Falcó to the south-east and Punta de Can Toni Fita to the north-west and acts as a littoral bar, isolating a large part of the pools of Ses Salines.
According to the studies carried out in the zone, this littoral bar originated from the erosion of the Jurassic limestones which tectonic, eustatic or antropical processes</span></p></div>">outcrop all over the sector of Puig Falcó and Cap des Falcó. The detached rocks were progressively rounded under the sea and deposited on the nearby shore by the littoral drift.
A gradation of measurements can be observed in the stones of Es Codolar, so the largest and least rounded are located in the zones nearest to the source area. As the distance from the source area increases, the accumulated pebbles are smaller and rounder, since they have undergone impacts for a longer time.
A few millennia ago, the hills to the south-east of Es Codolar formed an islet, the erosion of which would give rise to the littoral bar, modelled by the sea currents. In parallel, an alluvial fan
<div class="ql-editor"><p>Detritic deposit in the form of a fan or cone deposited by water due to an abrupt reduction in the slope of the surface over which it flows, also named dejection cone.</p></div>">alluvial fan was formed in the opposite sector, at Sa Caleta. The development of the two formations created a natural dyke along the coast, which allowed the former marine zone located behind the bar to dry out, causing the present-day salt pans.It is documented that the Phoenicians exploited salt in Ses Salines, which suggests that Es Codolar was formed before their arrival in the island.
Diagram representing the formation of the littoral bar of pebbles and the alluvial fan. Taken from Roig-Munar et al. (2012).
Littoral bar in front of Ses Salines.
Associated with the pebble cordon, there are two dune systems which are now disconnected from the coastline. Due to the passage of vehicles and people, they are subjected to strong degradation.
Aerial photo from the IDEIB, marking the two dune systems associated with Es Codolar.
In addition, in the south-east sector of Es Codolar there are outcrops of fossil beaches and dunes that display clear cross-stratification and rhizocretions (root moulds) which once covered the dunes. It is believed that they originate from the Pleistocene (Quaternary), meaning that they are approximately 2.6 million years old.
Photographs a and b: overall view of the outcrop of fossil beaches and dunes. Photographs c and d: detail of the root moulds. Photograph e: detail of the cross-stratification.
