Deterioration Processes on Prehistoric Rock Art Induced by Mining Activity (Arenaza Cave, N Spain)
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Title: | Deterioration Processes on Prehistoric Rock Art Induced by Mining Activity (Arenaza Cave, N Spain) |
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Authors: | Cañaveras, Juan C. | Muñoz Cervera, María Concepción | Sánchez Moral, Sergio |
Research Group/s: | Petrología Aplicada |
Center, Department or Service: | Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra y del Medio Ambiente |
Keywords: | Palaeolithic rock art | Deterioration | Cave | Blasting-induced vibration |
Issue Date: | 19-Aug-2022 |
Publisher: | MDPI |
Citation: | Cañaveras JC, Muñoz-Cervera MC, Sánchez-Moral S. Deterioration Processes on Prehistoric Rock Art Induced by Mining Activity (Arenaza Cave, N Spain). Geosciences. 2022; 12(8):309. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12080309 |
Abstract: | Arenaza Cave is located in Vizcaya (N Spain) and contains important Palaeolithic rock art representations. This cave belongs to an active karstic system developed on Lower Cretaceous limestones, mainly consisting of micrites and biomicrites with abundant pyrite moulds. The paintings are made directly on the host rock or on thin stalagmitic calcite crusts. Cretaceous limestones in this area contain important iron ore deposits, which have been mined by subsurface and surface-mining methods since the beginning of the 20th century. Mining activities have induced significant changes in the karstic drainage pattern and in the endo and exokarstic morphologies of the Arenaza karstic system, directly affecting the state of conservation of the prehistoric paintings. Thus, in addition to natural process of deterioration, the enlargement of the limestone fissure system as a result of blasting-induced vibrations seems to be the responsible for changes in the rates of water-rock interactions and of the formation of botryoidal gypsum concretions on the rock surface. The final result is the activation and acceleration of detachment processes and the increase of irreversible deterioration processes in the cave. |
Sponsor: | This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through project PID2019-110603RB-I00 project, MCIN/AEI/FEDER, UE/10.13039/501100011033. |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10045/126164 |
ISSN: | 2076-3263 |
DOI: | 10.3390/geosciences12080309 |
Language: | eng |
Type: | info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
Rights: | © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Peer Review: | si |
Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12080309 |
Appears in Collections: | INV - PETRA - Artículos de Revistas |
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