Organisers:
Paul Bons & Oliver Vonderschmidt, Inst. for Geosciences, Tübingen University
  Sunday 22 March - Monday 6 April, 2009
Please check this site occasionally for updates! Last update 01 December 2009.

Please note:
Bring your lunch and food for dinner the first day with you.
You can cook or BBQ in the bungalows in Garriguella the first evening. There is no time for shopping on the way up, and if we arrive late, restaurants in Garriguella may be closed. We will stop at a supermarket on the way from Garriguella to Castellote on the 27th.
Be on time so we can leave at 7:30 AM from the museum (Sigwartstraße).
It is a long drive to Garriguella, about 1160 km, and we do not want to hurry. Speeding is NOT allowed!


Table of contents:
 
 
 
 
  
Folded limestones , near Aliaga


Introduction

The mapping area is around the villages of Molinos and Castellote in the north of Teruel Province, in northeastern Spain. The area is hilly, with elevations around 1000 m. Vegetation is very sparse, so outcrops are excellent in the rocky landscape. 

Rocks in the area are of Jurassic to Cretaceous age, mostly limestone and marl layers. Triassic and Carboniferous rocks appear here and there in the cores of large anticlines. In the Tertiary, the area was deformed into a fold-and-thrust belt. At the same time, large packages of conglomerates were deposited in small local  basins. The sediments contain many fossils: snails, shells, brachiopods, ammonites, and occasionally a piece of dinosaur-bone. Fossilised wood can also be found. 



Schedule

It takes about one and a half day to drive to Castellote, where we will be based during the field trip. An introduction into the local geology will be given on the first day. The rest of the time will be spent mapping in groups of 3 students in areas of about 2 x 2 km. The field is rocky, so bring sturdy field boots. Although rocky and hilly/mountainous, there are not many steep slopes and one can walk pretty much everywhere.

---> Anyone with a disability or problems with getting around in the field should contact the organisers to discuss a suitable area.

  • 22 March, 07:30 AM - Departure from Tübingen. The night will be spent in Garriguella, just across the Spanish-French border
  • 23 March arrival in Castellote
  • 24 March- Introduction into the local geology and stratigraphy
  • 25 Sept - 03 Oct: mapping in the area around Molinos and Castellote
  • 04 April: hand in map + report. Visit to the Castellote Castle & Crystal Caves
  • 05 April, departure, travel to Garriguella. Time permitting, visit to Dali Museum and/or Cap de Creus
  • 06 Aprl, arrival in Tübingen in the evening
IMPORTANT: Departure  at 7:30 AM from backyard of Institute of Earth Sciences (Sigwartstr. 10).
  • BE ON TIME!



Accommodation We will stay at the campground of Castellote, a small village near the southeast corner of our mapping area. Here we rent 6-person bungalows, with beds and kitchen. No need to bring a tent or cooking utensils, but bring sheets/sleeping bag. On the way we will also stay in bungalows. Each bungalow has 2 bed rooms and a living room. The bed rooms have 2 separate beds (Castellote) or 2 beds in one room and 1 double bed in the other. There is a 2-person couch/bed in the living room. There will be 6 persons per bungalow, so at least 2 persons per bungalow have to share a bed or couch.


The campground is about 3 km away from the actual village. Every day there is time for shopping in the village (2 small supermarkets) and in the morning we will stop to buy fresh bread for lunch in the field.

Address: 

Camping Castellote 
Carretera del Pantano, s/n
44560 Castellote - Teruel 
Tel.: +34 - 978.88.75.76 
URL: http://es.turinet.net/empresa/c.castellote/


For emergencies: mobile phone Paul Bons: +49 - (0)160 - 5515482 (SMS preferred)



Costs

The fee includes travel and accommodation. Food and drinks are not included.



What to bring
 
Geological items
  • hand lense
  • hammer 
  • field book
  • pencil (better than ball point)
  • colour pencils
  • clip-board to hold map
  • sheets of A4 drawing paper
  • transparent paper (A4 sheets)
  • ruler
  • NOTE: elevation meter, compass and HCl-bottle will be provided
Apart from usual clothes and personal items:
(please keep to a minimum to reduce luggage!)
  • sturdy field boots (the rocks are sharp)
  • sturdy trousers (thorny scrub)
  • wind-tight jacket / rain coat and warm clothes. It may be warm, but as we are in the mountains (about 1000 m) also cold. Rain is rare, but possible (some drizzle or perhaps snow)
  • water bottle
  • sun-screen, hat for sunny days
  • bathers (but of course you have no time for swimming in the lake next to the camp ground)
Eating and sleeping
  • sleeping bag or sheets (blankets are provided in the bungalows)
  • The cabins have a kitchen, so no need to bring cooking utensils. Bring only what you think you need for cooking and cannot buy in Spain (like spätzle or maultaschen)
Health & Safety
  • Bring your health insurance card (Krankenkassekarte)
  • Any medications you may need for the 2 weeks you are away
  • Small first-aid kit you can carry with you in the field (band aids, bandages)


Picture gallery (pictures were taken in March)
 
In Aliaga near Molinos the layers are almost vertical and we can see the whole stratigraphy from Jurassic to Tertiary. Rudists are one of the many fossils one can find. Rudists make riffs that form ditinct ridges in the landscape.
Folded limestone layers near Molinos The village of Molinos, surrounded by the mapping areas
Accommodation at the campground of Castellote in March
The lake next to the campground of Castellote



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