Weathering and erosion in the Tabernas Sub-Desert, Almería

Abstract

The largest badlands in SE Spain, within the Tabernas sub-desert (Almería, Spain) is a mosaic of physiographic units concentrating most of the water erosion features of fluvial landscapes, specially those from arid regions. A Mediterranean semiarid climate in its driest end, along a main lithology on gypsum-calcaric mudstones, all explain the large variability of this landscape. Though the local geomorphology might suggest large erosion rates, the special climatic conditions of the area, with scarce rainfall events usually of low magnitude and intensity, restrict soil erosion. In this chapter the main geomorphic processes which have shaped the area are reviewed: from weathering, to regolith and soil formation, along with the indispensable role played by plant cover and its co-evolution with erosion.