El Jurásico de la Cordillera Bética: estado actual de conocimientos y problemas pendientes.

Abstract

Works related to the Jurassic of the Betic Cordillera published in the last nine years are analysed, with particular attention paid to those papers dealing with stratigraphy, sedimentology, palaeontology and palaeogeography. Based on analysis of current knowledge, the author selects five topics most likely to be the centre of research and scientific discussion in the next few years. The first subject is the palaeobathymetry of Subbetic pelagic sediments, the author upholding very moderate depths of deposition. The second is the palacoclimate, deduced from analyses of stable oxygen isotopes, with the problems to be expected in rocks of this age. The third topic is the need to carry out integrated biostratigraphic studies that will allow the Jurassic beds of the cordillera to be dated with the maximum biochronostratigraphic precision, thus making a very precise correlation with near areas. The fourth is the evolutionary model of the South Iberian continental margin during the Jurassic, for which the author develops a model commencing with intracorninental rifting that separated tbe Brrian plate and the Alboran microplate, which evolved towards an extensional (or passive) continental margin. The fifth, and last, subject is the palaeogeographic reconstruction of the region during 4w Jurassic, represented by original diagrams showing the area in two different periods.