Abstract
The existence of a radioactive disequilibrium between the decay products of 238U in continental carbonates, particularly the speleothems, has been used as a geochronometer for many years. The importance of this method is that it covers ages ranging from several thousands to 0.35 Ma, a period that is difficult to cover by other dating methods. In the “Gouffre de la Pierre-Saint-Martin”, the Aranzadi Gallery reveals an exceptional sedimentary sequence. Two successive units, the first with pebbles and the second composed of a thick carbonated clay series, are cut by a succession of river terraces on which speleothems occur. The dates obtained from the speleothems cover a period ranging essentially from 211 to 173 ka ago, located in the isotopic δ 18O dating stages Nos. 7 and 6. This sequence of erosion and sedimentation corresponds to an important climatic improvement in the Pyrenées. This example emphasizes, in a morpho-structural context, the power of this technique in studying the Quaternary where there are very little data.
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