From the geological point of view, the saltworks are located in a diapiric valley. A diapir is a low density rock mass, relatively mobile, crossing other denser rocks. This vertical movement from bottom to top, is made along faults and allows evaporitic rocks (gypsum and rock salt) to appear on the surface through the limestones. In the Estremadura Limestone Massif these evaporite deposits were formed 205 million years ago. The existence of large accumulations of gypsum and rock salt tells us that it had environmental characteristics of the coast. The diapir located in Porto de Mos - Rio Maior follows the fault system of the Candeeiros Mountain, with a general orientation NNE-SSW and ends in the area of the present trail. Text taken from PR1 (PNSAC)
The CARSOSCÓPIO - Alviela Ciência Viva Centre is an interactive facility built on promoting science and technology revolving around three interactive exhibits that basically discuss the local Limestone Geological Plates, their origins and t ...
The complex also presents a walking trail of approximately 2km that takes visitors past many different and typical karsic geological phenomena of rare beauty. One of these attractions is the Amiais stream. This unique stream flows at the su ...
The Minde "Pincha" is a curious upwelling phenomena that is thought to have appeared due to the layering of sediment deposits on the edges of a lake that is believed to have existed in this area in the Glaciation Period – Quaternary. This G ...
The Alviela River Spring is located on the base of a cliff between the national limestone plate region and the lower Tagus tertiary basin. Here, a range of 150 million year old rocks are found together (Jurassic limestone and Tertiary sands ...
The Santo António Plateau is located in the heart of the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park, east of the Candeeiros Mountain and south of the Aire Mountain and the São Mamede Plateau. The Santo Antonio Plateau harbors an uncommon kars ...
