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22-430: The village is located in a major tourist area between Costa de los Pinos and Cala Murada . Its small bay opens to the southeast and seems almost closed on the right, by a large rock called Es Morro de Sa Carabassa. At its end, a lighthouse built in 1851 rises. The slope called Punta d'Es Pelats partially closes the pier of Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo and a stretch of sea rises a quarter mile west juts and twists later, at

44-479: A Spanish fishing village. Its larger municipality, Manacor, is the centre of the pearl manufacturing industry on Mallorca. Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo Harbour is a natural harbour which still shelters small fishing boats from storms. The addition in recent years of the new marina now provides moorings to high-end pleasure boats. The mix of the new and the old has been done tastefully, as Porto Cristo seeks to ensure it retains its heritage. Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo

66-400: A cave. Cave maps, called surveys , can be used to compare caves to each other by length, depth and volume, may reveal clues on speleogenesis , provide a spatial reference for further scientific study, and assist visitors with route-finding. Caves provide a home for many unique biota. Cave ecologies are very diverse, and not sharply distinct from surface habitats. Generally however, the deeper

88-562: A right angle, in north direction prolonging itself some three hundred meters more. This hardly navigable area constitutes the last primitive vestige of the port, which has been gradually blinded by the alluvial lands, now converted into fords and small orchards, at the end of the depression, which reaches about two kilometers, The height of the Caves of the Hams , was the pier during the Roman domination. By road

110-402: A sinkhole, frogs swept into a cave by a flash flood, etc. The two factors that limit cave ecologies are generally energy and nutrients. To some degree moisture is always available in actively forming Karst caves. Cut off from the sunlight and steady deposition of plant detritus, caves are poor habitats in comparison with wet areas on the surface. Most of the energy in cave environments comes from

132-753: Is a quiet town perfect for a stroll along the main front or a romantic meal overlooking the breathtaking ocean. Crime is rare in Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo and it has a very active police presence ensuring it retains its reputation as a safe place to visit on the island. Professional tennis player Rafael Nadal has a holiday home in Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo. 39°33′N 3°20′E  /  39.550°N 3.333°E  / 39.550; 3.333 Coves del Drach The Caves of Drach (modern Catalan spelling: Coves del Drac [ˈkɔβəz ðəl ˈdɾak] ; Spanish : Cuevas del Drach ; lit.   ' Dragon caves ' ) are four great caves that are located in

154-504: Is communicated from north to south by four routes: Porto Cristo remains a modern but unspoilt all year round location. Though in no way a primary tourist destination in Mallorca, Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo promotes itself as a quiet resort and tries to encourage foreign visitors. The main tourist attractions are two sets of caves, the larger Coves del Drach and the Coves dels Hams . To improve

176-426: Is highly favorable for the growth of microbes . Microbial assemblages in caves include archaea , bacteria , fungi and other micro- eukaryotes , these highly adapted microbial communities represent the living-backbone of cave ecosystems and play a key role in shaping structures and sustaining trophic networks. The creation of an accurate, detailed map is one of the most common technical activities undertaken within

198-521: Is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, as well as their composition , structure, physical properties , history, ecology , and the processes by which they form ( speleogenesis ) and change over time (speleomorphology). The term speleology is also sometimes applied to the recreational activity of exploring caves, but this is more properly known as caving , potholing (British English), or spelunking (United States and Canadian English). Speleology and caving are often connected, as

220-418: The cave becomes, the more rarefied the ecology. Cave environments fall into three general categories: Cave organisms fall into three basic classes: There are also so-called accidental trogloxenes which are surface organisms that enter caves for no survival reason. Some may even be troglophobes (“cave haters”), which cannot survive in caves for any extended period. Examples include deer which fell through

242-564: The concept of speleology as a distinct area of study. In 1895 Martel founded the Société de Spéléologie , the first organization devoted to cave science in the world. Other early speleologists include Herbert E. Balch . An international speleological congress was proposed at a meeting in Valence-sur-Rhone , France in 1949 and first held in 1953 in Paris . The International Union of Speleology (UIS)

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264-652: The decomposition of the materials can happen as well. A speleothem is a geological formation by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves . Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. They can take a variety of forms, depending on their depositional history and environment. Their chemical composition, gradual growth, and preservation in caves make them useful paleoclimatic proxies. Caves have an absence of stable temperature , high relative humidity , low rates of evaporation and limited supply of organic material , which help in creating an environment which

286-598: The entrance from the Mediterranean Sea , and some researchers think the formation may date back to the Miocene Epoch . There is an underground lake situated in the caves called Martel Lake, which is about 115 m in length and 30 m in width, and its depth varies between four and twelve meters. It is named after the French explorer and scientist Édouard-Alfred Martel , considered the founding father of speleology , who

308-445: The island of Majorca , Balearic Islands , Spain , extending to a depth of 25 m and reaching approximately 4 km in length. They are in the municipality of Manacor , near the locality of Porto Cristo . They were first mentioned in a letter dated 1338. The four caves, called Black Cave, White Cave, Cave of Luis Salvador, and Cave of the French, are connected to each other. The caves have formed by water being forced through

330-416: The physical skills required for in situ study are the same. Speleology is a cross-disciplinary field that combines the knowledge of chemistry , biology , geology , physics , meteorology , and cartography to develop portraits of caves as complex, evolving systems. Before modern speleology developed, John Beaumont wrote detailed descriptions of some Mendip caves in the 1680s. The term speleology

352-419: The surplus of the ecosystems outside. One major source of energy and nutrients in caves is dung from trogloxenes, most of which is deposited by bats. Other sources are mentioned above. Cave ecosystems are very fragile. Because of their rarity and position in the ecosystem they are threatened by a large number of human activities. Dam construction, limestone quarrying, water pollution and logging are just some of

374-560: The tourism industry, that its closure, even if temporary, is seen by the locals as a bad sign for the economy. 39°32′09″N 3°19′49″E  /  39.5359°N 3.3304°E  / 39.5359; 3.3304 This article about a location in the Balearic Islands is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Speleology Speleology (from Ancient Greek σπήλαιον ( spḗlaion )  'cave' and -λογία ( -logía )  'study of')

396-572: The traffic flow in the main tourist season a by pass road around Porto Cristo has now been opened. This new road connects the PMV 4023 to the MA 4020 and MA 4014. The name Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo, meaning "The Port of Manacor/The Port of Christ" given to it back in 1260 AD at the time of the Christian invasion of Mallorca, A fishing boat was found washed up on the beach containing a crucifix. Legend has it that an ox

418-427: Was carrying an icon of God through the town, and the ox stopped and refused to walk anymore. Hence the people saw this as a sign and the name was derived from that belief it was a clear sign that Christ wanted to be here. What sets Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo apart from most of the other Mallorcan resorts is that its income is not solely dependent on tourism; Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo still maintains its functions as

440-559: Was coined by Émile Rivière in 1890. Prior to the mid-nineteenth century the scientific value of caves was considered only in its contribution to other branches of science, and cave studies were considered part of the larger disciplines of geography , geology or archaeology . Very little cave-specific study was undertaken prior to the work of Édouard-Alfred Martel (1859–1938), the 'father of modern speleology', who through his extensive and well-publicised cave explorations introduced in France

462-608: Was founded in 1965. The growth of speleology is directly linked with that of the sport of caving , both because of the stimulation of public interest and awareness, and the fact that most speleological field-work has been conducted by sport cavers . Karst is a landscape that has limestone underneath which has been eroded. Caves are usually formed through chemical corrosion via a process of dissolution . Corrosion has several ways of doing this, it can be on carbonate rocks through chemical reactions, in gypsum and rock salt it can happen physically, and in silicate rocks and warm climate

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484-512: Was invited to explore the cave in 1896. While German cave explorer, M.F. Will, had mapped the White and Black cave in 1880, Martel found two more caves, as well as the underground lake. The caves are open to the public for a fee, and are one of the main tourist attractions on Mallorca. The visit typically ends with a classical music concert, performed by a small orchestra of musicians on a fleet of small row boats. The caves are such an integral part of

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