The 'fields' at this elevation are dominated by rocks, offering a very limited land use, but a beautiful atmosphere. Geologist call this formation "polje": a tectonic, karstic depression, here situated in the limestone massif of Sierra Gorda. The Zafarraya polje is one of the main poljes in the Iberian Peninsula and the largest (22 km²) in the Betic Cordillera. It is situated to the south of the Sierra Gorda de Loja in the western-central part of the Betic Cordillera, in the Subbetic (External Zone). In many ways, this is a typical polje: it is an endorheic depression, a plain with several sinkholes (ponors), the main one situated to the NW, where the waters disappear under the surface to spring up many kilometres away, in the NE of the Sierra Gorda. Karst is created when water dissolves limestone underground, creating fine cracks, underground rivers, and often colapsing caves, leading to depressions in the landscape. Occasionally, the depression can be flooded during heavy rainfall, like in the mid 1990s.

Yulman

November 25, 2022

The Zafarraya field or plain is a spectacular "polje" formation, a depression of karstic origin, which with an extension of ten square kilometers is one of the largest in the Iberian Peninsula.
Cycling around here is really interesting.

Translated by Google •

Willem VS

January 8, 2025

The Zafarraya polje is a closed depression with a flat bottom, surrounded by limestone mountains that are strongly karstified.
The waters of the polje are absorbed by several ponors (sinkholes), and during heavy rainfall the polje can be temporarily flooded. This makes it an interesting example of karst landscape and geological processes.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 1,170 m

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Thursday 30 October

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Location: Zafarraya, Alhama, Granada, Andalusia, Spain

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