Fluvial terrace

Flat, horizontal fluvial terrace made up of gravel that deposited onto the slightly leaning stratum of reddish color, continental, eocenic rocks. This fluvial terrace is located ten meters over the present height of the Llobregat riverbed, in Balsareny.

Gravels are detrital, non-cemented sediments made up of over 2 cm diameter stones. Although with exceptions, in the area of Bages these fragments are usually round as a result of its transport by rivers. They are usually included in a sandy and clayey matrix. They were laid during quaternary period, therefore they’re the newest geological materials of the region. The gravels are common in the riverbeds and in the fluvial terraces. The fluvial terraces witnesses the level of the rivers some hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Some deposits of gravels have been exploited.

[photo Florenci Vallès]