Editing Iberian Peninsula (section)

===Geology===
{{Main|Geology of the Iberian Peninsula}}
[[File:Geological units of the Iberian Peninsula EN.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|Major Geologic Units of the Iberian Peninsula]]
The Iberian Peninsula contains rocks of every geological period from the [[Ediacaran]] to the [[Holocene|Recent]], and almost every kind of rock is represented. World-class [[mineral deposit]]s can also be found there. The core of the Iberian Peninsula consists of a [[Variscan orogeny|Hercynian]] [[craton]]ic block known as the [[Hesperian Massif|Iberian Massif]]. On the northeast, this is bounded by the Pyrenean fold belt, and on the southeast it is bounded by the [[Baetic System]]. These twofold chains are part of the [[Geology of the Alps|Alpine belt]]. To the west, the peninsula is delimited by the continental boundary formed by the [[magma]]-poor opening of the Atlantic Ocean. The Hercynian Foldbelt is mostly buried by Mesozoic and Tertiary cover rocks to the east, but nevertheless outcrops through the [[Sistema Ibérico]] and the [[Catalan Mediterranean System]].{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

The Iberian Peninsula features one of the largest [[lithium]] deposits belts in Europe (an otherwise relatively scarce resource in the continent), scattered along the Iberian Massif's {{ill|Central Iberian Zone|es|Zona Centroibérica}} and {{ill|Galicia Tras-Os-Montes Zone|es|Zona de Galicia Tras-Os-Montes}}.<ref>{{Cite journal<!--|pages=1–14-->|journal=[[Environmental Earth Sciences]]|year=2019|issue=78|page=1|doi=10.1007/s12665-019-8541-4|title=Evaluation of the impact of lithium exploitation at the C57 mine (Gonçalo, Portugal) on water, soil and air quality|first=Pedro M. S. M.|last=Rodrigues|first2=Ana Maria M. C.|last2=Antão|first3=Ricardo|last3=Rodrigues}}</ref> Also in the Iberian Massif, and similarly to other Hercynian blocks in Europe, the peninsula hosts some [[uranium]] deposits, largely located in the Central Iberian Zone unit.{{Sfn|Dahlkamp|1991|pp=232–233}}

The [[Iberian Pyrite Belt]], located in the SW quadrant of the Peninsula, ranks among the most important [[Volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit|volcanogenic]] massive sulphide districts on Earth, and it has been exploited for millennia.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://www.igme.es/patrimonio/GEOSITES/Chapter_04_SGFG.pdf|title=Contextos geológicos españoles: una aproximación al patrimonio geológico de relevancia internacional|publisher=[[Instituto Geológico y Minero de España]]|year=2008|chapter=The Iberian Pyrite Belt|first1=F.|last1=Tornos|first2=E.|last2=López Pamo|first3=F.J.|last3=Sánchez España<!--|pages=56–64-->|page=57}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>