Le grotte della Guardiola: preliminari osservazioni speleologiche e geologiche.

Along the bottom of Guardiola rock cliff (south-east Salento) two caves are present. The entry of the Guardiola cave A is partially out of the sea level. This cave in particularly charming because the karstic forms and the reflection of a pale blue light of water. The strike-cave is ESE-WNW, its lenght is 65 m. A fresh-water spring is located in the middle portion of the south wall cave. Guardiola cave B is quite below the sea level. It shows a SE-NW strike and a lenght of 30 m. Also in this cave a fresh-water spring has been located. The fresh-water springs of the Guardiola caves A and B witness an important discharge zone of the "deep water-bearing stratum", the most important water resource of the Salento Peninsula. Guardiola rock cliff is formed by massive fossil-rich limestones, most probably of the Paleogene. A very extendend fault plane (strike SE-NW) constitutes the main tectonic structure of the zone. The form of the karstic structures of the Guardiola caves is strictly dependent on the tectonic setting and fracture pattern.