Premium
Tectonic indentation in the central Alboran Sea (westernmost Mediterranean)
Author(s) -
Estrada Ferran,
GalindoZaldívar Jesús,
Vázquez Juan Tomás,
Ercilla Gemma,
D'Acremont Elia,
Alonso Belén,
Gorini Christian
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
terra nova
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.353
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-3121
pISSN - 0954-4879
DOI - 10.1111/ter.12304
Subject(s) - geology , sinistral and dextral , seismology , clockwise , neogene , african plate , anticline , tectonics , late miocene , basement , paleontology , lithosphere , structural basin , fold (higher order function) , geography , mechanical engineering , engineering , archaeology
The Alboran Sea constitutes a Neogene–Quaternary basin of the Betic–Rif Cordillera, which has been deformed since the Late Miocene during the collision between the Eurasian and African plates in the westernmost Mediterranean. NNE – SSW sinistral and WNW – ESE dextral conjugate fault sets forming a 75° angle surround a rigid basement spur of the African plate, and are the origin of most of the shallow seismicity of the central Alboran Sea. Northward, the faults decrease their transcurrent slip, becoming normal close to the tip point, while NNW – SSE normal and sparse ENE – WSW reverse to transcurrent faults are developed. The uplifting of the Alboran Ridge ENE – WSW antiform above a detachment level was favoured by the crustal layering. Despite the recent anticlockwise rotation of the Eurasian–African convergence trend in the westernmost Mediterranean, these recent deformations—consistent with indenter tectonics characterised by a N164°E trend of maximum compression—entail the highest seismic hazard of the Alboran Sea.