Open AccessThe tectonic source of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami
Author(s) -
Nevio Zitellini,
F. Chierici,
R. Sartori,
L. Torelli
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
annals of geophysics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.394
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 2037-416X
pISSN - 1593-5213
DOI - 10.4401/ag-3699
Subject(s) - seismology , geology , induced seismicity , tectonics , epicenter , submarine pipeline , cenozoic , relocation , fault (geology) , structural basin , paleontology , oceanography , computer science , programming language
The SW continental margin of Iberia is affected by several tectonic structures of Cenozoic to Recent age, gen-erated by the dynamics of the Iberia-Africa plate margin. This activity is testified by diffuse seismicity along the eastern portion of the Azores-Gibraltar line. The most important active structure, detected during a reflection seismic survey in 1992, is a thrust-fault, some 50 km long and with dip-slip throw of more than 1 km, located offshore Cabo de S. Vincente. A relocation of historical earthquakes in the area shows that this structure lies very close to the epicentre of the catastrophic 1755 Lisbon earthquake and that it should be the generator of the event. This submarine structure can now be studied for modelization of tsunamis and consequent risk mitigation