Soft-sediment deformation structures interpreted as seismites in lacustrine sediments of the Prebetic Zone, SE Spain, and their potential use as indicators of earthquake magnitudes during the Late Miocene

Lacustrine formations of Late Miocene age in the Prebetic area, SE Spain, show several types of deformational structures that are interpreted as seismites. They are present in both marginal and deep lacustrine facies. Seismites formed in marginal lake environments comprise sand dikes, pillows and in...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Rodríguez Pascua, Miguel Angel, Calvo Sorando, José Pedro, Vicente Muñoz, Gerardo De, Gómez Gras, D.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2000
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/60443
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/60443
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:551.24
Seismites
Earthquake magnitudes
Lacustrine deposits
Late Miocene
Spain
Geodinámica
2507 Geofísica
Descripción
Sumario:Lacustrine formations of Late Miocene age in the Prebetic area, SE Spain, show several types of deformational structures that are interpreted as seismites. They are present in both marginal and deep lacustrine facies. Seismites formed in marginal lake environments comprise sand dikes, pillows and intruded and fractured gravels. In deep lacustrine facies, the seismites are represented by pseudonodules, mushroom-like silts protruding into laminites, mixed layers, disturbed varved lamination and loop bedding. The measured orientations of these structures are consistent with the orientations of the main faults limiting the basins, showing that their origin is clearly related to the tectonic stress field that prevailed in the region during the Late Miocene. The magnitudes of the earthquakes that deformed the sediments have been estimated after published data from both ancient and recent lake deposits accumulated in tectonic active regions elsewhere. A rank of earthquake magnitudes with two end-members, i.e. the lowest magnitudes recorded by loop bedding in laminites and the highest magnitudes represented by intruded and fractured gravels, is proposed.