First evidence of paleoearthquakes along the Carboneras Fault Zone (SE Iberian Peninsula)

Seismogenic faults that have not produced historical large earthquakes remain unnoticed and, thus, are dangerously left out from seismic hazard analyses. The seismogenic nature of the Carboneras Fault Zone, a left-lateral strikeslip fault in the Eastern Betic Shear Zone (southeastern Spain), has not...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Masana, Eulàlia, Moreno, X., Gràcia, E., Pallàs i Serra, Raimon, Ortuño Candela, Maria, López Escudero, Robert, Gómez-Novell, Octavi|||0000-0002-7573-2885, Ruano Roca, Patricia, Perea Manera, Héctor, Stepancikova, P., Khazaradze, Giorgi
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:201378
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/201378
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1344/GeologicaActa2018.16.4.8
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Paleoseismology
Eastern Betics Shear Zone
Carboneras fault zone
Seismogenic fault
Descripción
Sumario:Seismogenic faults that have not produced historical large earthquakes remain unnoticed and, thus, are dangerously left out from seismic hazard analyses. The seismogenic nature of the Carboneras Fault Zone, a left-lateral strikeslip fault in the Eastern Betic Shear Zone (southeastern Spain), has not been fully explored to date in spite of having a morphological expression equivalent to the Alhama de Murcia Fault, a seismogenic fault in the same tectonic system. This study provides the first paleoseismic evidence of the seismogenic nature of the CarbonerasFault Zone, based on the analysis of 3 trenches at Los Trances site, on the northwestern edge of the La Serrata Range. Cross cutting relationships and numerical dating, based on radiocarbon, thermoluminescence and U-series, reveal a minimum of 4 paleoearthquakes: Paleoearthquake1 (the oldest) and Paleoearthquake2 took place after 133ka, Paleoearthquake3 occurred between 83-73ka and Paleoearthquake4 happened after 42.5ka (probably after 30.8ka), resulting in a maximum possible average recurrence of 33ka. This value, based on a minimum amount of paleoearthquakes, is probably overestimated, as it does not scale well with published slip-rates derived from offset channels or GPS geodetical data. The characterization of this fault as seismogenic, implies that it should be considered in the seismic hazard analyses of the SE Iberian Peninsula.