Modelización neotectónica en elementos finitos del Mediterráneo Occidentalsur de Iberia y noroeste de Africa

Resumen

The study area is characterized by a moderate seismicity associated with the convergence between African and Eurasian plates. In order to investigate the present-day stress and strain field and to better constrain the geometry of plate boundary, we have applied to the study area numerical finite element models using the thin shell approximation. We have tested two end-member models. The main differences between the two models is that the second one has a more continuous fault network and includes a vertical fault crossing the northern part of the Moroccan Atlantic margin. Results are quantitatively compared with data of direction of maximum horizontal compression and with the seismic strain rate. The second model is shown to reproduce the first-order characteristics of the present-day tectonic regime, the distribution of seismicity and the fault motion directions. The area with highest model-predicted faults slip rates corresponds to northern Algeria, in agreement with the high seismicity of this area. Furthermore, the results obtained support a bifurcation of the plate boundary to the west of Gibraltar Arc.