Recent Tectonic Structures in a Transect of the Central Betic Cordillera

—The Betic Cordillera has undergone recent Alpine deformations related to the Eurasian-African plate interaction boundary. Most of the present-day relief has been built up since Tortonian times, and is related to the development of folds and faults that are overprinted on older deformations, and some of the faults may be considered as out-of-sequence. The combination of geophysical and geological data makes it possible to determine the main features of the recent tectonic structures, or those recently active, in its central transect. The main fault is a crustal detachment that separates a footwall constituted by the Iberian Massif and a hanging wall formed by the rocks of the Betic Cordillera. While the footwall is practically undeformed, the hanging wall has been folded and faulted. The folds are mainly E-W to NE-SW and have larger sizes and higher related relieves towards the South. The reverse faults are mainly concentrated in the northern mountain front. However, normal faults affect the southern part of the Cordillera and are associated with the development of large asymmetrical basins such as the Granada Depression. In this setting, the slip along the crustal detachment is variable and should increase southwards. The model of the recent tectonics in the central transect of the Cordillera is compatible with the presence of an active subduction in the Alboran Sea, and contrasts notably with the setting of the eastern Betic Cordillera, mainly deformed by transcurrent faults.     

Shallow Seismic Velocity Structure of the Betic Cordillera (Southern Spain) from Modelling of Rayleigh Wave Dispersion

A detailed dispersion analysis of Rayleigh waves generated by local earthquakes and occasionally by blasts that occurred in southern Spain, was undertaken to obtain the shear-wave velocity structure of the region at shallow depth. Our database includes seismograms generated by 35 seismic events that were recorded by 15 single-component short-period stations from 1990 to 1995. All these events have focal depths less than 10 km and body-wave magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0, and they were all recorded at distances between 40 and 300 km from the epicentre. We analysed a total of 90 source-station Rayleigh-wave paths. The collected data were processed by standard digital filtering techniques to obtain Rayleigh-wave group-velocity dispersion measurements. The path-averaged group velocities vary from 1.12 to 2.25 km/s within the 1.0-6.0 s period interval. Then, using a stochastic inversion approach we obtained 1-D shear-wave velocity–depth models across the study area, which were resolved to a depth of circa 5 km. The inverted shear-wave velocities range approximately between 1.0 and 3.8 km/s with a standard deviation range of 0.05–0.16 km/s, and show significant variations from region to region. These results were combined to produce 3-D images via volumetric modelling and data visualization. We present images that show different shear velocity patterns for the Betic Cordillera. Looking at the velocity distribution at various depths and at vertical sections, we discuss of the study area in terms of subsurface structure and S-wave velocity distribution (low velocity channels, basement depth, etc.) at very shallow depths (0–5 km). Our results characterize the region sufficiently and lead to a correlation of shear-wave velocity with the different geological units features.     

Matrix hydrodynamic properties of carbonate rocks from the Betic Cordillera (Spain)

Laboratory tests performed on 181 rock samples from boreholes drilled in different areas of the Betic Cordillera allow us to calculate their hydraulic conductivity and open porosity values. Higher values are generally associated with Miocene calcareous sandstones, although hydraulic conductivity reaches its highest values in some isolated limestone and dolostone samples. Lower values were found in marly limestones and marbles. Specific yield ranged from 0 to 0·0798, with a mean value of 0·00579. A total of 79 samples did not release water during the specific yield test, while another 11 samples released water for more than 30 min. Such wide ranges of variation show the great diversity of behaviour that the matrix of the carbonate rocks can have, referring to water storage and transfer, and its influence on pollutants spread, for example. A weak relation between interconnected porosity and hydraulic conductivity was found. The relation between interconnected porosity and specific yield is slightly stronger, except in the case of the dolomites, where a high correlation was found. No dependence on depth was found for hydraulic conductivity and interconnected porosity. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismicity pattern of the Betic Cordillera(southern Spain) derived from the fractal properties of earthquakes and faults

Several studies on earthquake occurrence and associated faulting have demonstrated that both phenomena have a scale-invariant behavior which can be analyzed by means of a set of non-integer dimensions(Dq) describing their fractal properties and the calculation of multi-fractal spectra.It is the case that the behavior of these spectra is asymptotic at the ends of the variation interval of q,which is a real number that enters into the definition of the partition function of the dataset.The difference between the extreme values,called multi-fractal spectrum slope,is used to investigate the heterogeneity of the spatial distribution of earthquakes and fault systems.In this paper we focus on the Betic Cordillera,southeastern Spain,which is commonly considered the contact between the Eurasian and African plates and has an important seismic activity in the context of the Iberian Peninsula.Some of the most conspicuous Iberian earthquakes,such as the 1829 mb6.3 Torrevieja and the 1884 mb6.1 Alhama de Granada earthquakes occurred in this mountain range and both reached intensity X.The present work implies a new analysis based on the slope of multi-fractal spectra and referred to the historical seismicity of the region,specifically b-value(frequency distribution of earthquakes respect to magnitude),epicentral location,seismic energy and faulting.On this basis we propose a seismotectonic zonation that is contrasted with the stress state and the geodynamical evolution of the Betic Cordillera.     

New Palaeomagnetic Data from the Betic Cordillera: Constraints on the Timing and the Geographical Distribution of Tectonic Rotations in Southern Spain

—A palaeomagnetic investigation has been carried out at 14 sites on Jurassic red nodular limestones from the central and eastern part of the External Zones of the Betic Cordillera (Subbetic and Prebetic Zones). Progressive thermal demagnetisation of samples from the Subbetic Zone reveals the presence of two stable magnetic components of the natural remanent magnetisation: 1) a secondary Neogene syn-folding component and 2) the original Jurassic magnetisation. As similar characteristics have been reported in Jurassic limestones from the western Subbetic Zone, a widespread remagnetisation event took place within <10⁶ years in the entire Subbetic region during Neogene times. In contrast, in the Prebetic region, no evidence for a secondary overprint has been detected. Palaeomagnetic Jurassic declinations indicate variable and locally very large clockwise rotations (35°–140°), but the two sites in the north-westernmost part of the investigated region are not rotated. The use of both components of magnetisation and the incremental fold-test results allowed the timing of block rotations in the Subbetic Zone to be constrained. Rotations in the western Subbetic occurred after the acquisition of the secondary overprint, whereas in the central part of the Subbetic Zone they were completed by the time of the remagnetisation event.     

Establishment of the GPS Crustal Deformation Monitoring Network in North China

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a new method to monitor the crustal deformation for earthquake prediction.Now a four-dimensional crustal deformation monitoring network applying GPS techniques has been established in North China,which is an important seismic monitoring area.Results with high precision have been achieved in the first measurement since a series of advanced methods and measures were adopted,and thus a good foundation has been laid for future researches on earthquake prediction and geodynamics.     

基于GPS的江苏南部现今地壳形变特征分析

基于2007-2009年江苏南部GPS资料,借助多面函数法及位移-应变模型求取了研究区的速度场及应变特征参数,结合地质构造背景及地震活动性对该区地壳形变特征进行分析.研究结果表明：（1）江苏南部现今地壳整体朝南东向运动,临海地区与内陆地区速度差异较大,量值在5～10 mm/a;（2）研究区域呈现面应变正负交替出现的规律,在泰州、南通、嘉定出现面膨胀、剪切应变高值区,未来发生中强地震的可能性较大;（3）江苏南部地区地壳运动受太平洋板块、菲律宾海板块和欧亚板块的共同作用,构造机理复杂.     

Research on present crustal deformation in the southern Tianshan (Jiashi) region by GPS geodesy

IntroductionSinceaMs=6.9earthquakeoccurredinArtux,Xinjiang,ChinaonMarchl9,l996,7earth-quakeswithmagnitudeofMs>6werefollowedsuccessivelynearbyJiashi,southemnanshan.Thephenomenonthatagroupofstrongearthquakes(Jiashiearthquakeswann)concentratedwithinashorterperiodoflyearormoreisanunprecedentedeventsincetheinstrUmentalrecordofseis-micityinthecontinent,drawingconsiderableattentionofseismologists.TheJiashiearthquakeswarmhaPpenedonthenortheastemflankofthewestCmsyntaxofHimalayancollisionbeltwheret…     

Seismic Potential of the Main Active Faults in the Granada Basin (Southern Spain)

-- The main active faults of the Granada Basin are located in its central-eastern sector, where the most important tectonic activity is concentrated, uplifting its eastern part and sinking the western border. Several parameters related to the seismic potentiality of these active, or in some cases probably active, faults in this basin are used for the first time. Many of these faults can generate earthquakes with magnitudes larger than 6.0 M_W, although this is not the general case. The fault situated to the N of Sierra Tejeda, probably the one responsible for the big earthquake of 25/12/1884, stands out, because it could generate an earthquake with magnitude 6.9 M_W. Although at present all the data needed are not fully known, we consider that the final results show, as a whole, the average expected return periods of the faults in the Granada Basin.     

Construction of GPS MonitoringNetwork,Characteristics of RecentCrustal Movement,and Relationbetween Stress Field andEarthquake Activity in the NingxiaRegion

INT正ODU**!0厂Nln以la Is located In the nol’th segmentdthe North－southselsnuc Belt,Whlchls thejuncturedthe Qinghai－Xizang(Dbet)block,Alxa block and Odos block．In that region,the tectonic activity。svery strong;。y strong earthquakes occu。d In history,such as the 1739 ingluo M。8．0 earthqu拙eandl920 Halyuan M。8．5 eafthquake,etc．; Merately strongeaFthquakes are still veryactlve atpresent,onlyln the Wuzhong－un斟m area,there have been7 e血hquakes tvlth M。＞5．0 to occ…     

Establishment of the GPS Monitoring Network in North China, the Relation of Horizontal Crustal Movement to Stress Field and Seismicity

In the paper, the establishment, measurement, data-processing program and monitoring accuracy of the GPS seismic monitoring network in North China, especially in the Capital-Circle area, have been presented briefly. The relation of horizontal crustal deformation to tectonic movement, stress-field variation and seismicity has been analyzed in detail. The results indicate that the accuracy of GPS measurement has reached the order of 10-9 and the annual rate of horizontal crustal deformation in North China is about 4 ~5 mm. Horizontal crustal movement is a direct indication of the regional stress field. Therefore, by monitoring the time-sequence variation of horizontal crustal motion, it would be possible to investigate the change in the stress field, to analyze the tendency of seismicity and to determine the seismogenic zones.     

Active faulting in the frontal Rif Cordillera (Fes region,Morocco): Constraints from GPS data

The southern Rif cordillera front, between Fes and Meknes, is formed by the Prerif Ridges, which constitute a thrust and fold belt, in contact with the Saïss foreland basin. Geological evidence and regional GPS network data support recent and active tectonics of this Alpine cordillera, with a top-to-the-S-SW motion with respect to stable Africa. A local non-permanent GPS network was installed in 2007 around Fes to constrain the present-day activity of the mountain front. Six GPS sites are located in the Prerif mountain front (jbel Thratt and jbel Zalarh), the Saïss basin and the foreland constituted by the tabular Middle Atlas. Measurements of the GPS network in 2007, 2009 and 2012, over a five year span, seem to indicate that this region is tectonically active and is subjected to significant horizontal motions: (i) a regional displacement toward the SW with respect to stable Africa, showing an average rate of 2 mm/yr; (ii) a southwestward convergent motion between the jbel Thratt with respect to the Saïss basin and the eastern Zalarh ridge, with an average rate of about 4 mm/yr; and (iii) moderate NNE–SSW divergent dextral motion between the Saïss basin and the northern front of the tabular Middle Atlas with an average rate of about 1–2 mm/yr. The regional southwestward motion is related to the activity of the NE–SW sinistral North Middle Atlas-Kert fault zone, which follows the Moroccan Hot Line. Convergence between the Prerif ridges, located at the southern edge of the Rif, and the Saïss basin is accommodated by ENE–WSW striking northward dipping reverse sinistral faults and south vergent folds. In addition, increasing deformation toward the western ridges is in agreement with the stepped mountain front and the development of the arched structures of the Prerif ridges. Normal faults located south of the Saïss basin are responsible for local extension. Whereas the most active deformation occurs in the southern front of the jbel Thratt near Fes, the Saïss foreland basin and the Middle Atlas foreland have only moderate to low tectonic activity, as evidenced by geological and GPS data.     

Geochemical evolution of groundwater in the carbonate aquifers of Sierra de Segura (Betic Cordillera, southern Spain)

Sierra de Segura (Betic Cordillera), with a total area of over 3000 km², is the source of the two principal rivers in southern Spain, the Guadalquivir and the Segura. Due to the orographic effect of these mountains, precipitations are considerably more abundant than in nearby lowland areas, where the climate is semi-arid. Sierra de Segura is constituted of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary rocks, among which there are thick limestone–dolomitic formations which have given rise to extensive outcrops of permeable materials. In geomorphological terms, there is a large plateau intensively karstified that constitutes the main recharge area. Discharge takes place via a large number of springs, of which the 50 most important add up to a mean spring flow of about 13,500 l/s. The active geochemical processes in aquifers of Sierra de Segura, with their corresponding time sequence, are: dissolution of CO₂, dissolution of calcite, incongruent dissolution of dolomite, dedolomitization, exsolution of CO₂, and precipitation of calcite. More evolved water has higher temperature, magnesium content and Mg/Ca ratio; therefore, these parameters can be utilised as indicators of the degree of hydrochemical evolution. In addition, a good correlation between water temperature and magnesium concentration (or Mg/Ca ratio) indicates that an increase in temperature accelerates the kinetics of the dissolution of dolomite. Finally, the distribution of the temperatures in the vadose zone, determined by atmospheric thermal gradient, implies an apparent stratification of the predominant hydrochemical processes and of the groundwater physical and chemical characteristics.     

宁夏地区GPS监测网建设、近期地壳运动特征及应力场与地震活动关系初探

在阿拉善块体、鄂尔多斯块体和青藏块体交汇处的宁夏中部布设了GPS观测网,利用1996年以来的5期复测资料,分析了宁夏中部地区现今地壳运动状态,其结果为①宁夏中部地区在l996年12月至l999年5月间,有围绕鄂尔多斯西缘(P2测点)左旋运动的现象,银川盆地东侧的灵武断裂呈左旋逆走滑运动方式.该区主应力场方向为北北东-南南西(方位角为29.8°)方向,P2测站以南的中部地区向东位移,垂直形变量级明显大于水平形变量级,银川盆地及青藏块体呈上升状态,鄂尔多斯腹地的P1测站呈逐年下降趋势,在P3与P4测点间可能有一隐伏断裂存在.②在GPS测区附近中强地震前约1年,可观测到该区GPS测站的形变异常及主应力方向发生转变异常;测区附近中强地震前及周边地区强震前,该区GPS形变模拟矢量场能够预示未来地震的大体方位.这些结果可作为地震预测的特征值加以考虑.     

Comparison of long-term and short-term uplift rates along an active blind reverse fault zone (Bajo Segura,Se Spain)

The seismic activity of the Guardamar-Torrevieja zone (Eastern Betic Cordillera, SE Spain) can be associated with the Bajo Segura fault zone, an E-W reverse blind fault with secondary NW-SE dextral faults. A high-precision levelling profile 30 kilometers long was set up and levelled in 1997 to monitor the vertical displacement of this active fault zone. This profile runs parallel to an older high-precision levelling line included in the Spanish first order levelling network measured by the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) in two different campaigns (1934 and 1976). The 1997 line was relevelled in 2003 and 10 new benchmarks were set up, both to increase benchmark density and to restore some of the 1997 benchmarks that had been destroyed. We have used the 1976 IGN and the 2003 measurement to construct a recent vertical movements profile with a significant time difference (27 years). This recent vertical movements profile shows that the vertical movements are very small, nearly equal to the error bars, with a 0.2 mm/year rise in the town of Guardamar, and a 0.2 mm/year subsidence of the southern part of the profile (Punta Prima) respect to the town of Torrevieja. These movements could be related to the activity of the Bajo Segura and the San Miguel faults respectively. Using geological markers we have deduced uplift rates of 0.1 mm/year during the last 3 million years. Therefore, these preliminary results indicate that geodetically (short-term deformation) determined uplift rates are similar to those estimated from geological markers (long term deformation).     

华北地区GPS监测网建设,地壳水平运动与应力场及地震活动性的关系

简要地介绍了华北地区、特别是首都圈ＧＰＳ地震监测网的布设、观测、数据处理方法案和监测精度等,较详细地分析了地壳水平形变与构造运动、应力场变化以及地震活动的性的关系。     

PS-InSAR processing methodologies in the detection of field surface deformation—Study of the Granada basin (Central Betic Cordilleras,southern Spain)

Differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) is a very effective technique for measuring crustal deformation. However, almost all interferograms include large areas where the signals decorrelate and no measurements are possible. Persistent scatterer interferometry (PS-InSAR) overcomes the decorrelation problem by identifying resolution elements whose echo is dominated by a single scatterer in a series of interferograms.Two time series of 29 ERS-1/2 and 22 ENVISAT ASAR acquisitions of the Granada basin, located in the central sector of the Betic Cordillera (southern Spain), covering the period from 1992 to 2005, were analyzed. Rough topography of the study area associated to its moderate activity geodynamic setting, including faults and folds in an uplifting relief by the oblique Eurasian–African plate convergence, poses a challenge for the application of interferometric techniques. The expected tectonic deformation rates are in the order of ～1 mm/yr, which are at the feasibility limit of current InSAR techniques.In order to evaluate whether, under these conditions, InSAR techniques can still be used to monitor deformations we have applied and compared two PS-InSAR approaches: DePSI, the PS-InSAR package developed at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and StaMPS (Stanford Method for Persistent Scatterers) developed at Stanford University. Ground motion processes have been identified for the first time in the study area, the most significant process being a subsidence bowl located at the village of Otura.The idea behind this comparative study is to analyze which of the two PS-InSAR approaches considered might be more appropriate for the study of specific areas/environments and to attempt to evaluate the potentialities and benefits that could be derived for the integration of those methodologies.     

省级GPS基准网建设的启示与思考

以福建省地壳运动观测网络为基础,简要说明了在省级GPS基准网建设过程中项目的立项问题,并对省级GPS基准网的选址、基建、仪器选型与安装调试、数据处理等进行了说明。还对省级GPS基准网的应用需求和发展前景进行了阐述,对其他省局建设省级区域性GPS基准网有所借鉴。     

GPS Observation and Study on Recent Crustal Movement in the Northeastern Area of Pamir,Xinjiang

Calculation of repeated observation data at the densified GPS monitoring network in northeastern area of Pamir together with data from IGS stations in the peribphyery of the area yielded the movement rate of more than 40GPS station sites in the area,and,hence,the recent crustal deformation rate pattern and time series of fiductial GPS stations in the area were obtained.The result indicates that the principal movement direction of the GPS station sites is NNW,basically diagonal to the strike of Tianshan fold belt,i.e.a normal compression occurs in the Tianshan region.The movement pattern near Jiashi and its southwestern zone is some different from that of station sites in their surrounding areas,indicating a certain relation of tectonic deformation in Jiashi area to seismic activity during last years.The movement rate of station sites in the periphery of Taim basin less varies and its direction is basically consistent It indicates less or basically no deformation within Tarim basin.     

Basin evolution associated to curved thrusts: The Prerif Ridges in the Volubilis area (Rif Cordillera,Morocco)

The Volubilis Basin is located between two structural arcs formed by the Prerif Ridges that developed during and after sedimentation. The arcs correspond with W- to WSW-verging anticline culminations, limited, to the north by a NE-SW strike-slip lateral ramp. Sedimentary infill took place during two stages of ridge formation and propagation. The first stage occurred in the Middle Miocene-early Tortonian and was determined by the deposition of the Nappe Prérifaine in the northern part of the basin, and continental and marine sediments over the Prerif Ridges. The second one, Late Miocene in age (Tortonian–Messinian), corresponds to the sedimentation of calcarenites and bioclastic limestones at the basin edges, with a lateral transition to white and blue marls toward the center of the basin. There is clear evidence of synsedimentary deformation, suggesting the interaction of sedimentation and tectonics. Geophysical data allow us to characterize the stratigraphic architecture of the Volubilis Basin and the geometry of the top of the Paleozoic basement. An approximately N–S Tortonian–Messinian asymmetric depocenter is located close to the front of the eastern arc. This research illustrates the nucleation, progressive thrust bending and segmentation, and the propagation of folds interacting with sedimentation. Thrust nucleation agrees with Paleozoic basement highs under the detachment surface. The progressive development of these tectonic structures conditioned the formation, segmentation and final continentalization of the Volubilis Basin, which can be considered as a piggy-back basin.