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The quest for the Africa-Eurasia plate boundary west of the Strait of Gibraltar
Zitellini, N.; Gràcia, E.; Matias, L.; Terrinha, P.; Abreu, M.A.; DeAlteriis, G.; Henriet, J.P.; Dañobeitia, J.J.; Masson, D.G.; Mulder, T.; Ramella, R.; Somoza, L.; Diez, S. (2009). The quest for the Africa-Eurasia plate boundary west of the Strait of Gibraltar. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 280(1-4): 13-50. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.12.005
In: Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Elsevier: Amsterdam. ISSN 0012-821X; e-ISSN 1385-013X, more
Peer reviewed article  

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Keyword
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    Africa–Eurasia plate boundary; Nubia; Iberia; Great Lisbon Earthquake; Gulf of Cadiz

Authors  Top 
  • Zitellini, N., more
  • Gràcia, E.
  • Matias, L.
  • Terrinha, P.
  • Abreu, M.A.
  • DeAlteriis, G.
  • Henriet, J.P., more
  • Dañobeitia, J.J., more
  • Masson, D.G.
  • Mulder, T.
  • Ramella, R.
  • Somoza, L.
  • Diez, S.

Abstract
    The missing link in the plate boundary between Eurasia and Africa in the central Atlantic is presented and discussed. A set of almost linear and sub parallel dextral strike–slip faults, the SWIM1 Faults, that form a narrow band of deformation over a length of 600 km coincident with a small circle centred on the pole of rotation of Africa with respect to Eurasia, was mapped using a new swath bathymetry compilation available in the area offshore SW Portugal. These faults connect the Gloria Fault to the Rif–Tell Fault Zone, two segments of the plate boundary between Africa and Eurasia. The SWIM faults cut across the Gulf of Cadiz, in the Atlantic Ocean, where the 1755 Great Lisbon earthquake, M ~ 8.5–8.7, and tsunami were generated, providing a new insight on its source location.

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