ESR10

Project Title: Tectonics and Topography of the Gibraltar Arc.

Supervisor: Frederic Gueydan, Fanny Garel

Objectives: The tectonics of the westernmost Mediterranean system are a key to understanding the topographic evolution of the Gibraltar arc since 20 Ma and to unravelling the tectonic contribution to the Messinian salinity crisis. This project will probe the tectonics of the western Betics/Rif. Field geology will be used to identify and date major structures involved in the formation of the Gibraltar Arc. Numerical modelling will allow integration of geophysical data (gravimetry, tomography, seismic) to quantify the topographic evolution (subdsidence/uplift) of the region since 20 Ma. The respective role of deep processes and surface process will be quantified.

Expected Results: Constraints on the tectonic evolution of the western end of the Mediterranean since 20 Ma. Understanding of the tectonic context for the onset of the Messinian salinity crisis.

Academic secondment: CSIC-Barcelona, Fernandez, Garcia-Castellanos, 1 month: geophysical constraints on the 3D deep structures of the western Mediterranean; Messinian salinity crisis. Utrecht Tec Lab, D. Sokoutis, Willingshofer, 2 months: analogue modelling. Industry secondment: Fugro Geoid, 3 months, acquisition of field data.

Links to other projects: Geological constraints to modelling studies (ESR 3, 4). Quantification of the tectonic contribution to the Messinian salinity crisis (ESR 5). Back arc dynamics and metamorphic rock exhumation (ESR 9). Geomorphological evolution of an active subduction system (ESR 12, 14, 15)