The Andalusian E-W coast. Discussion on its geological significance

Abstract

The Andalusian coast from the Cabo de Gata to Malaga has as a whole an E-W direction. The tectonic units are arranged obliquely along it, in general with the lower ones outcropping the in the eastern part and the upper ones in the western part. Since the continental shelf is narrow, this obliquity cannot be recovered before the slope, which suggests the existence of a fault along the slope. In support of this interpretation, it should be noted that in the westernmost part of the Betic Internal Zone there are significant dextral E-W faults (i.e. parallel to the E-W coast), which are some of the E-W faults cutting up the Internal Zone facilitating its westwards translation, greater in the southern most sectors displaced by the faults. These westwards displacements were linked to the opening of the Alboran Sea, due to the pressure that this produced especially on its northern border (on the other hand, deformations also occurred on the Rifian border). Later, important E-O antiforms were formed and the erosion of the S flank of the antiform situated directly to the N of the coast produced the existing scarp.