Iberia Experiences Clockwise Rotation from Plate Interactions
Asier Madarieta, a researcher at EHU, noted that analyses of crustal compression and deformation along the boundary between the Eurasian and African plates in the western Mediterranean corroborate the clockwise rotation of the Iberian Peninsula.
Madarieta highlighted the significant influence of the Gibraltar Arc along the Eurasia-Africa boundary. He explained that the eastern part of the crust absorbs deformation caused by tectonic collisions, effectively shielding Iberia from stress. Meanwhile, the western section experiences direct plate collision forces that may be pushing the peninsula from the southwest, driving its rotation.
"Every year, the Eurasian and African plates are moving 4-6 mm closer to each other. The boundary between the plates around the Atlantic Ocean and Algeria is very clear, whereas in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, the boundary is much more blurred and complex," Madarieta stated in research published by EHU's magazine.
The study further revealed a close correlation between crustal strain and surface deformation in the western Mediterranean along the plate boundary separating the Iberian Peninsula and northwest Africa.
"We found out which sectors on the boundary are already under the dominance of the collision between Eurasia and Africa and which are still determined by the westward displacement of the Gibraltar Arc," Madarieta added.
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