Detecting seismogenic sources (active faults) implies a regional analysis, mainly based on geomorphological, structural and seismological (instrumental and historical) research. Our group is known for adapting methodologies to slowly deforming areas where, owing to the effects of erosion, the geomorphological indicators are unconspicuous. Faults in these areas need to be analyzed at long time scales to obtain representative seismic histories. Once the most active faults have been detected, a paleoseismological analysis is performed, if possible, based on detailed geomorphology and trenching. The description of the seismic source includes the following parameters:  

fault geometry, slip-rate, seismic history (also recurrence, elapsed time, etc.) and maximum magnitude. Paleoseismological research implies using a large array of techniques such as airborne and ground LIDAR data, geological data (including trenching geomorphological stratigraphical analyses), GPS, geophysical data (integration) and integration of variety of geochronological tools.
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Our main objectives are:

  1. reduce gaps of information in the natural laboratory of the Eastern Betics Shear Zone (EBSZ) by considering whole fault transects, refining representative slip-rates and establishing fault geometries at depth.
  2. test the methodologies developed in the EBSZ to characterize seismic sources in the Baix Ebre (highly relevant for the safety of Ascó and Vandellós Nuclear Plants) and the High Pyrenees.

Collaborations:

We work in close collaboration with T.Rockwell (SDSU, USA), S.Baize (IRSN, France) and P.Lacan (UNAM, Mexico) at an international level, both included recurrently in the research projects and publications of the group (PREVENT, NSOURCES). We also collaborate with French Resif network under the action FACT (coordinated by J.F.Ritz, https://www.resif.fr/actions/action-transverse-sismicite/) to characterize the active faults of metropolitan France. The UNESCO project (IGCP-669) led by M.Ortuño, with almost 100 participants (https://geollin.org/), has established a large network of earthquake scientists within latin America. The scientific link with the core of this network is evident in publications with the Paleoseismological research team at UNAM, led by P.Lacan.

At a national level we have collaborated with researchers of the IGME (R.Banda, J.García Mayordomo) and from the UCM (J.Insua-Arévalo, J.J. Martínez Díaz), the UAM (C.Canora), and Universidad de León for remote sensing (E.García Meléndez), among others. He have also started a line of research in collaboration with A.Moreno (IPE-CSIC) and B.Valero (IPE-CSIC) to study paleoseismites in the lakes of the Central Pyrenees, counting with the support of the Diputación de Huesca.

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