Large earthquakes and tsunami hazards in a slow convergence boundary: The Gibraltar Arc System

The present-day crustal deformation of the south Iberian margin is mainly driven by the NW-SE convergence (4.5-5.6 mm/yr) between the Nubia and Eurasian plates. This convergence is accommodated over a wide deformation zone with significant activity south of the Iberian Peninsula, which includes the Gulf of Cadiz (Atlantic) and the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean), both forming the Gibraltar Arc System. In this area, instrumental seismicity is characterized by seismic events of low to moderate magnitude (Mw 6.0 to 8.5 earthquakes, which represent a significant seismic and tsunami hazard to the coasts of Iberia and North Africa.