Eva Asensio
Universitat de Barcelona, Geodinàmica i Geofísica, Department Member
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Topo-Iberia GPS network consists of 26 continuous GPS reference stations located in the Spanish part of the Iberian Peninsula (22 stations) and northern Morocco (4 stations). The first station was installed at Cabo Busto (Asturias) in... more
Topo-Iberia GPS network consists of 26 continuous GPS reference stations located in the Spanish part of the Iberian Peninsula (22 stations) and northern Morocco (4 stations). The first station was installed at Cabo Busto (Asturias) in March 2008 and the last one at Sierra Nevada (Betics) in October 2008. Since this date all the stations are fully operational. The network
Research Interests:
This case study deals with a rock face monitoring in urban areas using a Terrestrial Laser Scanner. The pilot study area is an almost vertical, fifty meter high cliff, on top of which the village of Castellfollit de la Roca is located.... more
This case study deals with a rock face monitoring in urban areas using a Terrestrial Laser Scanner. The pilot study area is an almost vertical, fifty meter high cliff, on top of which the village of Castellfollit de la Roca is located. Rockfall activity is currently causing a retreat of the rock face, which may endanger the houses located at its edge. TLS datasets consist of high density 3-D point clouds acquired from five stations, nine times in a time span of 22 months (from March 2006 to January 2008). The change detection, i.e. rockfalls, was performed through a sequential comparison of datasets. Two types of mass movement were detected in the monitoring period: (a) detachment of single basaltic columns, with magnitudes below 1.5 m3 and (b) detachment of groups of columns, with magnitudes of 1.5 to 150 m3. Furthermore, the historical record revealed (c) the occurrence of slab failures with magnitudes higher than 150 m3. Displacements of a likely slab failure were measured, suggesting an apparent stationary stage. Even failures are clearly episodic, our results, together with the study of the historical record, enabled us to estimate a mean detachment of material from 46 to 91.5 m3 year-1. The application of TLS considerably improved our understanding of rockfall phenomena in the study area.
We present a block model of the Ibero-Maghrebian region, which explains the geodynamic behavior of this complex plate boundary. The proposed model, based on the compilation of the published GPS velocity fields, consists of5 blocks: two... more
We present a block model of the Ibero-Maghrebian region, which explains the geodynamic behavior of this complex plate boundary. The proposed model, based on the compilation of the published GPS velocity fields, consists of5 blocks: two blocks that represent the African and Eurasian plates, a block which includes the Rif and the Alboran sea, a block with the Central and Eastern Betics, and finally a block with the easternmost part of the Betics range. The principal deformation zones are: 1) a right-lateral behavior of the fault from Gulf of Cadiz to the eastern Betics; 2) the Trans-Alboran Shear Zone has a left-lateral movement with a low extensional component; 3) the transpresive behavior of the Rif and north Argelia faults; 4) the parallel to the Andalusian coast faults have a right lateral movement. We suggest that the obtained results support a geodynamic model of active slab roll-backbeneath the Strait of Gibraltar with a consequent back-arc extension in the eastern Betics.
We present a GPS-derived horizontal velocity field of the Carboneras Fault Zone (ZFC), located in the Eastern Betic Shear Zone in SE Spain. The stations located on the both side of the fault show different velocity orientations, with... more
We present a GPS-derived horizontal velocity field of the Carboneras Fault Zone (ZFC), located in the Eastern Betic Shear Zone in SE Spain. The stations located on the both side of the fault show different velocity orientations, with magnitudes ranging from 1.5 to 2 mm/yr. The left-lateral slip rate inferred for the fault is 1.3±0.2mm/yr while the shortening rate is lower (~0.4 mm/yr). These new results reveal a continued tectonic activity of the Carboneras fault and illustrate its transpressive behaviour of the fault, with a predominance of the strike-slip component. The presented geodetic slip rates are in agreement with the geologic slip rates obtained from onshore-offshore studies.
This work provides an updated kinematic block model for the Betic-Rif region in western Mediterranean based on the compilation of the most recent GPS measurements. The study zone includes the tectonic plate boundary between the Nubia and... more
This work provides an updated kinematic block model for the Betic-Rif region in western Mediterranean based on the compilation of the most recent GPS measurements. The study zone includes the tectonic plate boundary between the Nubia and Eurasia plates, where the exact boundary between the two plates is diffuse. The complexity of the plate boundary in the Betic-Rif arc is also evidenced by: i) broad spatial distribution of seismicity; ii) variety of focal mechanisms; iii) non-uniform crustal deformation field deduced from GPS observations. In this study we compiled the GPS results obtained from the Topo-Iberia CGPS network consisting of 25 CGPS sites (21 in Spain and 4 on Morocco) with the previously published GPS velocities from the region. The GPS velocities from various sources were transformed into a common Eurasia reference frame using the VELROT routine of the GAMIT/GLOBK software from MIT. The resulting GPS velocities were complemented with the seismic and geologic informatio...
We present an updated crustal deformation field in the Eastern Betics, based on GPS observations of the CuaTeNeo network. This non-permanent network was established in 1996 to quantify the current tectonic deformation of the SE Betics.... more
We present an updated crustal deformation field in the Eastern Betics, based on GPS observations of the CuaTeNeo network. This non-permanent network was established in 1996 to quantify the current tectonic deformation of the SE Betics. The network consists of 15 stable monuments distributed between Murcia and Almeria, which were observed five times (1997, 2002, 2006, 2009 and 2011). In general, the results show a velocity field lower than 2 mm/yr with a dominant trend oriented parallel to the Eurasia and Nubia relative plate convergence. Stations located farther inland exhibit lower velocity vectors. The calculated crustal deformation field presents clear evidence that the tectonic faults forming the Eastern Betic Shear Zone remain active. As it was evidenced by the May 11th 2011 Lorca earthquake of magnitude Mw5.2, which was caused by a reverse and sinistral slip of the Alhama de Murcia Fault. Our GPS observations, preceding the occurrence of the earthquake, are in agreement with t...
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The Gibraltar Arc, formed by the alpine Betic and Rif Cordillera, surrounds the western Alborán Sea and is located on the Eurasian-African plate boundary. In a region with a complex geological setting, several tectonic models have been... more
The Gibraltar Arc, formed by the alpine Betic and Rif Cordillera, surrounds the western Alborán Sea and is located on the Eurasian-African plate boundary. In a region with a complex geological setting, several tectonic models have been proposed up to present, but they are not fully supported due to the absence of detailed geophysical data on the deep structure. In