Resumo
Recent mapping of the Gulf of Cadiz seafloor permitted to identify major tectonic lineaments: the SWIM lineaments (Zitellini et al., 2009) and Cadiz lineament, striking WNW-ESE and NE-SW, respectively. Multibeam swath bathymetry and interpretation of multi-channel seismic data indicate that these features can be interpreted to correspond to the seafloor morphological expression of active dextral strike-slip faults. Based on the interpreted data and recently published GPS plate kinematic velocity vectors of Nubia with respect to Iberia and the Alboran block (e.g. Fernandes et al.; 2003 Stich et al., 2006) we propose that the SWIM Faults are related to the general NW-SE convergence of Nubia with respect to Iberia, and the Cadiz fault is related to the westward movement of the Gibraltar orogenic arc.
