Overview
- The analysis, published in Gondwana Research, combines seismic stress fields with satellite‑measured strain rates to reinterpret western Mediterranean tectonics.
- The team led by Asier Madarieta of the University of the Basque Country reports a gradual clockwise rotation of Spain and Portugal on geological timescales.
- Eurasia and Africa continue to converge at roughly 4–6 millimeters per year, with westward motion of the Alboran domain shaping a diffuse boundary.
- East of the Strait of Gibraltar the Gibraltar Arc absorbs deformation, whereas west of the strait a direct collision likely pushes Iberia from the southwest.
- The authors say the dataset can guide searches for active faults and refine seismic‑hazard assessments, while cautioning that decades‑long records limit long‑term certainty.