Fault Activity Investigations in the Lower Tagus Valley (Portugal) With Seismic and Geoelectric Methods
Abstract
The Lower Tagus River Valley is located in Central Portugal, and includes a large portion of the densely populated area of Lisbon. It is sited in the Lower Tagus Cenozoic Basin, a tectonic depression where up to 2,000 m of Cenozoic sediments are preserved, which was developed in the Neogene as a compressive foredeep basin related to tectonic inversion of former Mesozoic extensional structures. It is only a few hundred kilometers distant from the Eurasia-Africa plate boundary, and is characterized by a moderate seismicity presenting a diffuse pattern, with historical earthquakes having caused serious damage, loss of lives and economical problems. It has therefore been the target of several seismic hazard studies in which extensive geological and geophysical research was carried out on several geological structures. This work focuses on the application of seismic and geoelectric methods to investigate an important NW-SE trending normal fault detected on deep oil-industry seismic reflection profiles in the Tagus Cenozoic Basin. In these seismic sections this fault clearly offsets horizons that are ascribed to the Upper Miocene. However, due to the poor near surface resolution of the seismic data and the fact that the fault is hidden under the recent alluvial cover of the Tagus River, it was not clear whether it displaced the upper sediments of Holocene age. In order to constrain the fault geometry and kinematics and to evaluate its recent tectonic activity, a few high-resolution seismic reflection profiles were acquired and refraction interpretation of the reflection data was performed. Some vertical electrical soundings were also carried out. A complex fault system was detected, apparently with normal and reverse faulting. The collected data strongly supports the possibility that one of the detected faults affects the uppermost Neogene sediments and very probably the Holocene alluvial sediments of the Tagus River. The evidence of recent activity on this fault, its length (at least 10 km), location in an area with significant historical seismicity, and proximity to Lisbon and other small towns, all indicate that it represents a serious hazard to the study region and so should be considered in the regional seismic hazard evalution.
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004AGUSMNS33A..10C
- Keywords:
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- 7223 Seismic hazard assessment and prediction