Evolución geodinámica de la fosa del Empordà y las Sierras Transversales

Abstract

The Emporda basin, together with the half graben system of the Sierras Transversales, form a segment of the European Rift, which is defined here by the NW-SE-trending fault system of northeastern Catalonia.

The study area, which partially includes the Sierras Transversales and the southem margin of the Emporda basin, is internally structured by normal faults with listric geometry. Those with measured dip slips of about 1,000 meters are here called main faults; those located in the hanging walls of the main ones are called minor faults, and their dip slips are, at least, lesser in one order of magnitude. The hanging walls of the main faults hold half graben basins, with a sedimentary infill mainly neogene in age in the Emporda, and of quaternay age in the Sierras Transversales. Both areas are geologically bounded by the Camós-Celra fault. This rift segment is also characterized by the occurence of numerous volcanic emission centres. The timing of activity and burial of each fault, constrained by the ages of the associated sediments and vulcanism, suggest a piggy-back sequence of propagation from Miocene to recent times. The geological cross-section constructed from surface data, allowed us the elaboration of a geometric model in clepth for the whole fault system, usiug the inclined shear method. The calculated extension from this method gives us a value of B=1.27. On the other han4 the very high calculated magma ascent rates strongiy constrain the structure in the footwall (crust); subsequently, high angle discontinuities favouring a very fast magmatic ascent have to be definied. These discontinuities would form two imbricate systems (extensional duplexes), with a roof detachment coinciding with the floor detachment of the shallow fault system and a floor detachment located in the MOHO discontinuity. A similar crustal structuration is observed in the neighbouring segment of the Gulf of Lions.