La Sierra de Cártama: Pliegue con actividad reciente en las Béticas Occidentales (Hoya de Málaga)

Abstract

In this work is shown how an active fold (the Sierra de Cartama fault) is marked by the drainage pattern and topography, besides of structural data. The Sierra de Cartama fold is an asymmetric fold with double plunge and determines the shape of an elongated saw in the Western Betic Chains (South of Spain). Watching the drainage patterns, it can be noticed how streams and creeks round the saw. The uplift of the saw raise the valleys steeply, even leaving a hanging valley ("wind gap ") at the western part of the structure. Regarding to these observations, the lateral propagation of the fold seems to be toward the west.

The proposed structure implies the existence of a compressive neotectonic activity in the zone. The compressive horizontal direction is N10e-30eW, perpendicular to the fold axis. In this tectonic environment it could be possible to interpret a reverse fault in deep associated with the fold growth