The GPS measurements in Morocco were started by R. Reilinger and S. McClusky (MIT) with a NSF grant in 1999. The first results have been published in 2006 (see Fadil et al. 2006), further updates with GPS velocities in southern spain have been published in Vernant et al. (2010) and Koulali et al. (2011).
The puzzling feature of this velocity field is the unexpected motion of the Rif region toward the SSW in Nubia reference frame. Numerical models suggests that the forces related to the Nubia-Eurasia convergence alone are not sufficient to explain the present-day velocity field and that delamination beneath northern Morocco could explain the active tectonics of the region (Perouse et al, 2010).
Many researchers are involved in this work:
R. Reilinger and R.W. King , EAPS, MIT, Cambridge, USA
T. Mourabit, University Abdelmalek Essaadi, Tangier, Morocco
D. Ouazar, LASH, Ecole Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs, Rabat, Morocco
A. Tahayt, CNRST, Institut National de Géophysique, Rabat, Morocco
S. McClusky, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
P. Vernant, J.-F. Ritz, J. Chéry, S. Mazzotti, M. Ferry, M. Peyret, A. Poujol, Geosciences Montpellier
We have densified the GPS network in the Rif in the fall 2011 (see figure below) and are working on the active faults through a morphotectonics analysis (A. Poujol PhD thesis).
The present day work is supported by INSU-CT3 and CNES-TOSCA.
We have densified the GPS network in the Rif in the fall 2011 (see figure below) and are working on the active faults through a morphotectonics analysis (A. Poujol PhD thesis). The present day work is supported by INSU-CT3 and CNES-TOSCA.
