Proceedings of the 12th International INQUA meeting on paleoseismology, active tectonic and archaeoseismology

the evaluation of seismic hazard in the area. These studies have also highlighted that the Palomares Fault (PF), one of the main faults of the EBSZ, is limiting the modelling for the entire system (Gómez-Novell et al., 2020; Herrero-Barbero et al., 2021), as the slip rates available on the PF are considerably lower compared to the other faults. Although the PF is one of the most unstudied faults in the system, to date, very few paleoseismic studies have been conducted on this fault (Roquero et al., 2019; Silva et al., 1997), and slip- rates mainly come from long term geological markers with significant uncertainties. This parameter is crucial for seismic hazard assessment, studying this fault in detail is of great importance. This study presents the morphotectonic analysis conducted at the northern termination of the PF, detailed geomorphological mapping of the area, and the paleoseismological study of different outcrops and a trench. This is the first palaeoseismic trench on the fault, and also the first OSL dating of the PF, with samples taken at the different studied sites. The main objective is to thoroughly characterise the PF in order to better constrain its seismic potential. Here we present the first results of this ongoing work. Geological settings The Palomares Fault (PF) is a fault that is part of the Eastern Betic Shear Zone (EBSZ), a transpressive system that absorbs much of the NW-SE convergence (4-5 mm/year) between the Eurasian and Nubian plates (Palano et al., 2015). The system is comprised of various sinistral strike-slip faults that have shaped the landscape during the Pleistocene and Quaternary, creating a series of basins and ranges (Fig. 1). The PF lies between the Carboneras and Carrascoy Faults, bordering the Vera Basin, the Pulpí Corridor, and the Guadalentín Depression to the east. The fault has a predominant NNE-SSW orientation and experiences progressive rotation, starting from the La Escariuhela village (Fig. 1) to the Hinojar Sierra, where the fault exhibits an almost E-W orientation. Regional geological mapping indicates that the PF caused a displacement of about 15 km of the Sierra Cabrera antiform during the Late Neogene and Quaternary (e.g. Weijermars, 1987), south of Vera. This same structure is also cut and displaced, about 23 km, by the Terreros Fault which borders the Tébar Basin, east of is studied, and in the middle segment (Roquero et al., 2019), where the fault affecting alluvial fans in the area can be observed. In these studies, also a more detailed segmentation is proposed for each studied area.