Geophysical Imaging of the Critical Zone along the Eastern Betic Shear Zone (EBSZ), SE Iberian Peninsula

The critical zone (CZ) represents the most-shallow subsurface, where bio-, hydro-, and geospheres interact with anthropogenic activity. To characterize thickness lateral variations of CZ, here we focus on Eastern Betic Shear Zone (EBSZ), one most tectonically active regions in Iberian Peninsula. Within EBSZ, Guadalentín Depression is a highly populated area intensive agricultural activity, characterization CZ would provide valuable assets for land use management seismic hazard assessments. achieve this, have conducted an interdisciplinary geophysical study along eastern border to architecture shallow subsurface. datasets used include Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), first-arrival travel time tomography, multichannel analysis surface waves (MASW). combined help constrain high-resolution structure subsurface image fault systems four transects. resulting models allowed us interpret first ~150 m has revealed: (i) variable CZ; (ii) relationship between topographic slope; (iii) differences associated geological units. Our results method studying faults, complementing previous based paleo-seismological trenches, can be improve assessment regions.