region and strong rainfall events may cause local erosion and mobile bedforms, as
happens in many Iberian prodeltas (e.g. Bárcenas et al. 2009).
Hazards related to tectonics and slope instability can trigger destructive tsunamis
(e.g. Fine et al. 2005; Gisler et al. 2006; Harbitz et al. 2014). The seismic-related risk
of tsunamis in the Alboran Sea has not yet been quantified but is considerable.
The various coastal regions of the basin have been affected by several tsunamis over
the last seven centuries (Kaabouben et al. 2009). Accessible tsunami models, such as
the Cornell Multi-grid Coupled Tsunami Model (COMCOT), enable us to assess the
areas potentially affected in the Alboran Sea. The most-affected coastal area (involving sources in the south-central area of the Alboran Basin) is located between the
cities of Marbella and Almería. In this area, wave elevations (locally exceeding 1 m
in height) would reach the coast in less than 30 min (Álvarez-Gómez et al. 2011;
Macías et al. 2015). Strike-slip faults like the Serrata-Carboneras and Yusuf faults
could generate local tsunamis affecting the coastal infrastructure with a short (5 min)
travel time (Álvarez-Gómez et al. 2011). Recently, the Averroes Fault has been
suggested to be one of the most important potential tsunamigenic faults in the area
(Estrada et al. 2018) (Fig. 6.7). Also, recent studies consider underwater massmovements as a potential cause of tsunamis, and these have been numerically
modelled in order to evaluate the affected areas (Macías et al. 2015; Rodriguez
et al. 2017).
6.6.4 Contribution of Geology to Habitat Knowledge
Habitat mapping requires the integration of biological, geological, and oceanographic data. Surficial marine geology is a very important variable for habitat
classification purposes and biodiversity studies. Marine geological mapping
involves a range of acoustic and ground-truthing methods that provide crucial
information for linking substrate characteristics (morphological and textural) with
the existence of certain types of habitats. Furthermore, geology affects the environmental conditions of an ecosystem, for example changes in topography generated by
slope movements govern the development, or not, of habitats. Also, major natural
disasters, like earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods, are key factors affecting habitat
settling. All these are specific topics in the study of marine geology.
In recent years, several research articles written from a geohabitat perspective
have been published, mainly dealing with the northern margin of the Alboran Sea
(Hebbeln et al. 2009; Palomino et al. 2011; Vázquez et al. 2015a; Gofas et al. 2014;
Moya-Urbano et al. 2016; Sánchez-Guillamón et al. 2018). Most of these studies
form part of the INDEMARES project, a European initiative to define Sites of
Community Importance to be included in the Spanish marine Natura 2000 Network,
and in which geological studies have played an important role.
In this sense, the studies undertaken to date in the Alboran Sea have focused on
the following geomorphological units: prodeltas, bioconstructions, seamounts, and
canyon heads. These geological studies have provided information on the depth,
194
G. Ercilla et al.
happens in many Iberian prodeltas (e.g. Bárcenas et al. 2009).
Hazards related to tectonics and slope instability can trigger destructive tsunamis
(e.g. Fine et al. 2005; Gisler et al. 2006; Harbitz et al. 2014). The seismic-related risk
of tsunamis in the Alboran Sea has not yet been quantified but is considerable.
The various coastal regions of the basin have been affected by several tsunamis over
the last seven centuries (Kaabouben et al. 2009). Accessible tsunami models, such as
the Cornell Multi-grid Coupled Tsunami Model (COMCOT), enable us to assess the
areas potentially affected in the Alboran Sea. The most-affected coastal area (involving sources in the south-central area of the Alboran Basin) is located between the
cities of Marbella and Almería. In this area, wave elevations (locally exceeding 1 m
in height) would reach the coast in less than 30 min (Álvarez-Gómez et al. 2011;
Macías et al. 2015). Strike-slip faults like the Serrata-Carboneras and Yusuf faults
could generate local tsunamis affecting the coastal infrastructure with a short (5 min)
travel time (Álvarez-Gómez et al. 2011). Recently, the Averroes Fault has been
suggested to be one of the most important potential tsunamigenic faults in the area
(Estrada et al. 2018) (Fig. 6.7). Also, recent studies consider underwater massmovements as a potential cause of tsunamis, and these have been numerically
modelled in order to evaluate the affected areas (Macías et al. 2015; Rodriguez
et al. 2017).
6.6.4 Contribution of Geology to Habitat Knowledge
Habitat mapping requires the integration of biological, geological, and oceanographic data. Surficial marine geology is a very important variable for habitat
classification purposes and biodiversity studies. Marine geological mapping
involves a range of acoustic and ground-truthing methods that provide crucial
information for linking substrate characteristics (morphological and textural) with
the existence of certain types of habitats. Furthermore, geology affects the environmental conditions of an ecosystem, for example changes in topography generated by
slope movements govern the development, or not, of habitats. Also, major natural
disasters, like earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods, are key factors affecting habitat
settling. All these are specific topics in the study of marine geology.
In recent years, several research articles written from a geohabitat perspective
have been published, mainly dealing with the northern margin of the Alboran Sea
(Hebbeln et al. 2009; Palomino et al. 2011; Vázquez et al. 2015a; Gofas et al. 2014;
Moya-Urbano et al. 2016; Sánchez-Guillamón et al. 2018). Most of these studies
form part of the INDEMARES project, a European initiative to define Sites of
Community Importance to be included in the Spanish marine Natura 2000 Network,
and in which geological studies have played an important role.
In this sense, the studies undertaken to date in the Alboran Sea have focused on
the following geomorphological units: prodeltas, bioconstructions, seamounts, and
canyon heads. These geological studies have provided information on the depth,
194
G. Ercilla et al.