Departamento de Geodinámica, Universidad de Granada

Juan I. Soto

Profesor Titular, Structural Geology

Ph.D. Universidad de Granada, 1991
 
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My current research interests cover the following topics:

Late orogenic extension in mountain belts,
Structural interpretation and Strain analysis,
Metamorphic and thermal evolution of extended terranes.
These research topics are centered (until now!) in the study of the Internal Zones of the Betic Cordillera and of the Alboran Sea Basin in the Western Mediterranean. I participate also with others geological and geophysical colleagues developing a comprehensive model for the origin of the Alboran Sea and its three-dimensional crustal and lithospheric structure, using heat-flow and gravity data in conjunction with multi-channel seismics and deep-seismic profiling.

 
Space-shuttle image of the Betic Cordillera (left) and the Alboran Sea
(look direction NE, attitude 257.4 km. EarthRise image).
 

The following images illustrate some of the problems I am interested with; namely, upper crustal structures developed to accommodate extension by low-angle normal faulting (fault-footwall nowadays exposed at over 3000 m elevation high) and P-T evolution of the continental basement of the Alboran Sea, drilled by Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 161 (high-grade metamorphic rocks at nearly 2000 m below sea-level).
 
N-S anticline in the Nevado-Filabride Complex (Betic Cordillera) corresponding to isostatic-rebound folding in the footwall of a Middle Miocene low-angle detachment fault (looking SSE, peaks >3000 m high).
Mn-composition map of a garnet porphyroblasts overprinting the main foliation (S2= biotite and fibrolite) (Alboran Sea basement ODP Sample, 660 m below sea-floor). Peak-metamorphism at low-P accompanied by melting in the Alboran core support the complete removal of the lithospheric mantle beneath the region during extension.
 

Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra and Departamento de Geodinámica

Facultad de Ciencias; Av. Fuentenueva s/n ; 18071 - Granada; Spain

Tel: 34 - (9)58 243341
Fax: 34 - (9)58 248527 and 243384

Last Update: 4/18/00