[1] Controversial evolutionary models have been proposed for the Gibraltar Arc system, a complex interaction zone between the Eurasia and African plates. Here we derive new mantle anisotropic constraints from SKS splitting measurements on a dense network of about 90 broad-band stations deployed over South Iberia and North Morocco. The inferred fast polarization directions (FPD) clearly show a spectacular rotation along the arc following the curvature of the Rif-Betic chain, while stations located at the South and South-East edges show distinct patterns. These results support geodynamical processes invoking a fast retreating slab rather than convective-removal and delamination models. The FPD variations along the Gibraltar arc can be explained by fossil anisotropy acquired during the Western Mediterranean Eocene subduction, while changes to the South and South-East of the Rif-Betic chain could be the imprint of a flow episode around an Alboran high velocity slab during its Miocene fragmentation from the Algerian slab. Citation:

Subduction and volcanism in the Iberia-North Africa collision zone from tomographic images of the upper mantle, Tectonophysics (2015Tectonophysics ( ), doi: 10.1016Tectonophysics ( /j.tecto.2015 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT2 AbstractNew tomographic images of the upper mantle beneath the westernmost Mediterranean suggest that the evolution of the region experienced two subduction-related episodes. First subduction of oceanic and/or extended continental lithosphere s, now located mainly beneath the Betics at depths greater than 400 km, took place on a NW-SE oriented subduction zone. This was followed by a slab-tear process that initiated in the east and propagated to the west, leading to westward slab rollback and possibly lower crustal delamination. The current position of the slab tear is located approximately at 4W, and to the west of this location the subducted lithosphere is still attached to the surface along the Gibraltar arc. Our new P-wave velocity model is able to image the attached subducted lithosphere as a narrow high-velocity body extending to shallow depths, coinciding with the region of maximum curvature of the Gibraltar Arc, the occurrence of intermediate-depth earthquakes, and anomalously thick crust. This thick crust has a large influence in the measured teleseismic travel time residuals and therefore in the obtained Pwave tomographic model. We show that removing the effects of the thick crust significantly improves the shallow images of the slab and therefore the interpretations based on the seismic structure.

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