PUBLICATIONS Tectonics RESEARCH ARTICLE An evaporite-bearing accretionary complex in the northern 10.1002/2016TC004414 front of the Betic-Rif orogen Special Section: Fernando Pérez-Valera1,2 , Mario Sánchez-Gómez1,3 , Alberto Pérez-López4,5 , fi Orogenic cycles: from eld and Luis Alfonso Pérez-Valera1 observations to global geodynamics 1Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ciencias de la Tierra (Universidad de Jaén), Jaén, Spain, 2Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra y del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain, 3Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Key Points: Experimentales (Universidad de Jaén), Jaén, Spain, 4Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias • Evaporite-bearing units form an (Universidad de Granada), Granada, Spain, 5Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-Universidad de Granada), accretional complex in Betics Armilla, Spain north end • Evaporites display a suite of ductile structures with coherent kinematics • Kinematics indicate westward motion, Abstract The Guadalquivir Accretionary Complex forms a largely oblique prism at the northern edge of with subordinate N-S contraction the Betic-Rif orogen, where Miocene sediments plus allochthonous evaporite-bearing units were accreted during the displacement of the Alborán Domain toward the west. Traditional interpretations end the tectonic structuring of the Betic Cordillera at the present topographic front, beyond which gravitational and/or Correspondence to: diapiric processes would predominate. However, this study shows pervasive tectonic deformation in the F. Pérez-Valera, outer prism with coherent oblique shortening kinematics, which is achieved through an alternation of
[email protected] roughly N-S arcuate thrust systems connected by E-W transfer fault zones. These structures accord well with the geophysical models that propose westward rollback subduction.