Scientists Confirm the Iberian Peninsula Is Slowly Rotating Clockwise
Did you know the Iberian Peninsula—home to Spain and Portugal—isn’t as still as it looks on the map? Recent research has revealed that this massive landmass is actually rotating very slowly in a clockwise direction. It’s a process so gradual that it happens just a few millimeters each year, but over millions of years, it adds up. This discovery isn’t just a fun geological fact—it actually helps scientists understand how stresses in the Earth’s crust could influence future earthquakes in the region.
The study was led by Asier Madarieta Txurruka at the University of the Basque Country, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Palermo and the University of Granada. By combining decades of seismic records with high-precision satellite data, the team was able to track exactly how the Iberian Peninsula is moving. While some tectonic boundaries are well defined—like the ones in the Atlantic Ocean or along Algeria—the southern edge of Iberia is far more complicated. Here, the convergence between the Eurasian and African plates creates a tangled network of microplates, hidden faults, and diffuse stresses.
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Essentially, the rotation is caused by uneven tectonic forces. To the east of the Strait of Gibraltar, a geological structure called the Gibraltar Arc acts like a buffer, spreading out the pressure from the African plate’s push. But to the west, there’s no such shock absorber. The Iberian block collides more directly with the African plate, and because the crust here isn’t completely rigid, it doesn’t just get pushed—it twists. This constant, slow mechanical stress is what gradually spins the peninsula.
One of the most important implications of this work is how it helps scientists understand seismic risks. In areas where tectonic stress is spread out, it’s often unclear which faults are active—or even where they are. By combining satellite observations of surface deformation with seismic data, researchers can now identify zones where hidden faults may exist, pointing to places where earthquakes could strike in the future. This is especially valuable for regions like southwestern Iberia, where seismic activity is harder to map.
Even though this rotation is measured in millimeters per year, the insights it provides are huge. The study allows scientists to refine models of earthquake risk and helps focus future research on the areas most likely to experience tectonic strain. In a way, this discovery shows that even landmasses that seem stable on the surface are slowly but continuously shifting below our feet, reminding us of the powerful forces shaping our planet over millions of years.
The Iberian Peninsula may appear unchanging, but beneath the surface, it is quietly spinning—and thanks to modern science, we can finally see it happening.
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