Neotectonic evolution of the Central Betic Cordilleras (Southern Spain).

Paleostress orientations were calculated from fault-slip data of 36 sites located along a traverse through the Central Betic Cordilleras (southern Spain). Heterogeneous fault sets, which are frequent in the area, have been divided into homogeneous subsets by cross-cutting relationships observed in the field and by a paleostress stratigraphy approach applied on each individual fault population. The state of stress was sorted according to main tectonic events and a new chronology is presented of the Miocene to Recent deformation in the central part of the Betic Cordilleras. The deviatoric stress tensors fall into four distinct groups that are regionally consistent and correlate with three Late Oligocene-Aquitanian to Recent major tectonic events in the Betic Cordilleras. The new chronology of the neotectonic evolution includes, from oldest to youngest, the following main tectonic phases: (1) Late Oligocene-Aquitanian to Early Tortonian: