Paradigmatic Examples of Lateral Spreading Phenomena in the Betic-Rif and Maghrebian Chains

Abstract

Lateral spreading forms when fractured rocks or soil mass slide slowly over a softer underlying material. In this work, we studied two cases, one in the south of Spain and other in the north of Tunisia. Both are rock spreadings and occur along shear or tensile fractures. These mass movements involve in almost all cases rocks and occur along shear or tensile fractures.