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Scientists discover Cabo Cope was formed by a tsunami in the Mediterranean Sea
Researchers believe the defining event that shaped the Águilas coastline occurred between 800 and 1,400 years ago
Today, the southeastern coast of Spain is a hotbed of seismic activity so frequent that residents hardly notice the tremors anymore, but in years gone by the Mediterranean also suffered catastrophic tsunamis, the strength of which shaped the coastal landscape.
Now, researchers have discovered that the unique formation of the headland of Cabo Cope in Águilas and the Calnegre shoreline were actually created by a succession of these violent tidal waves in the Mediterranean Sea.
Through studying rock deposits from Region of Murcia beaches, the team from the Scientific Information and News Service (SINC) has determined that a maritime event dating from approximately 800 to 1,400 years ago caused large amounts to rubble to wash up on the Murcia coast.
"We applied the methodology that we had developed to see if (these rock accumulations) could be due to large storms or tsunamis, since the Murcia area can have tectonic activity from earthquakes," explained professor Javier Lario, whose team has verified that "they could be the result of a tsunami."
The most compelling evidence is the sheer size of the rocks, each of which weighs in at around 17.1 tonnes. No ordinary wave, or even a powerful tidal wave, would have the strength to drag these monstrous boulders four metres above sea level.
The eye-opening study had the support of researchers from the University of the West of England and the University of Alcalá de Henares, who have issued the stark warning that, if tsunamis frequently hit the southern Mediterranean coast in the past, they are also a real possibility in the future.
"We are talking about 70% of the population living on the coasts," according to Lario, who added that the impact of such an event could be devastating in the summer months, since, "the floating population of the coastal areas is much higher than that of winter."
He warned, "Clearly a tsunami now would have a very large impact."
The Ministry of the Interior, together with the National Geographic Institute and the General Directorate of Civil Protection, have developed a State Tsunami Plan, through which they can predict, with reasonable certainty, when and if one could occur throughout Spain.
Image: Archive
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