Iberian Peninsula undergoing slow clockwise rotation

Researchers have determined that the Iberian Peninsula, home to Spain and Portugal, is slowly rotating in a clockwise direction. This movement is a result of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates converging at a rate of four to six millimeters per year.

According to a study published in the journal Gondwana Research, the tectonic deformation is not uniform across the entire peninsula, with the rotation being most pronounced in its western and southwestern regions. Lead author Asier Madarieta from the University of the Basque Country noted that while the boundary between the plates is relatively clear in the Atlantic Ocean and near Algeria, the geological situation south of Spain and Portugal is significantly more complex.

The current position of the Iberian block is the result of millions of years of tectonic shifts. Historically, the region was connected to parts of Europe that now belong to western France. As the North Atlantic opened, the block separated from the Eurasian continent, eventually shifting approximately 200 kilometers east to its present location.