The Carboneras Fault is a major left-lateral strike-slip fault in the Almería province of southeastern Spain, part of the broad Eastern Betic Shear Zone. It runs from the coast near the town of Carboneras inland toward the northeast, accommodating the slow convergence between the African and Eurasian plates that squeezes and shears the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula.
The fault is well exposed both onshore and offshore, making it a natural laboratory for studying strike-slip mechanics and fault gouge. Although its long-term slip rate is low, it is capable of generating moderate earthquakes, and its offshore continuation raises concern for coastal tsunami potential in the region.
The Carboneras Fault forms part of the same shear system that has produced destructive historical earthquakes in southeast Spain, and it is considered one of the country's most significant active faults. Ongoing geological and paleoseismic studies aim to clarify its recurrence intervals and the maximum earthquake it could unleash on the Almería coast.