INTRODUCTION

The main goal of the project VOLTAIRE was the study of the active tectonic processes occurring at continental margins of SW Iberia which determine a high concentration of natural hazards linked to seismicity, tsunami generation and large submarine mass wasting. The mitigation of these hazards requires a deep knowledge of the dynamics along margins and surrounding basins, and implies multidisciplinary and high-resolution marine geophysical investigations. The research work is focused on the Southwestern Margin of the Iberian Peninsula, from the eastern border of the Tagus Abyssal Plain to the Guadalquivir Bank. The project has been supported by Italian and Portuguese funding Agencies and represents a further step on a long standing cooperative effort among European institutions for the study of this area.