The first oceanic crust in the central Atlantic is usually thought to have a Middle Jurassic age. The new interpretation of the two key parameters, the African homologue of the East Coast Magnetic Anomaly and the situation of the Triassic salt basin of Morocco and Novia Scotia, shows that this age was underestimated by about 20 Ma. In our kinematic reconstruction, the first oceanic crust begins at the Late Sinemurian. This difference in age is crucial for the evolution of those margins and we discuss here its consequences. Résumé: La première croûte océanique de l'Atlantique central est le plus souvent attribuée au Jurassique moyen. Notre reconstruction la situe à la fin du Sinémurien, soit environ 20 Ma plus tôt, différence capitale pour la modélisation des marges américaine et africaine. Cette révision, qui met fin à nombre de contradictions, est fondée sur la réinterprétation de deux éléments clés : l'équivalent africain de la East Coast Magnetic Anomaly, d'une part, l'extension des bassins à évaporites triasicoliasiques du Maroc et de Nouvelle-Écosse, d'autre part. L'article est consacré à cette réinterprétation et à ses conséquences en termes d'âge.
S U M M A R YThe Atlantic margin off Morocco with its neighbouring Jurassic oceanic crust is one of the oldest on earth. It is conjugate to the Nova Scotia margin of North America. The SISMAR marine seismic survey acquired deep reflection seismic data as well as wide-angle seismic profiles in order to image the deep structure of the margin, characterize the nature of the crust in the transitional domain and define the geometry of the synrift basins. We present results from the combined interpretation of the reflection seismic, wide-angle seismic and gravity data along a 440-km-long profile perpendicular to the margin at 33-34 • N, extending from nearly normal oceanic crust in the vicinity of Coral Patch seamount to the coast at El Jadida and approximately 130 km inland. The shallow structure is well imaged by the reflection seismic data and shows a thick sedimentary cover that is locally perturbed by salt tectonics and reverse faulting. The sedimentary basin thickens from 1.5 km on the normal oceanic crust to a maximum thickness of 6 km at the base of the continental slope. Multichannel seismic (MCS) data image basement structures including a few tilted fault blocks and a transition zone to a thin crust. A strong discontinuous reflection at 12 s two-way travel-time (TWT) is interpreted as the Moho discontinuity. As a result of the good data quality, the deep crustal structure (depth and velocity field) is well constrained through the wide-angle seismic modelling. The crust thins from 35 km underneath the continent to approximately 7 km at the western end of the profile. The transitional region has a width of 150 km. Crustal velocities are lowest at the continental slope, probably as a result of faulting and fracturing of the upper crust. Uppermantle velocities could be well defined from the ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) and land station data throughout the model.
A total 1500 km of seismic reflection and wide-angle profiles were acquired off the southern Moroccan margin during the DAKHLA cruise, a joint project of Ifremer, the Universities of Brest, El Jadida and Lisbon and Total. The shots along two profiles parallel to the margin and two profiles perpendicular to the margin were also recorded by ocean bottom seismometers (OBS). The profiles perpendicular to the margin were additionally extended on land using 14 stations on the northern profile and 11 stations on the southern profile. Modelling of the reflection and wide-angle seismic data reveals a 10 km deep sedimentary basin including two high velocity carbonate layers. Lateral crustal thinning is observed from a 27 km thick crystalline continental crust to a 7 km thick oceanic crust occurring over less than 100 km. The crystalline continental crust can be divided into two distinct layers of 12 and 15 km thickness. The oceanic crust east of the magnetic anomaly M25 displays higher velocities in layer 3 than west of the magnetic anomaly. The change in seismic velocity suggests a possible link to changes in accretionary processes of the oceanic crust. Some regions show seismic velocities between 6.8 and 7.4 km/s which could be explained by slightly elevated mantle temperatures during accretion of the crust.
International audienceThe structure of the Moroccan and Nova Scotia conjugate rifted margins is of key importance for understanding the Mesozoic break-up and evolution of the northern central Atlantic Ocean basin. Seven combined multichannel reflection (MCS) and wide-angle seismic (OBS) data profiles were acquired along the Atlantic Moroccan margin between the latitudes of 31.5° and 33° N during the MIRROR seismic survey in 2011, in order to image the transition from continental to oceanic crust, to study the variation in crustal structure, and to characterize the crust under the West African Coast Magnetic Anomaly (WACMA).The data were modeled using a forward modeling approach. The final models image crustal thinning from 36 km thickness below the continent to approximately 8 km in the oceanic domain. A 100 km wide zone characterized by rough basement topography and high seismic velocities up to 7.4 km/s in the lower crust is observed westward of the West African Coast Magnetic Anomaly. No basin underlain by continental crust has been imaged in this region, as has been identified north of our study area. Comparison to the conjugate Nova Scotian margin shows a similar continental crustal thickness and layer geometry, and the existence of exhumed and serpentinized upper mantle material on the Canadian side only. The oceanic crustal thickness is lower on the Canadian margin
Study of the deep structure of conjugate passive continental margins combined with detailed plate kinematic reconstructions can provide constraints on the mechanisms of rifting and formation of initial oceanic crust. In this study the central Atlantic conjugate margins are compared based on compilation of wide‐angle seismic profiles from NW Africa Nova Scotian and U.S. passive margins. The patterns of volcanism, crustal thickness, geometry, and seismic velocities in the transition zone suggest symmetric rifting followed by asymmetric oceanic crustal accretion. Conjugate profiles in the southern central Atlantic image differences in the continental crustal thickness. While profiles on the eastern U.S. margin are characterized by thick layers of magmatic underplating, no such underplate was imaged along the African continental margin. In the north, two wide‐angle seismic profiles acquired in exactly conjugate positions show that the crustal geometry of the unthinned continental crust and the necking zone are nearly symmetric. A region including seismic velocities too high to be explained by either continental or oceanic crust is imaged along the Canadian side, corresponding on the African side to an oceanic crust with slightly elevated velocities. These might result from asymmetric spreading creating seafloor by faulting the existing lithosphere on the Canadian side and the emplacement of magmatic oceanic crust including pockets of serpentinite on the Moroccan margin. After isochron M25, a large‐scale plate reorganization might then have led to an increase in spreading velocity and the production of thin magmatic crust on both sides.
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