Detrital zircon U-Pb ages in the Rif Belt (northern Morocco): Paleogeographic implications

Abstract

Detrital zircon U-Pb age distributions in Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks from the External Rif and Maghrebian Flysch Complex (including the so-called Mauretanian internal flysch units) are very similar, strongly suggesting that the External Rif and the entire Maghrebian Flysch Complex were part of the same NW African paleomargin.

The Rif Chain (Northern Morocco) in the Late Tortonian‐Early Messinian Tectonics of the Western Mediterranean Orogenic Belt: Evidence From the Tanger‐Al Manzla Wedge‐Top Basin

“…Detrital provenance analyses of these subbasins show source affinities with a Meso‐Mediterranean microplate (Mauretanian) and the African plate (Massylian) (Chiocchini et al, 1978; El Talibi et al, 2014; Guerrera et al, 2005; Thomas et al, 2010; Zaghloul et al, 2002, among others). However, differences in the provenance of detrital grains in different parts of the MFB, including the so‐called Mauretanian internal flysch units, have been recently questioned by Azdimousa et al (2019) based on detrital zircon U‐Pb age distributions. Detrital zircon ages in rocks from the External Rif and the MFB are very similar, suggesting both these domains were part of the NW African paleomargin (Azdimousa et al, 2019).…”

“…However, differences in the provenance of detrital grains in different parts of the MFB, including the so‐called Mauretanian internal flysch units, have been recently questioned by Azdimousa et al (2019) based on detrital zircon U‐Pb age distributions. Detrital zircon ages in rocks from the External Rif and the MFB are very similar, suggesting both these domains were part of the NW African paleomargin (Azdimousa et al, 2019).…”

“…The Mesorif subdomain mainly consists of allochthonous units made of Triassic‐middle Miocene successions overthrust onto parautochthonous units that include middle Miocene turbidites and olistostromes (e.g., Benzaggagh et al, 2014; El Mourabet et al, 2018; Gimeno‐Vives et al, 2019, 2020; Marçais, 1938; Michard et al, 2020). The deepest unit is the Temsamane unit, which crops out in the Eastern Rif (Figure 2) (Azdimousa et al, 2007, 2019; Frizon de Lamotte, 1985; Negro et al, 2007, 2008). It consists of basement rocks of the Eastern Meseta and its Mesozoic cover, affected by Alpine metamorphism to form a fold‐and‐thrust stack (Azdimousa et al, 2019).…”

Validating Structural Styles in the Flysch Basin Northern Rif (Morocco) by Means of Thermal Modeling

“…The Maghrebian flysch basin [10,54,55] corresponds to the Meso-Cenozoic deep marine southern branch of the Maghrebian Tethys, which was connecting the Alpine oceans with the central Atlantic from the Jurassic up to the Miocene [47,[55][56][57]. The Maghrebian flysch basin is subdivided into internal Mauretanian and external Massylian Domains (Figure 3, [58][59][60]). [36][37][38][39][40].…”

“…The Maghrebian flysch basin [10,54,55] corresponds to the Meso-Cenozoic deep marine southern branch of the Maghrebian Tethys, which was connecting the Alpine oceans with the central Atlantic from the Jurassic up to the Miocene [47,[55][56][57]. The Maghrebian flysch basin is subdivided into internal Mauretanian and external Massylian Domains (Figure 3, [58][59][60]). The transition between the two sub-domains is differentiated in the Oligocene-Lower Miocene sediments, where the Mauretanian Beni Ider turbidites evolve laterally to the Massylian Numidian sandstones through mixed successions [63][64][65].…”