Quantitative Meso-/Cenozoic development of the eastern Central Atlantic continental shelf, western High Atlas, Morocco

Zühlke, Rainer; Bouaouda, Mohammed-Saïd; Ouajhain, Brahim; Bechstädt, Thilo; Leinfelder, Reinhold

doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2003.11.014

Cited by 61 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 74 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The section has a composite character and includes information from the northern and southern side of the High Atlas. The geometry of Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous sediments in the western part of the section is obtained from the literature data (Zühlke et al 2004;Piqué et al 1998;Bouatmani et al 2007;Le Roy and Piqué 2001;Hafid 2000). Sediment thicknesses were not corrected for compaction during retrodeformation.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…5, 6). The corresponding formations are basically continuous over the entire area and show a pattern of decreasing thicknesses from the SW to the NE (Stets 1992;Zühlke et al 2004). …”

Section: The Wedge Geometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We focus especially on the areas experiencing upward movements as the sedimentary record documenting subsidence have been extensively described in the literature (e.g., Hafid et al 2008;Hafid et al 2006;Zühlke et al 2004;Le Roy and Piqué 2001;Bouatmani et al 2007;Ellouz et al 2003). These movements (Fig.…”

Section: Vertical Movements and Passive Margin Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Upper Permian to Liassic sediments pinch-out between Upper Cretaceous and basement rocks to the W of Imi-n-Tanout (Figs. 5, 6) and thicken to the SW reaching [6,000 m (Zühlke et al 2004). The thickness changes are interpreted as associated with (1) a roughly N-S trending, E-dipping normal fault supposedly located to the W of the Argana valley (e.g., (Fig.…”

Section: The Wedge Geometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The geometry of the post-rift portion of the Imi-n-Tanout wedge prior to Alpine shortening can be reconstructed using thickness measurements available from the literature (e.g., Zühlke et al 2004;Bouaouda 2004) integrated with our own geological sections. Thicknesses for basically all post-rift formations increase gradually from NE to SW reaching [3,000 m toward the coastal areas (Fig.…”

Section: The Imi-n-tanout Wedge In Cretaceous Timesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Post-rift vertical movements and horizontal deformations in the eastern margin of the Central Atlantic: Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous evolution of Morocco

Bertotti

Gouiza

2012

Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wide regions of Morocco, from the Meseta to the High Atlas, have experienced km-scale upward vertical movements during Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous times following the appearance of oceanic crust in the Central Atlantic. The area experiencing exhumation was flanked to the W by a domain of continuous subsidence, part of which is named the Essaouira-Agadir basin. Comparison with vertical movement curves predicted by lithospheric thinning models shows that only 50-60 % of the subsidence documented in the Essaouira basin can be explained by postrift thermal relaxation and that \30-40 % of the observed exhumation can be explained by processes (in)directly related to the evolution of the Central Atlantic rifted margin. Syn-sedimentary structures in Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous formations of the Eassouira-Agadir basin are common and range from m-scale folds and thrusts to km-scale sedimentary wedges. These structures systematically document coeval shortening generally oriented at high angle to the present margin. As a working hypothesis, it is suggested that regional shortening can explain the structural observations and the enigmatic vertical movements.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…5, 6). The corresponding formations are basically continuous over the entire area and show a pattern of decreasing thicknesses from the SW to the NE (Stets 1992;Zühlke et al 2004). …”

Section: The Wedge Geometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Vertical Movements and Passive Margin Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Wedge Geometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Imi-n-tanout Wedge In Cretaceous Timesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Post-rift vertical movements and horizontal deformations in the eastern margin of the Central Atlantic: Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous evolution of Morocco

Bertotti

Gouiza

2012

Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Structural, Reverse‐Basin and Forward Stratigraphic Modelling of the Southern Cantabrian Basin, Northwest Spain

Veselovský¹,

Bechstädt

Zühlke

2008

Analogue and Numerical Modelling of Sedimentary Systems: From Understanding to Prediction

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The evolution of the Palaeozoic Southern Cantabrian Basin is quantified by a multidisciplinary approach of structural balancing, reverse-basin and forward stratigraphic modelling. These methods were applied to the N-S trending, 54 km long Bernesga Transect in the Cantabrian Mountains. Total tectonic shortening of the Southern Cantabrian Basin amounted to a minimum of 54%. These data were derived from two-dimensional structural balancing of the deformed basin infill. Two-dimensional reverse-basin modelling was used for analysing the evolution of the basin architecture, considering lithofacies, incremental compaction, eustatic sea-level changes and flexural loading of the crust. The model comprises the entire basin infill between the top of the Neoproterozoic basement and the time of maximal burial (Cenozoic). Six major subsidence trends, with time spans between 9 and 65 Myr, subdivide the long-term evolution of accommodation space in time. These trends reflect different lithospheric configurations prior to, during and after the Variscan Orogeny, having been primarily triggered by major changes in thermo-tectonic and flexure-induced subsidence, as well as by regional and extraregional tectonics. Basin modelling permits the identification of two encroachment subcycles during the Silurian and Devonian, as well as the approach of the Variscan orogenic front in the Early Carboniferous. The latter is reflected by migrating, strongly subsiding depocentres (orogenic foredeep), controlled by increased flexural-induced and thermo-tectonic subsidence. Two-dimensional stratigraphic forward modelling was used to simulate the evolution of the Southern Cantabrian Basin, and to quantify internal and external parameters governing deposition (e.g. sediment transport, sedimentation rates, in-situ carbonate production, erosion and compaction). The model includes data from the Neoproterozoic to the Lower Carboniferous with a focus on the Devonian. Carbonate factories in the Devonian were controlled by fluctuating siliciclastic input and differential thermo-tectonic subsidence, and subordinately influenced by eustatic sea-level changes. Decompacted carbonate production rates reach up to 780 m Myr −1 . The changes in carbonate production rates mirror the drift of Iberia from cooler to subtropical/tropical conditions during Devonian times.

show abstract

Salt tectonics and structural styles of the western High Atlas and the intersecting Essaouira‐Cap Tafelney segments of the Moroccan Atlantic margin

Hafid¹,

Bally

Salem

et al. 2010

Quaternary Carbonate and Evaporite Sedimentary Facies and Their Ancient Analogues

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Safi-Agadir Moroccan coastal region is the only area where the Moroccan Atlantic salt province makes an inland incursion. It is also an area where the High Atlas alpine fold-belt intersects at right angles the Atlantic passive margin. Regional reflection seismic transects have been constructed across this area and its offshore extension. These are used here to analyze the effects of the post-sedimentary mobility of salt on sedimentation and on structural styles, and to link these effects to the main stages of the geodynamic evolution of the Atlas and the Atlantic systems. Salt was deposited in Late Triassic-Early Jurassic times during the last stage of rifting prior to continental breakup. It played an important role in the genesis of most of the structures presently encountered in the area. A great variety of salt structures have been identified, including: gentle salt-cored folds and pillows; compressional diapirs; and salt withdrawal synclines. Completely allochthonous pluri-kilometric salt sheets and canopies are bounded to the west by toe-thrust salt structures that overlie oceanic crust in the deep offshore basin. This offers a great variety of favourable settings for possible hydrocarbon traps.

show abstract

Quantitative Meso-/Cenozoic development of the eastern Central Atlantic continental shelf, western High Atlas, Morocco

Cited by 61 publications

References 74 publications

Post-rift vertical movements and horizontal deformations in the eastern margin of the Central Atlantic: Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous evolution of Morocco

Post-rift vertical movements and horizontal deformations in the eastern margin of the Central Atlantic: Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous evolution of Morocco

Structural, Reverse‐Basin and Forward Stratigraphic Modelling of the Southern Cantabrian Basin, Northwest Spain

Salt tectonics and structural styles of the western High Atlas and the intersecting Essaouira‐Cap Tafelney segments of the Moroccan Atlantic margin

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About