Abstract
The Aptian-Albian series are characterized, in Tunisia, by several variations in subsidence rates and records discrete unconformity between Albian and Aptian in central and southern Tunisia. In central Tunisia Upper Aptian regressions were sustained until the beginning of Albian with a low sea level stand. In this paper, wells data gathered from central Tunisia exposes well expressed Aptian-Albian hiatus associated to several partial sedimentary gaps, erosion surface and unconformities and correlated with the “Aptian Crisis” highlighted at the Tethyan scale. This latter is coeval with an extensional regime in concurrence with the African rifting responsible for halokinesis movements and magmatism and leaded to the establishment of paleoreliefs as much as tilted blocks and half grabens in central Tunisia. Deposition shows regional hiatus and lateral transition from platform facies to south to, open marine facies to the north. The structural configuration of this domain within normal faulting, horsts and grabens leaded to the establishment of several distinct basins with different subsidence rates. Discordances occur specially around and upward uplifted blocks and emerged land and are especially associated with Aptian reef, karsts and shallow marine facies. They are unconformably overlaid by the transgressive open marine facies of Albian-Cenomanian series acknowledged as source rock in Central Tunisia. In addition, the reefal Aptian facies is considered a potential reservoir rocks in central Tunisia and it is frequently associated to mineralization and Hydrocarbure reservoirs.
Similar content being viewed by others
References Cited
Ben Ferjani, A., Burollet, P. F., Mejri, F., 1990. Petroleum Geology of Tunisia. ETAP, Tunis. 194
Bismuth, H., 1973. Réflexions Stratigraphiques sur l’Albo-Aptien dans la Région des Djebels Douleb et Semmama et son Environnement (Tunisie Centre-Nord). In: Solignac, M., ed., Livre Jubilaire. Annales des Mines et de la Géologie (Tunisia), 26: 179–212.
Bouaziz, S., Barrier, E., Soussi, M., et al., 2002. Tectonic Eevolution of the Northern African Margin in Tunisia from Paleostress Data and Sedimentary Record. Tectonophysics, 357: 227–253
Boukadi, N., 1994. Structuration de l’Atlas de Tunisie: Signification et Cinématique des Noeuds et Zones d’Interférences Structurales au Contact de Grands Couloirs Tectoniques: [Dissertation]. Univ. Tunis II, Fac. Sc. Tunis, Tunis. 249
Boukadi, N., Bédir, M., 1996. Halokinesis in Tunisia: Tectonic Context and Chronology of Events. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences Paris, 322(Série IIa): 587–594
Boukadi, N., Zargouni, F., Ruhland, M., 1992. Kinematic and Tectonic Evolution of the Bayonet-Fault System in the Tunisian Atlas: Transtension, Halokinesis and Transpression. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences Paris, 315(Série II): 1760–1775
Brunet, M. F., Cloetingh, S., 2003. Integrated Peri-Tethyan Basins Studies (Peri-Tethys Programme). Sedimentary Geology, 156: 1–10
Burollet, P. F., 1956. Contribution à l’Etude Stratigraphique de la Tunisie Centrale. Ann. Mines, Géol. Tunis, 18: 350
Burollet, P. F., Memmi, L., M’Rabet, A., 1983. Le Crétacé Inférieur de Tunisie: Aperçu Stratigraphique et Sédimentologique. Zitteliana, 20: 255–264
Burollet, P. F., Ellouz, N., 1986. L’évolution des Bassins Sédimentaires de la Tunisie Centrale et Orientale. Bulletin du Centre de Recherche, Pau-SNPA 10: 49–68
Dercourt, J., Zonenshain, L. P., Ricou, L. P., et al., 1986. Geological Evolution of the Tethys Belt from the Atlantic to the Pamirs since the Lias. Tectonophysics, 123(1–4): 241–315
Dhahri, F., Boukadi, N., 2010. The Eevolution of Pre-Existing Structures during the Tectonic Inversion Process of the Atlas Chain of Tunisia. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 56: 139–149
El Euchi, H., Ouahchi, A., M’Rabet, A., 2002. The Tunisian Aptian-Albian Carbonate Platform: Dynamics and Petroleum Systems. Proceeding of the 8th Tunisian Petroleum Exploration and Production Conference, Tunis. 47
Gaaya, A., Ghenima, R., 1998. Sources Rocks and Related Petroleum Systems in Tunisia. Revue Tunisienne de l’énergie, 98: 33–45
Gharbi, M., Masrouhi, A., Espurt, N., et al., 2013. New Tectono-Sedimentary Evidences for Aptian to Santonian Extension of the Cretaceous Rifting in the Northern Chotts Range (Southern Tunisia). Journal of African Earth Sciences, 79: 58–73
Graziano, R., 2000. The Aptian-Albian of the Apulia Carbonate Platform (Gargano Promontory, Southern Italy): Evidence of Palaeoceanographic and Tectonic Controls on the Stratigraphic Architecture of the Platform Margin. Cretaceous Research, 21: 107–126
Guiraud, R., Bosworth, W., Thierry, J., et al., 2005. Phanerozoic Geological Evolution of Northern and Central Africa: An Overview. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 43: 83–143
Guiraud, R., Binks, R. M., Fairhead, J. D., et al., 1992. Chronology and Geodynamic Setting of Cretaceous-Cenozoic Rifting in West and Central Africa. Tectonophysics, 213: 227–234
Haji, T., Dhahri, F., Marco, I., et al., 2013. New Insights on the Tectonic and Paleogeographic Evolution of the Central Atlasic Domain of Tunisia. Arab J Geosci, 7(4): 1605–1616
Heldt, M., Bachmann, M., Lehmann, J., 2008. Microfacies, Biostratigraphy, and Geochemistry of the Hemipelagic Barremian-Aptian in North-Central Tunisia: Influence of the OAE 1a on the Southern Tethys Margin. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 261: 246–260
Jaillard, E., Dumont, T., Ouali, J., et al., 2013. The Albian Tectonic “Crisis” in Central Tunisia: Nature and Chronology of the Deformations. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 85: 75–86
Laridhi-Ouazaa, N., Bédir, M., 2004. Les Migrations Tectono-Magmatiques du Trias au Miocène sur la Marge Orientale de la Tunisie. Africa Geosciences Review, II(3): 179–196
Lehmann, J., Heldt, M., Bachmann, M., et al., 2009. Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) Biostratigraphy and Cephalopods from North Central Tunisia. Cretaceous Research, 30: 895–910
Marie, J., Trouve, P. H., Desforges, G., et al., 1982. Nouveaux Eléments de Paléogéographie du Crétacé de Tunisie. Cretaceous Research, 3(1–2): 167–170
Martinez, C., Chikhaoui, M., Truillet, R., et al., 1991. The Geodynamical Framework of the Albo-Aptian Distension in Northern and Central Tunisia: Eocretaceous Structurations of the Tunisian Atlas. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 84: 61–82
Maurin, J. C., Guiraud, R., 1990. Relationships between Tectonics and Sedimentation in the Barremo-Aptian Intracontinental Basins of Northern Cameroon. In: Kogbe, C. A., Lang, J. eds., African Continental Phanerozoic Sediments. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 10: 331–340
Olivet, J. L., Bonnin, J., Beuzart, P., et al., 1984. Cinématique de l’Atlantique Nord et Central. CNEXO, ed., Rapport Sci. Techn., 54: 108
Ouahchi, A., M’Rabet, A., Lazreg, J., et al., 1998. Early Structuring, Paleo-Emersion and Porosity Development: A Key for Exploration of the Aptian Serdj Carbonate Reservoir in Tunisia. Proceedings of the 6th Tunisian Petroleum Exploration and Production Conference. ETAP’s Memoir Series 12. ETAP, Tunis. 267–284
Piqué, A., Brahim, L. A., Ouali, R. A., et al., 1998. Structural Evolution of the Magreb Atlasic Domains during Mesozoic and Cenozoic Times: The Role of Inherited Structures during the Deformation of the North African Margin. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 169: 797–810
Rabhi, M., Ben Ayed, N., 1990. Mise en Evidence d’une Tectonique Compressive d’âge Aptien Supérieur en Tunisie Centrale. Notes Serv. Géol., Tunise. 56
Rigane, A., Feki, M., Gourmelen, C., et al., 2010. The “Aptian Crisis” of the South-Tethyan Margin: New Tectonic Data in Tunisia. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 57: 360–366
Segev, A., Weissbrod, T., Lang, B., 2005. 40Ar/39Ar Dating of the Aptian-Albian Igneous Rocks in Makhtesh Ramon (Negev, Israel) and Its Stratigraphic Implications. Cretaceous Research, 26: 633–656
Snoke, A. W., Schamel, S., Karasek, R. M., 1988. Structural Evolution of Djebel Debadib Anticline: A Clue to the Regional Tectonic Style of Tunisian Atlas. Tectonics, 7: 497–516
Soyer, C., Tricart, P., 1987. The Aptian crisis in Central Tunisia: A Paleostructural Approach at the Atlas and North-South Axis Junction. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences Paris, 305(Série II): 301–305
Tlatli, M., 1980. Etude des Calcaires de l’Albo-Aptien des Djebels Serdj et Bellouta (Tunisie Centrale): [Dissertation]. Université de Marseille. 187
Zghal, I., 1994. Etude Microbiostratigraphique du Crétacé Inférieur de la Tunisie du Centre Ouest: [Dissertation]. Université Tunis II, Tunisia. 393
Zghal, I., Ouali, J., Bismuth, H., 1997. Syn-Sedimentary Tectonics in Central Tunisia (Jebel Mrhila area) during the Aptian-Albian. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences Paris, 326: 187–192
Zouaghi, T., Ferhi, I., Bedir, M., et al., 2011. Analysis of Cretaceous (Aptian) Strata in Central Tunisia, Using 2D Seismic Data and Well Logs. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 61: 38–61
Zouari, H., Turki, M. M., Delteil, J., et al., 1999. Tectonic Transtension of Tunisian Palaeo-Margin during Aptian-Campanian. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 170(3): 295–301
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marco, I., Dhahri, F., Haji, T. et al. Aptian-Albian transition in central Tunisia: Tectonosedimentary and paleogeographic records. J. Earth Sci. 25, 787–798 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-014-0478-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-014-0478-7