Abstract
Rifted continental margins are generally considered as very well studied and understood. Extensive use of low-T geochronological tools has shown, however, that rifted margins experienced upward and downward vertical movements completely unpredicted by available models. New erosion-sedimentation systems are developed as a response. The margin of NW Africa is no exception. Triassic to Jurassic exhumation occurred in the Anti-Atlas and Regibat domains of Morocco and Mauritania feeding large amounts of terrigenous sediments to the W and E. In North Morocco, a stage of Triassic to Early Jurassic subsidence was followed by Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous exhumation associated with the delivery of terrigenous sediments in the offshore domain. Constraining tectono-sedimentary systems in Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal are in full development and will bring fundamentally new insights about the evolution of NW Africa.
Keywords
- NW Africa
- Passive continental margin
- Exhumation
- Erosion
- Source-to-sink
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Bertotti, G., Charton, R., Gouiza, M., Roquette, E., Lovell-Kennedy, J., Redfern, J. (2022). Vertical Movements and Source-to-Sink Systems of the Rifted Margin of NW Africa: Surprises Continue. In: , et al. Advances in Geophysics, Tectonics and Petroleum Geosciences. CAJG 2019. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73026-0_122
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