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Cretaceous Magnetic Stratigraphy of Southwest Morocco

  • Conference paper
Geology of the Northwest African Continental Margin

Abstract

From 1975 to 1979 two sections near the Atlantic Ocean north and south of the High Atlas Mountains, built up by predominantly marine sediments ranging from Upper Tithonian to Turonian, were sampled for the calibration of expected magnetic polarity zones. Two sections more landward to the east with predominantly terrestrial, poorly dated sediments had to be correlated magnetostratigraphically by using the magnetic polarity sequence of the western sections.

Most of the sediments showed multicomponent remanent magnetization. The components were separated and the respective magnetic minerals identified. This was done by alternating field (af), thermal and combined demagnetization with respect to the specific blocking temperatures and coercivity forces of the minerals.

Components linked to goethite and hematite pigment are found to be parallel or antiparallel to the direction of the Recent Earth’s magnetic field (Frec). Hematite pigment, magnetite, and speculariteborne components are aligned with the normal or reversed direction of the paleofleld. Magnetite and specularite are assumed to be the carriers of remanences which originated syndepositionally or shortly after sedimentation (depositional detrital remanent magnetization DRM, postdepositional detrital remanent magnetization PDRM). As regards hematite pigment, however, components are aligned with a paleofield, this chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) was probably acquired before the folding of the High Atlas Mountains (Late Eocene).

The Cretaceous magnetic polarity sequence, based on results of the western sections, was also found in the eastern sections and supported or corrected the stratigraphic positions assumed with respect to the development of the Atlas Gulf (Wurster and Stets, this Vol.). The Cretaceous magnetic polarity sequence of SW Morocco considerably agrees with the results of other authors. Due to higher sedimentation rates the short reversals of Upper Albian and Cenomanian, until now known only from the Southern Alps (Vandenberg and Wonders, 1980) are more distinct in Moroccan sequences.

One of the Turonian polarity changes is accompanied by regional changes in lithology and geochemistry and therefore does not reflect the behavior of the Earth’s magnetic field during the time of deposition. However, the direct relation between polarity changes and climatic variations has become quite firmly established (Doake, 1978; Cordell, 1980; Fairbridge, 1977). In conclusion, a magnetic triggering of geochemical events cannot be excluded from discussion.

The virtual paleomagnetic pole position (VPMP) obtained, 154 W, 76 N, confirms the Cretaceous mean position of Hail wood (1975) at 153 W, 75 N.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geologisches Institut, Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, D-5300, Bonn 1, Germany

    Klaus Krumsiek

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  1. Klaus Krumsiek
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Stilleweg 2, 3000, Hannover 51, Germany

    Ulrich von Rad  & Karl Hinz  & 

  2. Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut der Universität, Olshausenstraße 40/60, 2300, Kiel, Germany

    Michael Sarnthein  & Eugen Seibold  & 

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© 1982 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Krumsiek, K. (1982). Cretaceous Magnetic Stratigraphy of Southwest Morocco. In: von Rad, U., Hinz, K., Sarnthein, M., Seibold, E. (eds) Geology of the Northwest African Continental Margin. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68409-8_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68409-8_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-68411-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-68409-8

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