The Rif belt (northern Morocco) is a mountain chain located at the junction between the Mediterranean and Central Atlantic Domains. Although the Rif belt underwent important Cenozoic (i.e., Alpine) shortening, remnants of the Mesozoic North African rifted margin are preserved in its external zones. This contribution aims to characterize the Mesozoic architecture and polyphase rifting history of this rifted margin. We present detailed field evidence and geochronological data from two palaeogeographic zones (Mesorif and Intrarif) preserving remnants of the former North African distal margin. The Mesorif conserves lithostratigraphic associations characterized by mafic intrusive rocks overlain by dismembered and discontinuous blocks of Lower Jurassic carbonates covered by Middle to Upper Jurassic sediments. U‐Pb zircon dating of four samples from this gabbroic complex shows ages close to the Triassic‐Jurassic boundary (195–200 Ma). The gabbros were emplaced within the continental crust at the end of the first Triassic rift event and exhumed shortly after during a second Middle Jurassic rift event, which presents exceptional rift‐related structures. The most distal part of the margin is exposed in the Intrarif. In this unit, the Beni‐Malek serpentinized peridotites exhibit ophicalcites with uppermost Jurassic limestones resting conformably on top, suggesting that exhumation of the mantle occurred at the distal part of the North African margin at this time. When integrated, these new evidences enable us to discuss the evolution of the western part of the North African rifted margin and its relations with the Moroccan Atlantic margin and Tethys system.

This reply provides us the opportunity to further explain and discuss the differences between the successive models proposed by Michard et al. (2014Michard et al. ( , 2018Michard et al. ( , 2020 and ours. Their comment focuses on three main points regarding (1) the general structure and paleogeographic meaning of the Senhadja Nappe, (2) the geochemical characteristics and petrography of the MGC, and finally (3) the interpretation of geochronological data. Detailed answers to the major points discussed in the comment are provided and discussed below.Eventually, in the light of our observations and results, we will show that the alternative model tentatively proposed by Michard et al. (2020) should be simply abandoned. Lithostratigraphy and Structure of the Senhadja NappeThe structure of the Senhadja Nappe was extensively described in Gimeno-Vives et al. (2019), recognizing, after the pioneer work of Favre et al. (1991), the remnants of the North African rifted margin. We recall here our main observations but also provide additional and original data, such as field pictures and thin section descriptions, confirming our initial results.The Senhadja Nappe is characterized by a complex lithostratigraphic association with significant lateral variations (Figures 1 and 2). An idealized lithostratigraphy from bottom to top consists of the MGC overlaid by Upper Triassic evaporites, Lower Jurassic carbonate platform, and Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous detrital sequences (Favre, 1992;Gimeno-Vives et al., 2019;Papillon, 1989).The contact between the overlying Mesozoic cover and the underlying MGC is of critical importance and is described in Gimeno-Vives et al. (2019). In that respect, the following statement by Michard et al. (2020)

No abstract

Vitrinite reflectance and a micro-Raman spectroscopy parameters data set have been acquired on dispersed organic matter of the Maghrebian flysch basin and the Tangiers unit across a NE-SW section in the north-western Rif belt (North Morocco). Thermal maturity shows increasing values from the hinterland to the external unit (from NE to SW). Paleo-thermal indicators show that the internal flysch basin (i.e., the Mauretanian unit) is less mature than the external one, (i.e., the Massylian unit), with Ro% and Ro eq. Raman values ranging from 0.64% to 1.02% (from early mature to late mature stages of hydrocarbon generation). 1D thermal modeling estimates the overburden now totally eroded ranging from 3.1 km to 6.0 km, and has been used as constraint to reconstruct the complete thrust wedge geometry in Miocene times. The reconstructed geometry accounts for high shortening (about 63%) due to the development of an antiformal stack in the frontal part of the wedge made up by the flysch succession. This stacking is interpreted as a consequence of the western translation of the Alboran Domain in the core of the Betic-Rif orogenic system.

<p>The Rif belt (Northern Morocco) represents the western termination of the Maghrebides system. It is subdivided into three tectono-stratigraphic domains known as: Internal domain (i.e., Alboran domain), the Maghrebian flysch domain (i.e., the sedimentary cover of the Maghrebian Tethys) and the external domain (i.e., north African passive paleo-margin and its sedimentary infill. The Rif fold-and-thrust belt derives from the deformation of the North African passive Paleo-margin and its sedimentary infill since the onset of Africa-Eurasia convergence. The compressional setting led to the progressive closure of the Maghrebian Tethys and westward translation of the Alboran Domain and its docking onto the Northwest African rifted margin during the Late Burdigalian. However, field structural survey revealed the presence of an important Paleogene unconformity in the External domain, attesting for a deformation older than the Miocene Alpine compression.</p> <p>Thus, to unravel the Cenozoic history of the Rif fold-and-thrust belt and its burial paths, a regional transect NE-SW-oriented crossing the Rif fold-and-thrust belt is studied. The methodological approach consists in combining organic petrography, micro-Raman spectroscopy on organic matter, clay mineralogy and 1D thermal modelling, together with field structural data.</p> <p>A new paleo-thermal data set of vitrinite reflectance (Ro%), Raman micro-spectroscopy and %I in I/S mixed layers has been provided. The obtained results show a thermal jump between the Miocene deposits in the Mesorif (External Domain) and their Eocene substratum. In order to fit the paleo-thermal data, the thermal modelling indicates the erosion of about 1300-1900 m of sedimentary and/or tectonic pile before the deposition of Lower Miocene siliciclastic. The obtained results have been used to highlight a disregarded tectonic event affecting the north African paleo-margin and how it is influencing the Miocene orogenic processes.</p>