Style of Atlassic tectonic deformation and geodynamic evolution of the southern Tethyan margin, Tunisia

Gharbi, Mohamed; Espurt, Nicolás; Masrouhi, Amara; Bellier, Olivier; Amari, El Amjed

doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2015.07.020

Cited by 61 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…Many fold-thrust belts around the world such as the Zagros (Jahani et al, 2009;Callot et al, 2012), the Atlas (Saura et al, 2014;Gharbi et al, 2015;Teixell et al, 2017) or the southern Pyrenees (López-Mir et al, 2014;Saura et al, 2016) are characterized by precontractional halokinetic structures including salt-cored anticlines, domes, diapirs or walls together with minibasins (Trusheim, 1960;Worrall and Snelson, 1989). Classically, the ductile salt is evacuated from under the subsiding minibasins by sedimentary loading and expulsed laterally and toward the surface in diapiric structures (e.g., Peel, 2014;Callot et al, 2016).…”

Section: Pre-contractional Halokinetic Features In the South Provencementioning

confidence: 99%

Mesozoic halokinesis and basement inheritance in the eastern Provence fold-thrust belt, SE France

et al. 2019

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The Provence Chain incorporated preexisting halokinetic and basement features which have played a key role in the structural evolution of the thrust systems. Field structural data, previously published geological maps and exploration well data have been used to interpret a new ~80 km-long balanced and restored cross section across the eastern Provence fold-thrust Diapiric structures were mainly eroded during and after the Pyrenean-Provence compression then reactivated during Oligocene extension and Miocene to present-day Alpine compression. Cross section balancing shows a total horizontal shortening of 28.5 km related to the Pyrenean-Provence and Alpine compressions. The eastern Provence fold-thrust belt integrates preexisting halokinetic folding which can be misinterpreted as resulting to compression. This suggests that a significant amount of folding in fold-thrust belts can results from an early halokinetic fold system developed during the pre-contractional passive margin evolution.

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Section: Pre-contractional Halokinetic Features In the South Provencementioning

confidence: 99%

Mesozoic halokinesis and basement inheritance in the eastern Provence fold-thrust belt, SE France

et al. 2019

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“…It comprises the Chotts basin to the south and the Gafsa Metlaoui range to the north (figure 3). In this area, the folds are related to the Cenozoic compression, crustal shortening and inversion of earlier extensional structures (Haller 1983;Zargouni 1985;Ben Ayed 1986;Bédir 1995;Bouaziz 1995;Hlaiem 1998;Zouari et al 1999;Masrouhi et al 2008;Dhahri and Boukadi 2010;Said et al 2011;Ahmadi et al 2013;Dhahri et al 2015;Gharbi et al 2015). However, the E-W trending chains are interpreted as en echelon folds occurred along dextral wrench faults system (Zargouni 1985;Chihi et al 1992;Zouari 1995).…”

Section: Tectonic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the Paleotethys southern margin scale, syn-sedimentary Jurassic normal faults have been associated to horst and graben features that delineated the configuration of the seafloor along the Atlasic domain from Morocco to Tunisia. Roure et al (2012), Gharbi et al (2015) and Frizon de Lamotte et al (2009) described active subsidence along the large Saharan Atlas, Tunisian Atlas, 1…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Tunisia, the activity of main N-S and E-W faults began for the most before the Triassic. In the Tunisian central and southern Atlas, these latter have controlled basin configuration and distribution of deposition during the Jurassic and Cretaceous (Ben Ayed 1986;Ben Ismaïl 1991;Chihi et al 1992;Bédir 1995;Zouari 1995;Zitouni 1997;Ben Timzal 2000;Bédir et al 2000Bédir et al , 2001Bouaziz et al 2002;Abbes 2004;Gabtni et al 2005Gabtni et al , 2006Gabtni et al , 2011Azaïez 2011;Said et al 2011;Ahmadi et al 2013;Dhahri et al 2015;Gharbi et al 2015). A transtensional regime prevailed until Early Cretaceous and was presumably disturbed by a regional NW-SE transpressional-event followed by a transpressional regime during Late Aptian-Early Albian times (Guiraud et al 1987;Rabhi and Ben Ayed 1990;Bédir 1995;Bédir et al 2001;Bouaziz et al 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of E–W basement faults in the Mesozoic geodynamic evolution of the Gafsa and Chotts basins, south-central Tunisia

et al. 2017

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The Gafsa and Chotts intracratonic basins in south-central Tunisia are transitional zones between the Atlasic domain to the north and the Saharan platform to the south. The principal aim of this paper is to unravel the geodynamic evolution of these basins following an integrated approach including seismic, well log and gravity data. These data are used to highlight the tectonic control on the deposition of Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous series and to discuss the role of the main faults that controlled the basin architecture and Cretaceous-Tertiary inversion. The horizontal gravity gradient map of the study area highlights the pattern of discontinuities within the two basins and reveals the presence of deep E-W basement faults. Primary attention is given to the role played by the E-W faults system and that of the NW-SE Gafsa fault which was previously considered active since the Jurassic. Facies and thickness analyses based on new seismic interpretation and well data suggest that the E-W-oriented faults controlled the subsidence distribution especially during the Jurassic. The NW-SE faults seem to be key structures that controlled the basins paleogeography during Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic time. The upper Triassic evaporite bodies, which locally outline the main NW-SE Gafsa fault, are regarded as intrusive salt bodies rather than early diapiric extrusions as previously interpreted since they are rare and occurred only along main strike-slip faults. In addition, seismic lines show that Triassic rocks are deep and do not exhibit true diapiric features.

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“…Some of the authors suggest a thin‐skinned tectonic deformation [ Baird et al , ; Outtani et al , ; Anderson , ; Mercier et al , ; Ahmadi et al , ] invoking the Triassic salt as a décollement level and excluding any reactivation of the sub‐Triassic basement. In contrast, other authors denoted a tectonically thick‐skinned mechanism considering the reactivation of inherited basement faults and inversion tectonics [ Ben Ayed and Viguier , ; Snoke et al , ; Tricart et al , ; Letouzey et al , ; Saïd et al , ; Gharbi et al , ; Essid et al ., ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thick‐skinned tectonics within the intracontinental easternmost Atlas foreland‐and‐thrust belt (Tunisia): Meso‐Cenozoic kinematics and implications for regional geodynamics

2017

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The transition zone between western and central Mediterranean domains presents a key area to investigate kinematic interactions within the adjacent orogen systems such as the easternmost Atlas foreland‐and‐thrust belt. Gravity and seismic data revealed a highly structured basement, characterizing a series of structural highs and lows delimited by high‐angle N‐S, E‐W, and NW‐SE extensional faults. This basement architecture is inherited from successive extensional events related to the openings of the Triassic‐Early Cretaceous Tethys oceans (i.e., Alpine Tethys, Ligurian Tethys, and Mesogea). Throughout this period, this mosaic of continental blocks significantly controlled the thickness and facies distributions. Early stages of diapirism took place along these basement faults and allowed maximum subsidence in minibasins revealed by the development of growth strata. In response to the Late Cretaceous‐Eocene shortenings, these extensional faults have been reactivated as trasnpressional shear zones, giving rise to narrow pop‐up structures. In addition, gravity modeling indicates crustal thinning and deep‐rooted faults affecting the crust south of the Zaghouan Thrust and along E‐W transfer zones. From the late Miocene, a drastic change in the stress regime is attributed to the effect of the adjacent Sicily channel on the study area. This promotes crustal thinning, basin subsidence, and channeling up of mantle‐derived helium along lithospheric‐scale weak zones. Our results give rise to new insights into the reactivation of inherited weakness zones of southern Tethys margin in response to the complex interaction between African and Eurasian plates accommodated by subduction, rollback, collision, and slab segmentation.

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Style of Atlassic tectonic deformation and geodynamic evolution of the southern Tethyan margin, Tunisia

Cited by 61 publications

References 84 publications

Mesozoic halokinesis and basement inheritance in the eastern Provence fold-thrust belt, SE France

Mesozoic halokinesis and basement inheritance in the eastern Provence fold-thrust belt, SE France

The role of E–W basement faults in the Mesozoic geodynamic evolution of the Gafsa and Chotts basins, south-central Tunisia

Thick‐skinned tectonics within the intracontinental easternmost Atlas foreland‐and‐thrust belt (Tunisia): Meso‐Cenozoic kinematics and implications for regional geodynamics

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