Syn-depositional Mesozoic siliciclastic pathways on the Moroccan Atlantic margin linked to evaporite mobilisation

Abstract

The sedimentary architecture of the Essaouira-Agadir Basin in Morocco is strongly influenced by development of Atlasic and Atlantic early Mesozoic riftings. The basin is now part of the Western High Atlas after Alpine exhumation and exposes several salt-cored anticlines perpendicular to the NW Africa coast. We study two of these salt-cored anticlines to understand how their tectonic evolution influence seaward sediment pathways during Mesozoic exhumation of long-lived sedimentary sources in the hinterlands. We gather structural data in Google Earth and use it in Move 2D to derive the thickness of sedimentary units in both E-W salt-cored anticlines. Results show salt mobilisation and topographic growth of these anticlines diverge the sedimentary routing of paleodrainages during the Early to Middle Jurassic exhumation of the Moroccan hinterland, and thus suggest a causal relationship.