Origin of a major cross-element zone: Moroccan Rif

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Geology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<761:OOAMCZ>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:5276508

Morley, C K

Alpine age (Oligocene-Miocene) deformation in the western Mediterranean formed the Rif mountain belt of northern Morocco. A linear east-northeast-west-southwest trend of cross elements from Jebah (Mediterranean coast) to Arbaoua (near the Atlantic coast) extends through several thrust sheets in the western Rif. The cross elements are manifest as a lateral ramp, the northern limit of a large culmination, and they affect syntectonic turbidite sandstone distribution. Gravity anomalies indicate that the cross-element zone is coincident with a transition zone from normal thickness to thinner continental crust. It is suggested that an early Mesozoic strike-slip fault system related to rifting of North America from North Africa caused a strong east-northeast-west-southwest, basement block-fault trend to form on the normal thickness side of the thick-to-thin continental crustal transition zone. This trend later influenced the position of the Alpine age cross-element zone that traverses several different Mesozoic and Tertiary basins, inverted during the Alpine deformation.

• Research Organization: Amoco Production Co., Houston, TX (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5276508
• Journal Information: Geology; (United States), Vol. 15:8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
MOROCCO
MOUNTAINS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
AGE ESTIMATION
BASEMENT ROCK
CONTINENTAL CRUST
DEFORMATION
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GRAVITY SURVEYS
SANDSTONES
THICKNESS
AFRICA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DIMENSIONS
EARTH CRUST
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SURVEYS
580100* - Geology &amp; Hydrology- (-1989)