Atlas salt-related rifting

Forewords

Our studies in the High Atlas of Morocco started in 2011 within a collaboration research project between former Statoil (Equinor), Bordeaux Univ. and GDL-GEO3BCN-CSIC. The main objective was the study of thick Jurassic carbonate platforms and their links to syn-rift faults but ending on the re-discovery of a large Jurassic salt tectonic province.

In addition, recent studies on the Tellian and Atlas fold belts in Tunisia are also presented in this section.

2014-Present Atlas in Morocco and Tellian-Atlas in Tunisia

2025

Shoulder to Shoulder Architecture Across Central High Atlas Salt-Related Jurassic Rift Basin

Open Access

Saura, E., Martín-Martín, J. D., Vergés, J., Moragas, M., Razin, P., Grélaud, C., Messager, G., & Hunt, D. (2025). Shoulder to shoulder architecture of a salt-related rift basin at the onset of continental break-up: The Central High Atlas Jurassic diapiric province. Marine and Petroleum Geology.

http://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2025.107338

2022

Hinterland and foreland structures of the eastern Maghreb Tell and Atlas thrust belts

Map from Frizon de Lamotte et al. (2011)

Open Access

Khomsi, S., Roure, F., Vergés, J., 2022. Hinterland and foreland structures of the eastern Maghreb Tell and Atlas thrust belts: tectonic controlling factors, pending questions, and oil/gas exploration potential of the Pre-Triassic traps. Arab. J. Geosci. 15, 462.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09707-x

2021

Structural styles of the Tellian fold-and-thrust belt of Tunisia

Khelil, M., Khomsi, S., Roure, F., Vergés, J., Zargouni, F., 2021. Structural styles of the Tellian fold-and-thrust belt of Tunisia based on structural transects: Insights on the subsurface oil and gas pre-salt plays. Arab. J. Geosci. 14, 1985.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-08308-4

2020

Diagenetic evolution of Lower Jurassic platform along the Tazoult salt wall

Moragas, M., Baqués, V., Travé, A., Martín‐Martín, J.D., Saura, E., Messager, G., Hunt, D., Vergés, J., 2020. Diagenetic evolution of lower Jurassic platform carbonates flanking the Tazoult salt wall (Central High Atlas, Morocco). Basin Res. doi:10.1111/bre.12382

https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12382

Link to: Folder kmz (Virtual Fieldtrip on Google Earth with Elevation Exaggeration = 1) with the geolocation of the main analyzed field localities, geological maps, and cross-sections from Jurassic rifting to post-rift subsidence analysis in the Central High Atlas and its relation to salt diapirism by the authors in Basin Research.

Assembled by Cristina Martínez.

Access to the article via Digital CSIC institutional repository: https://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/186591?locale=en

2019

Central High Atlas Diapiric Province in Morocco: Results from Analogue and Numerical Models

Vergés, J., Moragas, M., & Ruh, J. (2019). Multidisciplinary Study of the Central High Atlas Diapiric Province in Morocco: Results from Analogue and Numerical Models. In F. Rossetti et al. (eds.), The Structural Geology Contribution to the Africa-Eurasia Geology: Basement and Reservoir Structure, Ore Mineralisation and Tectonic Modelling, Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (pp. 225–228).

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01455-1_48

2018

Jurassic rift to post-rift subsidence & salt diapirism in High Atlas and Tunisian Atlas

Moragas, M., Vergés, J., Saura, E., Martín-Martín, J.-D., Messager, G., Merino-Tomé, Ó., Suárez-Ruiz, I., Razin, P., Grélaud, C., Malaval, M., Joussiaume, R., Hunt, D.W., 2018. Jurassic rifting to post-rift subsidence analysis in the Central High Atlas and its relation to salt diapirism. Basin Res. 30, 336–362.

http://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12223

2017

Jurassic diapiric growth of Tazoult salt wall (Central High Atlas)

Martín-Martín, J.D., Vergés, J., Saura, E., Moragas, M., Messager, G., Baqués, V., Razin, P., Grélaud, C., Malaval, M., Joussiaume, R., Casciello, E., Cruz-Orosa, I., Hunt, D.W., 2017. Diapiric growth within an Early Jurassic rift basin: The Tazoult salt wall (central High Atlas, Morocco). Tectonics 36, 2–32.

http://doi.org/10.1002/2016TC004300

Link to: Tazoult salt wall map

Link to: Folder kmz (Virtual Fieldtrip on Google Earth) with the geolocation of the main analyzed field localities, geological maps, and cross-sections from the Diapiric growth within an Early Jurassic rift basin: the Tazoult salt wall (Central High Atlas, Morocco) paper published in Tectonics by the authors.

Assembled by Ylènia Almar & Cristina Martínez

2017

Interplay between diapirs and carbonate platforms in Central High Atlas, Morocco

Vergés, J., Moragas, M., Martín-Martín, J.D., Saura, E., Casciello, E., Razin, P., Grelaud, C., Malaval, M., Joussiame, R., Messager, G., Sharp, I., Hunt, D.W., 2017. Salt Tectonics in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, in: Soto, J.I., Flinch, J.F., Tari, G. (Ed.), Permo-Triassic Salt Provinces of Europe, North Africa and the Central Atlantic: Tectonics and Hydrocarbon Potential. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands, pp. 563–579.

https://www.elsevier.com/books/permo-triassic-salt-provinces-of-europe-north-africa-and-the-atlantic-margins/soto/978-0-12-809417-4

Link to: Tazoult and Jbel Azourki salt walls map

2017

Models showing impact of prograding sediments on diapiric evolution related to salt-ralated rifting and its tectonic inversion

Link to: Folder kmz (Virtual Fieldtrip on Google Earth with Elevation Exaggeration = 1) with the geolocation of the balanced cross-section across the Amezraï minibasin from Martín-Martín et al. 2017 that is analized by means of analogue modelling by the authors in Marine and Petroleum Geology.

Assembled by Cristina Martínez.

Moragas, M., Vergés, J., Nalpas, T., Saura, E., Martín-Martín, J.D., Messager, G., Hunt, D.W., 2017. The impact of syn- and post-extension prograding sedimentation on the development of salt-related rift basins and their inversion: Clues from analogue modelling. Mar. Pet. Geol. 88, 985–1003.

http://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2017.10.001

2017

Moragas PhD Thesis

Moragas, M. (2017). Multidisciplinary characterization of diapiric basins integrating field examples, numerical and analogue modelling. Central High Atlas Basin (Morocco). PhD Thesis Barcelona University, 1–142.

http://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/handle/2445/116842

2014

Widespread Jurassic diapirism in the Central High Atlas in Morocco (Tazoult anticline and Imilchil minibasins)

Saura, E., Vergés, J., Martín-Martín, J.D., Messager, G., Moragas, M., Razin, P., Grelaud, C., Joussiaume, R., Malaval, M., Homke, S., Hunt, D.W., 2014. Syn- to post-rift diapirism and minibasins of the Central High Atlas (Morocco): the changing face of a mountain belt. J. Geol. Soc. London. 171, 97–105.

http://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2013-079

Link to: Imilchil map

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