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Transpressional tectonics and nappe stacking along the Southern Variscan Front of Morocco

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Abstract

The Southern Variscan Front in the Tinerhir area involves Palaeozoic allochthonous units (Ouaklim and Tilouine units) thrust onto the northern edge of the West African Craton during late Carboniferous time. Illite crystallinity data highlight an anchizonal grade for the Ouaklim Unit, and a diagenesis-anchizone transition for the Tilouine Unit during deformation phase D1. The tectonic stack is crosscut by major dextral reverse faults bounding E–W trending domains of dominant shortening deformation (central domain) and strike-slip deformation (northern and southern domains), later segmented by a network of post-Variscan faults. This complex deformation pattern is the result of kinematic partitioning of dextral transpression along the Southern Variscan Front, coeval with the Neovariscan (300–290 Ma) oblique convergence observed at the scale of the whole Moroccan Variscides. Partitioning of dextral transpression described in the Tinerhir area is consistent with dextral wrench faulting along the Tizi n’ Test Fault, and with Appalachian-style south-directed thrusting in the Tinerhir and Bechar-Bou Arfa areas.

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Acknowledgments

This work was carried out within the framework of the CNR Research Project “Ruolo delle strutture transpressive nel sistema orogenico circummediterraneo”. We thank A. Michard for his precious advice, P. Pertusati, L. Baidder and F. Ghiselli for the stimulating discussions in the field, and C. Ribecai and G. Sbrana for preparing illite samples. The manuscript benefited from detailed and constructive reviews by K. Hefferan and C. Hoepffner.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNR Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Via S. Maria 53, Pisa, 56126, Italy

    Andrea Cerrina Feroni, Alessandro Ellero, Giovanni Musumeci & Giuseppe Ottria

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche e Geotecnologie, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 4, Milano, 20126, Italy

    Marco G. Malusà

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Via S. Maria 53, Pisa, 56126, Italy

    Giovanni Musumeci & Leonardo Leoni

  4. CNR Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Via Valperga Caluso 35, Torino, 10123, Italy

    Marco G. Malusà & Riccardo Polino

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  1. Andrea Cerrina Feroni
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  2. Alessandro Ellero
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  3. Marco G. Malusà
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Correspondence to Giuseppe Ottria.

Appendix

Appendix

Illite “crystallinity” index (KI or Kubler Index) of the 10 Å reflection was determined on oriented aggregates of <2 μm fraction using a Philips PW1710 automatic diffractometer equipped with a long-focus Cu Tube. The diffractometer was set as follows: Cu Kα Ni-filtered radiation; 40 kV; 20 mA; slits: 1° divergence and scatter, 0.2 mm receiving; scan speed: 0.5°2θ/min; step size of 0.02°2θ; a counting time of 2 s for each step. Oriented aggregates were processed both in air-dried and glycolated states, from 3 to 30°2θ under the same experimental conditions, to determine clay mineral association in different lithologies. Bulk-rock mineral assemblages were also assessed from whole rock powder in the range of 4–60°2θ. The amount of clay on each slide was at least 3 mg cm-2 (Lezzerini et al. 1995). The KI index (half-height peak width expressed as °Δ2θ) values were measured on chart-strip XRD patterns obtained in air-dried condition (AD) and calibrated to Kubler’s standards. KI indexes were also measured on the glycolated state (EG).

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Cerrina Feroni, A., Ellero, A., Malusà, M.G. et al. Transpressional tectonics and nappe stacking along the Southern Variscan Front of Morocco. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 99, 1111–1122 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-009-0449-x

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