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Research International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review
CrossRef DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr/2017/8/10/333
ISSN 0976 – 4852 October, 2017|Volume 08|Issue 10|
International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, Vol. 8, Issue. 10, Page no: GL 20192-20201
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr/2017/8/10/333 Page | 20192
Stratigraphy and Petrography of Mafic Rocks from the Western
Part of the Mesorif Sub-Domain (External Rif, Morocco)
A. Rafai1, M. Raji1
1Geodynamics of Old Chains Laboratory, Department of Geology University Hassan II of
Casablanca/Faculty of Science Ben M’sik- Casablanca. Accepted 2017-09-10; Published 2017-10-13
Abstract:
The Rif-Betic Cordillera is atightly arcuate, oroclinal mountain belt along the western edge of the Alpine
Peri-Mediterranean Orogen, it extends for ~2000 km from the Strait of Gibraltar in the West to Calabria and
the Southern Apennines in the East. It developed as a result of the convergence andcollision between the
Eurasian and African plates in the Miocene. The recent discovery of a suture zone with oceanic rocks in its
central and eastern parts suggests that the external zone of the Rif Belt (Mesorif and Prerif Units) may
include ophioliticunits. In this paper, we shed light for the first time on petrographic and stratigraphic
characteristics of the mafic rocks that appear in the western part of the Mesorif suture zone as well as the
Prerif sub-domain. These latter are represented by gabbro with a sub-ophitic to ophitic texture showing
simple mineralogy made up of abundant euhedral to subhedral plagioclase, subhedral to
anhedralclinopyroxene crystals that can be very altered and totally replaced by chlorite epidote and opaques,
and less abundant olivine. Alteration phases include chlorite epidote and tremolites.
Key words: Rif Belt, Mesorif suture zone, Mesorif sub-domain, mafic rocks
Introduction:
The Rif belt is squeezed between the African plate
and the Mediterranean back-arc basin (Fig. 1a). It
forms a thrust sheet pile consisting of the tectonic
superposition of Paleozoic continental crust slices
and relative Mesozoic-Paleogene covers onto the
Mesozoic-Neogene basin to platform successions
(Bourgeois, 1978;Durand-Delga, 1980; Negro et
al., 2007; Chalouan et al., 2008). Since the early
works of Vidal (1977), who identified two
northward subductions beneath the Internal and
proximal Externals Zones of the Rif belt, a long
gap concerning the research on these sutures has
continued. Recently, Benzaggagh et al., (2014)
and Michard et al., (2014) initiated new
investigations and a review on the External Rif
suture zone continuous for more than 500 km
eastward to the Tell belt. In fact, the occurrence of
huge exhumed upper mantle peridotites, then
tectonic slivers of gabbro within the Mesorif
corridor early observed by Vidal (1983a and b)
associated with MP/LT exhumed metamorphic
rocks, as well as huge olistoliths of mafic pillow
lavas, dolerites and gabbro all reworked within
Miocene fine-grained sediments of various
Mesorif and Prerif units suggests that the external
zones of the Rif belt may include some ophiolitic
remnants (Benzaggagh et al., 2014; Michard et al.,
2014).
According to Asebry (1994), the development of
the Mesorif suture zone (MSZ) of Mesorif
Domain was probably promoted by the occurrence
of strongly thinned lithosphere since late Jurassic.
A. Rafai Stratigraphy and Petrographyof Mafic Rocks from the Western Part of the Mesorif Sub-Domain (External Rif, Morocco)
International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, Vol. 8, Issue. 10, Page no: GL 20192-20201
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr/2017/8/10/333 Page | 20193
The “ophiolitic slivers” that appear southward in
the MSZ of Mesorif Domain were defined by the
occurrence of massive gabbro topped by thin
mafic rocks; volcano-sedimentry sandstones;
limestones and breccias (Michard et al., 2014).
While, northward the latter are mainly clastic
marbles on the top of the serpentinite of Beni
Malek-Skifate Aït Amrâne (Michard et al.,1992).
Since, the western part of the mesorif suture zone
is still very poorly described (Michard et al.,
2014), we try to give an overview for the first time
of the maficrocks that occur in the western
Mesorifas Ain Chejraand Lakelayie outcrops (near
Taounate). We present in this paper the first
stratigraphic and petrographical descriptions of
these both mafic units.
1- Geological setting:
The Rif belt consists of, from South to North (Fig.
1b), Internal or the Alboran domainwhich includes
sub-continental upper mantle peridotites (Beni
Bousera peridotites), the MaghrebianFlyschs
Nappes andthe External domain. These tectonic
domains and their lithological units have been
stacked on top of each other and became inverted
along S-SW-oriented nappe piles during the
Middle to Late Miocene (Chalouan et al.,
2001;Michard et al., 2002, 2008; Zaghloul et al.,
2005,2007; Decapoa et al., 2007, 2010).
The tectono-stratigraphic units of the Internal
Domain belong to three Alpine tectonic
complexes that are, from base to top (Fig. 1b):
Sebtide (Durand-Delga and Kornprobst, 1963),
Ghomaride (Durand-Delga and Kornprobst, 1963;
Wildi, 1983; Chalouan, 1986; Michard and
Chalouan, 1991), and Dorsale Calcaire (Fallot,
1937; Wildi et al., 1977). These successions are
constituted by slightly or unmetamorphosed
Paleozoic rocks as slates, phyllites, metarenites
and metalimestones with locally some intrusions
of basalt and spilite bodies (Durand-Delga and
Kornprobst, 1963; Chalouan, 1986). Their age is
ranging between Ordovician and Late
Carboniferous (Durand Delga, 1963; Chalouan,
1986) and deformed by eo-variscan and Variscan
orogenic events (Michard and Chalouan,
1978;Chalouan, 1986; Chalouan and Michard,
1990). The uppermost beds are represented by
mid-Carboniferous sandstones and conglomerates
of Culm facies (Baudelot et al., 1984). Their total
thickness does not exceed 5000 m (Chalouan and
Michard, 1990). They support an Alpine
Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary succession
(Durand-Delga et al., 1964; Maate, 1984),
strongly reduced by the erosion and considered as
a lateral equivalent of the so-called Internal
“Dorsale Calcaire” Units (Wildi, 1983; Maate,
1996), detached from the uppermost Sebtide Units
and piled up in front of the Ghomaride realm.
The Maghrebian flysch Basin is extended on more
2000 km from the Betic Cordilleras up to eastern
Peloritainmonts in the Sicilian Chain (Durand
Delga, 1980) (Fig. 1b). In the Rif belt, the
occidental terminaison of this Basin is constituted
by a set of superimposed Nappes. Stratigraphic
sequences encountered in the Basin are spread
over a long geological period from Jurassic up to
Middle-Upper Miocene. The building of the
stacked Nappes overrides the external zones
(Bouillin et al., 1986; Durand-Delga, 1980, 2006;
Durand-Delga and Fontboté, 1980; Wildi, 1983),
Maghrebian flysch Basin is classically sybdivided
into two paleogeographic realms known as
Mauritanian and Massylian sub-Domains
(Bouillin et al., 1970;Dercourt et al., 1986) these
domains are mainly made of Cretaceous-early
Miocene turbiditic successions.
Figure 1: (a)- Location of the study area in the
Maghrebide Belt of North-Africa; (b)- Structural
map of the Rif Belt modified after Suter (1980b)
and Chalouan et al., (2008).
The External Zones derive from the North-African
paleomargin inverted during the Early Miocene
A. Rafai Stratigraphy and Petrographyof Mafic Rocks from the Western Part of the Mesorif Sub-Domain (External Rif, Morocco)
International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, Vol. 8, Issue. 10, Page no: GL 20192-20201
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr/2017/8/10/333 Page | 20194
collision of the Internal Zones (Lacoste, 1934;
Leblanc, 1979; De Capoa et al., 2004, 2007; Zakir
et al., 2004; Zaghloul et al., 2005; Di Staso et al.,
2010). The External Rif is subdivided into three
main sub-Domains known as Intrarif, Mesorif and
Prerif (Durand Delga et al., 1960-1962; Durand
Delga, 1966; Suter, 1965; 1980; Leblanc, 1977;
Wildi, 1983) (Fig. 1b). Its starts by Triassic
redbeds and evaporitic levels followed by
Jurassic-early Cretaceous carbonate succession
mainly rooted from its oceanic / mantelic-
basement (Michard et al., 1992, 2007; Michard et
al., 2014; Benzaggagh et al., 2014). Upward a
thick Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary succession
with dominant fine-grained deep-sea turbidites
was accumulated on the African passive
paleomargin and adjacent basin (Lespinasse,
1975; Leblanc, 1979; Durand delga, 1980; Kuhnt
and Obert, 1991; Ben Yaich, 1991; Ben Yaich et
al., 1989; Tejera de Leon 1993; Favre, 1995;
Michard et al., 2008). The strong deformations
(locally with syn-metamorphic greenschist
metamorphism) would result from a collision
since late Burdigalian with Mesomediteranean
microplate(Durand-Delga, 1980a;Chalouan et al.,
2001, Michard et al., 2002; Zaghloul et al.,
2005;Zaghloul et al., 2007; Decapoa et al., 2007).
1-1 The Intrarif sub-domain:
The Intrarif sub-Domain includes the Ketama unit
(Durand-Delga and Mattauer, 1959b), Tangier,
Loukkous and detached Late Cretaceous-Middle
Miocene Habt and Aknoul nappes, presently
thrusting over the Mesorif and Prerifnappe stacks.
The Ketama unit is characterized by a powerful
Triassic up to Middle Cretaceous
pelitesandsiliciclastic turbiditic sequence more
than 3000 m thick (Andrieux, 1971). The latter
indicates a strong subsiding external gutter in
which has accumulated at the base on Triassic red
bed Siliciclastic quartzarenites known as the thick
“ferrysch” of Wildi, (1981) topped by Upper
Jurassic early
CretaceouscarbonatestoSaccocomahosting
frequent E-MORB doleritesand basaltflows
(Zaghloul et al.,2003). Upward, a huge Aptian-
Albian to Cenomanian siliciclastic Flysch
succession occurs (Andrieux, 1971). The Tangier
and Loukkosunits arefairly detached from the
Ketama unit and mainly consist in Upper
Cretaceous fine grained deep-sea turbidites with
dominant mudrocks/marls facies.
The Mesorifsub-domain:
The Mesorif sub-Domain includes the
allochthonous and parautochthonous units. The
latter observed in tectonic windows, firstly called
"window zones" (Marçais, 1936) include a thick
succession which starts with Triassic -Jurassic-
early cretaceous sandstones and carbonates and
evolves upward to a Middle-Upper Miocene
siliciclastic turbiditic and olistostromes. Theses
parautochthonous units are windows observed
from the East to the west at the East and SE of
Aknoul (Nekor Breccia, Jebel Kouine,AhlImoula-
Tamda windows); at the NW of
Taounate(GhafsaiAntiform) andat the NE
ofOuezzane(Izzarene window). All these units are
matching the arched shape of the belt
(Leblanc,1980; Frizon de Lamotte, 1985;Michard,
2014) and structurally are considered the sole of
allochthonous Mesorif nappe stacks.
The Mesorif allochthonous units include the
BouHaddoud andSenhadja nappes. The latter was
firstly defined by Lacoste and Marçais (1938). It
is made of Lower-Middle Jurassic carbonates and
Upper Jurassic siliciclastique “ferrysch”
terrigenous turbidites topped by UpperOxfordian-
Berriasian carbonates and marls includingseveral
submarine volcanic E-MORB gabbro, dolerites
and basalts flows (Benyaïch et al.,
1989;Benzaggagh, 2011). Wide outcrops of
gabbroic oceanic floor slivers were early observed
by Vidal (1983) and recently reviewed by
Benzaggagh et al., (2014) and Michard et al.,
(2014) and considered by these authors as
probably Middle-Late Jurassic by confrontation
to other southern Alpine Tethysand Ligurian
oceanic belts (Michard et al.,2014). Infact, some
gabbro outcrops of the Bou Haddoud nappe
yielded age of 166 ± 3 Ma Bathonian-Callovian
(Asebri, 1994). Upward the sedimentary
succession is Cretaceous-Middle Miocene?, not
well studied and mainly made of mudrocks, marls
and siliciclasticturbiditic sandstones (Leblanc,
1979, 1982).
1-2 The Prerifsub-domain :
The Prerif sub-Domain is the outermost part of the
Rif belt, and classically divided into Internal and
ExternalPrerif. It was defined on the base of its
marlyCretaceous sequence with a large number
ofstratigraphicalgaps due to the erosion and the
resedimentationinto the Mesorif (Marçais and
Suter, in Durand-Delga et al., 1962).The Prerif
A. Rafai Stratigraphy and Petrographyof Mafic Rocks from the Western Part of the Mesorif Sub-Domain (External Rif, Morocco)
International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, Vol. 8, Issue. 10, Page no: GL 20192-20201
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr/2017/8/10/333 Page | 20195
sub-Domain displays a thick Jurassic-Middle
Miocene succession detached on the basal Triassic
redbeds and gypsym evaporites sole and thrust
southward the Gharb basin foreland. The Jurassic-
early Cretaceous carbonates and Siliciclastic
arenaceous “ferrysch” turbiditic succession
outcrop as extrusive slices forming the “sofs line”
followed by mainly fine grained deep-sea y
Middle-early late Miocene turbidites with
dominant mudrocks and marls reworking huge
olistholiths of greenschist metapelites/metarenites
slivers and rare E-MORB and N-MORB basalt
flows belonging to the internal Prerif, whereas the
External prerif successions are Cretaceous-Eocene
and Upper Oligocene-Miocene marly turbidites
with frequents southward “décollements” on the
underlying Triassic redbeds and evaporites and are
transported far away to the SW(Hottinger and
Sutter, 1961; Benyaich, 1991; Frizon de Lamotte
et al., 1991; Chalouan et al., 2001; Zaghloul et al.,
2005;Michardetal., 2008, 2014).
2- Stratigraphy of studied outcrops 2-1 Ain
Chejraoutcrop:
The AinChejra outcrop appears about 2km from
ourtzaghvillage (40Km West Taounate city)(Fig.
1b), it forms a small hill on the road (Fig. 2).
Figure 2: Panoramic vue of AinChejra outcrop
that appears on the road to Ourtzagh village.
this section presents from South to North (Fig. 3):
- Around3 to 4 m thick sequence of Triassic
gypsum.
- A gabbroic body of about 2m,the rocks are
medium to coarse grain sized, we took the
samples MRE-01 and MRE-01a from different
level (Fig.3).
- About 3m of lavas breccias with fragments of
sub-angulairemafic rocks announcing an
explosive volcanism that took place after the
gabbrointrusion.
Figure 3: Sketch of AinChejra Outcrop.
2-3 Lakelayieoutcrop:
Lakelayie villageis located at nearly5 km North
Est of Ghefsai village (50 Km away from
Taounate city). On our way to thefamous local
marabout appears an outcrop of mafic rocks.This
succession, that we named “The Section I of
Lakelayie”, starts from South to North by(Fig.4):
- About 14m thick of mafic sequence represented
by croase-grained reedish gabbro, these rocks are
weathered in some places and arranged in layers
of 20 to 50 cm thick (samples MRE-02, MRE-03,
MRE-03a, MRE-04, MRE-04a and MRE-
05)(Plate Iphoto a).
- About 21m of lavas breccias reworking sub-
angulaire clasts of weathered gabbros and grey
fragments (10 to 20cm thick) of crystalline
limestone (10 to 20cm).
- A red clay sequence of about 13m reworking
centimetric to decametric gabbro pebbles,
fragments of grey crystalline limestones and
dolomites (plate IPhotos b & c).
A. Rafai Stratigraphy and Petrographyof Mafic Rocks from the Western Part of the Mesorif Sub-Domain (External Rif, Morocco)
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- About 4 m of grey vugular dolomite with
centimetric layers of red clay.
Plate I: a - lightcolored gabbro, b - lavas
breccias reworking gabbro and limestone, c -
pebbles of gabbro, d - mylonitic marble, e–basalt.
Figure 4: sketch of Lakelayie outcrop (sectionI).
We continue North towards the Marabout, the
second section beginsfrom South with (Fig. 5):
- Around 10 m thick of greenish mylonitic marble
arranged in decametric (40 to 70cm) bed
sequences(plate I Photo d)
- A thick layer of lavas breccias reworking triassic?
red sandstones, limestones clasts, basaltic
fragments, gabbroic clasts of different grain size
and variable thickness that goes from 10 to 30cm
- A gabbro level of around 75 m, at the bottom the
gabbrosis fresh and lightcoloredarranged in
decametric layers (20 to 40cm), while in the top it
is typically massive and very wheathered
- About 10 m of starified basalt with centimetric
geode with dark crystals on the inside wall and
sometimes multiple rims
- Centimetric bed sequences of crystalline
limestones around 6m thick
- A level of 15 m of conglomerates and lavas
breccias reworking sandsontes and gabbro
clasts(plate I Photos e &f), theses latter show
greenish and darks crystals related to a strong
hydrothermal activity accompanied with iron
oxydes. This volcaniclastic level reworks a bed
sequence of around 20 m thick of stratified
basalts.
Figure 5- sketch of Lakelayie outcrop
(sectionII).
3- Petrography of the Samples 3-1 Ain chejra:
The two samples from the mafic level represent a
gabbro with subophitic to locally ophitic texture.
plagioclase presentsa bimodal grain size
distribution. Some grains are small whereas others
are medium to large. Most of the grains are
subhedral, lath-shaped, elongated. Plagioclase
A. Rafai Stratigraphy and Petrographyof Mafic Rocks from the Western Part of the Mesorif Sub-Domain (External Rif, Morocco)
International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, Vol. 8, Issue. 10, Page no: GL 20192-20201
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr/2017/8/10/333 Page | 20197
forms the primary mineral, it is included in
aggregates clinopyroxene and sometimes olivine (
Plate II photosa&b).Clinopyroxenes are colorless
to light brown and sometimes faint green in plane
polarised light. Medium to coarse sized grain
shows subhedral to anhedral grain boundary.
Grain surfaces are fractured and show high R.I.
and relief. Two sets of cleavage are present and
they show inclined extinction with respect to
prominent cleavage. Between cross polars they
show 2nd order variegated interference colors
(pink, yellow, blue, green blue etc). Olivine
appears in sample MRE-01a as grains less than 3
mm. Interstitial to plagioclase; in some places
including clinopyroxene or intergrown with it
(Plate II Photoa). Ubiquitously cracked, with
opaques and/or alteration phases filling these
cracks in clusters of grains.The samples show
relatively abundant biotite crystals with low-T
hydrous minerals represented exclusively by
chlorites as aggregates of subcircular flakey
sheaves in cracks and as alteration of plagioclase
and biotite.
3-2 Lakelayie:
3-2-1 Lakelayie section I:
As mentioned in Lakelayiesection I sketch six
samples of the mafic body were taken for
petrographic observations (MRE-02, MRE-03,
MRE-03a, MRE-04, MRE-04a and MRE-05). The
mineralogy of the samples indicates an olivine
gabbro with an ophitic to subophitic texture
despite alteration in some places, the interstitial
texture of mafics is fairly well preserved(plate II
photo a). Deformation limited to a few cracks and
minor strain in plagioclase. This latter presents
about 55% more or less, the average grain size is
about 1 to 4mm. More than 75% grains have
tapered twins; larger, more elongate grains have
bent twins. Amount of fine-grained plagioclase
varies from one grain width around plagioclase to
approximately 1 mm zones which also have
rounded grains of pyroxene and olivine, both of
which may be poikiloblastic; very minor
sericitization of larger grains in cracks; chlorite
along plagioclase-plagioclase grain boundaries.
Clinopyroxene showsrarely very large grains
(greater than 1 cm) poikilitically enclosing
plagioclase or interstitial (plate II photo b). Some
of the larger grains enclose remnants of other
clinopyroxene and plagioclase; some are
aggregates of many grains. Most grains have fine
cleavage, but a few irregular intergrown grains of
olivine. Grains in aggregates are about same size
as plagioclase and olivine. This latter is perhaps
mostly small relicts in aggregates associated with
clinopyroxene and sometimes interstitial to
plagioclase. Alteration clearly to opaques in some
areas, late-stage to oxides; but also to chlorite and
epidote. Alternatively, some of these may be after
clinopyroxene. While The opaques grains are up
to 5 mm, euhedral to anhedral, they occur in zones
of recrystallization, rims to clinopyroxene,
inclusions in clinopyroxene grains and in
plagioclase fields. The chlorite aggregates of
subcircular flaky sheaves in cracks, replaces
plagioclase in mats or along veins, itappears to be
concentrated in zones which run parallel to
foliation, while the epidote show anhedral forms,
associated with olivine and clinopyroxene.
Samples MRE-04, MRE-04a and MRE-05 show
tremolite crystals forming in the veins(plate II
photo d) with different sizes sometimes it takes
40% of the thin section as it is the case in sample
MRE-05 (Plate II photos e& f).
Plate II: a- MRE-02 thin section, b- MRE-03
thin section showing the poikilitic and interstitial
texture of clinopyroxene, c - thin section of
MRE-03a, d - MRE-04 thin section with a little
A. Rafai Stratigraphy and Petrographyof Mafic Rocks from the Western Part of the Mesorif Sub-Domain (External Rif, Morocco)
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vein of tremolite, e and f- MRE-05 thin section
with a huge tremolite under NL and PL.
3-2-2 Lakelayie section II:
Thin sections made for samples MRE-06, MRE-
07 and MRE-08 show a very weathered gabbro
with a sub-ophitic to ophitictexture, plagioclase
presents predominantly laths and few phenocrysts.
Many grains exhibit simple twinning, though
some show polysynthetic twinning within a
simple twin, with a minor sericitic alteration that
occurs preferentially in the cores of relict
grains(plate III photosa& b). Alteration of
pyroxenes has been sufficient to obscure primary
textures, however clinopyroxene may have formed
interstitially to the plagioclase laths. It is replaced
by chlorite, epidote and opaques majorly(plate
IIIphotos a &b).We can barely recognize some
small crystals of altered olivine. Some of the veins
are filled with calcite,sections of subhedral quartz
are also present. While samples MRE-12, MRE-
13 and MRE-13a represent a well-preserved
gabbro with a sub-ophitic to ophitic texture, where
plagioclase laths represent about 55%, Many of
them up to 5mm long, simply twinned; some
subhedral but most grains are anhedral.
Clinopyroxene shows about 1.5-5 mm grain
size(plate IIIphoto c). Some grains are poikilitic
and interstitial to plagioclase, and sometimes
totally replaced by epidote and opaques(plate III
photo d). The alteration products are presented by
chlorite as the most abundant mineral and
epidotes.
Plate III: a and b- thin sections showing
weathered gabbro, c- MRE-12 Thin section, d-
MRE-13 thin section showing an epidote
replacing a clinopyroxene.
Conclusion
In this work, we present for the first time
geological and petrographical evidences of mafic
rocks occurrence in the western part of the mesorif
suture zone, Michard et al., in 2014 shed light on
the same facies that outcrop in the central and
eastern part of the MSZ interpreting them as
slivers of an ophiolitic complex, furthermore
Rafaiand Raji (2017) studied the mafic rocks that
occur in the western part of prerif sub-domain,
these latter consist of gabbro pillow lavas and
other diabases, that resemble quit fairly to those
occurring in the eastern and central Mesorif sub-
domain.However, Further investigations
(geochemical and geochronological analyses) are
still needed, since the originas well as the
geodynamic mechanism that led to the
development of these sequences still remain
unclear.
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