Stratigraphy and Petrography of Mafic Rocks from the

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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.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr/2017/8/10/333


A. Rafai Stratigraphy and Petrographyof Mafic Rocks from the Western Part of the Mesorif Sub-Domain (External Rif, Morocco)



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





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





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).





- 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





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





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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