cGPS Record of Active Extension in Moroccan Meseta and Shortening in Atlasic Chains under the Eurasia-Nubia Convergence

The northwest-southeast convergence of the Eurasian and Nubian (African) plates in the western Mediterranean region propagates inside the Nubian plate and affects the Moroccan Meseta and the neighboring Atlasic belt. Five continuous Global Positioning System (cGPS) stations were installed in this ar...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ahmed Chalouan, Antonio J. Gil, Ahmed Chabli, Kaoutar Bargach, Hoda Liemlahi, Khalil El Kadiri, Víctor Tendero-Salmerón, Jesús Galindo-Zaldívar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-05-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/10/4846
_version_ 1797598391868325888
author Ahmed Chalouan
Antonio J. Gil
Ahmed Chabli
Kaoutar Bargach
Hoda Liemlahi
Khalil El Kadiri
Víctor Tendero-Salmerón
Jesús Galindo-Zaldívar
author_facet Ahmed Chalouan
Antonio J. Gil
Ahmed Chabli
Kaoutar Bargach
Hoda Liemlahi
Khalil El Kadiri
Víctor Tendero-Salmerón
Jesús Galindo-Zaldívar
author_sort Ahmed Chalouan
collection DOAJ
description The northwest-southeast convergence of the Eurasian and Nubian (African) plates in the western Mediterranean region propagates inside the Nubian plate and affects the Moroccan Meseta and the neighboring Atlasic belt. Five continuous Global Positioning System (cGPS) stations were installed in this area in 2009 and provide significant new data, despite a certain degree of errors (between 0.5 and 1.2 mm year<sup>−1</sup>, 95% confidence) due to slow rates. The cGPS network reveals 1 mm year<sup>−1</sup> North/South shortening accommodated within the High Atlas Mountains, and unexpected 2 mm year<sup>−1</sup> north-northwest/south-southeast extensional-to-transtensional tectonics within the Meseta and the Middle Atlas, which have been quantified for the first time. Moreover, the Alpine Rif Cordillera drifts towards the south-southeast against its Prerifian foreland basins and the Meseta. In this context, the geological extension foreseen in the Moroccan Meseta and Middle Atlas agrees with a crustal thinning due to the combined effect of the anomalous mantle beneath both the Meseta and Middle-High Atlasic system, from which Quaternary basalts were sourced, and the roll-back tectonics in the Rif Cordillera. Overall, the new cGPS data provide reliable support for understanding the geodynamic mechanism that built the prominent Atlasic Cordillera, and reveal the heterogeneous present-day behavior of the Eurasia-Nubia collisional boundary.
first_indexed 2024-03-11T03:20:32Z
format Article
id doaj.art-8fce59de4988486aa3bb007342da3679
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1424-8220
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-11T03:20:32Z
publishDate 2023-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Sensors
spelling doaj.art-8fce59de4988486aa3bb007342da36792023-11-18T03:13:28ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-05-012310484610.3390/s23104846cGPS Record of Active Extension in Moroccan Meseta and Shortening in Atlasic Chains under the Eurasia-Nubia ConvergenceAhmed Chalouan0Antonio J. Gil1Ahmed Chabli2Kaoutar Bargach3Hoda Liemlahi4Khalil El Kadiri5Víctor Tendero-Salmerón6Jesús Galindo-Zaldívar7Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10000, MoroccoDepartamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica, Geodesia y Fotogrametría, Universidad de Jaén, 23071 Jaén, SpainCentre Régional des Métiers de l’Éducation et de la Formation de Rabat, Rabat 10000, MoroccoGeo-Biodiversity and Natural Heritage Laboratory (GEOBIO), Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10000, MoroccoÉcole Normale Supéreure, Université Abdelmalek Essaadi, Martil 93150, MoroccoFaculté des Sciences, Université Abdelmalek Essaadi, Tetouan 93000, MoroccoDepartamento de Geodinámica, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainDepartamento de Geodinámica, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainThe northwest-southeast convergence of the Eurasian and Nubian (African) plates in the western Mediterranean region propagates inside the Nubian plate and affects the Moroccan Meseta and the neighboring Atlasic belt. Five continuous Global Positioning System (cGPS) stations were installed in this area in 2009 and provide significant new data, despite a certain degree of errors (between 0.5 and 1.2 mm year<sup>−1</sup>, 95% confidence) due to slow rates. The cGPS network reveals 1 mm year<sup>−1</sup> North/South shortening accommodated within the High Atlas Mountains, and unexpected 2 mm year<sup>−1</sup> north-northwest/south-southeast extensional-to-transtensional tectonics within the Meseta and the Middle Atlas, which have been quantified for the first time. Moreover, the Alpine Rif Cordillera drifts towards the south-southeast against its Prerifian foreland basins and the Meseta. In this context, the geological extension foreseen in the Moroccan Meseta and Middle Atlas agrees with a crustal thinning due to the combined effect of the anomalous mantle beneath both the Meseta and Middle-High Atlasic system, from which Quaternary basalts were sourced, and the roll-back tectonics in the Rif Cordillera. Overall, the new cGPS data provide reliable support for understanding the geodynamic mechanism that built the prominent Atlasic Cordillera, and reveal the heterogeneous present-day behavior of the Eurasia-Nubia collisional boundary.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/10/4846cGPS measurementsNubian plate boundarywesternmost Mediterraneanslow active extensional tectonicsanomalous mantle
spellingShingle Ahmed Chalouan
Antonio J. Gil
Ahmed Chabli
Kaoutar Bargach
Hoda Liemlahi
Khalil El Kadiri
Víctor Tendero-Salmerón
Jesús Galindo-Zaldívar
cGPS Record of Active Extension in Moroccan Meseta and Shortening in Atlasic Chains under the Eurasia-Nubia Convergence
Sensors
cGPS measurements
Nubian plate boundary
westernmost Mediterranean
slow active extensional tectonics
anomalous mantle
title cGPS Record of Active Extension in Moroccan Meseta and Shortening in Atlasic Chains under the Eurasia-Nubia Convergence
title_full cGPS Record of Active Extension in Moroccan Meseta and Shortening in Atlasic Chains under the Eurasia-Nubia Convergence
title_fullStr cGPS Record of Active Extension in Moroccan Meseta and Shortening in Atlasic Chains under the Eurasia-Nubia Convergence
title_full_unstemmed cGPS Record of Active Extension in Moroccan Meseta and Shortening in Atlasic Chains under the Eurasia-Nubia Convergence
title_short cGPS Record of Active Extension in Moroccan Meseta and Shortening in Atlasic Chains under the Eurasia-Nubia Convergence
title_sort cgps record of active extension in moroccan meseta and shortening in atlasic chains under the eurasia nubia convergence
topic cGPS measurements
Nubian plate boundary
westernmost Mediterranean
slow active extensional tectonics
anomalous mantle
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/10/4846
work_keys_str_mv AT ahmedchalouan cgpsrecordofactiveextensioninmoroccanmesetaandshorteninginatlasicchainsundertheeurasianubiaconvergence
AT antoniojgil cgpsrecordofactiveextensioninmoroccanmesetaandshorteninginatlasicchainsundertheeurasianubiaconvergence
AT ahmedchabli cgpsrecordofactiveextensioninmoroccanmesetaandshorteninginatlasicchainsundertheeurasianubiaconvergence
AT kaoutarbargach cgpsrecordofactiveextensioninmoroccanmesetaandshorteninginatlasicchainsundertheeurasianubiaconvergence
AT hodaliemlahi cgpsrecordofactiveextensioninmoroccanmesetaandshorteninginatlasicchainsundertheeurasianubiaconvergence
AT khalilelkadiri cgpsrecordofactiveextensioninmoroccanmesetaandshorteninginatlasicchainsundertheeurasianubiaconvergence
AT victortenderosalmeron cgpsrecordofactiveextensioninmoroccanmesetaandshorteninginatlasicchainsundertheeurasianubiaconvergence
AT jesusgalindozaldivar cgpsrecordofactiveextensioninmoroccanmesetaandshorteninginatlasicchainsundertheeurasianubiaconvergence