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...
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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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. |
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language | English |
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publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
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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 |
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