Neogene basins in Eastern Rif of Morocco and their potential to host native sulphur

Sediment-hosted sulphur deposits provide valuable information on sedimentary biogeochemical processes related to microbial activity and are paleoenvironmental proxy records. They also used as markers for oil exploration the largest ones may represent exploitable economic resources of sulphur. Biogenic occurrences associated with Neogene formations found around Western Mediterranean, in Southern Europe (e.g. Hellin, Lorca, Teruel, Spain, Sicily, Italy). In northern Morocco, similar geological settings present where several sediment-hosted were reported by unpublished studies. this study, we first description such selected from two basins Eastern Rif (Taza-Guercif Boudinar) studied using sedimentological facies analysis mineralogical data. The occur yellowish sub-spherical concretions, nodules, laminated structures gypsiferous marls or organic-matter-rich marly clays gypsum lenses. Mineralogical revealed a assemblage composed mainly jarosite, gypsum, native These geo-markers indicative bacterially mediated sulphate reduction favourable conditions formation sulphur, especially at level Guercif basin. contrast, Ras Tarf volcanism probably contributed observed Boudinar basin through different processes.