The Numidian sand event in the Burdigalian foreland basin system of the Rif, Morocco, in a source-to-sink perspective

Abstract During the Tertiary evolution of Western Mediterranean subduction system, a migrating foreland basin system developed between Maghrebian orogenic belt and adjacent African Craton. However, comprehensive reconstruction systems Rif Chain is still missing. By integrating field observations with quantitative biostratigraphic data from calcareous nannofossil assemblages, sandstone composition, detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology selected stratigraphic successions, we reconstruct that in early Miocene front growing orogen. The successions analyzed are representative (1) classical “Numidian Facies” Intrarifian Tanger Unit (2) Numidian-like deposits (mixed successions) “Mérinides “Maghrebian Flysch Basin” “Beliounis Predorsalian Unit. Our petrographic analyses ages show quartzarenites originated Craton, whereas sublitharenites feldspathic litharenites Mérinides Beliounis Facies cratonic area exhuming Chain. suggest simultaneous arrival quartz grains Numidian, Mérinides, deposits, which indicates their deposition occurred at ~1 m.y. (ca. 20–19 Ma, Burdigalian) allows us to delineate Burdigalian depozone received Facies,” foredeep-hosted ~2000 m Beni Ider Flysch, wedge-top was characterized by Facies.” Numidian Sandstones Morocco same age as similar Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, suggests comparable tectono-sedimentary along southern branch subduction-related