Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Recommended Geoheritage Trails in Southern
Morocco: A 3 Ga Record Between the Sahara
Desert and the Atlantic Ocean
Recommandation de deux géoroutes au sud
du Maroc: 3 Ga entre le désert du Sahara et
l'océan Atlantique
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O. Saddiqi, E. Rjimati, A. Michard, A. Soulaimani, and H. Ouanaimi
Abstract
The remote regions of Southern Morocco are rich in outstanding geological landscapes and
outcrops not well known to the general public. In this paper, we propose two east-trending
geotrails (transverse to the regional trend of the structures) with a total of 19 geosites of
particular interest for geotourists as well as for geologists. The southernmost, Dakhla-Awsard
geotrail gives the opportunity to observe the oldest rocks (Archaean) of Morocco, belonging to
the West African Craton (WAC), and their relatively thin Palaeozoic cover. This trail also
presents a section across the Variscan nappes thrust over the craton, which is a unique
geological setting in Morocco, but extending widely southward to Mauritania. Finally, the trail
includes four geosites in the Cretaceous-Cenozoic deposits of the Coastal Basin, close to the
Dakhla sea resort. The northern geotrail starts from El Ouatia (Tan-Tan Plage), another sea
resort situated 700 km in the north of Dakhla. This trail illustrates the main geological features
of the Tarfaya Atlantic margin basin and provides a cross-section of the Anti-Atlas Variscan
folds up to the border of the WAC. Here the External Variscan belt differs from that of the
