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Deciphering Paleogene platforms from a “Lost Domain” in the Western Neo-Tethys 

According to classical literature, two Paleogene platforms developed along the northern and southern margins of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. Similar platforms have been recognized on the southern margin of a “lost domain” consisting of an independent microplate known as the “Mesomediterranean Microplate” (MM) in the westernmost Neo-Tethys Ocean. This microplate underwent tectonic dismantling and drifting during […]

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Multicostate terebratulides (Brachiopoda, Early Jurassic) in the westernmost Tethys Ocean

 Early Jurassic multicostate Terebratulida are substantiated in the Subbetic Domain and reported in the Iberian Range for the first time. Records of this clade are revised in the peri-Iberian platforms (Subbetic, Iberian Range, Gibraltar, North and NE Spain, Lusitanian basin) in order to evaluate their global pattern distribution across the Tethys Ocean. After a new […]

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Field trip in Morocco: Searching for the Nummulites

The Africa call… Well the third field work campaign the project. This time in the Middle Atlas of Morocco. The objetive was to find Nummulites as the ones in the Betic or in the Rif. The picture shows the members of the team. Picture taken by Soufian Maaté. Manuel Bullejos Lorenzo (Granada University) Rachid Hlila […]

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History of western Tethys Ocean and the birth of the circum-mediterranean orogeny as reflected by source-to-sink relations

A broad region of Mesozoic to Cenozoic tectonism along the western and central Circum- Mediterranean (CM) margins, from southern Spain (Betic Cordillera) to the northern Morocco (Rif) and Italy (Apennines), includes huge volumes of sedimentary record since the Late Paleozoic. These sediments are contemporaneous and related with the fragmentation of the Pangean supercontinent due to […]

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A Python Application for Visualizing an Imbricate Thrust System: Palomeque Duplex (SE, Spain)

This paper introduces a Python application for visualizing an imbricate thrust system. The application uses the traditional geologic information to create an HTML geological map with real topography and a set of geological cross-sections with the essential structural and stratigraphic elements. On the basis of the high geological knowledge gained during the last three decades, the Palomeque sheets affecting […]

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Cenozoic detrital suites from the Internal Betic-Rif Cordilleras (S Spain and N Morocco): implications for paleogeography and paleotectonics

 A synthesis of Cenozoic detrital suites from the Internal Betic-Rif Cordilleras is discussed in relations with major paleotectonic phases during growth of orogenic belts. The discussion has been focused on the Malaguide and Ghomaride complexes that have a Cenozoic sedimentary detritic cover. The heterogeneous petrographic composition of coarse detrital rocks, and the mineralogy and geochemistry […]

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The Eocene carbonate platforms of the Ghomaride Domain (Internal Rif Zone, N Morocco): a segment of the westernmost Tethys

The Eocene platform deposits in the Moroccan Ghomarides have been studied. These marine carbonate platforms were located in the westernmost Tethys approximately 30°N and 0°–10°W during the Cuisian to Bartonian. The study includes observations from fossiliferous assemblages (such as larger benthic foraminifera and colonial corals), their palaeoenvironment aswell as rock texture and fabric. Eight microfacieswere identified that represent different […]

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Paleogene evolution of the External Rif Zone (Morocco) and comparison with other western Tethyan margins

The Paleogene evolution of the NW margin of the African Plate (Western External Rif Zone) was studied by means of multidisciplinary analyses of twenty-one stratigraphic logs, including tectofacies recognition, petro-mineralogical results, and thicknesses analysis. Four stratigraphic intervals were recognized separated by three unconformities coarsely aligned with the Cretaceous–Paleogene, Eocene–Oligocene and Oligocene–Miocene boundaries, respectively. Tectofacies appear from the late Ypresian […]

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The Numidian formation in the Central-Western Mediterranean

The widely debated late Oligocene-middle Miocene Numidian Fm (NF) consists of supermature quartzose sediments deposited in the Maghrebian Flysch Basin (MFB) outcropping from the Betic Cordillera to the Southern Apennine passing by the Maghrebian Chain. The NF is commonly composed of three lithostratigraphic members and is characterized by two vertical successions (Type A and Type B) corresponding to different […]

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Eocene carbonate platform of the Malaguides of the westermost Tethys

 The Eocene Peñicas (Almería) and Harania (Málaga) stratigraphic sections from the Malaguide Complex (Betic Cordillera, South Spain) belonging to the Mesomediterranean Microplate from the westernmost Tethys (about  35◦N) have been studied. The Eocene sections cover the Cuisian to middle Lutetian deposits, which show several lithofacies representing shallow marine platform realms. Based on the fossiliferous assemblage, […]

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