Structural features of the South-East of the Saghro inlier (Eastern Anti-Atlas, Morocco): Insights from aeromagnetic data

Abstract

Abstract The Anti-Atlas fold and thrust belt is considered an important metallogenic province on the northern margin of the West African Craton (WAC). This structural domain is mainly controlled by structural features inherited from many orogeneses that underwent evolution from the Paleoproterozoic onward. Geophysical investigation is considered an effective tool for studying fracturing and establishing structural maps of sedimentary basins and inaccessible area. The Saghro massif of the Eastern Anti-Atlas is a large Precambrian inlier including the highest peak in the range, Jbel Mansour, reaching 2600 meters, along with many other inaccessible areas. In this work, we highlight the use of airborne magnetic data in the South-East part of the Saghro inlier to depict the tectonic framework and to establish the structural map of this part of the Pan African belt. We particularly focused on determining the local structures and tectonic units by applying many derivatives filters on the magnetic data reduced to pole. The superposition of all magnetic lineaments obtained from various edge detection techniques. The results outline directions that are the same as the general tectonic structures of the area. NE-SW and E-W directions corresponding mainly to Hercynian faults, while the NW-SE to ESE-WNW directions are related to the late Pan-African phase. The interpreted magnetic lineament maps identified new profound faults in this region, in addition to confirming other linear structures already highlighted by previous geophysical investigations. Our synthetic structural map of magnetic lineaments serves as a framework for future mining exploration.