G. Ercilla et al., ORIGIN, SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES AND DEPOSITIONAL EVOLUTION OF THE AGADIR TURBIDITE SYSTEM, CENTRAL EASTERN ATLANTIC, Journal of the Geological Society, 155, 1998, pp. 929-939
The Oligocene to Recent Agadir turbidite system occurs in the Agadir B
asin, abutting against the continental margin off South Morocco (centr
al eastern Atlantic). This system is part of the submarine drainage sy
stem linking back to the Anti- and High Atlas mountains through the Ag
adir Canyon, and its sedimentary evolution is shown to comprise latera
l shifts of canyon, channel, overbank and lobe deposits, governed by l
ocal topography (draped palaeorelief seamounts, and a contourite ridge
) and channel avulsions. In addition, the turbidite system shows an ov
erall retrogradational stacking (migrating about 60 km upslope). This
probably reflects a decrease in gradient on the continental margin, gr
adual basin filling, and/or a progressive decrease in energy and load
of the sediment gravity Bows that fed the system. The latter change in
sediment flux could result from the interplay between the progressive
denudation of the source areas, together with the climatic change whi
ch led to the present arid/desertic conditions in the hinterland. The
seismic features observed with new ultra-high resolution seismic tools
allow the recognition of the present-day sedimentary activity within
the Agadir turbidite system, and this is related, among other factors,
to the active seismicity of the area.