Investigation of Paleoenvironmental Evolution and Ichnofacies Diversity in the Aptian-Albian Section of the Amizmiz Region, Western High Atlas, Morocco
Więcej
Ukryj
1
University Cadi Ayyad, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
2
Ibn Zohr University, 80000, Agadir, Morocco
SŁOWA KLUCZOWE
DZIEDZINY
STRESZCZENIE
This study aims to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental evolution of the Amizmiz region (Western High Atlas, Morocco) during the Aptian-Albian transition, characterizing the substrate conditions that accompanied the collapse of the Urgonian carbonate platform.
The research employed a comprehensive field investigation involving detailed lithostratigraphic logging, sedimentological facies analysis, and in situ ichnological documentation. The study utilized trace fossils (Thalassinoïdes, Spongeliomorpha, Arenicolites) and macrofossils (ammonites, rudists) as high-resolution proxies for oxygenation, hydrodynamic energy, and substrate consistency.
The analysis revealed a stratigraphic succession transitioning from a shallow subtidal carbonate platform to a deepening basin, culminating in an intertidal environment. A key finding is the identification of a Spongeliomorpha-dominated firmground (Glossifungites ichnofacies) marking a major erosional discontinuity and platform drowning event. The study documents the replacement of the Pseudotoucasia-dominated benthic community by ammonite-rich condensation levels (Nolaniceras, Hypacanthoplites) indicating stratigraphic starvation.
The study is limited to the outcrop scale of the Amizmiz section; however, the consequences imply a broader regional applicability for interpreting sedimentary hiatuses using ichnology.
This research establishes a predictive model for using firmground ichnofacies to locate sequence boundaries and erosional surfaces in the High Atlas, aiding in regional stratigraphic correlations.
This is the first study in the Amizmiz region to explicitly link the mechanical properties of the substrate (via Spongeliomorpha bioglyphs) to the specific timeline of the Aptian-Albian anoxic events, providing a novel dataset for the "Atlasic Gulf" paleo-ecosystem.