It is unclear how the crustal-scale erosional exhumation of continental domains of the Moroccan Atlantic margin and the excessive subsidence of its rifted domains affected the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous post-rift evolution of the margin. To constrain the km-scale exhumation, we study the structural evolution of the Jbel Amsittene. This anticline is located on the coastal plain of the Moroccan Atlantic margin, and is classically considered to have been developed initially in the Late Cretaceous by halokinesis, and by contraction during the Neogene. Contrarily, our structural analysis indicates that the anticline is a fault-propagation fold verging north with Triassic salts at its core and that it formed by shortening shortly after continental breakup of the Central Atlantic. The anticline grew by NNW-SSE to NNE-SSW contraction, as shown by syn-tectonic wedges, regional kinematic indicators and synsedimentary structures in Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous rocks. It grew further and tightened during the Cenozoic, presumably in relation to the Atlas/Alpine contraction. Thus, our data and interpretation suggest that “tectonic-drives-salt” in the anticline early growth, which is coeval with the growth of other anticlines along the Moroccan Atlantic margin and widespread km-scale exhumation farther onshore. Anticline growth due to shortening argues for intraplate far-field stresses potentially linked to the geodynamic evolution of the African, American and European plates.

Low-temperature thermochronology studies revealed major exhumation events affecting domains in the hinterland of the Central Atlantic margins, where Palaeozoic and/or Precambrian basement is exposed. Thus, domains traditionally assumed to be stable since at least the Variscan and juxtaposed to subsiding Meso-Cenozoic basins, appear to be affected by km-scale vertical movements during the Atlantic rifting and after the Early Jurassic breakup in the Central Atlantic. In this contribution, we investigate the extent and the magnitude of these motions along the NW African margin by presenting the first low-temperature thermochronology data from west Mauritania. The analysed 22 samples were collected along the Mauritanides, a N-S trending Variscan Belt separating the cratonic Taoudeni Basin in the east from the Atlantic coastal basin in the west. The obtained apatite fission track (AFT) ages range between 236 and 90 Ma, with mean track lengths between 11.22 and 12.81 μm and D_par comprised between 1.6 and 2.1 μm. The uncorrected (U-Th-Sm)/He (AHe) ages vary between 261 and 33 Ma. Inverse thermal modelling of the AFT and AHe data indicates that the hinterland of the Mauritanian Atlantic margin experienced (i) burial between the Permian and the Late Triassic, (ii) km-scale exhumation during Middle-Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, (iii) burial during the Palaeogene–early Miocene, and (iv) exhumation between mid-Miocene and present-day. We argue that these vertical movements are primarily driven by the tectonic evolution of the Atlantic rift and the subsequent geodynamic evolution of the Central Atlantic Ocean and the African plate.

Using low-temperature thermochronology on apatite and zircon crystals, we show that the western Reguibat Shield, located in the northern part of the West African Craton, experienced significant cooling and heating events between Jurassic and present times. The obtained apatite fission track ages range between 49 and 102 Ma with mean track lengths varying between 11.6 and 13.3 μm and Dpar values between 1.69 and 3.08 μm. Zircon fission track analysis yielded two ages of 159 and 118 Ma. Apatite (U–Th)/He uncorrected single-grain ages range between 76 and 95 Ma. Thermal inverse modelling indicates that the Reguibat Shield was exhumed during the Early Cretaceous, Late Cretaceous, Palaeocene–Eocene and Quaternary. These exhumation events were coeval with regional tectonic and geodynamic events, and were probably driven by a combined effect of plate tectonics and mantle dynamics.

The Anti-Atlas belt of Morocco extends ENE–WSW, over more than 600 km, from the Atlantic margin in the west to the interior of the African plate in the east. It exhibits Precambrian rocks outcropping as basement inliers and surrounded by marine Ediacaran–Cambrian sequences around the axis of the mountain range. The belt, which has for a long time been interpreted as of Variscan age, is now revealed to have experienced major vertical movements through Mesozoic and Cenozoic times. Thereby, the Anti-Atlas domain appears to be affected by two episodes of exhumation separated by an episode of subsidence. The initial episode occurred in the Late Triassic and led to the exhumation of 7.5–10.5 km of crustal rocks by the end of the Middle Jurassic (ca. 160–150 Ma). The following phase resulted in 1–3 km of basement subsidence and occurred during the Late Jurassic and most of the Early Cretaceous. The basement rocks were then slowly brought to the surface after experiencing 2–3.5 km of exhumation throughout the Late Cretaceous and the Cenozoic. The timing of these episodes of exhumation and subsidence coincides with major tectonic and thermal events in relation with the evolution of the Atlantic and Tethys Oceans, indicating that the effects of their rifting and drifting extended beyond their presumed margins.