Climate change directly impacts the source, mode and volume of sediment generation which can be observed in the rock record. To accurately model source to sink systems, in addition to hinterland geology, tectonics and transport distance, a thorough comprehension of the climate is essential. In this study we evaluate the role of climate on Cretaceous sediment delivery into the Senegal Basin, NW Africa, using data recorded from extensive sampling of basinal sediments. This is achieved through the mineralogical characterisation by X-ray diffraction and ¹⁴⁶Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and ⁸⁶Sr/⁸⁸Sr isotopic analyses, which are correlated against existing, climate, tectonic and oceanographic models. Examples of climatic indicators include the change from predominantly smectitic deep marine basinal-clays recorded from the Cretaceous in DSDP wells 367 and 368 to clays with increased illite and kaolinite content, observed during the Albian and Cenomanian-Turonian, interpreted to be representative of higher humidity following the kaolinisation of hinterland source-rocks. Another climate indicator is the observation of palygorskite in deep-marine sediments, noted to be indicative of ocean anoxia related to the authigenesis of marine-smectite, a product of warm saline bottom waters and increased abundancy of silicon. The increase in salinity is interpreted to be a biproduct of elevated temperatures throughout the Cenomanian and increased denudation of the North Atlantic circumjacent continental evaporite-belts. Increase in silicon (biogenic) is related to a result of ocean-wide mass extinction of foraminifera during OAE2 triggered by the eruption of the Caribbean large igneous province. The results suggest that Cretaceous climate evolution of Senegal can be divided into four stages: 1. Berriasian-Barremian; an arid-period with monsoonal weather producing modest fluvial systems restricted to coastal regions. 2. Aptian-Albian; the establishment of a paleo-Intertropical Convergence Zone began to increase global temperature and humidity as recognised by the increase in kaolinite content. 3. Cenomanian-Turonian; the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum hothouse period incurring exceptional temperatures and humidity. This is represented as an antithetical shift in clay mineralogy from chlorite-illite to smectite-kaolinite throughout most of the onshore and nearshore basinal sediments. 4. Coniacian-Maastrichtian; transitional from tropical-to-tropical swamp-like conditions evidenced by increased onshore basin sediment capture and a shift in vegetation to aquatic-fern species. The impact of climate change throughout the Cretaceous produced dynamic shifts in both river size and source-catchment, witnessing exception rates of denudation during the hotter and more humid periods, which climaxed during the Cenomanian and Turonian as a result of the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum. This eroded sediment was deposited in both the onshore and offshore basins during the mid-late Cretaceous but became increasingly restricted to the onshore segment of the basin during the Late Cretaceous.

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Roughly 15 years ago it was discovered that substantial parts of the Morocco passive continental margin experienced km-scale, post-rift exhumation. It was predicted that the sands resulting from the associated erosion would be present in the offshore and potentially form hydrocarbon reservoirs. At the same time, anomalous post-rift vertical movements have been documented in various localities of the world and rifted continental margins are at present exciting objects of research. Following intense research efforts the knowledge of the kinematics of vertical movements and their implications for sedimentary systems is increasing. The low-T geochronology initially limited to the classical Meseta-Massif Ancien de Marrakech transect has been expanded reaching the Reguibate Massif to the S and covering, possibly more importantly, one transect in E-W direction along the Anti Atlas. Exhumation occurred along two dominant trends. In N-S direction a several hundred-kilometers long exhuming domain developed roughly parallel to the Atlantic margin. Changes in magnitude and timing of exhumation are observed along this elevated domain associated with E-W trending undulations. The timing of main stage of upward movement of E-W trending highs seems to be Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous in the Meseta and High Atlas and somewhat older, Early to Middle Jurassic, in the Anti-Atlas and Reguibate. The discovery of E-W trending highs and lows has major implication for sediment distribution and dispersal. At the large scale, it means that the drainage basins were smaller than initially predicted. This seems to be compatible with the paucity of sands encountered by recent exploration wells drilled offshore Morocco. At the scale of several kilometers, W-E trending anticlines and synclines developed in a generally subsiding coastal environment. These folds often had an expression at the sea floor documented by ravinement surfaces and (Jurassic) reef build-ups on top of the anticlines. Detailed outcrop correlation and facies mapping in the Agadir-Esssaouira basin shows E-W trending highs and lows formed salient and embayment’s conditioning Cretaceous topography and palaeodrainage. Integrated palaeogepgraphy, sequence stratigraphic analysis and renewed biostratigraphy further highlight the temporal and spatial restriction of coarse-clastic sediment input in an otherwise mud-dominated system. @en