Mid-Triassic to Early Liassic clastic/evaporitic deposits over the Maghreb Platform

Abstract The development of Triassic to Lower Liassic clastic/evaporitic series over the epicratonic Maghreb Platform is closely associated with the eastern opening of a Tethyan marine domain between Africa and Europe. West of the platform, Morocco became separated from North America in Late Triassic times by rifting along the axis of the Proto-Atlantic Ocean. In addition, NE–SW and ENE–WSW trending Atlasic half-grabens formed, essentially in Morocco, as part of a Late Triassic/Early Liassic Atlas rifting episode. This is the tectonic context in which the red bed to evaporite sequences were deposited. A first depositional pattern is illustrated by the areally extensive onlapping of Upper Tr…