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European provenance of the Numidian Flysch in northern Tunisia
Author(s) -
Fildes Christine,
Stow Dorrik,
Riahi Sami,
Soussi Mohamed,
Patel Urval,
Milton J. Andy,
Marsh Stuart
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
terra nova
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.353
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-3121
pISSN - 0954-4879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3121.2009.00921.x
Subject(s) - provenance , geology , flysch , zircon , heavy mineral , petrography , geochemistry , metamorphic rock , paleontology , sedimentary rock
Terra Nova, 00, 1–9, 2010 Abstract The ultimate source of the deepwater Numidian Flysch sediments has long been a matter of controversy. Did the sediments of this late Cenozoic orogenic belt in the western Mediterranean derive from a European or African source, or from a combination of the two? New data presented here strongly favour a European provenance. Zircon ages of 514 ± 19 Ma from Tunisia and 550 ± 28 Ma from Sicily can only have derived from rocks of European affinity. These zircons have been separated from quartz‐rich sandstones with a distinctive, highly mature heavy mineral assemblage that is different from those of North African autochthonous formations. The mature petrography and dominance of euhedral prismatic zircon grains indicate a medium to high‐grade metamorphic source. Most palaeocurrent data are indicative of flow from the N and NW. The original European provenance is most likely now represented by predominantly metamorphic rocks of the Kabylie belt in northern Algeria, as a result of microplate movement and thrust emplacement.