Analysing the late Neoproterozoic - lower Cambrian period structural impacts in the eastern Anti-Atlas, Morocco: comparison between the Saghro and Ougnat massifs using sedimentological and aeromagnetic approaches

The Saghro-Ougnat area belongs to the eastern Anti-Atlas belt. This area has always captivated the attention of researchers due to its geological history and mineral richness. The present study was conducted to supplement the outcomes of previous researches and to contribute to the Saghro-Ougnat geological record with new insights. The intent of the paper is to compare the sedimentological and structural events which occurred from the Late Neoproterozoic to the Cambrian period in the Saghro-Ougnat region. Therefore, a sedimentological study was carried out both in Saghro and Ougnat to establish the sedimentological sections. The field study was combined with aeromagnetic analysis to gain a clearer understanding of the geological factors behind the Cambrian sedimentological architecture in the area. These sedimentological sections reveal a significant variation in thickness. In Saghro, the thickness increases towards the eastern zones, while in Ougnat the thickness increases towards the western regions. To explain this, several processing techniques were applied to the aeromagnetic data, including the Euler Deconvolution and the Source Parameter Imaging techniques. These methods helped identify a set of magnetic lineaments and their corresponding depths, as well as the basement topography. The geophysical processing outcomes enabled the identification of tectonic features responsible for the sedimentological architecture of the Cambrian deposits in the area.