La marge nord-africaine considérée comme marge active

Based on the study of some seismic-reflection profiles, we demonstrate that the identified sedimentary units show a structural anomaly at the bottom of the North-African continental margin compared to the situation observed on the other margins of the western Mediterranean basin: all the deep Messinian and infra-Messinian deposits are subjected to a flexure when reaching the North-African margin; the created depression is filled by the plio-quaternary deposits. This observation, set back in the geodynamic context of the western Mediterranean, leads to the following interpretation: the North-African margin is a very active margin at a very early evolutional stage. The abnormal structure of the gravity field in the considered region confirms this interpretation.