Application of 3D Euler deconvolution and improved tilt angle to the aeromagnetic data of In Ouzzal terrane, western Hoggar, Algeria

Abstract

The study area is located in the western Hoggar Shield (southern Algeria). It includes the In Ouzzal terrane, which consists of Archaean metamorphic rocks. By contrast to other rocks of the Hoggar Shield, the In Ouzzal terrane represents an exception of being neither deformed nor metamorphosed during the Pan-African event, remaining as a rigid block since 2 Ga. Although, previous geophysical works in the area include an airborne magnetometer and gamma-ray spectrometric survey as well as ground gravity and magnetotelluric survey structurally, the study area has not been very well understood. In this paper, we present the interpretation results of the airborne magnetic data by using the 3D Euler deconvolution and the improved Tilt-angle methods. These results reveal the existing of fault systems (FS) occurring within the center of the study area and along the latitude of 22°; the results also suggested that the deepest fault system is oriented NE–SW and is represented by parallel major faults splitting the In Ouzzal terrane into two different parts: northern and southern. The northern part moved northwards, whereas the southern part moved southwards colliding with the Iforas unit. The interpretation confirms that the In Ouzzal terrane and the surrounding Pan-African structures are bound two by two sub-vertical lithospheric faults with the existence of dextral and sinistral faults in the west and east of the terrane, respectively.