Tethyan and Alpine Controls on the Crustal Architecture of the Tunisian and Algerian Atlas and Tell: Needs for Coupled Deep Seismic Soundings and Tomography

Abstract

National and international deep seismic reflection profiles provide unique controls on the Moho and crustal architecture lying beneath sedimentary basins, tectonic wedges and adjacent forelands, mainly predominant in North America and Europe. Recent and still ongoing 3D mantle and crustal tomography programs, as based on 3D passive seismic recordings, have also documented the shape of the entire lithosphere persisting underneath the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Apennines. They have also helped in recording the lateral seismic anisotropies and vertical seismic reversals lying in these tectonic wedges and their adjacent forelands. The lack of such deep controls in regard of the North African tectonic wedges and adjacent forelands still preclude any prospection of deep plays. Actually, thorough seismic sounding profiles at crustal and lithospheric scales would be of huge interest for an effective monitoring of the deep architecture, geodynamic and thermal evolution of North African sedimentary basins to take place. Such an undertaking would be useful for unlocking new exploration objectives, and an efficient documentation of the active fault systems’ deep architecture to be achieved. The aim of this keynote and related roundtable will be to kindle the interest of both national and international research teams, agencies and companies as to the importance of such topics, and to investigate the possibilities for ambitious North African crustal imagery projects to be launched.