Identifications and geodynamic implications of magnetic structures of the Oujda-Debdou-Guercif zone (North-Eastern of Morocco): Analysis and processing of aeromagnetic data

This work focuses on assembling three aeromagnetic geophysical surveys with different flight attitudes and sampling profiles directions. The airborne data analysis and processing highlight magnetic source boundaries and new structural features mostly hidden by Quaternary sedimentary covers at the Oujda-Debdou-Guercif (ODG) zone of North-Eastern Morocco. We have established magnetic anomaly and lineaments maps performing sophisticated filtering techniques. The reduction to the pole of the residual magnetic map shows three different zones: (1) Strong magnetization zones express the Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic lavas, which outcropped partly in the Oujda and Saka regions. They also reflect the Paleozoic basement and the iron-manganese mineralization concentrated in the Triassic beds. (2) Zones of relatively low magnetic response came from basaltic cones, filled in a small graben at the Oujda region. (3) Zones of low magnetization correspond to the Quaternary and Tertiary cover in addition to the Triassic-Jurassic deposits. The released magnetic lineament maps emphasize new deep faults of this region and trace subsurface faults mapped by traditional structural studies using horizontal derivation, vertical derivation, and Euler’s deconvolution techniques. We have considered some lineaments that arrived at 2 km of depth major deep-seated structures. We have identified NE-SW and E-W trending faults that inherited from Hercynian and Alpine directions, respectively. The geodynamic interpretation of these lineaments reveals their participation in the structuring of several subsidence basins. Our synthetic structural map of magnetic contacts gives additional structural information of the ODG zone and serves as a guide paper for all future mining exploration.