Sea‐level highstand recorded in the Last Interglacial shallow marine deposits from the Tangier region, Morocco

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Moroccan coast provides valuable insight into how large‐scale climate and sea‐level variations have manifested themselves at the regional level. In this paper, we present new findings from shallow marine deposits in the Achakkar Basin near Tangier, Morocco. Data from these deposits record approximately 10 kyr of sea‐level highstand during the Last Interglacial period, deduced from a multidisciplinary study integrating sedimentological, micropalaeontological, palynological and ichnological records. Three facies associations are distinguished in the studied section. The lowest association is interpreted as deposits of migrating subtidal sand dune. The intermediate facies association reflects lower energy conditions in a more distal tempestite lower shoreface setting. The uppermost coarse‐grained interval indicates the transition to an upper shoreface to foreshore zone characterized by significantly increased energy. In addition, the micropalaeontological study shows an abundance of benthic foraminifera. The dominance of benthic forms suggests that the sedimentary environment was dominated by conditions suitable for the establishment of shallow‐water fauna, such as those found in shoreface environments. Species such as Ammonia beccarii , Elphidium crispum and Nonion faba , which are widespread in the lower levels of the sequence, are known for their increased ecological tolerance and ability to survive in unstable, low‐salinity environments. Furthermore, palynological and ichnological evidence supports the micropalaeontological and sedimentological findings, indicating a transition from nearshore to more distal environments, followed by a return to unstable, high‐energy nearshore conditions. These integrated data provide a significant contribution to the understanding of palaeoenvironmental studies within climate‐sensitive nearshore sediments.