Geochemistry of early mesozoic tholeiites from Morocco

Mesozoic dolerites from two areas of Morocco, the High Atlas fold belt between Marrakech and Demnat and the Anti-Atlas belt in the area of Foum Zquid, are most high-Ti quartz-normative tholeiites whichi in many respects resemble Mesozoic dolerite dikes from eastern North America. The dolerites display a wide range of major and trace element compositions, some of which are due to fractional crystallization. The doleritic sequences from High Atlas also show vertical stratigraphic zonation which is characterized by a progressive depletion of lithophile elements toward the top. This trend together with regularities of trace element ratio variations are indicative of a dynamic melting of an initially homogeneous source. It is suggested that the continental upper mantle source for dolerites of Morocco was enriched in several incompatible elements in comparison with the upper mantle source for ocean floor tholeiites.