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The Mahelma fault: a secondary structure of the Sahel anticline?

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Abstract

The Mahelma fault, located upon the Sahel anticline at the tip of the major Sahel fault, is often suspected to be a secondary structure. Yet, to date, the Mahelma fault has displayed no definitive evidences for faulting activity and no unambiguous typology. This paper reviews new data, especially geological and subsurface data, acquired through the Algiers west microzoning project. The data indicate that (1) the Mahelma fault is an antithetic high-angle reverse fault, (2) the interpreted dip is around 80° toward the SSE and thus implies a North-verging fault, and (3) the fault zone has been observed in several fault sites and allowed direct observation of fault displacements and fault throws. (4) Displacements directly related to the Mahelma fault affect clearly young sediments including consolidated Quaternary sands. We suggest that the Mahelma fault forms an active backthrust originating from pre-existing normal fault with a possible linkage and interaction with the major Sahel forethrust. We conclude from the foregoing that the Mahelma fault most likely ruptures in concert with earthquakes on the Sahel main fault. The results also point the activity of the Sahel fault-related fold and hence complicate earthquake hazard analyses.

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Acknowledgments

The Authors thank the chief editor and anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments that improved the manuscript.

Funding

This research has been funded by the “Institut National de Recherche Appliquée en Génie-Parasismique (CGS)” through the Algiers West Microzoning Project, including “The Surface Ruptures of Mahelma Fault” conducted by Moulouel Hakim.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CGS, Centre National de Recherche Appliquée en Génie Parasismique, Rue Kaddour Rahim, Hussein Dey, 16040, Algiers, Algeria

    Hakim Moulouel, Assia Bouchelouh, Rabah Bensalem, Mohamed Yacine Tebbouche, Dalila Ait Benamar, El-Hadi Oubaiche & Djamel Machane

  2. CRAAG, Centre de Recherche en Astronomie, Astrophysique et Géophysique, Bouzaréah, Algiers, Algeria

    Sofiane Gharbi

  3. ENSTP, Ecole Nationale Supérieure Des Travaux Publiques, Rue Sidi Garidi, BP32 vieux Kouba, 16051, Algiers, Algeria

    Ahcène Benamghar

Authors
  1. Hakim Moulouel
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  2. Assia Bouchelouh
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  3. Rabah Bensalem
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  4. Mohamed Yacine Tebbouche
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  7. Sofiane Gharbi
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  8. Djamel Machane
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  9. Ahcène Benamghar
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Correspondence to Hakim Moulouel.

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Responsible Editor: François Roure

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Moulouel, H., Bouchelouh, A., Bensalem, R. et al. The Mahelma fault: a secondary structure of the Sahel anticline?. Arab J Geosci 13, 715 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05694-z

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