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Tectonic inversion in the Bouhedma-Boudouaou Mountains was investigated through recent field work and seismic lines interpretation calibrated with petroleum well data. Located to the Central-Southern Atlas of Tunisia, this area signed shortened intra-continental fold-and-thrust belts. Two dissymmetric anticlines characterize Bouhedma – Boudouaou major fold. These structures show a strong virgation respectively from E-W to NNE-SSW as a response to the interference between both tectonic inversion and tectonic inheritance. This complex geometry is driven by Mesozoic rifting, which marked an extensional inherited regime. A set of late Triassic-Early Jurassic E-W and NW-SE normal faults dipping respectively to the North and to the East seems to widely affect the overall geodynamic evolution of this domain. They result in major thickness changes across the hanging wall and the footwall blocks in response with the rifting activity. Tectonic inversion is inferred from convergence between African and European plates since late Cretaceous. During Serravalian - Tortonian event, NW-SE trending paroxysm led to: 1) folding of pre-inversion and syn-inversion strata, 2) reactivation of pre-existing normal faults to reverse ones and 3) orogeny of the main structures with NE-SW and E-W trending. The compressional feature still remains active during Quaternary event (Post-Villafranchian) with N-S trending compression. Contraction during inversion generates folding and internal deformation as well as Fault-Propagation-Fold and folding related strike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the North African Atlas, Triassic sedimentary rocks exhibit a variety of deformation styles that are caused by the interaction between halokinesis, tectonics and sedimentation. This paper aims to present an integrated study documenting the occurrence of salt-tectonic processes in the Maknassy-Mezzouna orogenic system. The interpretation of both, field mapping and seismic data suggests the existence of a complex tectonic evolution of these Triassic evaporites, with the occurrence of Mesozoic extensional/transtensional and Tertiary compressional/transpressional tectonic regime accompanied by sedimentary loading. This evolution took place along three major events of either lateral or vertical migration of Triassic evaporites. The first one is tectonic-driven and is related to the extensional/transtensional tectonic regime, which occurred during the break-up of Pangea and rifting of Neotethyan Ocean in the Early Jurassic. The second remobilization of salt Triassic rock developed during the Cretaceous. The initial mobilization of the Triassic salt was probably induced by sedimentary loading with a limited contribution of tectonic forces. During its third stage of evolution, salt Triassic rocks evolve into salt sheets due to the shortening deformation occurred during Tertiary and Quaternary in relationship with the closure of the Neotethyan realm. Salt migration controls subsidence, generates depocenter shifts and causes thickness variation of the entire post-Triassic sedimentary sequence. The signature of salt Triassic syn-sedimentary control is confirmed by thickness reduction and abrupt variation of structural dip that affects all the sedimentary pile in the flanks of salt sheets. In seismic sections the syn-sedimentary salt tectonic control is observed by geometries like pinching out, thickness reduction, onlap termination geometry as well as unconformities identified along the flanks of the salt sheets. • Salt tectonism is driven by regional deformation in the first stage, during Mesozoic extension. • In the second stage, Triassic salt migration shows sedimentary loading effect with minor contribution of tectonic forces. • Tertiary and Quaternary shortening is responsible for engendering Triassic salt sheets. • Established cross sections and interpretation of seismic sections reveal syn-sedimentary salt tectonic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]