New insights into Neogene to Pleistocene tectono-sedimentary major events in northeastern Tunisia from surface and subsurface data

The main objective of this study is to analyse the structure of the Neogene to Recent rocks in the surface and subsurface of northeastern Tunisia, in order to identify unconformities in outcrops and detect these tectonic and sedimentary events in the subsurface data.

An integrated study of multi-data supported by the compilation of new outcrop data, seismic reflection profiles, and data from petroleum wells has been carried out in order to determine the structural evolution in the study area. This study has resulted in an improved understanding of the geological evolution of NE Tunisia during the Neogene to Pleistocene. Four major unconformities have been identified in this area, the Tortonian unconformity, the Messinian unconformity, the Pliocene unconformity and the mid-Pleistocene unconformity.

The mapping of unconformities indicates their association with a major inversion event that occurred from the Late Miocene to the present, resulting in the development of stratigraphy controlled by structural factors. The analysis of nineteen seismic sections has confirmed the existence of several features associated with compressive and transpressive tectonic events.

These include reverse faults, folds, and unconformities. The structural mapping of these unconformities reveals the presence of a dominant fault system bounding a large number of moderate sized basins.