Azilal «Chocolate Marls» Formation
Triassic-Jurassic — Fossil Lagoonal Environment
Overview
The Azilal 'Chocolate Marls' constitute a remarkable Triassic-Jurassic sedimentary formation, characterized by their distinctive brownish-red color due to iron oxides. These marls testify to the lagoonal environment that preceded the great Jurassic marine transgression in the High Atlas.
Visible in the cliffs around Azilal, these marls constitute an important regional stratigraphic marker, allowing geological formations to be correlated over large distances. The characteristic chocolate color results from the oxidation of iron in a continental to semi-arid environment, before the Tethys Sea gradually invaded the region.
Official Interpretive Panel
Official interpretive panel(s) of M'Goun Geopark — UNESCO
Points of Interest
Characteristic brownish-red Triassic-Jurassic marls
Iron oxides — distinctive chocolate color
Important regional stratigraphic marker
Testimony of the pre-Jurassic lagoonal environment
Triassic-Jurassic transition visible in the cliffs
Accessible from the town of Azilal
Access & Location
How to get there
Near Azilal — 75 km from Béni Mellal — 220 km from Casablanca. Accessible from the town of Azilal.
GPS Coordinates
31.9700° N, 6.5700° W
Altitude: 1 200 – 1 500 m
