Pliensbachian coral reefs

The Dades Valley is a fantastic place to do geology! Stephane even gave his lecture "Texas style"!

Here there the a nice hike up to some Upper Pliensbachian coral reefs

To give you an idea what our target was, here's the outcrop...



That cliff has one huge reef in it, can you see it?

Oh and some herps!

Large Phaceloid coral colonies!

corals everywhere!

there is also some very nice microbialite!

Science stopped for Nomads!

Stromatoporoids are here too!

And a very pretty little echinoid!

View from the top!

So much work to do! Very exciting!

Awesome Stratigraphy!

Morocco has some exceptional views!

Here we are checking out some ripples!

Ladder Ripples

There are also some really nice trace fossils and microbial structures!

Diplocraterion!

Cruziana!

Here are some more ripples....

But look what is on them.... Wrinkle structures!

And wrinkle structures!

Local women hauling vegetation

These pink bushes are in all the gulleys, such a beautiful pop of color!

DONKEY!!!

Nick and Raph!

Nick and I

A long way down!

Hiking down the trail!

Home sweet home!

Want to study carbonates? Morocco is the place!!!

And lastly....The formation of an angular unconformity!

Ait Athmane

Near Errichidia, there some amazing outcrops....

Pliensbachian through Bajocian strata!

...as well as some stunning views!

The town of Ait Athmane

Lithiotids with their tops eroded off!

Lithioperna scutata

There are also some interesting corals and pectinid bivalves in this area...

Very platy!

Meandroid platy coral!

Mapping out a Toarcian coral reef

Platy coral

Lunch Break!

Corals!

Pliensbachian lithiotids!