In February 2009 we spent 2 weeks in Morocco looking for fossils and minerals.
We spent majority of our time in Anty-Atlas on paleozoic oucrops with trilobites, crinoids and other fossils in Alnif and Erfoud area. We visited also the mines of baryte near Erfoud where the fluorites of good quality are collected occasionally. Usually there is also an opportunity of self-collecting of fossils . If you add to those geologial attractions friendly locals, good food and superb tea you will understand why we just love visiting this beautiful country.
Krzysztof Dembicz
Palms and outcrops of Paleozoic in Draa Valley. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Valley Tafrout - famous for festival of blooming almands. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Majestic Palaeozoic rocks in Valley Tafrout - famous for festival of blooming almands. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Road to Tata town. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Beautiful folds in Palaeozoic rocks in Tata area. Fot. K. Dembicz.
There is the High Atlas in the background, in the foreground there are melaphires with numerous agates, quartzs, amethysts and geodes with goethite. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Amethyst vein in melaphires. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Trilobites Calymene in Ordovician rocks in vicinity of Alnif. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Outcrops with trilobites in Alnif area. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Trilobite in situ. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Iguana. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Outcrop of Ordovician sandstones and mudstones with numerous trilobites Onnia superba and ophiuroids.
Fot. K. Dembicz.
Mine of baryte near Erfoud. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Breccia built by calcite, quartz and baryte, Erfoud area. Fot. K. Dembicz.
The miner sorting baryte. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Dangerous workings in baryte-fluorite veins in Erfoud area, deep for about 60 meters. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Dangerous workings in baryte-fluorite veins in Erfoud area, deep for about 60 meters. Fot. K. Dembicz.
Gigant and ugly baryte crystal found durring our visit in the mine. Fot. K. Dembicz.