DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winn, R.D. Jr.; Steinmetz, J.C.; Kerekgyarto, W.L.

Lithological and compositional relationships, thicknesses, and palynological data from drilling cuttings from five wells in the Anza rift, Kenya, indicate active rifting during the Late Cretaceous and Eocene-Oligocene. The earlier rifting possibly started in the Santonian-Coniacian, primarily occurred in the Campanian, and probably extended into the Maastrichtian. Anza rift sedimentation was in lacustrine, lacustrine-deltaic, fluvial, and flood-basin environments. Inferred synrift intervals in wells are shalier, thicker, more compositionally immature, and more poorly sorted than Lower Cretaceous ( )-lower Upper Cretaceous and upper Oligocene( )-Miocene interrift deposits. Synrift sandstone is mostly feldspathic or arkosic wacke. Sandstone deposited in the Anza basinmore » during nonrift periods is mostly quartz arenite, and is coarser and has a high proportion of probable fluvial deposits relative to other facies. Volcanic debris is absent in sedimentary strata older than Pliocene-Holocene, although small Cretaceous intrusions are present in the basin. Cretaceous sandstone is cemented in places by laumontite, possibly recording Campanian extension. Early Cretaceous history of the Anza basin is poorly known because of the limited strata sampled; Jurassic units were not reached. Cretaceous rifting in the Anza basin was synchronous with rifting in Sudan and with the breakup and separation of South America and Africa; these events likely were related. Eocene-Oligocene extension in the Anza basin reflects different stresses. The transition from active rifting to passive subsidence in the Anza basin at the end of the Neogene, in turn, records a reconfigured response of east African plates to stresses and is correlated with formation of the East Africa rift.« less

The major tectonic boundaries of the Northern Red Sea rift, Egypt derived from geophysical data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, Salah; Pamukçu, Oya; Brimich, Ladislav

2017-09-01

In the present study, we have attempted to map the plate boundary between Arabia and Africa at the Northern Red Sea rift region including the Suez rift, Gulf of Aqaba-Dead Sea transform and southeastern Mediterranean region by using gravity data analysis. In the boundary analysis method which was used; low-pass filtered gravity anomalies of the Northern Red Sea rift region were computed. Different crustal types and thicknesses, sediment thicknesses and different heat flow anomalies were evaluated. According to the results, there are six subzones (crustal blocks) separated from each other by tectonic plate boundaries and/or lineaments. It seems that these tectonic boundaries reveal complex structural lineaments, which are mostly influenced by a predominant set of NNW-SSE to NW-SE trending lineaments bordering the Red Sea and Suez rift regions. On the other side, the E-W and N-S to NNE-SSW trended lineaments bordering the South-eastern Mediterranean, Northern Sinai and Aqaba-Dead Sea transform regions, respectively. The analysis of the low pass filtered Bouguer anomaly maps reveals that the positive regional anomaly over both the Red Sea rift and South-eastern Mediterranean basin subzones are considered to be caused by the high density of the oceanic crust and/or the anomalous upper mantle structures beneath these regions whereas, the broad medium anomalies along the western half of Central Sinai with the Suez rift and the Eastern Desert subzones are attributed to low-density sediments of the Suez rift and/or the thick upper continental crustal thickness below these zones. There are observable negative anomalies over the Northern Arabia subzone, particularly in the areas covered by Cenozoic volcanics. These negative anomalies may be attributed to both the low densities of the surface volcanics and/or to a very thick upper continental crust. On the contrary, the negative anomaly which belongs to the Gulf of Aqaba-Dead Sea transform zone is due to crustal thickening (with limited heat flow values) below this region. Additionally in this study, the crustal thinning was investigated with heat flow, magnetic and free air gravity anomalies in the Northern Red Sea rift region. In fact, the crustal thinning of the study area was also proportional to the regions of observable high heat flow values. Finally, our results were found to be well correlated with the topography, free air, aeromagnetic and heat flow dataset profiles crossing most of the study area.

Regional Vp, Vs, Vp/Vs, and Poisson's ratios across earthquake source zones from Memphis, Tennessee, to St. Louis, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, R.D.

1999-01-01

Models of P- and S-wave velocity, Vp/Vs ratios, Poisson's ratios, and density for the crust and upper mantle are presented along a 400-km-long profile trending from Memphis, Tennessee, to St. Louis, Missouri. The profile crosses the New Madrid seismic zone and reveals distinct regional variations in the crustal velocity structure north and south of the latitude of New Madrid. In the south near Memphis, the upper few kilometers of the crust are dominated by upper crustal sedimentary basins or graben with P-wave velocities less than 5 km/sec and S-wave velocities of about 2 km/sec. P-wave velocities of the upper and middle crust range from 6.0 to 6.5 km/sec at depths above 25 km, and corresponding S-wave velocities range from 3.5 to 3.7 km/sec. The lower crust consists of a high-velocity layer (Vp = 7.4 km/sec; Vs ~4.2 km/sec) that is up to 20-km thick at the latitude of New Madrid but thins to about 15 km near Memphis. To the north, beneath the western-most Illinois basin, low-velocity (Vp < 5 km/sec; Vs < 2.3 km/sec) sedimentary basins are less than 1-km deep. The average velocities (Vp = 6.0 km/sec; Vs = 3.5 km/sec) of the underlying, near-surface rocks argue against large thickness of unconsolidated noncarbonate sediments within 50 km of the western edge of the Illinois basin. Most of the crust beneath the Illinois basin is modeled as one layer, with velocities up to 6.8 km/sec (Vs = 3.7 km/sec) at 37-km depth. The thick, high-velocity (Vp = 7.4 km/sec; Vs ~4.2 km/sec) lower crustal layer thins from about 20 km near New Madrid to about 6 km beneath the western Illinois basin. Refractions from the Moho and upper mantle occur as first arrivals over distances as a great as 160 km and reveal upper mantle layering to 60 km depth. Upper mantle layers with P-wave velocities of 8.2 km/sec (Vs = 4.5 km/sec) and 8.4 km/sec (Vs = 4.7 km/sec) are modeled at 43 and 60 km depth, respectively. Crustal Vp/Vs ratios range between 1.74 and 1.83, and upper mantle Vp/V s ratios range from 1.78 to 1.84. Poisson's ratios range from about 0.26 to 0.33 in the crust and from about 0.27 to 0.29 in the upper mantle. Modeled average densities range from about 2.55 in the sedimentary basins to 3.43 in the upper mantle. Geophysical characteristics of the crust and upper mantle within the New Madrid seismic zone are consistent with other continental rifts, but the crustal structure of the Illinois basin is not characteristics of most continental rift settings. Seismic and gravity data suggest a buried horst near the middle of Reelfoot rift, beneath which is a vertical zone of seismicity and velocity anomalies. The relative depth of the Reelfoot rift north and south of the Reelfoot graben suggests that the rift and its bounding faults may extend eastward beneath the city of Memphis.

Evidence for hot Mississippi Valley-type brines in the Reelfoot Rift complex, south-central United States, in Late Pennsylvanian-Early Permian

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leach, D.L.; Apodaca, L.E.; Repetski, J.E.; Powell, J.W.; Rowan, E.L.

1997-01-01

Petrographic and fluid inclusion studies of sparry dolomite cement from Upper Cambrian to Lower Ordovician rocks and conodont thermal-alteration indices provide evidence that hot mississippi valley-type brines were once present in the Reelfoot Rift complex. The cathodoluminescent microstratigraphy of sparry dolomite cement in the Reelfoot Rift resembles that of sparry dolomite cement associated with widespread mississippi valley-type deposition in the Ozark region. If correlative cathodoluminescent zones in the sparry dolomite from the Ozark and Reelfoot Rift regions indicate broadly contemporaneous dolomite deposition, then the results show that the Ozark MVT-type hydrothermal system extended into the Reelfoot region and onto the western flank of the Nashville Dome. Independent evidence supports migration of MVT-type brines into the Ozark region from the Reelfoot Rift complex in late Paleozoic time.

Rift migration explains continental margin asymmetry and crustal hyper-extension

PubMed Central

Brune, Sascha; Heine, Christian; Pérez-Gussinyé, Marta; Sobolev, Stephan V.

2014-01-01

When continents break apart, continental crust and lithosphere are thinned until break-up is achieved and an oceanic basin is formed. The most remarkable and least understood structures associated with this process are up to 200 km wide areas of hyper-extended continental crust, which are partitioned between conjugate margins with pronounced asymmetry. Here we show, using high-resolution thermo-mechanical modelling, that hyper-extended crust and margin asymmetry are produced by steady state rift migration. We demonstrate that rift migration is accomplished by sequential, oceanward-younging, upper crustal faults, and is balanced through lower crustal flow. Constraining our model with a new South Atlantic plate reconstruction, we demonstrate that larger extension velocities may account for southward increasing width and asymmetry of these conjugate magma-poor margins. Our model challenges conventional ideas of rifted margin evolution, as it implies that during rift migration large amounts of material are transferred from one side of the rift zone to the other. PMID:24905463

Geophysical characteristics of the hydrothermal systems of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kauahikaua, J.

1993-01-01

Clues to the overall structure of Kilauea volcano can be obtained from spatial studies of gravity, magnetic, and seismic velocity variations. The rift zones and summit are underlain by dense, magnetic, high P-wave-velocity rocks at depths of about 2 km less. The gravity and seismic velocity studies indicate that the rift structures are broad, extending farther to the north than to the south of the surface features. The magnetic data give more definition to the rift structures by allowing separation into a narrow, highly-magnetized, shallow zone and broad, flanking, magnetic lows. The patterns of gravity, magnetic variations, and seismicity document the southward migration of the upper cast rift zone. Regional, hydrologic features of Kilauea can be determined from resistivity and self-potential studies. High-level groundwater exists beneath Kilauea summit to elevations of +800 m within a triangular area bounded by the west edge of the upper southwest rift zone, the east edge of the upper east rift zone, and the Koa'c fault system. High-level groundwater is present within the east rift zone beyond the triangular summit area. Self-potential mapping shows that areas of local heat produce local fluid circulation in the unconfined aquifer (water table). The dynamics of Kilauea eruptions are responsible for both the source of heat and the fracture permeability of the hydrothermal system. Shallow seismicity and surface deformation indicate that magma is intruding and that fractures are forming beneath the rift zones and summit area. Magma supply estimates are used to calculate the rate of heat input to Kilauea's hydrothermal systems. Heat flows of 370-820 mW/m2 are calculated from deep wells within the lower east rift zone. The estimated heat input rate for Kilauea of 9 gigawatts (GW) is at least 25 times higher than the conductive heat loss as estimated from the heat flow in wells extrapolated over the area of the summit caldera and rift zones. Heat must be dissipated by another mechanism, or the heat input rate estimates are much too high. ?? 1993.

Neogene Rift Propagation of the East African Rift System (EARS) into Central Africa and its Implications: Tectonic, Topographic and Geomorphic Impacts of the Luangwa and Luapula Rift Valleys on the Upper Congo Drainage Basin, Lake Bangweulu Wetlands and the Development of the Diffuse Southwestern Tip of the EARS.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daly, M. C.; Watts, A. B.

2017-12-01

Integration of geomorphology, seismic reflection and gravity data, seismicity, DEM analysis and modelling defines a zone of NE/SW trending rifts extending into Central and SW Africa, orthogonal to the conventionally defined East African Rift System (EARS). These large-scale tectonic features have a relatively low level of seismicity and volcanism compared to the EARS, yet they generate significant topography and control the upper Congo drainage basin. They may also represent the beginning of an active but diffuse plate boundary developing to the southwest across Central Africa. The dominant feature of this broad zone is the Luangwa Rift Valley of eastern Zambia. Seismic reflection data show the Luangwa Rift developed as a thick ( 5km) Permo-Triassic basin. Inverted in the Mesozoic, it then experienced major Neogene extensional reactivation. The latter resulted in today's major border faults of varying polarity, with fault plane escarpments of up to 1000m, and associated rift flank uplifts that elevate the Central African plateau surface by 200 m. Late Miocene alluvial fans indicate a minimum age for the initiation of reactivation. Although having similar structural features to the EARS, the Luangwa Rift has a lower level of active seismicity and volcanism. 400 km northwest of the Luangwa, the north/south Luapula rift valley passes into the NE trending Mweru and Mweru Wantipa rift lakes. Pronounced border faults and fault terraces mark the NW and SE margins of these shallow lakes. Between the Luangwa and Luapula rift valleys lies the extensive upper Congo drainage basin of the Chambeshi river and the Lake Bangweulu wetlands. DEM mapping of topography from the Luangwa rift to the Luapula-Mweru Wantipa rift shows a low amplitude, large wavelength flexure of the Central African plateau surface compatible with an effective elastic thickness of 35 km. This regional warping controls the location and shape of the Chambeshi drainage basin and the Lake Bangweulu Wetlands. These results show Neogene rift valleys are active to the southwest of the EARS and are controlling the present-day continental drainage system of Central Africa. They also define a diffuse, divergent plate boundary between the Nubian Plate and an ill-defined southern African Plate that appears to exploit a zone of crustal anisotropy and thinner lithosphere.

Seismic Imaging of the crust and upper mantle beneath Afar, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, J. O.; Kendall, J. M.; Stuart, G. W.; Ebinger, C. J.

2009-12-01

In March 2007 41 seismic stations were deployed in north east Ethiopia. These stations recorded until October 2009, whereupon the array was condensed to 13 stations. Here we show estimates of crustal structure derived from receiver functions and upper mantle velocity structure, derived from tomography and shear-wave splitting using the first 2.5 years of data. Bulk crustal structure has been determined by H-k stacking receiver functions. Crustal Thickness varies from ~45km on the rift margins to ~16km beneath the northeastern Afar stations. Estimates of Vp/Vs show normal continental crust values (1.7-1.8) on the rift margins, and very high values (2.0-2.2) in Afar, similar to results for the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER). This supports ideas of high levels of melt in the crust beneath the Ethiopian Rift. Additionally, we use a common conversion point migration technique to obtain high resolution images of crustal structure beneath the region. Both techniques show a linear region of thin crust (~16km) trending north-south, the same trend as the Red Sea rift. SKS-wave splitting results show a general north east-south west fast direction in the MER, systematically rotating to a more north-south fast direction towards the Red Sea. Additionally, stations close to the recent Dabbahu diking episode show sharp lateral changes over small lateral distances (40° over <30km), with fast directions overlying the Dabbahu segment aligning parallel with the recent diking. This supports ideas of melt dominated anisotropy beneath the Ethiopian rift. The magnitude of splitting in this region is smaller than that seen at the MER, suggesting a thinner region of melt, or less focused melt is causing the anisotropy. Seismic tomography inversions show that in the top 150km low velocities highlight plate boundaries. The low velocity anomalies extend from the main Ethiopian rift NE, towards Djibouti, and from Djibouti NW towards the Dabbahu segment The lowest velocities exist on the rift margins, supporting ideas of preferential melt generation at these regions of high strain. This includes a region of low velocity close to the edge of the proposed location of the Danakil microplate. Outside of these focused regions the velocities are relatively fast. Below ~250km the anomaly broadens to cover most of the Afar region with only the rift margins remaining fast. At transition zone depths little anomaly is seen beneath Afar, but some low velocities remain present beneath the MER. These studies suggest that in northern Ethiopia the Red Sea rift is dominant. The presence of thin crust beneath northern Afar suggests that the Red Sea rift is creating oceanic like crust in this region. The lack of deep mantle low velocity anomalies beneath Afar suggest that a typical narrow conduit plume does not exist in this region, rather the velocity models seem more similar to passive upwelling of material beneath Afar.

The Eastern Sardinian Margin (Tyrrhenian Sea, Western Mediterranean) : a key area to study the rifting and post-breakup evolution of a back-arc passive continental margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaullier, Virginie; Chanier, Frank; Vendeville, Bruno; Maillard, Agnès; Thinon, Isabelle; Graveleau, Fabien; Lofi, Johanna; Sage, Françoise

2016-04-01

The Eastern Sardinian passive continental margin formed during the opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is a back-arc basin created by continental rifting and oceanic spreading related to the eastward migrating Apennine subduction system (middle Miocene to Pliocene). Up to now, rifting in this key area was considered to be pro parte coeval with the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, 5.96-5.32 Ma). We use the MSC seismic markers and the deformation of viscous salt and its brittle overburden as proxies to better delineate the timing of rifting and post-rift reactivation, and especially to quantify vertical and horizontal movements. On this young, highly-segmented margin, the Messinian Erosion Surface and the Upper and Mobile Units are systematically associated, respectively, to basement highs and deeper basins, showing that a rifted deep-sea domain already existed by Messinian times, therefore a major pre-MSC rifting episode occurred across the entire domain. Data show that there are no signs of Messinian syn-rift sediments, hence no evidence for rifting after Late Tortonian times. Moreover, because salt tectonics creates fan-shaped geometries in sediments, syn-rift deposits have to be carefully re-examined to distinguish the effects of crustal tectonics (rifting) and salt tectonics. We also precise that rifting is clearly diachronous from the upper margin (East-Sardinia Basin) to the lower margin (Cornaglia Terrace) with two unconformities, attributed respectively to the necking and to the lithospheric breakup unconformities. The onshore part of the upper margin has been recently investigated in order to characterize the large crustal faults affecting the Mesozoic series (geometry, kinematics and chronology) and to decipher the role of the structural inheritance and of the early rifting. Seaward, we also try to constrain the architecture and timing of the continent-ocean transition, between the hyper-extended continental crust and the first oceanic crust. Widespread post-breakup deformation also occurred during the Pliocene. Some Pliocene vertical movements have been evidenced by discovering localized gravity gliding of the salt and its Late Messinian (UU) and Early Pliocene overburden. To the South, crustal-scale southward tilting triggered along-strike gravity gliding of salt and cover recorded by upslope extension and downslope shortening. To the North, East of the Baronie Ridge, there was some post-salt crustal activity along a narrow N-S basement trough, bounded by crustal faults. The salt geometry would suggest that nothing happened after Messinian times, but some structural features (confirmed by analogue modelling) show that basement fault slip was accommodated by lateral salt flow, which thinned upslope and thickened downslope, while the overlying sediments remained sub-horizontal. Along the inner domain of Eastern Sardinian margin, the post-rift deformation style greatly varies. Compressional structures (reverse faults and folds) are observed both onshore and offshore while post-rift extensional structures are mainly identified offshore. Such late deformation could be attributed to mechanisms acting alone or combined, such as : i. the reactivation of the margin, as already described for the Ligurian, Algerian or South-Balearic margins due to the Eurasian-African convergence ; 2. the Zanclean reflooding and the resulting water overload on the elastic lithosphere ; 3. an episodic mantle upwelling.

Two-stage magmatism during the evolution of the transitional Ethiopian rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornwell, D. G.; England, R. W.; Maguire, P. K.; Kendall, M.; Stuart, G. W.

2008-12-01

The Ethiopian rift marks the transition between continental rifting and incipient seafloor spreading. The Ethiopia Afar Geoscientific Lithospheric Experiment (EAGLE) included a 400 km-long cross-rift profile with 97 broadband passive seismometers with the aim to investigate the change from mechanical to magmatic extension by defining the lithospheric structure and extent of magmatism beneath the rift. Complimentary studies of P-wave receiver functions, shear-wave splitting and teleseismic earthquake arrival times show that the lithospheric structure is inherently different beneath the north-western rift flank, rift valley and south- eastern rift flank, with contrasting crustal thickness and composition, upper mantle velocity and lithospheric anisotropy. Two stages of magmatic addition are interpreted: 1) a 6--18 km-thick underplate lens at the base of the crust, which probably formed synchronous with an Oligocene flood basalt event (and therefore pre-dates the adjacent rifting by ~20 Myr); and 2) a 20--30 km-wide zone of intense dyking and partial melt, which most likely pervades the entire crust beneath the rift valley and marks the locus of current rift extension. Furthermore, Precambrian collision-related lithospheric fabric is proposed to be the main source of the strong anisotropy that is observed along the entire cross-rift profile, which may be augmented by magmatism beneath the rift. An active, followed by a passive magma-assisted rifting model that is controlled by a combination of far-field plate stresses, the pre-existing lithospheric framework and magmatism is invoked to explain the rift evolution.

High-Resolution Body Wave Tomography of the Ross Sea Embayment, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White-Gaynor, A.; Nyblade, A.; Wiens, D. A.; Aster, R. C.; Gerstoft, P.; Bromirski, P. D.; Stephen, R. A.

2017-12-01

The West Antarctic Rift System (WARS) is one of the least understood continental rift system on the planet. The 1000 km wide WARS includes the Ross Sea Embayment between Marie Byrd Land and the Transantarctic Mountains (TAMS). Active volcanism on Ross Island continues to challenge our understanding of the generally quiescent rift system. Previous regional-scale body wave tomographic investigations have identified areas of low seismic wave speeds to 200 km depth beneath Ross Island. However, the spatial extent of the low velocity structure across the entirety of the WARS remains poorly constrained due to the insufficient resolution of upper mantle structure under the Ross Sea Embayment away from Ross Island. We utilize teleseismic P wave observations recorded on the RIS/DRIS network, which consists of 34 seismometers deployed across the Ross Ice Shelf, along with data from nearby POLENET and TAMSEIS stations to better resolve this region. Relative P wave travel time residuals from 1300 teleseismic events, obtained using a multichannel cross-correlation method, have been inverted for a seismic velocity model of the upper mantle throughout the Ross Sea Embayment. Our results suggest that the low wave speed structure under Ross Island extends roughly halfway across the Embayment and south along the Transantarctic Mountains. This observation is consistent with a two-phase rifting history for the WARS in which broad, late Cretaceous rifting between Marie Byrd Land and the TAMS transitioned to more focused rifting along the TAMS margin in the Cenozoic.

Continentward-Dipping Normal Faults, Boudinage and Ductile Shear at Rifted Passive Margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clerc, C. N.; Ringenbach, J. C.; Jolivet, L.; Ballard, J. F.

2017-12-01

Deep structures resulting from the rifting of the continental crust are now well imaged by seismic profiles. We present a series of recent industrial profiles that allow the identification of various rift-related geological processes such as crustal boudinage, ductile shear of the base of the crust and low-angle detachment faulting. Along both magma-rich and magma-poor rifted margins, we observe clear indications of ductile deformation of the deep continental crust. Large-scale shallow dipping shear zones are identified with a top-to-the-continent sense of shear. This sense of shear is consistent with the activity of the Continentward-Dipping Normal Faults (CDNF) that accommodate the extension in the upper crust. This pattern is responsible for an oceanward migration of the deformation and of the associated syn-tectonic deposits (sediments and/or volcanics). We discuss the origin of the Continentward-Dipping Normal Faults (CDNF) and investigate their implications and the effect of sediment thermal blanketing on crustal rheology. In some cases, low-angle shear zones define an anastomosed pattern that delineates boudin-like structures that seem to control the position and dip of upper crustal normal faults. We present some of the most striking examples from several locations (Uruguay, West Africa, South China Sea…), and discuss their rifting histories that differ from the classical models of oceanward-dipping normal faults.

Thermochronological constraints on the Cambrian to recent geological evolution of the Argentina passive continental margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kollenz, Sebastian; Glasmacher, Ulrich A.; Rossello, Eduardo A.; Stockli, Daniel F.; Schad, Sabrina; Pereyra, Ricardo E.

2017-10-01

Passive continental margins are geo-archives that store information from the interplay of endogenous and exogenous forces related to continental rifting, post-breakup history, and climate changes. The recent South Atlantic passive continental margins (SAPCMs) in Brazil, Namibia, and South Africa are partly high-elevated margins ( 2000 m a.s.l.), and the recent N-S-trending SAPCM in Argentina and Uruguay is of low elevation. In Argentina, an exception in elevation is arising from the higher topography (> 1000 m a.s.l.) of the two NW-SE-trending mountain ranges Sierras Septentrionales and Sierras Australes. Precambrian metamorphic and intrusive rocks, and siliciclastic rocks of Ordovician to Permian age represent the geological evolution of both areas. The Sierras Australes have been deformed and metamorphosed (incipient - greenschist) during the Gondwanides Orogeny. The low-temperature thermochronological (LTT) data (< 240 °C) indicated that the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous opening of the South Atlantic has not completely thermally reset the surface rocks. The LTT archives apatite and zircon still revealed information on the pre- to post-orogenic history of the Gondwanides and the Mesozoic and Cenozoic South Atlantic geological evolution. Upper Carboniferous zircon (U-Th/He)-ages (ZHe) indicate the earliest cooling below 180 °C/1 Ma. Most of the ZHe-ages are of Upper Triassic to Jurassic age. The apatite fission-track ages (AFT) of Sierras Septentrionales and the eastern part of Sierras Australes indicate the South Atlantic rifting and, thereafter. AFT-ages of Middle to Upper Triassic on the western side of the Sierras Australes are in contrast, indicating a Triassic exhumation caused by the eastward thrusting along the Sauce Grande wrench. The corresponding t-T models report a complex subsidence and exhumation history with variable rates since the Ordovician. Based on the LTT-data and the numerical modelling we assume that the NW-SE-trending mountain ranges received their geographic NW-SE orientation during the syn- to post-orogenic history of the Gondwanides.

Quasi-quantitative analysis of the lithospheric rheology across an incipient continental rift based on 3-D magnetotelluric imaging of Linfen Basin within the North China Craton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Y.; Jin, S.; Wei, W.; Ye, G.; Dong, H.; Zhang, L.

2017-12-01

The Shanxi Rift being located within the interior of the North China Craton and far from any plate boundaries has undergone dramatic deformation and seismicity during the Cenozoic. In this study, we build 3-D lithospheric resistivity model by MT array data, across the Linfen Basin which is the most active segment of this intraplate rift. Accordingly, combined with previous rock physics experimental results, we estimate the fluid contents of lower crustal granulites and upper mantle peridotites and thereby the rough distribution of lithospheric rheological strength. On the two sides of Linfen Basin, lithosphere beneath the Precambrian terranes are of high strength. By contrast, a high-conductivity nearly upright lithosphere weak zone occurs beneath the eastern margin of the Linfen Basin and appears to be connected to the high-conductivity and therefore weak lower crust just beneath the basin, probably indicating a structure of asthenospheric upwelling causing the lower crustal decoupling through lateral drag forces. The distribution of lithospheric weak zones, brittle faults, ductile shear zones and detachment structures determined from our resistivity model is in good agreement with the 8-My stage model of a previous numerical geodynamic simulation for continental rift evolution by reconstruction of the South Atlantic plate. Accordingly, we suggest that the lithospheric weak zone could be a preexisting Precambrian shear zone and has reactivated as an asthenospheric upwelling conduit under the far-field effects of Indo- Asian collision or Pacific Plate subduction since the late Mesozoic. This process could have caused the upper crustal extension and rifting through the stress regulation by the plastic lower crust, which could be the mechanism of rift formation. In summary, we suggest the Linfen segment of the Shanxi Rift, is a simple shear mode rift in the incipient stage of rift evolution, rather than a mature pure shear mode one as determined by precious seismic imaging.

Joint geophysical and petrological models for the lithosphere structure of the Antarctic Peninsula continental margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yegorova, Tamara; Bakhmutov, Vladimir; Janik, Tomasz; Grad, Marek

2011-01-01

The Antarctic Peninsula (AP) is a composite magmatic arc terrane formed at the Pacific margin of Gondwana. Through the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic subduction has stopped progressively from southwest to northeast as a result of a series of ridge trench collisions. Subduction may be active today in the northern part of the AP adjacent to the South Shetland Islands. The subduction system is confined by the Shackleton and Hero fracture zones. The magmatic arc of the AP continental margin is marked by high-amplitude gravity and magnetic anomaly belts reaching highest amplitudes in the region of the South Shetland Islands and trench. The sources for these anomalies are highly magnetic and dense batholiths of mafic bulk composition, which were intruded in the Cretaceous, due to partial melting of upper-mantle and lower-crustal rocks. 2-D gravity and magnetic models provide new insights into crustal and upper-mantle structure of the active and passive margin segments of the northern AP. Our models incorporate seismic refraction constraints and physical property data. This enables us to better constrain both Moho geometry and petrological interpretations in the crust and upper mantle. Model along the DSS-12 profile crosses the AP margin near the Anvers Island and shows typical features of a passive continental margin. The second model along the DSS-17 profile extends from the Drake Passage through the South Shetland Trench/Islands system and Bransfield Strait to the AP and indicates an active continental margin linked to slow subduction and on-going continental rifting in the backarc region. Continental rifting beneath the Bransfield Strait is associated with an upward of hot upper mantle rocks and with extensive magmatic underplating.

A paleolatitude reconstruction of the South Armenian Block (Lesser Caucasus) for the Late Cretaceous: Constraints on the Tethyan realm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meijers, Maud J. M.; Smith, Brigitte; Kirscher, Uwe; Mensink, Marily; Sosson, Marc; Rolland, Yann; Grigoryan, Araik; Sahakyan, Lilit; Avagyan, Ara; Langereis, Cor; Müller, Carla

2015-03-01

The continental South Armenian Block - part of the Anatolide-Tauride South Armenian microplate - of Gondwana origin rifted from the African margin after the Triassic and collided with the Eurasian margin after the Late Cretaceous. During the Late Cretaceous, two northward dipping subduction zones were simultaneously active in the northern Neo-Tethys between the South Armenian Block in the south and the Eurasian margin in the north: oceanic subduction took place below the continental Eurasian margin and intra-oceanic subduction resulted in ophiolite obduction onto the South Armenian Block in the Late Cretaceous. The paleolatitude position of the South Armenian Block before its collision with Eurasia within paleogeographic reconstructions is poorly determined and limited to one study. This earlier study places the South Armenian Block at the African margin in the Early Jurassic. To reconstruct the paleolatitude history of the South Armenian Block, we sampled Upper Devonian-Permian and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in Armenia. The sampled Paleozoic rocks have likely been remagnetized. Results from two out of three sites sampled in Upper Cretaceous strata pass fold tests and probably all three carry a primary paleomagnetic signal. The sampled sedimentary rocks were potentially affected by inclination shallowing. Therefore, two sites that consist of a large number of samples (> 100) were corrected for inclination shallowing using the elongation/inclination method. These are the first paleomagnetic data that quantify the South Armenian Block's position in the Tethys ocean between post-Triassic rifting from the African margin and post-Cretaceous collision with Eurasia. A locality sampled in Lower Campanian Eurasian margin sedimentary rocks and corrected for inclination shallowing, confirms that the corresponding paleolatitude falls on the Eurasian paleolatitude curve. The north-south distance between the South Armenian Block and the Eurasian margin just after Coniacian-Santonian ophiolite obduction was at most 1000 km.

Stratigraphic framework of upper Paleozoic rocks, southeastern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baltz, E.H.; Myers, D.A.

1999-01-01

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains of south-central Colorado and north-central New Mexico are the physiographic expression of a southerly trending Cenozoic structural uplift that plunges gently south to die out in the Great Plains south of Santa Fe and Las Vegas, New Mexico. The uplift is bounded on the west by Neogene downfaulted and downwarped basins of the Rio Grande depression and, on the east, by broad Laramide basins that have sharply folded western limbs. The uplift was modified in Neogene time by local igneous-intrusive doming and normal faulting related to the Rio Grande rift.

Rift Zone Abandonment and Reconfiguration in Hawaii: Evidence from Mauna Loa’s Ninole Rift Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, J. K.; Park, J.; Zelt, C. A.

2009-12-01

Large oceanic volcanoes commonly develop elongate rift zones that disperse viscous magmas to the distal reaches of the edifice. Intrusion and dike propagation occur under tension perpendicular to the rift zone, controlled by topography, magmatic pressures, and deformation of the edifice. However, as volcanoes grow and interact, the controlling stress fields can change, potentially altering the orientations and activities of rift zones. This phenomenon is probably common, and can produce complex internal structures that influence the evolution of a volcano and its neighbors. However, little direct evidence for such rift zone reconfiguration exists, primarily due to poor preservation or recognition of earlier volcanic configurations. A new onshore-offshore 3-D seismic velocity model for the Island of Hawaii, derived from a joint tomographic inversion of an offshore airgun shot - onshore receiver geometry and earthquake sources beneath the island, demonstrates a complicated history of rift zone reconfiguration on Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii, including wholesale rift zone abandonment. Mauna Loa’s southeast flank contains a massive high velocity intrusive complex, now buried beneath flows derived from Mauna Loa’s active southwest rift zone (SWRZ). Introduced here as the Ninole Rift Zone, this feature extends more than 60 km south of Mauna Loa’s summit, spans a depth range of ~2-14 km below sea level, and is the probable source of the 100-200 ka Ninole volcanics in several prominent erosional hills. A lack of high velocities beneath the upper SWRZ and its separate zone of high velocities on the submarine flank, indicate that the younger rift zone was built upon a pre-existing edifice that emanated from the Ninole rift zone. The ancient Ninole rift zone may stabilize Mauna Loa’s southeast flank, focusing recent volcanic activity and deformation onto the unbuttressed west flank. The upper portion of the Ninole rift zone appears to have migrated westward over time, possibly triggered by landsliding, causing its eventual abandonment in preference to Mauna Loa’s present-day SWRZ. Subsequently, the lower SWRZ broke away, tracking rift intrusions along the trace of the Kahuku detachment fault. Similar rift zone migration is thought to be underway at Kilauea volcano, and may one-day lead to the abandonment of the east rift zone. Such rift zone reconfiguration is a reflection of changing stress conditions within growing volcanoes. It is probably much more common than previously assumed, and may enable the growth of very large volcanic edifices such as Mauna Loa.

Revisiting the Mesozoic opening of the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marton, G.; Pascoe, R. P.

2016-12-01

The Southeastern Gulf of Mexico (SEGOM) is defined here as the seaway between Yucatan and Florida, south of the Tampa Embayment. This area is regarded as a southward propagating rift in the Gulf of Mexico. There is an overwhelming amount of previous evidence that the Yucatan block rotated counterclockwise about 42 degrees around a pole located just north of present-day Cuba (23oN, 84oW) during the Late Jurassic to Earliest Cretaceous oceanic spreading phase. North of the pole in the SEGOM the rotational movement of Yucatan was accommodated by a uniformly increasing amount of SW-NE extension. The degree of extension north of 25oN was large enough to result in rifting and oceanic spreading. Lack of salt in the area south of the Tampa embayment indicates that the SEGOM was not affected by the large amount of NW-SE continental extension as observed in the rest of the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, the area between Yucatan and the Sarasota arch remained a land bridge between the proto- GOM and the Proto-Caribbean and formed a barrier to salt deposition. During the period of late Jurassic oceanic crust formation (and Yucatan rotation), the southern tip of the oceanic spreading center propagated south from 27oN to 25oN, or about 220 km. In the 220 km long zone from 25oN to the pole (23oN) the rotation of Yucatan was accommodated by continental rifting only. The validity of the above outlined propagating rift model in the SEGOM is also supported by the age differences in the observed post-rift unconformities along its margins. At the edge of the salt basin to the north, the post-rift unconformity in the upper crust occurs at the base of the Louann salt and thus is Callovian in age. In the southern continental rift segment of the SEGOM, a seismic to well tie at the DSDP Site 535 shows that the post-rift unconformity is no younger than Late Berriasian to Early Valanginian. This latter age bracket constrains a) the cessation of continental rifting in the SEGOM, b) the time when the Yucatan block docked in its present day location relative to North America, and c) the time when oceanic crust formation ceased in the Gulf of Mexico.

Heat flow and thermal processes in the Jornada delMuerto, New Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reiter, M.

1985-01-01

Most heat flow data in rifts are uncertain largely because of hydrologic disturbances in regions of extensive fracturing. Estimates of heat flow in deep petroleum tests within a large basin of the Rio Grande rift, which has suffered little syn-rift fracturing, may begin to provide clearer insight into the relationships between high heat flow and crustal thinning processes. The Jornada del Muerto is a large basin located in the Rio Grande rift of south central New Mexico. The region of interest within the Jornada del Muerto is centered about 30 km east of the town of Truth or Consequences, and is approximately 60 km north-south by 30 km east-west. High heat flows are estimated for the region. Values increase from about 90 mWm(-2) in the northern part of the study area to about 125 mWm(-2) in the southern part. These high heat flows are rather enigmatic because in the immediate vicinities of the sites there is little evidence of Cenozoic volcanism or syn-rift extensional tectonics. It is suggested that the geothermal anomaly in the southern Jornada del Muerto (approx. 125 to approx. 95 mWm(-2) results from some type of mass movement-heat transfer mechanism operating in the crust just below the elastic layer. This conclusion is consistent with the geologic and geophysical data which describe a thin crust, apparently devoid of features indicative of extensional-tectonics in the upper part of the lastic crust.

Tectono-stratigraphic evolution and crustal architecture of the Orphan Basin during North Atlantic rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouiza, Mohamed; Hall, Jeremy; Welford, J. Kim

2017-04-01

The Orphan Basin is located in the deep offshore of the Newfoundland margin, and it is bounded by the continental shelf to the west, the Grand Banks to the south, and the continental blocks of Orphan Knoll and Flemish Cap to the east. The Orphan Basin formed in Mesozoic time during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean between eastern Canada and western Iberia-Europe. This work, based on well data and regional seismic reflection profiles across the basin, indicates that the continental crust was affected by several extensional episodes between the Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous, separated by events of uplift and erosion. The preserved tectono-stratigraphic sequences in the basin reveal that deformation initiated in the eastern part of the Orphan Basin in the Jurassic and spread towards the west in the Early Cretaceous, resulting in numerous rift structures filled with a Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous syn-rift succession and overlain by thick Upper Cretaceous to Cenozoic post-rift sediments. The seismic data show an extremely thinned crust (4-16 km thick) underneath the eastern and western parts of the Orphan Basin, forming two sub-basins separated by a wide structural high with a relatively thick crust (17 km thick). Quantifying the crustal architecture in the basin highlights the large discrepancy between brittle extension localized in the upper crust and the overall crustal thinning. This suggests that continental deformation in the Orphan Basin involved, in addition to the documented Jurassic and Early Cretaceous rifting, an earlier brittle rift phase which is unidentifiable in seismic data and a depth-dependent thinning of the crust driven by localized lower crust ductile flow.

Geophysical constraints on understanding the origin of the Illinois basin and its underlying crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

McBride, J.H.; Kolata, Dennis R.; Hildenbrand, T.G.

2003-01-01

Interpretation of reprocessed seismic reflection profiles reveals three highly coherent, layered, unconformity-bounded sequences that overlie (or are incorporated within) the Proterozoic "granite-rhyolite province" beneath the Paleozoic Illinois basin and extend down into middle crustal depths. The sequences, which are situated in east-central Illinois and west-central Indiana, are bounded by strong, laterally continuous reflectors that are mappable over distances in excess of 200 km and are expressed as broad "basinal" packages that become areally more restricted with depth. Normal-fault reflector offsets progressively disrupt the sequences with depth along their outer margins. We interpret these sequences as being remnants of a Proterozoic rhyolitic caldera complex and/or rift episode related to the original thermal event that produced the granite-rhyolite province. The overall thickness and distribution of the sequences mimic closely those of the overlying Mt. Simon (Late Cambrian) clastic sediments and indicate that an episode of localized subsidence was underway before deposition of the post-Cambrian Illinois basin stratigraphic succession, which is centered farther south over the "New Madrid rift system" (i.e., Reelfoot rift and Rough Creek graben). The present configuration of the Illinois basin was therefore shaped by the cumulative effects of subsidence in two separate regions, the Proterozoic caldera complex and/or rift in east-central Illinois and west-central Indiana and the New Madrid rift system to the south. Filtered isostatic gravity and magnetic intensity data preclude a large mafic igneous component to the crust so that any Proterozoic volcanic or rift episode must not have tapped deeply or significantly into the lower crust or upper mantle during the heating event responsible for the granite-rhyolite. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanical response of the south flank of kilauea volcano, hawaii, to intrusive events along the rift systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dvorak, J.J.; Okamura, A.T.; English, T.T.; Koyanagi, R.Y.; Nakata, J.S.; Sako, M.K.; Tanigawa, W.T.; Yamashita, K.M.

1986-01-01

Increased earthquake activity and compression of the south flank of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, have been recognized by previous investigators to accompany rift intrusions. We further detail the temporal and spatial changes in earthquake rates and ground strain along the south flank induced by six major rift intrusions which occurred between December 1971 and January 1981. The seismic response of the south flank to individual rift intrusions is immediate; the increased rate of earthquake activity lasts from 1 to 4 weeks. Horizontal strain measurements indicate that compression of the south flank usually accompanies rift intrusions and eruptions. Emplacement of an intrusion at a depth greater than about 4 km, such as the June 1982 southwest rift intrusion, however, results in a slight extension of the subaerial portion of the south flank. Horizontal strain measurements along the south flank are used to locate the January 1983 east-rift intrusion, which resulted in eruptive activity. The intrusion is modeled as a vertical rectangular sheet with constant displacement perpendicular to the plane of the sheet. This model suggests that the intrusive body that compressed the south flank in January 1983 extended from the surface to about 2.4 km depth, and was aligned along a strike of N66??E. The intrusion is approximately 11 km in length, extended beyond the January 1983 eruptive fissures, which are 8 km in length and is contained within the 14-km-long region of shallow rift earthquakes. ?? 1986.

The upper mantle structure of the central Rio Grande rift region from teleseismic P and S wave travel time delays and attenuation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slack, P.D.; Davis, P.M.; Baldridge, W.S.; Olsen, K.H.; Glahn, A.; Achauer, U.; Spence, W.

1996-01-01

The lithosphere beneath a continental rift should be significantly modified due to extension. To image the lithosphere beneath the Rio Grande rift (RGR), we analyzed teleseismic travel time delays of both P and S wave arrivals and solved for the attenuation of P and S waves for four seismic experiments spanning the Rio Grande rift. Two tomographic inversions of the P wave travel time data are given: an Aki-Christofferson-Husebye (ACH) block model inversion and a downward projection inversion. The tomographic inversions reveal a NE-SW to NNE-SSW trending feature at depths of 35 to 145 km with a velocity reduction of 7 to 8% relative to mantle velocities beneath the Great Plains. This region correlates with the transition zone between the Colorado Plateau and the Rio Grande rift and is bounded on the NW by the Jemez lineament, a N52??E trending zone of late Miocene to Holocene volcanism. S wave delays plotted against P wave delays are fit with a straight line giving a slope of 3.0??0.4. This correlation and the absolute velocity reduction imply that temperatures in the lithosphere are close to the solidus, consistent with, but not requiring, the presence of partial melt in the mantle beneath the Rio Grande rift. The attenuation data could imply the presence of partial melt. We compare our results with other geophysical and geologic data. We propose that any north-south trending thermal (velocity) anomaly that may have existed in the upper mantle during earlier (Oligocene to late Miocene) phases of rifting and that may have correlated with the axis of the rift has diminished with time and has been overprinted with more recent structure. The anomalously low-velocity body presently underlying the transition zone between the core of the Colorado Plateau and the rift may reflect processes resulting from the modern (Pliocene to present) regional stress field (oriented WNW-ESE), possibly heralding future extension across the Jemez lineament and transition zone.

Evolution of the Southern Guinea Plateau: Implications on Guinea-Demerara Plateau formation using insights from seismic, subsidence, and gravity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olyphant, Jared R.; Johnson, Roy A.; Hughes, Amanda N.

2017-10-01

The Guinea Plateau (offshore Guinea) and its conjugate, the Demerara Plateau (offshore French Guiana), comprise two of the most prominent passive continental margins in the Atlantic Ocean. The conjugate plateaus formed as a result of two periods of rifting, the Jurassic opening of the Central Atlantic Ocean and the northward-propagating Cretaceous opening of the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Although several studies are published on the Demerara Plateau that explain the evolution of its multi-rift history and the effect of rifting on its distinct geometry, the Guinea Plateau, and in particular its south-eastern margin, remain relatively unexplored in the literature. Here we present interpretations of the structure and evolution of the Guinea Plateau using recent 2-D and 3-D seismic-reflection data collected at the intersection of the southern and eastern margins. We substantiate our study with calculated subsidence curves at four locations along the southern margin, as well as two 2-D gravity forward models along regional seismic-reflection profiles to estimate stretching factors (β) and crustal thicknesses. We combine our results with previous studies concerning the south-western Guinea margin, and compare them to published interpretations regarding the conjugate margins of the Demerara Plateau. The resolved amounts of rift-related volcanism, listric-style normal faults, and moderate stretching factors suggest that a component of upper-crustal asymmetry (simple shear) and depth-dependent stretching may have persisted at the Demerara-Guinea conjugate margins during Cretaceous rifting of the equatorial segment of the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

Search for clues to Mesozoic graben on Long Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rogers, W.B.; Aparisi, M.; Sirkin, L.

1989-01-01

The position of Long Island between the Hartford Basin of Connecticut and graben structures reported from seismic reflection studies offshore to the south of the island suggests the possibility that other grabens associated with the early Mesozoic rifting might be buried beneath central Long Island. The hypothesis that post-rift tectonic activity would be related to the rift grabens and that such activity would be expressed in the post-rift sedimentary deposits led to a study of the Cretaceous and Pleistocene section to seek clues for buried grabens on Long Island. The Pleistocene glacial deposits in central and eastern Long Island have been mapped and a pollen zonation in the Upper Cretaceous section in the central part established. This work, combined with literature research, suggests the following: 1. (1) In central Long Island, the spacing of wells which reach basement enables a NE- striking zone free of basement samples to be defined where a buried graben could occur. This zone is referred to as the "permissible zone" because within it the data permit the existence of a hidden graben. 2. (2) The abrupt changes in the thickness of some pollen zones in the Upper Cretaceous deposits of central Long Island may be related to Cretaceous faulting. 3. (3) Buried preglacial valleys, the confluence of glacial lobes and major glacial outwash channels seem concentrated in west central and central Long Island. The loci of these drainage features may reflect structural control by a basement depression. 4. (4) The "permissible zone" is aligned with the zone of structures in an offshore zone south of central Long Island and with the Hartford Basin in Connecticut. Geophysical anomalies also fit into this pattern. 5. (5) A definitive answer to the question of a buried graben on Long Island will require a seismic line across the "permissible zone", or further drilling. ?? 1989.

Comparative velocity structure of active Hawaiian volcanoes from 3-D onshore-offshore seismic tomography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Park, J.; Morgan, J.K.; Zelt, C.A.; Okubo, P.G.; Peters, L.; Benesh, N.

2007-01-01

We present a 3-D P-wave velocity model of the combined subaerial and submarine portions of the southeastern part of the Island of Hawaii, based on first-arrival seismic tomography of marine airgun shots recorded by the onland seismic network. Our model shows that high-velocity materials (6.5-7.0??km/s) lie beneath Kilauea's summit, Koae fault zone, and the upper Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ) and upper and middle East Rift Zone (ERZ), indicative of magma cumulates within the volcanic edifice. A separate high-velocity body of 6.5-6.9??km/s within Kilauea's lower ERZ and upper Puna Ridge suggests a distinct body of magma cumulates, possibly connected to the summit magma cumulates at depth. The two cumulate bodies within Kilauea's ERZ may have undergone separate ductile flow seaward, influencing the submarine morphology of Kilauea's south flank. Low velocities (5.0-6.3??km/s) seaward of Kilauea's Hilina fault zone, and along Mauna Loa's seaward facing Kao'iki fault zone, are attributed to thick piles of volcaniclastic sediments deposited on the submarine flanks. Loihi seamount shows high-velocity anomalies beneath the summit and along the rift zones, similar to the interpreted magma cumulates below Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes, and a low-velocity anomaly beneath the oceanic crust, probably indicative of melt within the upper mantle. Around Kilauea's submarine flank, a high-velocity anomaly beneath the outer bench suggests the presence of an ancient seamount that may obstruct outward spreading of the flank. Mauna Loa's southeast flank is also marked by a large, anomalously high-velocity feature (7.0-7.4??km/s), interpreted to define an inactive, buried volcanic rift zone, which might provide a new explanation for the westward migration of Mauna Loa's current SWRZ and the growth of Kilauea's SWRZ. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strain Localisation at Rift Segment Boundaries: An Example from the Bocana Transfer Zone in Central Baja California, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seiler, C.; Gleadow, A. J.; Kohn, B. P.

2012-12-01

Rifts are commonly segmented into several hundred kilometre long zones of opposing upper-plate transport direction with boundaries defined by accommodation and transfer zones. A number of such rift segments have been recognized in the northern Gulf of California, a youthful oceanic basin that is currently undergoing the rift-drift transition. However, detailed field studies have so far failed to identify suitable structures that could accommodate the obvious deformation gradients between different rift segments, and the nature of strain transfer at segment boundaries remains enigmatic. The situation is even less clear in central and southern Baja California, where a number of rift segments have been hypothesized but it is unknown whether the intervening segment boundaries facilitate true reversals in the upper-plate transport direction, or whether they simply accommodate differences in the timing, style or magnitude of deformation. The Bocana transfer zone (BTZ) in central Baja California is a linear, WNW-ESE striking structural discontinuity separating two rift segments with different magnitudes and styles of extensional deformation. North of the BTZ, the Libertad fault is part of the Main Gulf Escarpment, which represents the breakaway fault that separates the Gulf of California rift to the east from the relatively stable western portion of the Baja peninsula. The N-striking Libertad escarpment developed during the Late Miocene (~10-8Ma) and exhibits a topographic relief of ca. 1,000m along a strike-length of ca. 50km. Finite displacement decreases from ~1000m in the central fault segment to ~500m further south, where the fault bends SE and merges with the BTZ. In the hanging wall of the Libertad fault, a series of W-tilted horsts are bound along their eastern margins by two moderate-displacement E-dipping normal faults. South of the BTZ, extension was much less than further north, which explains the comparatively subdued relief and generally shallower tilt of pre-rift strata in this area. The BTZ itself is characterized by two en echelon WNW-ESE striking dextral-oblique transfer faults with a significant down-to-the-NNE extensional component. Strain is transferred from the Libertad breakaway fault onto the transfer faults over a distance of >20km through a network of interacting normal, oblique and strike-slip faults. The shape, location and orientation of the main faults were strongly influenced by pre-existing rheological heterogeneities. Major normal faults are parallel to either the Mesozoic metamorphic foliation or Cretaceous intrusive contacts, and developed where the foliation was at a high angle to the extension direction. In contrast, the oblique-slip faults of the BTZ formed parallel to the metamorphic foliation where formlines are at a small angle to the regional extension direction. Compared to other, less well-understood accommodation zones in the Gulf of California rift, the BTZ shows a distinct lack of volcanic activity, which may help explain the different exposure and structural expression of the various segment boundaries.

North America's Midcontinent Rift: when Rift MET Lip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, C. A.; Stein, S. A.; Kley, J.; Keller, G. R., Jr.; Bollmann, T. A.; Wolin, E.; Zhang, H.; Frederiksen, A. W.; Ola, K.; Wysession, M. E.; Wiens, D.; Alequabi, G.; Waite, G. P.; Blavascunas, E.; Engelmann, C. A.; Flesch, L. M.; Rooney, T. O.; Moucha, R.; Brown, E.

2015-12-01

Rifts are segmented linear depressions, filled with sedimentary and igneous rocks, that form by extension and often evolve into plate boundaries. Flood basalts, a class of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs), are broad regions of extensive volcanism due to sublithospheric processes. Typical rifts are not filled with flood basalts, and typical flood basalts are not associated with significant crustal extension and faulting. North America's Midcontinent Rift (MCR) is an unusual combination. Its 3000-km length formed as part of the 1.1 Ga rifting of Amazonia (Precambrian NE South America) from Laurentia (Precambrian North America) and became inactive once seafloor spreading was established, but contains an enormous volume of igneous rocks. MCR volcanics are significantly thicker than other flood basalts, due to deposition in a narrow rift rather than a broad region, giving a rift geometry but a LIP's magma volume. Structural modeling of seismic reflection data shows an initial rift phase where flood basalts filled a fault-controlled extending basin, and a postrift phase where volcanics and sediments were deposited in a thermally subsiding basin without associated faulting. The crust thinned during rifting and rethickened during the postrift phase and later compression, yielding the present thicker crust. The coincidence of a rift and LIP yielded the world's largest deposit of native copper. This combination arose when a new rift associated with continental breakup interacted with a mantle plume or anomalously hot or fertile upper mantle. Integration of diverse data types and models will give insight into questions including how the magma source was related to the rifting, how their interaction operated over a long period of rapid plate motion, why the lithospheric mantle below the MCR differs only slightly from its surroundings, how and why extension, volcanism, and compression varied along the rift arms, and how successful seafloor spreading ended the rift phase. Papers, talks, and educational material are available at http://www.earth.northwestern.edu/people/seth/research/mcr.html

Sedimentation patterns in the Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa, and the Pilbara Block, Australia: Evidence for Archean rifted continental margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eriksson, Kenneth A.

1982-01-01

Archean supracrustal sequences in the Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa, and the Pilbara Block, Australia, consist of lower volcanic and upper dominantly terrigenous clastic intervals. As evidenced by the paleoenvironments of intercalated sedimentary horizons, volcanism occurred mainly in shallow waters. The overlying ca 3.3 Ga sedimentary intervals contain various common as well as unique paleoenvironments, the understanding of which places significant constraints on Archean crustal models. Lateral and vertical associations of inferred paleoenvironments are used to interpret the geotectonic history of the Archean depositories. The early sedimentary history of the greenstone belts is characterized by terrestrial and subaqueous graben-fill associations of facies related to the initial rift stage of basin development. Continued rifting and initial spreading produced submarine grabens within which ironformations accumulated in response to waning volcanism. Source area uplift resulted in progradation of submarine fans across the basinal chemical sediments. The turbidites are gradational directly into braided alluvial sediments, in part of fan delta origin, suggesting that the continental to marine transition occurred along a narrow continental shelf. In the Barberton Mountain Land the steep-rift margin was succeeded by the development of a stable continental shelf or shelf rise margin through progradation of the turbidite wedge possibly in association with a eustatic rise in sea-level related to continued spreading. On this shelf extensive tidal, deltaic and barrier beach sediments accumulated. Sedimentation was terminated by closure of the passive margin oceans. The late-Archean Pongola Supergroup in South Africa is considered to be the late-orogenic molasse response to this closure and represents the completion of the Wilson cycle.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pasyanos, M

We study the lithospheric structure of Africa, Arabia and adjacent oceanic regions with fundamental-mode surface waves over a wide period range. Including short period group velocities allows us to examine shallower features than previous studies of the whole continent. In the process, we have developed a crustal thickness map of Africa. Main features include crustal thickness increases under the West African, Congo, and Kalahari cratons. We find crustal thinning under Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifts, including the Benue Trough, Red Sea, and East, Central, and West African rift systems. Crustal shear wave velocities are generally faster in oceanic regions and cratons,more » and slower in more recent crust and in active and formerly active orogenic regions. Deeper structure, related to the thickness of cratons and modern rifting, is generally consistent with previous work. Under cratons we find thick lithosphere and fast upper mantle velocities, while under rifts we find thinned lithosphere and slower upper mantle velocities. There are no consistent effects in areas classified as hotspots, indicating that there seem to be numerous origins for these features. Finally, it appears that the African Superswell has had a significantly different impact in the north and the south, indicating specifics of the feature (temperature, time of influence, etc.) to be dissimilar between the two regions. Factoring in other information, it is likely that the southern portion has been active in the past, but that shallow activity is currently limited to the northern portion of the superswell.« less

Continental rupture and the creation of new crust in the Salton Trough rift, Southern California and northern Mexico: Results from the Salton Seismic Imaging Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Liang; Hole, John A.; Stock, Joann M.; Fuis, Gary S.; Kell, Annie; Driscoll, Neal W.; Kent, Graham M.; Harding, Alistair J.; Rymer, Michael J.; González-Fernández, Antonio; Lázaro-Mancilla, Octavio

2016-10-01

A refraction and wide-angle reflection seismic profile along the axis of the Salton Trough, California and Mexico, was analyzed to constrain crustal and upper mantle seismic velocity structure during active continental rifting. From the northern Salton Sea to the southern Imperial Valley, the crust is 17-18 km thick and approximately one-dimensional. The transition at depth from Colorado River sediment to underlying crystalline rock is gradual and is not a depositional surface. The crystalline rock from 3 to 8 km depth is interpreted as sediment metamorphosed by high heat flow. Deeper felsic crystalline rock could be stretched preexisting crust or higher-grade metamorphosed sediment. The lower crust below 12 km depth is interpreted to be gabbro emplaced by rift-related magmatic intrusion by underplating. Low upper mantle velocity indicates high temperature and partial melting. Under the Coachella Valley, sediment thins to the north and the underlying crystalline rock is interpreted as granitic basement. Mafic rock does not exist at 12-18 km depth as it does to the south, and a weak reflection suggests Moho at 28 km depth. Structure in adjacent Mexico has slower midcrustal velocity, and rocks with mantle velocity must be much deeper than in the Imperial Valley. Slower velocity and thicker crust in the Coachella and Mexicali valleys define the rift zone between them to be >100 km wide in the direction of plate motion. North American lithosphere in the central Salton Trough has been rifted apart and is being replaced by new crust created by magmatism, sedimentation, and metamorphism.

Continental rupture and the creation of new crust in the Salton Trough rift, southern California and northern Mexico: Results from the Salton Seismic Imaging Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Han, Liang; Hole, John A.; Stock, Joann M.; Fuis, Gary S.; Kell, Annie; Driscoll, Neal W.; Kent, Graham M.; Rymer, Michael J.; Gonzalez-Fernandez, Antonio; Aburto-Oropeza, Octavio

2016-01-01

A refraction and wide-angle reflection seismic profile along the axis of the Salton Trough, California and Mexico, was analyzed to constrain crustal and upper mantle seismic velocity structure during active continental rifting. From the northern Salton Sea to the southern Imperial Valley, the crust is 17-18 km thick and approximately one-dimensional. The transition at depth from Colorado River sediment to underlying crystalline rock is gradual and is not a depositional surface. The crystalline rock from ~3 to ~8 km depth is interpreted as sediment metamorphosed by high heat flow. Deeper felsic crystalline rock could be stretched pre-existing crust or higher grade metamorphosed sediment. The lower crust below ~12 km depth is interpreted to be gabbro emplaced by rift-related magmatic intrusion by underplating. Low upper-mantle velocity indicates high temperature and partial melting. Under the Coachella Valley, sediment thins to the north and the underlying crystalline rock is interpreted as granitic basement. Mafic rock does not exist at 12-18 depth as it does to the south, and a weak reflection suggests Moho at ~28 km depth. Structure in adjacent Mexico has slower mid-crustal velocity and rocks with mantle velocity must be much deeper than in the Imperial Valley. Slower velocity and thicker crust in the Coachella and Mexicali valleys define the rift zone between them to be >100 km wide in the direction of plate motion. North American lithosphere in the central Salton Trough has been rifted apart and is being replaced by new crust created by magmatism, sedimentation, and metamorphism.

Integration of COCORP deep reflection and magnetic anomaly analysis in the southeastern United States: Implications for origin of the Brunswick and East Coast magnetic anomalies: Alternative interpretation and reply

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchinson, Deborah R.; Klitgord, Kim D.; Tréhu, Anne M.; McBride, John H.; Nelson, K. D.

1990-01-01

Integration of magnetic anomaly analysis with COCORP deep reflection data from the southeastern United States provides three new constraints on the interpretation of the Brunswick and East Coast magnetic anomalies, as well as on the reflection data. These are as follows. (1) The source of the Brunswick anomaly lies within the deep crust. This anomaly is not caused by a Mesozoic rift basin, as proposed by some workers. (2) A simple, seaward-dipping, high- susceptibility slab model can explain both the Brunswick and East Coast magnetic anomalies. The along-strike change in character of the two anomalies results largely from a change in azimuth of the source body. (3) Beneath the southeastern United States, this source body dips south, lies immediately on the south flank of the prominent southward-dipping reflective zone revealed on COCORP surveys, and was previously associated with the Alleghanian suture between North America and Africa. These results imply that a dipping, highly magnetized zone in the upper plate of the Alleghanian suture is responsible for both the Brunswick and East Coast magnetic anomalies. The high- susceptibility material responsible for these anomalies might be mafic lower continental or oceanic crust thrust upward during Alleghanian continental collision, or mafic igneous material intruded into the upper plate of the suture zone during subsequent Mesozoic rifting, or both. The latter hypothesis implies that the Alleghanian suture acted, as a zone of weakness (a repository ?) which was reactivated to control the site of ultimate Atlantic rifting and possibly initial sea-floor spreading.

Imaging the crustal magma sources beneath Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Okubo, Paul G.; Benz, Harley M.; Chouet, Bernard A.

1997-01-01

Three-dimensional seismic P-wave traveltime tomography is used to image the magma sources beneath Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes, Hawaii. High-velocity bodies (>6.4 km/s) in the upper 9 km of the crust beneath the summits and rift zones of the volcanoes correlate with zones of high magnetic intensities and are interpreted as solidified gabbro-ultramafic cumulates from which the surface volcanism is derived. The proximity of these high-velocity features to the rift zones is consistent with a ridge-spreading model of the volcanic flank. Southeast of the Hilina fault zone, along the south flank of Kilauea, low-velocity material (<6.0 km/s) is observed extending to depths of 9–11 km, indicating that the Hilina fault may extend possibly as deep as the basal decollement. Along the southeast flank of Mauna Loa, a similar low-velocity zone associated with the Kaoiki fault zone is observed extending to depths of 6–8 km. These two upper crustal low-velocity zones suggest common stages in the evolution of the Hawaiian shield volcanoes in which these fault systems are formed as a result of upper crustal deformation in response to magma injection within the volcanic edifice.

Upper-mantle seismic structure in a region of incipient continental breakup: northern Ethiopian rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastow, Ian D.; Stuart, Graham W.; Kendall, J.-Michael; Ebinger, Cynthia J.

2005-08-01

The northern Ethiopian rift forms the third arm of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden triple junction, and marks the transition from continental rifting in the East African rift to incipient oceanic spreading in Afar. We determine the P- and S-wave velocity structure beneath the northern Ethiopian rift using independent tomographic inversion of P- and S-wave relative arrival-time residuals from teleseismic earthquakes recorded by the Ethiopia Afar Geoscientific Lithospheric Experiment (EAGLE) passive experiment using the regularised non-linear least-squares inversion method of VanDecar. Our 79 broad-band instruments covered an area 250 × 350 km centred on the Boset magmatic segment ~70 km SE of Addis Ababa in the centre of the northern Ethiopian rift. The study area encompasses several rift segments showing increasing degrees of extension and magmatic intrusion moving from south to north into the Afar depression. Analysis of relative arrival-time residuals shows that the rift flanks are asymmetric with arrivals associated with the southeastern Somalian Plate faster (~0.65 s for the P waves; ~2 s for the S waves) than the northwestern Nubian Plate. Our tomographic inversions image a 75 km wide tabular low-velocity zone (δVP~-1.5 per cent, δVS~-4 per cent) beneath the less-evolved southern part of the rift in the uppermost 200-250 km of the mantle. At depths of >100 km, north of 8.5°N, this low-velocity anomaly broadens laterally and appears to be connected to deeper low-velocity structures under the Afar depression. An off-rift low-velocity structure extending perpendicular to the rift axis correlates with the eastern limit of the E-W trending reactivated Precambrian Ambo-Guder fault zone that is delineated by Quaternary eruptive centres. Along axis, the low-velocity upwelling beneath the rift is segmented, with low-velocity material in the uppermost 100 km often offset to the side of the rift with the highest rift flank topography. Our observations from this magmatic rift zone, which is transitional between continental and oceanic rifting, do not support detachment fault models of lithospheric extension but instead point to strain accommodation via magma assisted rifting.

IODP drilling in the South China Sea in 2017 will address the mechanism of continental breakup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Z.; Larsen, H. C.; Lin, J.; Pang, X.; McIntosh, K. D.; Stock, J. M.; Jian, Z.; Wang, P.; Li, C.

2016-12-01

Geophysical exploration and scientific drilling along the North Atlantic rifted continental margins suggested that passive continental margins can be classified into two end members: magma-rich and magma-poor. Bearing seaward-dipping reflector sequences (SDRS) and highly mafic underplated high velocity lower crust (HVLC), the magma-rich margin is thought to be related to large igneous provinces (LIP) or mantle plume activity. Magma-poor margins have been drilled offshore Iberia and Newfoundland, where brittle faults cut through the whole crust and reach the upper mantle. Following seawater infiltration, the mantle was serpentinized and exhumed in the continent-ocean transition zone (COT). Later geophysical exploration and modeling suggested that in magma-poor margins lithosphere may break up in different styles, including uniform breakup, lower crust exhumation, or upper mantle exhumed at the COT, etc. The northern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS) between longitude 114.5º and 116.5º hosts features that might be similar to both of the two end-members defined in the North Atlantic. Wide-angle seismic studies suggest that below the inner margin, crustal underplating of high velocity material is present, while syn-rift as well as post-rift intrusive features are visible and have in places been verified by industry drilling. However, the profound volcanism and associated SDRS formation are entirely lacking, and thus classification as a volcanic rifted margin can be ruled out. Instead, the COT exhibits a profound thinning of the continental crust towards the ocean crust of the SCS, showing some similarity to the Iberia type margin. The crustal thinning is caused by low-angle faults that have stretched the upper continental crust. There are indications of lower crustal flow toward the SCS. Alternatively, these extensional faults may have reached the lithospheric mantle and generated serpentinized material in a similar fashion as seen off Iberia. It will require deep drilling and sampling of characteristic basement units within the COT to distinguish. Four months of drilling by IODP to address this question is scheduled for February to June in 2017. The IODP drilling has the potential to support a third breakup mechanism theorized by modelling in addition to the two types drilled.

Seismic velocity structure of the crust and shallow mantle of the Central and Eastern United States by seismic surface wave imaging

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollitz, Fred; Mooney, Walter D.

2016-01-01

Seismic surface waves from the Transportable Array of EarthScope's USArray are used to estimate phase velocity structure of 18 to 125 s Rayleigh waves, then inverted to obtain three-dimensional crust and upper mantle structure of the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS) down to ∼200 km. The obtained lithosphere structure confirms previously imaged CEUS features, e.g., the low seismic-velocity signature of the Cambrian Reelfoot Rift and the very low velocity at >150 km depth below an Eocene volcanic center in northwestern Virginia. New features include high-velocity mantle stretching from the Archean Superior Craton well into the Proterozoic terranes and deep low-velocity zones in central Texas (associated with the late Cretaceous Travis and Uvalde volcanic fields) and beneath the South Georgia Rift (which contains Jurassic basalts). Hot spot tracks may be associated with several imaged low-velocity zones, particularly those close to the former rifted Laurentia margin.

Possible Different Rifting Mechanisms Between South and North Part of the Fenhe-Weihe Rift Zone Revealed by Shear Velocity Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ai, S.; Zheng, Y.

2017-12-01

As an active intraplate continental rift, FWR plays an important role in accommodating the trans-tension in the Trans North China Craton (TNCO). Velocity field derived from GPS measurements reveals that the northern part of FWR is still under extension in N105°E direction at a rate of 4±2 mm/yr [Shen et al., 2000]. Actually, the FWR has been the most seismically active region in NCC. Bouguer gravity profile and seismic sounding lines [Xu and Ma, 1992] revealed a 2-3 km uplift of Moho depth beneath Taiyuan basin and 5-6 km beneath the Southwestern rift zone, those geophysical observations give clues to the un-evenly upwelling of the asthenosphere beneath the rift system and the different rifting process of the FWR. Therefore, studying the extension process of FWR is meaningful to understanding the NCC geodynamics associated with rifting tectonism. Using vertical continuous waveforms recorded during 2014 from CEarray, we construct a reliable and detailed 3-D crustal and uppermost mantle S-wave velocity structure of FWR, using a Bayesian Monte-Carlo method to jointly interpret teleseismic P-wave receiver functions and Rayleigh wave dispersions [Shen et al., 2013]. In the upmost crust, FWR appear as awful low velocity anomaly zone (LVZ), while the Taihang and Lvliang mountain ranges are imaged as strong high velocity anomaly zones(HVZ). In the middle crust, the low velocity zones still keep their LVZ features Additionally, nearly the whole FWR appears as a linearly LVZ line separating Taihang Uplift and Lvliang Uplift, except beneath Shilingguan and Linshi blocks that separate the Xinxian, Taiyuan and Linfen Basins, consisting with the high seismicity there. The velocity of the lower crust beneath Taiyuan and Weihe Basin are relatively higher than the rest rift regions, we interpret them as the limited mafic underplating beneath the TNCO. From the lower crust to upper mantle, the Datong volcanic zone display robust low velocity features, though the lowest velocity location varies as depth changes. Associated with previous geochemistry studies, we propose an on-going asthenosphere upwelling near Datong volcanic field. Overall, the shear wave velocity structures between north and south part of the FWR is different,and imply the different rifting mechanisms between the two sides of FWR.

Crustal-scale thrusting and origin of the Montreal River monocline-A 35-km-thick cross section of the midcontinent rift in northern Michigan and Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cannon, W.F.; Peterman, Z.E.; Sims, P.K.

1993-01-01

A structurally simple, 35-km-thick, north facing stratigraphic succession of Late Archean to Middle Proterozoic rocks is exposed near the Montreal River, which forms the border between northern Wisconsin and Michigan. This structure, the Montreal River monocline, is composed of steeply dipping to vertical sedimentary rocks and flood basalts of the Keweenawan Supergroup (Middle Proterozoic) along the south limb of the Midcontinent rift, and disconformably underlying sedimentary rocks of the Marquette Range Supergroup (Early Proterozoic). These rocks lie on an Archean granite-greenstone complex, about 10 km of which is included in the monocline. This remarkable thickness of rocks appears to be essentially structurally intact and lacks evidence of tectonic thickening or repetition.Tilting to form the monocline resulted from southward thrusting on listric faults of crustal dimension. The faults responsible for the monocline are newly recognized components of a well-known regional fault system that partly closed and inverted the Midcontinent rift system. Resetting of biotite ages on the upper plate of the faults indicates that faulting and uplift occurred at about 1060 +/−20 Ma and followed very shortly after extension that formed the Midcontinent rift system.

Architecture of the Distal Piedmont-Ligurian Rifted Margin in NW Italy: Hints for a Flip of the Rift System Polarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decarlis, Alessandro; Beltrando, Marco; Manatschal, Gianreto; Ferrando, Simona; Carosi, Rodolfo

2017-11-01

The Alpine Tethys rifted margins were generated by a Mesozoic polyphase magma-poor rifting leading to the opening of the Piedmont-Ligurian "Ocean." This latter developed through different phases of rifting that terminated with the exhumation of subcontinental mantle along an extensional detachment system. At the onset of simple shear detachment faulting, two margin types were generated: an upper and a lower plate corresponding to the hanging wall and footwall of the final detachment system, respectively. The two margin architectures were markedly different and characterized by a specific asymmetry. In this study the detailed analysis of the Adriatic margin, exposed in the Serie dei Laghi, Ivrea-Verbano, and Canavese Zone, enabled to recognize the diagnostic elements of an upper plate rifted margin. This thesis contrasts with the classic interpretation of the Southalpine units, previously compared with the adjacent fossil margin preserved in the Austroalpine nappes and considered as part of a lower plate. The proposed scenario suggests the segmentation and flip of the Alpine rifting system along strike and the passage from a lower to an upper plate. Following this interpretation, the European and Southern Adria margins are coevally developed upper plate margins, respectively resting NE and SW of a major transform zone that accommodates a flip in the polarity of the rift system. This new explanation has important implications for the study of the pre-Alpine rift-related structures, for the comprehension of their role during the reactivation of the margin and for the paleogeographic evolution of the Alpine orogen.

Stretching factors in Cenozoic multi-rift basins, western Gulf of Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaewkor, Chanida; Watkinson, Ian

2017-04-01

The Gulf of Thailand (GoT) is the biggest petroleum producing province in Thailand. It is separated by the north-south trending Ko Kra Ridge into two main parts: the Western Area and Basinal Area. A series of horsts and grabens formed by north-south oriented extensional faults subdivides the GoT into a number of basins. The two major basins, Pattani and North Malay, are located in the Basinal Area that contains the main oil and gas fields. The Western Area comprises several smaller and shallower basins but has nonetheless resulted in commercial successes, including oil fields such as Nang Nuan (Chumphon Basin), Bualuang (Western Basin) and Songkhla (Songkhla Basin). The GoT is one of several unusual Cenozoic basins within Sundaland, the continental core of SE Asia. These basins have previously been characterized by multiple distinct phases of extension and inversion, rapid post-rift subsidence, association with low-angle normal faults; and are set within hot, thin crust similar to the Basin and Range province, but surrounded by active plate boundaries. The extensional faults systems play a major role in petroleum accumulation during syn-rift and post-rift phases in this area. This paper utilises well data and 3D seismic data from the Songkhla and Western basins of the western GoT. Structural balancing and restoration techniques are used to investigate the rate of extension and the effect on tectonostratigraphy. The basins are younger to the north, the Western basin was opened in Upper Oligocene to Lower Miocene. Stretching factors of the Western basin is approximately 1.1-1.2. Songkhla basin is the oldest basin that initial rift started in Eocene. The basin is dominated by major structures; western border fault, compressional structures related reactivated inversion fault, and inter-basinal faults. There are two main phases of tectonic activity; 1) Rifting phase which can be divided into three sub-extensional phase; Eocene, Oligocene, Lower Miocene. 2) Post-rift and subsidence from Middle Miocene to Recent. Stretching factors of Songkhla basin is approximately 1.2-1.4.

Sedimentation and subsidence patterns in the central and north basins of Lake Baikal from seismic stratigraphy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, T.C.; Klitgord, Kim D.; Golmshtok, A.J.; Weber, E.

1997-01-01

Comparison of sedimentation patterns, basement subsidence, and faulting histories in the north and central basins of Lake Baikal aids in developing an interbasinal seismic stratigraphy that reveals the early synrift evolution of the central portion of the Baikal rift, a major continental rift system. Although there is evidence that the central and northern rift basins evolved at approximately the same time, their sedimentation histories are markedly different. Primary sediment sources for the initial rift phase were from the east flank of the rift; two major deltas developed adjacent to the central basin: the Selenga delta at the south end and the Barguzin delta at the north end. The Barguzin River system, located at the accommodation zone between the central and north basins, also fed into the southern part of the north basin and facilitated the stratigraphic linkage of the two basins. A shift in the regional tectonic environment in the mid Pliocene(?) created a second rift phase distinguished by more rapid subsidence and sediment accumulation in the north basin and by increased subsidence and extensive faulting in the central basin. The Barguzin delta ceased formation and parts of the old delta system were isolated within the north basin and on Academic Ridge. These isolated deltaic deposits provide a model for the development of hydrocarbon plays within ancient rift systems. In this second tectonic phase, the dominant sediment fill in the deeper and more rapidly subsiding north basin shifted from the flexural (eastern) margin to axial transport from the Upper Angara River at the north end of the basin.

Mozambique upper fan: origin of depositional units

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Droz, L.; Mougenot, D.

1987-11-01

The upper Mozambique Fan includes a stable down-stream region, with a north-south channel flanked by thick (1.5 sec two-way traveltime) asymmetric levees, and a migrating upstream region where at least two main feeding paths have been successively dominant. From the Oligocene to early Miocene, the north-south Serpa Pinto Valley acted as the main conduit for the north Mozambique terrigenous sediments. From the middle Miocene, the west-east Zambezi Valley became the dominant path and supplied the fan with sediments transported by the Zambezi River from the central part of Mozanbique. The transfer from one sediment-feeding system to the other is relatedmore » to the abandonment of the Serpa Pinto Valley because of graben formation along the Davie Ridge, which trapped the sediments, and the increase of the Zambezi River sediment supply because of the creation and erosion of the East African Rift. 13 figures.« less

Fault evolution in the Potiguar rift termination, equatorial margin of Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Castro, D. L.; Bezerra, F. H. R.

2015-02-01

The transform shearing between South American and African plates in the Cretaceous generated a series of sedimentary basins on both plate margins. In this study, we use gravity, aeromagnetic, and resistivity surveys to identify architecture of fault systems and to analyze the evolution of the eastern equatorial margin of Brazil. Our study area is the southern onshore termination of the Potiguar rift, which is an aborted NE-trending rift arm developed during the breakup of Pangea. The basin is located along the NNE margin of South America that faces the main transform zone that separates the North and the South Atlantic. The Potiguar rift is a Neocomian structure located at the intersection of the equatorial and western South Atlantic and is composed of a series of NE-trending horsts and grabens. This study reveals new grabens in the Potiguar rift and indicates that stretching in the southern rift termination created a WNW-trending, 10 km wide, and ~ 40 km long right-lateral strike-slip fault zone. This zone encompasses at least eight depocenters, which are bounded by a left-stepping, en echelon system of NW-SE- to NS-striking normal faults. These depocenters form grabens up to 1200 m deep with a rhomb-shaped geometry, which are filled with rift sedimentary units and capped by postrift sedimentary sequences. The evolution of the rift termination is consistent with the right-lateral shearing of the equatorial margin in the Cretaceous and occurs not only at the rift termination but also as isolated structures away from the main rift. This study indicates that the strike-slip shearing between two plates propagated to the interior of one of these plates, where faults with similar orientation, kinematics, geometry, and timing of the major transform are observed. These faults also influence rift geometry.

The effect of an East Pacific Rise offset on the formation of secondary cracks ahead of the Cocos-Nazca Rift at the Galapagos Triple Junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. K.; Montesi, L. G.; Schouten, H.; Zhu, W.

2011-12-01

A succession of short-lived, E-W trending cracks at the Galapagos Triple Junction north and south of the Cocos-Nazca (C-N) Rift, has been explained by a simple crack interaction model. The locations of where the cracks initiate are controlled by tensile stresses generated at the East Pacific Rise (EPR) by two interacting cracks: One representing the north-south trending EPR, and the other the large, westward propagating C-N Rift, whose tip is separated from the EPR by a distance D. The model predicts symmetric cracking at the EPR north and south of the C-N Rift tip. Symmetry in the distribution of cracks north and south of the C-N Rift is observed and especially remarkable between 2.5 and 1.5 Ma when the rapid jumping of cracks toward the C-N Rift appears synchronous. The rapid jumping can be explained by decreasing D, which means that the tip of the C-N Rift was moving closer to the EPR. Symmetry of cracking breaks down at 1.5 Ma, however, with the establishment of the Dietz Deep Rift, the southern boundary of the Galapagos microplate. Symmetry of cracking also breaks down on older crust to the east between about 100 35'W and 100 45'W (about 2.6 Ma) where a rapid jumping of cracks toward the C-N Rift is observed in the south cracking region. There is no evidence of similar rapid jumping in the north cracking region. It could be simply that the response to changing the value of D is not always as predicted. It could also be that the shape of the EPR has not always been symmetric about the C-N Rift, as assumed in the model. Currently, an overlapping spreading center with a 15 km east-west offset between the limbs of the EPR has formed at 1 50'N. We assess the importance of the geometry of the EPR on the crack interaction model. The model has been modified to include a ridge offset similar to what is observed today. We find that the region of stress enhancement at the EPR (where cracks initiate) is subdued south of the C-N Rift tip because of the EPR offset. It is possible, therefore, that the asymmetry in cracking observed since about 1.5 Ma may be explained in part by the presence of a ridge offset south of the C-N Rift tip.

Initiation of Extension in South China Continental Margin during the Active-Passive Margin Transition: Thermochronological and Kinematic Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuo, X.; Chan, L. S.

2015-12-01

The South China continental margin is characterized by a widespread magmatic belt, prominent NE-striking faults and numerous rifted basins filled by Cretaceous-Eocene sediments. The geology denotes a transition from active to passive margin, which led to rapid modifications of crustal stress configuration and reactivation of older faults in this area. Our zircon fission-track data in this region show two episodes of exhumation: The first episode, occurring during 170-120Ma, affected local parts of the Nanling Range. The second episode, a more regional exhumation event, occurred during 115-70Ma, including the Yunkai Terrane and the Nanling Range. Numerical geodynamic modeling was conducted to simulate the subduction between the paleo-Pacific plate and the South China Block. The modeling results could explain the fact that exhumation of the granite-dominant Nanling Range occurred earlier than that of the gneiss-dominant Yunkai Terrane. In addition to the difference in rock types, the heat from Jurassic-Early Cretaceous magmatism in Nanling may have softened the upper crust, causing the area to exhume more readily than Yunkai. Numerical modeling results also indicate that (1) high lithospheric geothermal gradient, high slab dip angle and low convergence velocity favor the reversal of crustal stress state from compression to extension in the upper continental plate; (2) late Mesozoic magmatism in South China was probably caused by a slab roll-back; and (3) crustal extension could have occurred prior to the cessation of plate subduction. The inversion of stress regime in the continental crust from compression to crustal extension imply that the Late Cretaceous-early Paleogene red-bed basins in South China could have formed during the late stage of the subduction, accounting for the occurrence of volcanic events in some sedimentary basins. We propose that the rifting started as early as Late Cretaceous, probably before the cessation of subduction process.

Lithospheric low-velocity zones associated with a magmatic segment of the Tanzanian Rift, East Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plasman, M.; Tiberi, C.; Ebinger, C.; Gautier, S.; Albaric, J.; Peyrat, S.; Déverchère, J.; Le Gall, B.; Tarits, P.; Roecker, S.; Wambura, F.; Muzuka, A.; Mulibo, G.; Mtelela, K.; Msabi, M.; Kianji, G.; Hautot, S.; Perrot, J.; Gama, R.

2017-07-01

Rifting in a cratonic lithosphere is strongly controlled by several interacting processes including crust/mantle rheology, magmatism, inherited structure and stress regime. In order to better understand how these physical parameters interact, a 2 yr long seismological experiment has been carried out in the North Tanzanian Divergence (NTD), at the southern tip of the eastern magmatic branch of the East African rift, where the southward-propagating continental rift is at its earliest stage. We analyse teleseismic data from 38 broad-band stations ca. 25 km spaced and present here results from their receiver function (RF) analysis. The crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratio are retrieved over a ca. 200 × 200 km2 area encompassing the South Kenya magmatic rift, the NTD and the Ngorongoro-Kilimanjaro transverse volcanic chain. Cratonic nature of the lithosphere is clearly evinced through thick (up to ca. 40 km) homogeneous crust beneath the rift shoulders. Where rifting is present, Moho rises up to 27 km depth and the crust is strongly layered with clear velocity contrasts in the RF signal. The Vp/Vs ratio reaches its highest values (ca. 1.9) beneath volcanic edifices location and thinner crust, advocating for melting within the crust. We also clearly identify two major low-velocity zones (LVZs) within the NTD, one in the lower crust and the second in the upper part of the mantle. The first one starts at 15-18 km depth and correlates well with recent tomographic models. This LVZ does not always coexist with high Vp/Vs ratio, pleading for a supplementary source of velocity decrease, such as temperature or composition. At a greater depth of ca. 60 km, a mid-lithospheric discontinuity roughly mimics the step-like and symmetrically outward-dipping geometry of the Moho but with a more slanting direction (NE-SW) compared to the NS rift. By comparison with synthetic RF, we estimate the associated velocity reduction to be 8-9 per cent. We relate this interface to melt ponding, possibly favouring here deformation process such as grain-boundary sliding (EAGBS) due to lithospheric strain. Its geometry might have been controlled by inherited lithospheric fabrics and heterogeneous upper mantle structure. We evidence that crustal and mantle magmatic processes represent first order mechanisms to ease and locate the deformation during the first stage of a cratonic lithospheric breakup.

Lithospheric structure of the Rio Grande rift.

PubMed

Wilson, David; Aster, Richard; West, Michael; Ni, James; Grand, Steve; Gao, Wei; Baldridge, W Scott; Semken, Steve; Patel, Paresh

2005-02-24

A high-resolution, regional passive seismic experiment in the Rio Grande rift region of the southwestern United States has produced new images of upper-mantle velocity structure and crust-mantle topography. Synthesizing these results with geochemical and other geophysical evidence reveals highly symmetric lower-crustal and upper-mantle lithosphere extensional deformation, suggesting a pure-shear rifting mechanism for the Rio Grande rift. Extension in the lower crust is distributed over a region four times the width of the rift's surface expression. Here we propose that the laterally distributed, pure shear extension is a combined effect of low strain rate and a regionally elevated geotherm, possibly abetted by pre-existing lithospheric structures, at the time of rift initiation. Distributed extension in the lower crust and mantle has induced less concentrated vertical mantle upwelling and less vigorous small-scale convection than would have arisen from more localized deformation. This lack of highly focused mantle upwelling may explain a deficit of rift-related volcanics in the Rio Grande rift compared to other major rift systems such as the Kenya rift.

3-D electrical structure across the Yadong-Gulu rift revealed by magnetotelluric data: New insights on the extension of the upper crust and the geometry of the underthrusting Indian lithospheric slab in southern Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Gang; Wei, Wenbo; Ye, Gaofeng; Jin, Sheng; Jing, Jianen; Zhang, Letian; Dong, Hao; Xie, Chengliang; Omisore, Busayo O.; Guo, Zeqiu

2017-09-01

The approximately north-south trending Cenozoic Yadong-Gulu rift (YGR) in the eastern Lhasa block is an ideal location to investigate the extensional kinematic mechanism of the upper crust and the deformation characteristics of the Indian lithospheric slab in southern Tibet. The magnetotelluric (MT) method has been widely used in probing subsurface structures at lithospheric scale and is sensitive to high electrically conductive body (conductor). A three-dimensional (3-D) inversion of MT data was conducted to derive the east-west electrical structures across the northern segment of the YGR. The result reveals that the conductors in the middle crust are not continuous in the east-west direction. The deep conductor underneath the YGR is interpreted to result from the tearing of the Indian lithospheric slab. The upper crust to the east of the YGR is significantly intruded by underlying conductors. Based on the features of the 3-D inversion result from this study and other geophysical observations, the formation of the YGR is most likely caused by tearing of the Indian lithospheric slab through the pull of mid-lower crustal conductors that have locally weak strength beneath the YGR.

Focused seismicity triggered by flank instability on Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Judson, Josiah; Thelen, Weston A.; Greenfield, Tim; White, Robert S.

2018-03-01

Swarms of earthquakes at the head of the Southwest Rift Zone on Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai´i, reveal an interaction of normal and strike-slip faulting associated with movement of Kīlauea's south flank. A relocated subset of earthquakes between January 2012 and August 2014 are highly focused in space and time at depths that are coincident with the south caldera magma reservoir beneath the southern margin of Kīlauea Caldera. Newly calculated focal mechanisms are dominantly dextral shear with a north-south preferred fault orientation. Two earthquakes within this focused area of seismicity have normal faulting mechanisms, indicating two mechanisms of failure in very close proximity (10's of meters to 100 m). We suggest a model where opening along the Southwest Rift Zone caused by seaward motion of the south flank permits injection of magma and subsequent freezing of a plug, which then fails in a right-lateral strike-slip sense, consistent with the direction of movement of the south flank. The seismicity is concentrated in an area where a constriction occurs between a normal fault and the deeper magma transport system into the Southwest Rift Zone. Although in many ways the Southwest Rift Zone appears analogous to the more active East Rift Zone, the localization of the largest seismicity (>M2.5) within the swarms to a small volume necessitates a different model than has been proposed to explain the lineament outlined by earthquakes along the East Rift Zone.

Structural mapping based on potential field and remote sensing data, South Rewa Gondwana Basin, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdari, Swarnapriya; Singh, Bijendra; Rao, B. Nageswara; Kumar, Niraj; Singh, A. P.; Chandrasekhar, D. V.

2017-08-01

Intracratonic South Rewa Gondwana Basin occupies the northern part of NW-SE trending Son-Mahanadi rift basin of India. The new gravity data acquired over the northern part of the basin depicts WNW-ESE and ENE-WSW anomaly trends in the southern and northern part of the study area respectively. 3D inversion of residual gravity anomalies has brought out undulations in the basement delineating two major depressions (i) near Tihki in the north and (ii) near Shahdol in the south, which divided into two sub-basins by an ENE-WSW trending basement ridge near Sidi. Maximum depth to the basement is about 5.5 km within the northern depression. The new magnetic data acquired over the basin has brought out ENE-WSW to E-W trending short wavelength magnetic anomalies which are attributed to volcanic dykes and intrusive having remanent magnetization corresponding to upper normal and reverse polarity (29N and 29R) of the Deccan basalt magnetostratigrahy. Analysis of remote sensing and geological data also reveals the predominance of ENE-WSW structural faults. Integration of remote sensing, geological and potential field data suggest reactivation of ENE-WSW trending basement faults during Deccan volcanism through emplacement of mafic dykes and sills. Therefore, it is suggested that South Rewa Gondwana basin has witnessed post rift tectonic event due to Deccan volcanism.

The South China sea margins: Implications for rifting contrasts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayes, D.E.; Nissen, S.S.

2005-01-01

Implications regarding spatially complex continental rifting, crustal extension, and the subsequent evolution to seafloor spreading are re-examined for the northern and southern-rifted margins of the South China Sea. Previous seismic studies have shown dramatic differences in the present-day crustal thicknesses as the manifestations of the strain experienced during the rifting of the margin of south China. Although the total crustal extension is presumed to be the same along the margin and adjacent ocean basin, the amount of continental crustal extension that occurred is much less along the east and central segments of the margin than along the western segment. This difference was accommodated by the early formation of oceanic crust (creating the present-day South China Sea basin) adjacent to the eastern margin segment while continued extension of continental crust was sustained to the west. Using the observed cross-sectional areas of extended continental crust derived from deep penetration seismics, two end-member models of varying rift zone widths and varying initial crustal thicknesses are qualitatively examined for three transects. Each model implies a time difference in the initiation of seafloor spreading inferred for different segments along the margin. The two models examined predict that the oceanic crust of the South China Sea basin toward the west did not begin forming until sometime between 6-12 my after its initial formation (???32 Ma) toward the east. These results are compatible with crustal age interpretations of marine magnetic anomalies. Assuming rifting symmetry with conjugate margin segments now residing along the southern portions of the South China Sea basin implies that the total width of the zone of rifting in the west was greater than in the east by about a factor of two. We suggest the most likely causes of the rifting differences were east-west variations in the rheology of the pre-rift crust and associated east-west variations in the thermal structure of the pre-rift lithosphere. The calculated widths of rifted continental crust for the northern and southern margins, when combined with the differential widths of seafloor generated during the seafloor spreading phase, indicate the total crustal extension that occurred is about 1100 km and is remarkably consistent to within ???10% for all three (eastern, central, western) segments examined. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Premiers résultats du réseau sismique (CRLN) de la partie ouest du rift de Corinthe : évidence de la réactivation d'une ancienne faille

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyon-Caen, Hélène; Papadimitriou, Panayotis; Deschamps, Anne; Bernard, Pascal; Makropoulos, Kostas; Pacchiani, Francesco; Patau, Geneviève

2004-03-01

The 12 stations Corinth Rift Laboratory Seismological Network (CRLNET) aims at monitoring the seismicity ( Ml>1) in the CRL area and at constraining the geometry of active structures at depth. Two years of microseismicity (2000-2001) recorded by the CRLNET in the Aigion area shows: (1) background seismicity inside the Corinth rift at depth of 4.5-11 km, deepening towards the north and no activity in the upper 4 km of the crust - this seismicity is not clearly related to major faults observed at the surface -; (2) a swarm, 6 km south of the city of Aigion, associated with the Mw=4.2, 8 April 2001 earthquake. This earthquake occurred at 6 km depth, on a SW-NE oriented fault dipping 40° to the northwest and corresponds to normal faulting with a right lateral component of slip. It likely occurred on an old structure reactivated in the present stress field. To cite this article: H. Lyon-Caen et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).

Helium isotopes at Rungwe Volcanic Province, Tanzania, and the origin of East African Plateaux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilton, D. R.; Halldórsson, S. A.; Barry, P. H.; Fischer, T. P.; de Moor, J. M.; Ramirez, C. J.; Mangasini, F.; Scarsi, P.

2011-11-01

We report helium isotope ratios (3He/4He) of lavas and tephra of the Rungwe Volcanic Province (RVP) in southern Tanzania. Values as high as 15RA (RA = air 3He/4He) far exceed typical upper mantle values, and are the first observation of plume-like ratios south of the Turkana Depression which separates the topographic highs of the Ethiopia and Kenya domes. The African Superplume - a tilted low-velocity seismic anomaly extending to the core-mantle boundary beneath southern Africa - is the likely source of these high 3He/4He ratios. High 3He/4He ratios at RVP together with similarly-high values along the Main Ethiopian Rift and in Afar provide compelling evidence that the African Superplume is a feature that extends through the 670-km seismic discontinuity and provides dynamic support - either as a single plume or via multiple upwellings - for the two main topographic features of the East Africa Rift System as well as heat and mass to drive continuing rift-related magmatism.

Midplate seismicity exterior to former rift-basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dewey, J.W.

1988-01-01

Midplate seismicity associated with some former rift-zones is distributed diffusely near, but exterior to, the rift basins. This "basin-exterior' seismicity cannot be attributed to reactivation of major basin-border faults on which uppercrustal extension was concentrated at the time of rifting, because the border faults dip beneath the basins. The seismicity may nonetheless represent reactivation of minor faults that were active at the time of rifting but that were located outside of the principal zones of upper-crustal extension; the occurrence of basin-exterior seismicity in some present-day rift-zones supports the existence of such minor basin-exterior faults. Other hypotheses for seismicity exterior to former rift-basins are that the seismicity reflects lobes of high stress due to lithospheric-bending that is centered on the axis of the rift, that the seismicity is localized on the exteriors of rift-basins by basin-interiors that are less deformable in the current epoch than the basin exteriors, and that seismicity is localized on the basin-exteriors by the concentration of tectonic stress in the highly elastic basin-exterior upper-crust. -from Author

Geochronology, stratigraphy and geochemistry of Cambro-Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian volcanic rocks of the Saxothuringian Zone in NE Bavaria (Germany)—new constraints for Gondwana break up and ocean-island magmatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höhn, Stefan; Koglin, Nikola; Klopf, Lisa; Schüssler, Ulrich; Tragelehn, Harald; Frimmel, Hartwig E.; Zeh, Armin; Brätz, Helene

2018-01-01

Stratigraphically well-defined volcanic rocks in Palaeozoic volcano-sedimentary units of the Frankenwald area (Saxothuringian Zone, Variscan Orogen) were sampled for geochemical characterisation and U-Pb zircon dating. The oldest rock suite comprises quartz keratophyre, brecciated keratophyre, quartz keratophyre tuff and basalt, formed in Upper Cambrian to Tremadocian time (c. 497-478 Ma). Basaltic volcanism continued until the Silurian. Quartz keratophyre shows post-collisional calc-alkaline signature, the Ordovician-Silurian basalt has alkaline signature typical of continental rift environments. The combined datasets provide evidence of Cambro-Ordovician bimodal volcanism and successive rifting until the Silurian. This evolution very likely resulted from break-up of the northern Gondwana margin, as recorded in many terranes throughout Europe. The position at the northern Gondwana margin is supported by detrital zircon grains in some tuffs, with typical Gondwana-derived age spectra mostly recording ages of 550-750 Ma and minor age populations of 950-1100 and 1700-2700 Ma. The absence of N-MORB basalt in the Frankenwald area points to a retarded break-off of the Saxothuringian terrane along a continental rift system from Uppermost Cambrian to Middle Silurian time. Geochemical data for a second suite of Upper Devonian basalt provide evidence of emplacement in a hot spot-related ocean-island setting south of the Rheic Ocean. Our results also require partial revision of the lithostratigraphy of the Frankenwald area. The basal volcanic unit of the Randschiefer Formation yielded a Tremadocian age and, therefore, should be attributed to the Vogtendorf Formation. Keratophyre of the Vogtendorf Formation, previously assigned to the Tremadoc, is most likely of Upper Devonian age.

Upper crust beneath the central Illinois basin, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

McBride, J.H.; Kolata, Dennis R.

1999-01-01

Newly available industry seismic reflection data provide critical information for understanding the structure and origin of the upper crust (0-12 km depth) beneath the central Illinois basin and the seismic-tectonic framework north of the New Madrid seismic zone in the central Mississippi Valley. Mapping of reflector sequences furnishes the first broad three-dimensional perspective of the structure of Precambrian basement beneath the central United States Midcontinent. The highly coherent basement reflectivity is expressed as a synformal wedge of dipping and subhorizontal reflections situated beneath the center of the Illinois basin that thickens and deepens to the northeast (e.g., 0 to ???5.3 km thickness along a 123 km south to north line). The thickening trend of the wedge qualitatively mimics the northward thickening of the Late Cambrian Mt. Simon Sandstone; however, other Paleozoic units in the Illinois basin generally thicken southward into the basin center. The seismic data also reveal an anomalous subsequence defined by a spoon-shaped distribution of disrupted reflections located along the southern margin of the wedge. The boundaries of this subsequence are marked by distinct steeply dipping reflections (possible thrust faults?) that continue or project up to antiformal disruptions of lower Paleozoic marker reflectors, suggesting Paleozoic or possibly later tectonic reactivation of Precambrian structure. The areal extent of the subsequence appears to roughly correspond to an anomalous concentration of larger magnitude upper to middle crustal earthquakes. There are multiple hypotheses for the origin of the Precambrian reflectivity, including basaltic flows or sills interlayered with clastic sediments and/or emplaced within felsic igneous rocks. Such explanations are analogous to nearby Keweenawan rift-related volcanism and sedimentation, which initiated during Proterozoic rifting, and were followed eventually by reverse faulting along the rift margins caused by Grenville compression.

Continentward-dipping detachment fault system and asymmetric rift structure of the Baiyun Sag, northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhichao; Mei, Lianfu; Liu, Jun; Zheng, Jinyun; Chen, Liang; Hao, Shihao

2018-02-01

The rift architecture and deep crustal structure of the distal margin at the mid-northern margin of the South China Sea have been previously investigated by using deep seismic reflection profiles. However, one fundamental recurring problem in the debate is the extensional fault system and rift structure of the hyperextended rift basins (Baiyun Sag and Liwan Sag) within the distal margin because of the limited amount of seismic data. Based on new 3D seismic survey data and 2D seismic reflection profiles, we observe an array of fault blocks in the Baiyun Sag, which were tilted towards the ocean by extensional faulting. The extensional faults consistently dip towards the continent. Beneath the tilted fault blocks and extensional faults, a low-angle, high-amplitude and continuous reflection has been interpreted as the master detachment surface that controls the extension process. During rifting, the continentward-dipping normal faults evolved in a sequence from south to north, generating the asymmetric rift structure of the Baiyun Sag. The Baiyun Sag is separated from the oceanic domain by a series of structural highs that were uplifted by magmatic activity in response to the continental breakup at 33 Ma and a ridge jump to the south at 26-24 Ma. Therefore, we propose that magmatism played a significant role in the continental extension and final breakup in the South China Sea.

Inverse models of gravity data from the Red Sea-Aden-East African rifts triple junction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiberi, Christel; Ebinger, Cynthia; Ballu, Valérie; Stuart, Graham; Oluma, Befekadu

2005-11-01

The combined effects of stretching and magmatism permanently modify crustal structure in continental rifts and volcanic passive margins. The Red Sea-Gulf of Aden-Ethiopian rift triple junction zone provides a unique opportunity to examine incipient volcanic margin formation above or near an asthenospheric upwelling. We use gravity inversions and forward modelling to examine lateral variations in crust and upper mantle structure across the Oligocene flood basalt province, which has subsequently been extended to form the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Main Ethiopian rifts. We constrain and test the obtained models with new and existing seismic estimates of crustal thickness. In particular, we predict crustal thickness across the uplifted plateaux and rift valleys, and calibrate our results with recent receiver function analyses. We discuss the results together with a 3-D distribution of density contrasts in terms of magmatic margin structure. The main conclusions are: (1) a denser (+240 kg m-3) and/or a thinner crust (23 km) in the triple junction zone of the Afar depression; (2) a shallower Moho is found along the Main Ethiopian rift axis, with crustal thickness values decreasing from 32-33 km in the south to 24 km beneath the southern Afar depression; (3) thicker crust (~40 km) is present beneath the broad uplifted Oligocene flood basalt province, suggesting that crustal underplating compensates most of the plateau uplift and (4) possible magmatic underplating or a segmentation in the rift structure is observed at ~8°N, 39°W beneath several collapsed caldera complexes. These results indicate that magmatism has profoundly changed crustal structure throughout the flood basalt province.

Volcano-tectonic implications of 3-D velocity structures derived from joint active and passive source tomography of the island of Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Park, J.; Morgan, J.K.; Zelt, C.A.; Okubo, P.G.

2009-01-01

We present a velocity model of the onshore and offshore regions around the southern part of the island of Hawaii, including southern Mauna Kea, southeastern Hualalai, and the active volcanoes of Mauna Loa, and Kilauea, and Loihi seamount. The velocity model was inverted from about 200,000 first-arrival traveltime picks of earthquakes and air gun shots recorded at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Reconstructed volcanic structures of the island provide us with an improved understanding of the volcano-tectonic evolution of Hawaiian volcanoes and their interactions. The summits and upper rift zones of the active volcanoes are characterized by high-velocity materials, correlated with intrusive magma cumulates. These high-velocity materials often do not extend the full lengths of the rift zones, suggesting that rift zone intrusions may be spatially limited. Seismicity tends to be localized seaward of the most active intrusive bodies. Low-velocity materials beneath parts of the active rift zones of Kilauea and Mauna Loa suggest discontinuous rift zone intrusives, possibly due to the presence of a preexisting volcanic edifice, e.g., along Mauna Loa beneath Kilauea's southwest rift zone, or alternatively, removal of high-velocity materials by large-scale landsliding, e.g., along Mauna Loa's western flank. Both locations also show increased seismicity that may result from edifice interactions or reactivation of buried faults. New high-velocity regions are recognized and suggest the presence of buried, and in some cases, previously unknown rift zones, within the northwest flank of Mauna Loa, and the south flanks of Mauna Loa, Hualalai, and Mauna Kea. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Geologic Map of the Summit Region of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neal, Christina A.; Lockwood, John P.

2003-01-01

This report consists of a large map sheet and a pamphlet. The map shows the geology, some photographs, description of map units, and correlation of map units. The pamphlet gives the full text about the geologic map. The area covered by this map includes parts of four U.S. Geological Survey 7.5' topographic quadrangles (Kilauea Crater, Volcano, Ka`u Desert, and Makaopuhi). It encompasses the summit, upper rift zones, and Koa`e Fault System of Kilauea Volcano and a part of the adjacent, southeast flank of Mauna Loa Volcano. The map is dominated by products of eruptions from Kilauea Volcano, the southernmost of the five volcanoes on the Island of Hawai`i and one of the world's most active volcanoes. At its summit (1,243 m) is Kilauea Crater, a 3 km-by-5 km collapse caldera that formed, possibly over several centuries, between about 200 and 500 years ago. Radiating away from the summit caldera are two linear zones of intrusion and eruption, the east and the southwest rift zones. Repeated subaerial eruptions from the summit and rift zones have built a gently sloping, elongate shield volcano covering approximately 1,500 km2. Much of the volcano lies under water; the east rift zone extends 110 km from the summit to a depth of more than 5,000 m below sea level; whereas the southwest rift zone has a more limited submarine continuation. South of the summit caldera, mostly north-facing normal faults and open fractures of the Koa`e Fault System extend between the two rift zones. The Koa`e Fault System is interpreted as a tear-away structure that accommodates southward movement of Kilauea's flank in response to distension of the volcano perpendicular to the rift zones.

Onshore/ Offshore Geologic Assessment for Carbon Storage in the Southeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, C. C.; Knapp, J. H.; Brantley, D.; Lakshmi, V.; Almutairi, K.; Almayahi, D.; Akintunde, O. M.; Ollmann, J.

2017-12-01

Eighty percent of the world's energy relies on fossil fuels and under increasingly stricter national and international regulations on greenhouse gas emissions storage of CO2 in geologic repositories seems to be not only a feasible, but also and vital solution for near/ mid-term reduction of carbon emissions. We have evaluated the feasibility of CO2 storage in saline formations of the Eastern North American Margin (ENAM) including (1) the Jurassic/Triassic (J/TR) sandstones of the buried South Georgia Rift (SGR) basin, and (2) the Mesozoic and Cenozoic geologic formations along the Mid- and South Atlantic seaboard. These analyses have included integration of subsurface geophysical data (2- and 3-D seismic surveys) with core samples, well logs as well as uses of geological databases and geospatial analysis leading to CO2 injection simulation models. ENAM is a complex and regionally extensive mature Mesozoic passive margin rift system encompassing: (1) a large volume and regional extent of related magmatism known as the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), (2) a complete stratigraphic column that records the post-rift evolution in several basins, (3) preserved lithospheric-scale pre-rift structures including Paleozoic sutures, and (4) a wide range of geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies both onshore and offshore. While the target reservoirs onshore show heterogeneity and a highly complex geologic evolution they also show promising conditions for significant safe CO2 storage away from the underground acquifers. Our offshore study (the Southeast Offshore Storage Resource Assessment - SOSRA) is focused on the outer continental shelf from North Carolina to the southern tip of Florida. Three old exploration wells are available to provide additional constraints on the seismic reflection profiles. Two of these wells (TRANSCO 1005-1 and COST GE-1) penetrate the pre-rift Paleozoic sedimentary formations while the EXXON 564-1 well penetrates the post-rift unconformity into the Mesozoic rocks. Preliminary results from the southeast Georgia Embayment suggest that Mesozoic strata can be good reservoirs for CO2 storage while Paleozoic and Cenozoic strata can be good lower and, respectively, upper seals.

Mesozoic evolution of the Amu Darya basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunet, Marie-Françoise; Ershov, Andrey; Korotaev, Maxim; Mordvintsev, Dmitriy; Barrier, Eric; Sidorova, Irina

2014-05-01

This study, granted by the Darius Programme, aims at proposing a model of tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Amu Darya basin since the Late Palaeozoic and to understand the relationship with the nearby basins. The Amu Darya basin, as its close eastern neighbour, the Afghan-Tajik basin, lies on the Turan platform, after the closure of the Turkestan Ocean during the Late Paleozoic. These two basins, spread on mainly lowlands of Turkmenistan, southwest Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and northern Afghanistan, are separated from one another by the South-Western Gissar meganticline, where series of the northern Amu Darya margin are outcropping. The evolution is closely controlled by several periods of crustal thinning (post-collision rifting and back-arc extension), with some marine incursions, coming in between accretions of continental blocks and collisions that succeeded from the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (Eo-Cimmerian orogeny) to the Cenozoic times. These orogenies controlled the deposition of thick clastics sequences, and the collision of the Indian Plate with Eurasia strongly deformed the sedimentary cover of the Afghan-Tajik basin. The more than 7 km thick Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary succession of the Amu Darya basin, lies on a complex system of rifts and blocks. Their orientation and age (late Permian, Triassic?) are not well known because of deep burial. The north-eastern margin, with the Bukhara (upper margin) and Chardzhou steps, is NW oriented, parallel to the Paleozoic Turkestan suture. The orientation bends to W-E, in the part of the Gissar situated to the North of the Afghan-Tajik basin. This EW trending orientation prevails also in the south(-eastern) margin of the basin (series of North Afghanistan highs) and in the Murgab depression, the south-eastern deepest portion of the Amu Darya basin. It is in this area and in the eastern part of the Amu Darya basin that the Jurassic as well as the lower Cretaceous sediments are the thickest. The south-western part of the basin is occupied by the Pre-Kopet Dagh Cenozoic foreland basin NW oriented, possibly underlain by an earlier extensional trough. The main elements of the sedimentary pile, which can be partly observed in the South-Western Gissar are: Lower to Middle Jurassic continental to paralic clastic rocks; upper Middle to Upper Jurassic marine carbonate then thick Tithonian evaporite rocks, sealing the reservoirs in the Jurassic carbonates; continental Neocomian clastic rocks and red beds, Aptian to Paleogene marine carbonate and clastic rocks. To reconstruct the geodynamic evolution of the Amu Darya Basin, we analysed the subsidence by backstripping of some wells/pseudo-wells and of three cross-sections with some examples of thermal modelling on the periods of maturation of the potential source rocks. The crustal thinning events take place in the Permo-Triassic? (depending on the age of the rifts underlying the basin), in Early-Middle Jurassic and during the Early Cretaceous, resulting in increases of the tectonic subsidence rates.

Uplift history of a transform continental margin revealed by the stratigraphic record: The case of the Agulhas transform margin along the Southern African Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baby, Guillaume; Guillocheau, François; Boulogne, Carl; Robin, Cécile; Dall'Asta, Massimo

2018-04-01

The south and southeast coast of southern Africa (from 28°S to 33°S) forms a high-elevated transform passive margin bounded to the east by the Agulhas-Falkland Fracture Zone (AFFZ). We analysed the stratigraphic record of the Outeniqua and Durban (Thekwini) Basins, located on the African side of the AFFZ, to determine the evolution of these margins from the rifting stage to present-day. The goal was to reconstruct the strike-slip evolution of the Agulhas Margin and the uplift of the inland high-elevation South African Plateau. The Agulhas transform passive margin results from four successive stages: Rifting stage, from Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous ( 200?-134 Ma), punctuated by three successive rifting episodes related to the Gondwana breakup; Wrench stage (134-131 Ma), evidenced by strike- and dip-slip deformations increasing toward the AFFZ; Active transform margin stage (131-92 Ma), during which the Falkland/Malvinas Plateau drifts away along the AFFZ, with an uplift of the northeastern part of the Outeniqua Basin progressively migrating toward the west; Thermal subsidence stage (92-0 Ma), marked by a major change in the configuration of the margin (onset of the shelf-break passive margin morphology). Two main periods of uplift were documented during the thermal subsidence stage of the Agulhas Margin: (1) a 92 Ma short-lived margin-scale uplift, followed by a second one at 76 Ma located along the Outeniqua Basin and; (2) a long-lasting uplift from 40 to 15 Ma limited to the Durban (Thekwini) Basin. This suggests that the South African Plateau is an old Upper Cretaceous relief (90-70 Ma) reactivated during Late Eocene to Early Miocene times (40-15 Ma).

Consequences of Rift Propagation for Spreading in Thick Oceanic Crust in Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J. A.

2015-12-01

Iceland has long been considered a natural laboratory for processes related to seafloor spreading, including propagating rifts, migrating transforms and rotating microplates. The thick, hot, weak crust and subaerial processes of Iceland result in variations on the themes developed along more typical parts of the global MOR system. Compared to most other parts of the MOR, Icelandic rift zones and transform faults are wider and more complex. Rift zones are defined by overlapping arrays of volcanic/tectonic spreading segments as much as 50 km wide. The most active rift zones propagate N and S away from the Iceland hot spot causing migration of transform faults. A trail of crust deformed by bookshelf faulting forms in their wakes. Dead or dying transform strands are truncated along pseudofaults that define propagation rates close to the full spreading rate of ~20 mm/yr. Pseudofaults are blurred by spreading across wide rift zones and laterally extensive subaerial lava flows. Propagation, with decreasing spreading toward the propagator tips causes rotation of crustal blocks on both sides of the active rift zones. The blocks deform internally by the widespread reactivation of spreading-related faults and zones of weakness along dike margins. The sense of slip on these rift-parallel strike-slip faults is inconsistent with transform-fault deformation. These various deformation features as well as subaxial subsidence that accommodate the thickening of the volcanic upper crustal units are probably confined to the brittle, seismogenic, upper 10 km of the crust. At least beneath the active rift zones, the upper crust is probably decoupled from hot, mechanically weak middle and lower gabbroic crust resulting in a broad plate boundary zone between the diverging lithosphere plates. Similar processes may occur at other types of propagating spreading centers and magmatic rifts.

Crustal structure of central Lake Baikal: Insights into intracontinental rifting

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Taylor, M.H.

2002-01-01

The Cenozoic rift system of Baikal, located in the interior of the largest continental mass on Earth, is thought to represent a potential analog of the early stage of breakup of supercontinents. We present a detailed P wave velocity structure of the crust and sediments beneath the Central Basin, the deepest basin in the Baikal rift system. The structure is characterized by a Moho depth of 39-42.5 km; an 8-km-thick, laterally continuous high-velocity (7.05-7.4 km/s) lower crust, normal upper mantle velocity (8 km/s), a sedimentary section reaching maximum depths of 9 km, and a gradual increase of sediment velocity with depth. We interpret the high-velocity lower crust to be part of the Siberian Platform that was not thinned or altered significantly during rifting. In comparison to published results from the Siberian Platform, Moho under the basin is elevated by <3 km. On the basis of these results we propose that the basin was formed by upper crustal extension, possibly reactivating structures in an ancient fold-and-thrust belt. The extent and location of upper mantle extension are not revealed by our data, and it may be offset from the rift. We believe that the Baikal rift structure is similar in many respects to the Mesozoic Atlantic rift system, the precursor to the formation of the North Atlantic Ocean. We also propose that the Central Baikal rift evolved by episodic fault propagation and basin enlargement, rather than by two-stage rift evolution as is commonly assumed.

Characteristics of the recent seismic activity on a near-shore fault south of Malta, Central Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozionelos, George; Galea, Pauline; D'Amico, Sebastiano; Agius, Matthew

2017-04-01

The tectonic setting of the Maltese islands is mainly influenced by two dominant rift systems belonging to different ages and having different trends. The first and older rift created the horst and graben structure in northern Malta. The second rift generation, in the south, including the Maghlaq Fault, is associated with the Pantelleria Rift. The Maghlaq Fault is a spectacular NW - SE trending and left-stepping normal fault running along the southern coastline of the Maltese islands, cutting the Oligo-Miocene pre to syn-rift carbonates. Its surface expression is traceable along 4 km of the coastline, where vertical displacements of the island's Tertiary stratigraphic sequence are clearly visible and exceed 210m. These displacements have given rise to sheer, slickensided fault scarps, as well as isolating the small island of Filfla 4km offshore the southern coast. Identification and assessment of the seismic activity related with Maghlaq fault, for the recent years, is performed, re-evaluating and redetermining the hypocentral locations and the source parameters of both recent and older events. The earthquakes that have affected the Maltese islands in the historical past, have occurred mainly at the Sicily Channel, at eastern Sicily, even as far away as the Hellenic arc. Some of these earthquakes also have caused considerable damage to buildings. The Maghlaq fault is believed to be one of the master faults of the Sicily Channel Rift, being parallel to the Malta graben, which passes around 20km south of Malta and shows continuous seismic activity. Despite the relationship of this fault with the graben system, no seismic activity on the Maghlaq fault had been documented previous to 2015. On the July 30nth 2015, an earthquake was widely felt in the southern half of Malta and was approximately located just offshore the southern coast. Since then, a swarm of seismic events lasting several days, as well as other isolated events have occurred, indicating the fault to be seismically active. Investigation of the nature of the seismic events and other previous activity that may have been misclassified due to poor location capability, is performed. Such results are of utmost importance in order to reveal the implication of this newly-discovered activity on the seismic hazard to the Maltese islands and also to improve understanding of the local geodynamics, highlighting the mechanisms that contribute to both the crustal deformation and the tectonics of the upper crust. The investigation is carried out using the stations of the recently extended Malta Seismic Network and regional stations. The results are evaluated in the context of the role of the Maghlaq fault in the extensional tectonics associated with the Sicily Channel Rift and the African continental margin.

Halocinèse précoce associée au rifting jurassique dans l'Atlas central de Tunisie (région de Majoura El Hfay)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanfous Amri, Dorra; Bédir, Mourad; Soussi, Mohamed; Azaiez, Hajer; Zitouni, Lahoussine; Hédi Inoubli, M.; Ben Boubaker, Kamel

2005-05-01

Seismic and sequence stratigraphy analyses, petroleum-well control and surface data studies of the Majoura-El Hfay region in the Central Atlas of Tunisia had led to identify and calibrate Jurassic seismic horizons. Seismic stratigraphic sections, seismic tectonics analyses, isochron and isopach mapping of Jurassic sequences show a differentiated structuring of platform and depocentre blocks limited by deep-seated NE-SW, north-south east-west and NW-SE faults intruded by Upper Triassic salt. The early salt migration seems to have started by the platform fracturing during the Lower Liassic rifting event. These movements are fossilized by thickness variations of Jurassic horizons, aggrading and retrograding onlap and toplap structures between subsiding rim-syncline gutters and high platform flanks intruded by salt pillows and domes. The salt migration is also attested by Middle and Upper Jurassic space depocentre migrations. Around the Majoura-El Hfay study blocks bounded by master faults, Triassic salt have pierced the Cretaceous and Tertiary sedimentary cover in a salt diapir extrusion and salt wall structures. To cite this article: D. Tanfous Amri et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).

The Phuket Terrane: A Late Palaeozoic rift at the margin of Sibumasu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridd, Michael F.

2009-09-01

It is widely accepted that Sibumasu rifted from Gondwana in the Late Palaeozoic. But the rifts themselves have not previously been documented in Southeast Asia. This paper identifies the pre-Middle Permian Kaeng Krachan Group of Upper Peninsular Thailand as the infill of one such rift, which is given the name Phuket Terrane. Indirect evidence suggests the rift-infill is several kilometres thick and glacially-influenced diamictites are conspicuous in the succession. There are significant similarities with the >3 km thick pre-Middle Permian rift-infill of the Carnarvon Basin of Western Australia. East of the Khlong Marui Fault belt the succession is thinner and diamictites are a minor component. A tectono-stratigraphic model is proposed involving Gondwana glaciers dropping their load at the (present) western margin of the Phuket Terrane from where it was re-sedimented in the rapidly subsiding marine rift basin. It is suggested that the Khlong Marui Fault formed part of the eastern boundary of the rift system. The Three Pagodas Fault belt similarly juxtaposes different pre-Middle Permian successions. Rifting ceased in the Early Permian and a passive margin formed as the Mesotethys ocean widened, the upper part of the Kaeng Krachan Group and the overlying Ratburi Limestone representing the post-rift sequence.

Subsurface images of the Eastern Rift, Africa, from the joint inversion of body waves, surface waves and gravity: investigating the role of fluids in early-stage continental rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roecker, S.; Ebinger, C.; Tiberi, C.; Mulibo, G.; Ferdinand-Wambura, R.; Mtelela, K.; Kianji, G.; Muzuka, A.; Gautier, S.; Albaric, J.; Peyrat, S.

2017-08-01

The Eastern Rift System (ERS) of northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, where a cratonic lithosphere is in the early stages of rifting, offers an ideal venue for investigating the roles of magma and other fluids in such an environment. To illuminate these roles, we jointly invert arrival times of locally recorded P and S body waves, phase delays of ambient noise generated Rayleigh waves and Bouguer anomalies from gravity observations to generate a 3-D image of P and S wave speeds in the upper 25 km of the crust. While joint inversion of gravity and arrival times requires a relationship between density and wave speeds, the improvement in resolution obtained by the combination of these disparate data sets serves to further constrain models, and reduce uncertainties. The most significant features in the 3-D model are (1) P and S wave speeds that are 10-15 per cent lower beneath the rift zone than in the surrounding regions, (2) a relatively high wave speed tabular feature located along the western edge of the Natron and Manyara rifts, and (3) low (∼1.71) values of Vp/Vs throughout the upper crust, with the lowest ratios along the boundaries of the rift zones. The low P and S wave speeds at mid-crustal levels beneath the rift valley are an expected consequence of active volcanism, and the tabular, high-wave speed feature is interpreted to be an uplifted footwall at the western edge of the rift. Given the high levels of CO2 outgassing observed at the surface along border fault zones, and the sensitivity of Vp/Vs to pore-fluid compressibility, we infer that the low Vp/Vs values in and around the rift zone are caused by the volcanic plumbing in the upper crust being suffused by a gaseous CO2 froth on top of a deeper, crystalline mush. The repository for molten rock is likely located in the lower crust and upper mantle, where the Vp/Vs ratios are significantly higher.

Pre-breakup geology of the Gulf of Mexico-Caribbean: Its relation to Triassic and Jurassic rift systems of the region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bartok, P.

1993-02-01

A review of the pre-breakup geology of west-central Pangea, comprised of northern South America, Gulf of Mexico and West Africa, combined with a study of the Mesozoic rift trends of the region confirms a relation between the rift systems and the underlying older grain of deformation. The pre-breakup analysis focuses attention on the Precambrian, Early Paleozoic and Late Paleozoic tectonic events affecting the region and assumes a Pindell fit. Two Late Precambrian orogenic belts are observed in the west central Pangea. Along the northern South American margin and Yucatan a paleo northeast trending Pan-African aged fold belt is documented. Amore » second system is observed along West Africa extending from the High Atlas to the Mauritanides and Rockelides. During the Late Paleozoic, renewed orogenic activity, associated with the Gondwana/Laurentia suture, affected large segments of west central Pangea. The general trend of the system is northeast-southwest and essentially parallels the Gyayana Shield, West African, and eastern North American cratons. Mesozoic rifting closely followed either the Precambrian trends or the Late Paleozoic orogenic belt. The Triassic component focuses along the western portions of the Gulf of Mexico continuing into eastern Mexico and western South America. The Jurassic rift trend followed along the separation between Yucatan and northern South America. At Lake Maracaibo the Jurassic rift system eventually overlaps the Triassic rifts. The Jurassic rift resulted in the [open quotes]Hispanic Corridor[close quotes] that permitted Tethyan and Pacific marine faunas to mix at a time when the Gulf of Mexico underwent continental sedimentation.« less

Did in-place rotation of South America during the Early Cretaceous create both the early South Atlantic rift/salt basin and the Paraná-Etendeka large igneous province? Peter Szatmari1 and Edison J. Milani1 1Petrobras Research Center (CENPES) Geological Research & Development (PDGEO), Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szatmari, P.; Milani, E.

2012-12-01

Large igneous provinces with continental flood basalts, some related to rifting, have been traditionally attributed to mantle plume heads rising from the lower mantle. The early Cretaceous South Atlantic rift, an archetype of plate tectonics, and the Paraná-Etendeka continental flood basalts on land outside the rift, formed as South America rotated clockwise about a pole in its northeastern tip (Rabinowitz & LaBrecque, 1979), away from Africa and toward the subduction zone on its Pacific margin. This rotation opened the early South Atlantic southward while it kept the Equatorial Atlantic gateway to the Central Atlantic and the Tethys closed by compression. Rifting started in the late Jurassic in the extreme south, near the subduction zone at the continent's southern tip. It rapidly propagated NNE, mainly along inherited late Proterozoic (mostly Ediacaran) fold belts, and reached what has later become the eastern end of the Equatorial margin still in latest Jurassic time. Massive mostly basaltic volcanism peaked about 20 Ma later in Hauterivian time (136 to 130 Ma), forming dike swarms which, in the south, are accompanied by flood basalts of the Paraná-Etendeka large igneous province. The massive rise of mostly tholeiitic magma resulted from hotspot-like high temperatures prevailing beneath the cold and thick Gondwana lithosphere that had remained unbroken since Proterozoic times for about 400 Ma. Early basalt dike swarms trending E-W and SE-NW were transversal to the rift. They are two-three hundred kilometers long and 1000-2000 km apart, penetrating far into the continent's unrifted lithosphere and cutting through all inherited Proterozoic structures that controlled rifting. The successive basalt dike swarms (and their individual dikes) increase in thickness to the southwest, away from the continent's pole of rotation, as does the width of the rift. The E-W-trending Ceará-Mirim dike swarm occurs in the extreme northeast of the continent. Further southwest the Colatina dike swarm and still further southwest the widest, Ponta Grossa dike swarm both trend SE-NW; the latter is associated with the continental flood basalts of the Paraná-Etendeka province that lie on land in the Paraná Basin and offshore in the rift beneath Aptian salt. South of about 28 degrees S offshore from southernmost Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, a seaward dipping reflector sequence (SDRs) composed predominantly of volcanic rocks borders pre-Aptian oceanic crust that is absent to the north. The southwest increasing abundance of the volcanics,together with the E-W and SE-NW trends of the early dike swarms strongly suggest that volcanism was controlled by the same in-place rotation of the continent that controlled rifting.

Morphostructural evidence for Recent/active extension in Central Tanzania beyond the southern termination of the Kenya Rift.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Gall, B.; Rolet, J.; Gernigon, L.; Ebinger, C.; Gloaguen, R.

2003-04-01

The southern tip zone of the Kenya Rift on the eastern branch of the East African System is usually thought to occur in the so-called North Tanzanian Divergence. In this region, the narrow (50 km-wide) axial graben of southern Kenya splays southwards, via a major EW-trending volcanic lineament, into a 200 km-wide broad rifted zone with three separate arms of normal faulting and tilted fault blocks (Eyasi, Manyara and Pangani arms from W to E). Remote sensing analysis from Central Tanzania demonstrates that rift morphology exists over an area lying 400 km beyond the southern termination of the Kenya Rift. The most prominent rift structures are observed in the Kilombero region and consist of a 100 km-wide range of uplifted basement blocks fringed to the west by an E-facing half-graben inferred to reach depths of 6-8 km from aeromagnetic dataset. Physiographic features (fault scarps), and river drainage anomalies suggest that the present-day rift pattern in the Kilombero extensional province principally results from Recent/Neogene deformation. That assumption is also supported by the seismogenic character of a number of faults. The Kilombero half-graben is superimposed upon an earlier rift system, Karoo in age, which is totally overprinted and is only evidenced from its sedimentary infill. On the other hand, the nature and thickness of the inferred Neogene synrift section is still unknown. The Kilombero rifted zone is assumed to connect northwards into the central rift arm (Manyara) of the South Kenya Rift via a seismically active transverse fault zone that follows ductile fabrics within the Mozambican crystalline basement. The proposed rift model implies that incipient rifting propagates hroughout the cold and strong crust/lithosphere of Central Tanzania along Proterozoic (N140=B0E) basement weakness zones and earlier Karoo (NS)rift structures. A second belt of Recent-active linked fault/basins also extends further East from the Pangani rift arm to the offshore Zanzibar-Kerimbas graben system. The structural connection of the Kilombero rifted zone with the Lake Malawi rift further south is also envisaged and should imply the link of the eastern and western branchs of the East African Rift System south of the Tanzanian craton.

South Atlantic sag basins: new petroleum system components

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Henry, S.G.; Mello, M.R.

Newly discovered pre-salt source rocks, reservoirs and seals need to be included as components to the petroleum systems of both sides of the South Atlantic. These new components lie between the pre-salt rift strata and the Aptian salt layers, forming large, post-rift, thermal subsidence sag basins. These are differentiated from the older rift basins by the lack of syn-rift faulting and a reflector geometry that is parallel to the base salt regional unconformity rather than to the Precambrian basement. These basins are observed in deep water regions overlying areas where both the mantle and the crust have been involved inmore » the extension. This mantle involvement creates post-rift subsiding depocenters in which deposition is continuous while proximal rift-phase troughs with little or no mantle involvement are bypassed and failed to accumulate potential source rocks during anoxic times. These features have been recognized in both West African Kwanza Basin and in the East Brasil Rift systems. The pre-salt source rocks that are in the West African sag basins were deposited in lacustrine brackish to saline water environment and are geochemically distinct from the older, syn-rift fresh to brackish water lakes, as well as from younger, post-salt marine anoxic environments of the drift phase. Geochemical analyses of the source rocks and their oils have shown a developing source rock system evolving from isolated deep rift lakes to shallow saline lakes, and culminating with the infill of the sag basin by large saline lakes to a marginally marine restricted gulf. Sag basin source rocks may be important in the South Atlantic petroleum system by charging deep-water prospects where syn-rift source rocks are overmature and the post-salt sequences are immature.« less

Magnetotelluric Investigations of Convergent Margins and of Incipient Rifting: Preliminary Results from the EarthScope MT Transportable Array and MT FlexArray Deployments in Cascadia and in the North American Mid-Continent Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, A.; Bedrosian, P.; Key, K.; Livelybrooks, D.; Egbert, G. D.; Bowles-martinez, E.; Wannamaker, P. E.

2014-12-01

We report on preliminary analyses of data from the EarthScope MT Transportable Array, and from two high-resolution EarthScope MT studies in Cascadia. The first of these, iMUSH, is acquiring wideband MT data at 150 sites, as well as active and passive seismic data in SW Washington (including Mounts Saint Helens, Adams and Rainier). iMUSH seeks to determine details of crustal magma transport and storage, and to resolve major tectonic controls on volcanism along the arc. iMUSH may help to settle a debate over the origin of the SW Washington Crustal Conductor (SWCC), which covers ~5000 km2and that has alternately been attributed to accreted Eocene metasediments or to an extensive region of partial melt in the lower crust beneath the three volcanoes. The iMUSH array is continguous with an amphibious ~150 station MT experiment (MOCHA) onshore and offshore of the Washington and Oregon forearc. MOCHA iwill image the crust and upper mantle of the subduction system in 3D, constraining the fluid input to the system from offshore and the distribution of fluids released from the down-going slab, including along the transitional zone where Episodic Tremor and Slip occurs. Our goal is to refine our understanding of the segmentation, structure and fluid distribution along the convergent margin segments, and their relationship to the spatial pattern of ETS. In contrast to the active Cascadia margin, the Mid-Continent Rift (MCR) is the trace of a massive igneous event that nearly split North America 1.1 billion years ago. Initial results from 3D inversion of MT Transportable Array data show less fine-scale heterogeneity in the upper mantle (250 km depth) than is evident in western, tectonic North America, but a division at the base of thick lithosphere, with higher conductivities beneath and immediately south of the Great Lakes, than to the south. From the base of the lithosphere to the Moho, this high conductivity feature narrows, ultimately disappearing in the mid-crust. In the upper crust above this feature, an E-W elongated conductive feature appears that maps to surface expressions of the MCR. The significance of this deep feature, and its relationship to the failed rifting event of the mesoproterozoic era will be discussed.

Magma-tectonic interactions in Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone in 2006 through coupled geodetic/seismological analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wauthier, C.; Roman, D. C.; Poland, M. P.

2015-12-01

For much of the first 20 years of Kīlauea's 1983-present Pu'u 'Ō'ō eruption, deformation was characterized by subsidence at the volcano's summit and along both the East Rift Zone (ERZ) and Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ). At the end of 2003, however, Kīlauea's summit began a 4-year period of inflation due to a surge in magma supply to the volcano. In 2006, the SWRZ also experienced atypical inflation, which was last observed in 1981-82 during a series of dike intrusions. To investigate the active magma sources and their interactions with faulting in the SWRZ during 2006, we integrate contemporary geodetic data from InSAR and GPS with double-couple fault-plane solutions for volcano-tectonic earthquakes and Coulomb stress modeling. According to the rate of deformation measured in daily GPS data, two distinct periods can be defined, spanning January to 15 March 2006 (period 1) and 16 March to 30 September 2006 (period 2). Geodetic models suggest that, during period 1, deformation, due to pressurization of magma in a vertical prolate-spheroidal conduit, in the south caldera area. In addition, a major seismic swarm occurred in both the SWRZ and ERZ. Our preliminary results also suggest that, during period 2, magma was still overpressurizing the same prolate-spheroid but a subhorizontal sill also intruded further to the southwest in the seismic SWRZ (SSWRZ). The beginning of period 2 also corresponds to a switch from subsidence to inflation of the SWRZ. Faulting in the upper ERZ is primarily strike-slip, with no obvious change in FPS orientation between periods 1 and 2. In contrast, faulting in the upper SSWRZ occurs as dip-slip motion on near-vertical faults. SSWRZ FPS show a mix of orientations including NW- and NE-striking faults, which along with relative earthquake locations, suggest a series of right-stepping fault segments, particularly during period 2. Calculated Coulomb stress changes indicate that faulting in the upper SSWRZ may result from stresses produced by inflation of the geodetically modeled sources described above, in particular the prolate spheroid located in the south caldera area. In contrast, earthquakes in the ERZ are generally inhibited by the geodetically modeled sources, suggesting that another process may be responsible for faulting along the ERZ.

Deformation during the 1975-84 Krafla rifting crisis, NE Iceland, measured by optical image correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hollingsworth, J.; Leprince, S.; Avouac, J.; Ayoub, F.

2011-12-01

In this study we combine results from optical image correlation of SPOT, KH-9 spy satellite and aerial photos, EDM data and high resolution topographic data to better constrain the 3D deformation associated with the 1975-84 Krafla rifting crisis, NE Iceland. Inversion of the various geodetic datasets yields new volumes for the amount of material injected into the crust during this rifting crisis. Correlation of aerial photos from 1957 and 1990 for the middle section of the 2 km-wide Krafla fissure swarm, along with DEM differencing of their respective 1957 and 1990 DEM's (extracted using photogrammetric techniques), provides constraints on the full 3D displacement field spanning the entire rifting period. Elastic dislocation modeling of this displacement data is then used to determine the geometry of faulting and diking in the crust. In contrast to leveling data from the northern end of the fissure swarm (Rubin, et al., 1988), we find that dikes do not extend into the upper 1-2 km, where extension is accommodated primarily by faulting in the fissure swarm. Dislocation modeling of a 4 m-wide dike injected between 2 km and 6 km in the crust produces a maximum surface strain which reaches the elastic yield limit for rock (derived from laboratory experiments of deformed granite) at two points spanning a 2 km-wide zone above the dike, and which corresponds with the location of the major rift-bounding faults of the Krafla fissure swarm. If dikes extend nearer to the surface, the predicted fissure zone width would be correspondingly smaller (consistent with the southern-end of the fissure swarm), while deeper diking produces a wider fissure swarm (consistent with the northern-end of the fissure swarm). The apparent northward increase in depth of diking is consistent with the flexural effects of rift-margin topography (Behn, et al., 2006); increased flexure in the south, where the Krafla caldera is located, results in the promotion of shallow diking, where as subdued topography in the north promotes deeper diking. Correlation of aerial photos between 1957 and 1976 (during the early stages of the rifting crisis) indicate 2 m extension, which is localized on faults along the northern end of the fissure swarm. No fault slip occurs in the central section of the fissure swarm during the same period, suggesting extension in the north during the early stages of rifting may result from dike injections sourced from the north (possibly offshore), rather than the Krafla caldera to the south. A similar variation in magmatic source region was also observed during the 2005-2009 Afar rifting crisis in East Africa.

Middle to Upper Jurassic sedimentary sequences and marine biota of the early Indian Ocean (Southwest Madagascar): some biostratigraphic, palaeoecologic and palaeobiogeographic conclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mette, Wolfgang

2004-03-01

As part of an intradisciplinary project which was concerned with the early rifting processes between Madagascar and East Africa, the Middle to Upper Jurassic sedimentary sequences of the Morondava Basin in Southwest Madagascar has been investigated with respect to biostratigraphy, sedimentary facies and palaeoecology. The transgressive sedimentary sections in the Bajocian and Callovian-Oxfordian yield rich macro- and microfossil assemblages which improved the biostratigraphic framework and gave some important information about the palaeoenvironments. Palaeogeographic distribution patterns of the Bajocian ostracod Paradoxorhyncha are suggestive of a migration along the southern shores of Gondwana between Madagascar, Australia and South America. The Callovian ostracods show strong affinities to the Indian faunas, indicating existence of a free migration route for shallow marine benthic organisms between Madagascar and India. Significant faunal differences between Madagascar and Tanzania suggest a physical or environmental migration barrier between Madagascar and East Africa during the Callovian to Kimmeridgian interval. The Upper Jurassic ostracods from the northern and eastern margin of Gondwana show a very high degree of endemism and they can be assigned to two faunal provinces in North Gondwana (Arabia, Near East, North Africa) and South Gondwana (India, Madagascar, East Africa).

Crustal shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy beneath the Rio Grande rift from ambient noise tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Yuanyuan V.; Li, Aibing

2015-02-01

Shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy beneath New Mexico are obtained from ambient seismic noise tomography using data from the Transportable Array. Besides the distinct seismic structure imaged across the Rio Grande rift from the Colorado Plateau to the Great Plains, both velocity and anisotropy models also reveal significant variations along the rift. The rift at Albuquerque is characterized by remarkably low velocity in the shallow crust, high velocity and strong positive anisotropy in the middle and lower crust, and low velocity in the upper mantle. These observations can be interpreted as magma accumulation in the shallow crust and significant mafic underplating in the lower crust with abundant melt supply from the hot mantle. We propose that the Albuquerque region has recently been experiencing the most vigorous extensional deformation in the rift. Positive anisotropy with Vsh > Vsv appears in the central and southern rifts with a stronger anisotropy beneath younger volcanoes, reflecting layering of magma intrusion due to past and recent rifting activities. The low velocities in the uppermost mantle are observed under high-elevation places, the Jemez Lineament, northern rift, and east rift boundary, implying that the buoyancy of hot mantle largely compensates the local high topography. Low mantle velocities appear at the boundary of the southern rift, corresponding to the large lithosphere thickness change, instead of the rift center, consistent with the prediction from the small-scale, edge-driven mantle convection model. We conclude that the edge-driven upper mantle convection is probably the dominant mechanism for the recent and current rifting and uplift in the Rio Grande rift.

Thermal and chemical variations of the Nigerian Benue trough lead-zinc-barite-fluorite deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogundipe, Ibukun Emmanuel

2017-08-01

The Benue trough is an intra-continental rift initiated in the Cretaceous during the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. Lead-zinc-barite-fluorite mineralization occurs along the 600 km axis of the trough in three discrete sub-basins which coincide with the lower, middle and upper mineral districts of the Benue Valley. Lithologically these sub-basins are dominated by black carbonaceous shale in the Lower Benue, platform carbonates in the Middle Benue and sandstones in the Upper Benue. Micro-thermometric analysis of fluid inclusions in sphalerite, fluorite, barite and quartz have shown that each mineral district has its own unique thermal and chemical imprint. For example, the temperature can be bracketed between 109 °C and 160 °C for lower Benue, 89 °C-144 °C for the Middle Benue and 176 °C-254 °C for the Upper Benue. Chemical differentiation also exists between each mineral district with the Lower Benue having 22 wt % equivalent NaCl while the Middle and Upper Benue have 18 and 16 wt % equivalent NaCl respectively. This study shows that inter-district thermal and chemical variations exist between the ore-stage sulfide and post-sulfide gangue minerals of the entire Benue Valley. Similarly, intra-district thermal and chemical variations have also been observed among all the paragenetic minerals of each district. The thermal variations may be as a result of variations in the geothermal gradient accompanying continental rifting from one district to the other. The variations in the chemistry between the Lower Benue and the Upper Benue paragenic minerals may be as a result of the distinct lithological differences across the Benue Trough.

Upper mantle P velocity structure beneath the Baikal Rift from modeling regional seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brazier, Richard A.; Nyblade, Andrew A.

2003-02-01

Uppermost mantle P wave velocity structure beneath the Baikal rift and southern margin of the Siberian Platform has been investigated by using a grid search method to model Pnl waveforms from two moderate earthquakes recorded by station TLY at the southwestern end of Lake Baikal. The results yielded a limited number of successful models which indicate the presence of upper mantle P wave velocities beneath the rift axis and the margin of the platform that are 2-5% lower than expected. The magnitude of the velocity anomalies and their location support the presence of a thermal anomaly that extends laterally beyond the rift proper, possibly created by small-scale convection or a plume-like, thermal upwelling.

Crustal and mantle velocity models of southern Tibet from finite frequency tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Xiaofeng; Shen, Yang; Chen, Yongshun John; Ren, Yong

2011-02-01

Using traveltimes of teleseismic body waves recorded by several temporary local seismic arrays, we carried out finite-frequency tomographic inversions to image the three-dimensional velocity structure beneath southern Tibet to examine the roles of the upper mantle in the formation of the Tibetan Plateau. The results reveal a region of relatively high P and S wave velocity anomalies extending from the uppermost mantle to at least 200 km depth beneath the Higher Himalaya. We interpret this high-velocity anomaly as the underthrusting Indian mantle lithosphere. There is a strong low P and S wave velocity anomaly that extends from the lower crust to at least 200 km depth beneath the Yadong-Gulu rift, suggesting that rifting in southern Tibet is probably a process that involves the entire lithosphere. Intermediate-depth earthquakes in southern Tibet are located at the top of an anomalous feature in the mantle with a low Vp, a high Vs, and a low Vp/Vs ratio. One possible explanation for this unusual velocity anomaly is the ongoing granulite-eclogite transformation. Together with the compressional stress from the collision, eclogitization and the associated negative buoyancy force offer a plausible mechanism that causes the subduction of the Indian mantle lithosphere beneath the Higher Himalaya. Our tomographic model and the observation of north-dipping lineations in the upper mantle suggest that the Indian mantle lithosphere has been broken laterally in the direction perpendicular to the convergence beneath the north-south trending rifts and subducted in a progressive, piecewise and subparallel fashion with the current one beneath the Higher Himalaya.

Evolution of the upper mantle beneath the southern Baikal rift zone: an Sr-Nd isotope study of xenoliths from the Bartoy volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ionov, D. A.; Kramm, U.; Stosch, H.-G.

1992-06-01

Anhydrous and amphibole-bearing peridotite xenoliths occur in roughly equal quantitites in the Bartoy volcanic field about 100 km south of the southern tip of Lake Baikal in Siberia (Russia). Whole-rock samples and pure mineral separates from nine xenoliths have been analyzed for Sr and Nd isotopes in order to characterize the upper mantle beneath the southern Baikal rift zone. In an Sr-Nd isotope diagram both dry and hydrous xenoliths from Bartoy plot at the junction between the fields of MORB and ocean island basalts. This contrasts with data available on two other localities around Lake Baikal (Tariat and Vitim) where peridotites typically have Sr-Nd isotope compositions indicative of strong long-term depletion in incompatible elements. Our data indicate significant chemical and isotopic heterogeneity in the mantle beneath Bartoy that may be attributed to its position close to an ancient suture zone separating the Siberian Platform from the Mongol-Okhotsk mobile belt and occupied now by the Baikal rift. Two peridotites have clinopyroxenes depleted in light rare earth elements (LREE) with Sr and Nd model ages of about 2 Ga and seem to retain the trace element and isotopic signatures of old depleted lithospheric mantle, while all other xenoliths show different degrees of LREE-enrichment. Amphiboles and clinopyroxenes in the hydrous peridotites are in Sr-Nd isotopic disequilibrium. If this reflects in situ decay of 147Sm and 87Rb rather than heterogeneities produced by recent metasomatic formation of amphiboles then 300 400 Ma have passed since the minerals were last in equilibrium. This age range then indicates an old enrichment episode or repeated events during the Paleozoic in the lithospheric mantle initially depleted maybe ˜2 Ga ago. The Bartoy hydrous and enriched dry peridotites, therefore, are unlikely to represent fragments of a young asthenospheric bulge which, according to seismic reflection studies, reached the Moho at the axis of the Baikal rift zone a few Ma ago. By contrast, hydrous veins in peridotites may be associated with rift formation processes.

Sub-basaltic Imaging of Ethiopian Mesozoic Sediments Using Surface Wave Dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mammo, T.; Maguire, P.; Denton, P.; Cornwell, D.

2003-12-01

The Ethiopia Afar Geoscientific Lithospheric Experiment (EAGLE) involved the deployment of a 400km NW-SE cross-rift profile across the Main Ethiopian Rift. The profile extended to about 150km on either side of the rift over the uplifted Ethiopian plateau characterized by voluminous Tertiary flood basalts covering a thick sequence of Mesozoic sediments. These consist of three major stratigraphic units, the Cretaceous Upper Sandstone (medium grained, friable and moderately to well-sorted) overlying the Jurassic Antalo limestone (with intercalations of marl, shale, mudstone and gypsum) above the Triassic Adigrat sandstone. These sediments are suggested to be approximately 1.5km thick at the north-western end of the profile, thickening to the south-east. They are considered a possible hydrocarbon reservoir and therefore crucial to the economy of Ethiopia. The EAGLE cross-rift profile included the deployment of 97 Guralp 6TD seismometers (30sec - 80Hz bandwidth) at a nominal 5km spacing. A 5.75 tonne explosion from the Muger quarry detonated specifically for the EAGLE project generated the surface waves used in this study. Preliminary processing involving the multiple filter technique has enabled the production of group velocity dispersion curves. These curves have been inverted to provide 1-D shear wave models, with the intention of providing an in-line cross-rift profile of Mesozoic sediment thickness. Preliminary results suggest that the sediments can be distinguished from both overlying plateau basalt and underlying basement, with their internal S-wave velocity structure possibly indicating that the three sediment units described above can be separately identified.

Three-dimensional frictional plastic strain partitioning during oblique rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duclaux, Guillaume; Huismans, Ritske S.; May, Dave

2017-04-01

Throughout the Wilson cycle the obliquity between lithospheric plate motion direction and nascent or existing plate boundaries prompts the development of intricate three-dimensional tectonic systems. Where oblique divergence dominates, as in the vast majority of continental rift and incipient oceanic domains, deformation is typically transtensional and large stretching in the brittle upper crust is primarily achieved by the accumulation of displacement on fault networks of various complexity. In continental rift depressions such faults are initially distributed over tens to hundreds of kilometer-wide regions, which can ultimately stretch and evolve into passive margins. Here, we use high-resolution 3D thermo-mechanical finite element models to investigate the relative timing and distribution of localised frictional plastic deformation in the upper crust during oblique rift development in a simplified layered lithosphere. We vary the orientation of a wide oblique heterogeneous weak zone (representing a pre-existing geologic feature like a past orogenic domain), and test the sensitivity of the shear zones orientation to a range of noise distribution. These models allow us to assess the importance of material heterogeneities for controlling the spatio-temporal shear zones distribution in the upper crust during oblique rifting, and to discuss the underlying controls governing oblique continental breakup.

Magma-assisted rifting in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Kendall, J-M; Stuart, G W; Ebinger, C J; Bastow, I D; Keir, D

2005-01-13

The rifting of continents and evolution of ocean basins is a fundamental component of plate tectonics, yet the process of continental break-up remains controversial. Plate driving forces have been estimated to be as much as an order of magnitude smaller than those required to rupture thick continental lithosphere. However, Buck has proposed that lithospheric heating by mantle upwelling and related magma production could promote lithospheric rupture at much lower stresses. Such models of mechanical versus magma-assisted extension can be tested, because they predict different temporal and spatial patterns of crustal and upper-mantle structure. Changes in plate deformation produce strain-enhanced crystal alignment and increased melt production within the upper mantle, both of which can cause seismic anisotropy. The Northern Ethiopian Rift is an ideal place to test break-up models because it formed in cratonic lithosphere with minor far-field plate stresses. Here we present evidence of seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle of this rift zone using observations of shear-wave splitting. Our observations, together with recent geological data, indicate a strong component of melt-induced anisotropy with only minor crustal stretching, supporting the magma-assisted rifting model in this area of initially cold, thick continental lithosphere.

Database for the Geologic Map of the Summit Region of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dutton, Dillon R.; Ramsey, David W.; Bruggman, Peggy E.; Felger, Tracey J.; Lougee, Ellen; Margriter, Sandy; Showalter, Patrick; Neal, Christina A.; Lockwood, John P.

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION The area covered by this map includes parts of four U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5' topographic quadrangles (Kilauea Crater, Volcano, Ka`u Desert, and Makaopuhi). It encompasses the summit, upper rift zones, and Koa`e Fault System of Kilauea Volcano and a part of the adjacent, southeast flank of Mauna Loa Volcano. The map is dominated by products of eruptions from Kilauea Volcano, the southernmost of the five volcanoes on the Island of Hawai`i and one of the world's most active volcanoes. At its summit (1,243 m) is Kilauea Crater, a 3 km-by-5 km collapse caldera that formed, possibly over several centuries, between about 200 and 500 years ago. Radiating away from the summit caldera are two linear zones of intrusion and eruption, the east and the southwest rift zones. Repeated subaerial eruptions from the summit and rift zones have built a gently sloping, elongate shield volcano covering approximately 1,500 km2. Much of the volcano lies under water: the east rift zone extends 110 km from the summit to a depth of more than 5,000 m below sea level; whereas, the southwest rift zone has a more limited submarine continuation. South of the summit caldera, mostly north-facing normal faults and open fractures of the Koa`e Fault System extend between the two rift zones. The Koa`e Fault System is interpreted as a tear-away structure that accommodates southward movement of Kilauea's flank in response to distension of the volcano perpendicular to the rift zones. This digital release contains all the information used to produce the geologic map published as USGS Geologic Investigations Series I-2759 (Neal and Lockwood, 2003). The main component of this digital release is a geologic map database prepared using ArcInfo GIS. This release also contains printable files for the geologic map and accompanying descriptive pamphlet from I-2759.

Structure of backarc inner rifts as a weakest zone of arc-backarc system: a case study of the Sea of Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Hiroshi; Ishiyama, Tasuya; Kato, Naoko; Abe, Susumu; Saito, Hideo; Shiraishi, Kazuya; Abe, Shiori; Iwasaki, Takaya; Inaba, Mitsuru; No, Tetsuo; Sato, Takeshi; Kodaira, Shuichi; Takeda, Tetsuya; Matsubara, Makoto; Kodaira, Chihiro

2015-04-01

A backarc inner rift is formed after a major opening of backarc basin near a volcanic front away from the spreading center of a major backarc basin. An obvious example is the inner rift along the Izu-Bonin arc. Similar inner rift zones have been developed along the Sea of Japan coast of Honshu island, Japan. NE and SW Japan arcs experienced strong shortening after the Miocene backarc rifting. The amount of shortening shows its maximum along the backarc inner rifts, forming a fold-and-thrust of thick post-rift sediments over all the structure of backarc. The rift structure has been investigated by onshore-offshore deep seismic reflection/wide-angle reflection surveys. We got continuous onshore-offshore image using ocean bottom cable and collected offshore seismic reflection data using two ships to obtain large offset data in the difficult area for towing a long streamer cable. The velocity structure beneath the rift basin was deduced by refraction tomography in the upper curst and earthquake tomography in the deeper part. It demonstrates larger P-wave velocity in upper mantle and lower crust, suggesting a large amount of mafic intrusion and thinning of upper continental crust. The deeper seismicity in the lower crust beneath the rift basin accords well to the mafic intrusive rocks. Syn-rift volcanism was bimodal, comprising a reflective unit of mafic rocks around the rift axis and a non-reflective unit of felsic rocks near the margins of the basins. Once rifting ended, thermal subsidence, and subsequently, mechanical subsidence related to the onset of the compressional regime, allowed deposition of up to 5 km of post-rift, deep marine to fluvial sedimentation. Continued compression produced fault-related folds in the post-rift sediments, characterized by thin-skin style of deformation. The syn-rift mafic intrusion in the crust forms convex shape and the boundary between pre-rift crust and mafic intrusive shows outward dipping surface. Due to the post rift compression, the boundary of rock units reactivated as reverse faults, commonly forming a large-scale wedge thrust and produced subsidence of rift basin under compressional stress regime. Large amount of convergence of overriding plate is accommodated along the inner rift, suggesting that it is a weakest zone in whole arc-backarc system. The convergence between young (15 Ma) Shikoku basin and SW Japan arc produced intense shortening along the inner failed rift along the Sea of Japan coast. After the onset of subduction along the Nankai trough, the fold-and-thrust belt was covered by Pliocene marine sediment. Before the 2011 off-Tohoku earthquake (M9), several damaging earthquakes occurred along the backarc fold-and-thrust belt. These represents that a weak backarc inner rift is very sensitive for the stress produce by the subduction interface.

Rifting by continental rotation, mantle flow and hotspot volcanism in the salt-depositing South Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szatmari, P.

2012-04-01

Rabinowitz & LaBrecque (1979) proposed that Africa and South America separated between 130 Ma and 107 Ma by 11.1° rigid plate rotation about an Euler pole in NE Brazil. According to those authors, the two continents remained contiguous in the north as the wedge-shaped South Atlantic opened up between them and deposited salt mostly over oceanic crust. Subsequent seismic profiling and drilling showed that salt, restricted to north of the volcanic proto-Walvis Ridge, deposited over rift sediments and stretched-thinned continental crust. Increasingly accurate restorations by Nürnberg & Müller (1991), Aslanian et al. (2009), Torsvik et al. (2009), and Moulin et al. (2010) differentiated in both continents several rigid plates separated by active deformation zones. Still, tectonic analysis of the rifted margins indicates that the main Early Cretaceous event was the clockwise rotation of South America about an Euler pole in its northeast. Both rifting and volcanism, including the Paraná-Etendeka large igneous province, where most flood basalts erupted at 134.6 ± 0.6 Ma (Thiede & Vasconcelos, 2010), were controlled by distance and orientation of rift segments relative to that pole in NE Brazil. Rifting was active from latest Jurassic to early Albian time (Magnavita et al., 2011) over inherited late Proterozoic fold-thrust belts. By Aptian time a long, dry wedge-shaped basin formed north of the volcanic barrier of the proto-Walvis Ridge, widening southward to 700 km and subsiding deep below sea level in the Santos Basin. The basin was filled with oil-rich lacustrine limestone and marine salt, each more than 2 km thick, deposited in often desiccating shallow water over the partially hyperextended continental crust of the São Paulo Plateau (Zalán et al., 2010; Magnavita et al., 2011; Szatmari, 2011). Further south marine sediments deposited over oceanic crust. Surface subsidence of the long, deep sediment-starved rift wedge was shaped, prior to the deposition of the lacustrine limestones and marine evaporites, by South America's continental rotation and by hotspot activity; asthenosphere inflow was limited by the bordering two old continents.

Anomalously high b-values in the South Flank of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii: Evidence for the distribution of magma below Kilauea's East rift zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wyss, M.; Klein, F.; Nagamine, K.; Wiemer, S.

2001-01-01

The pattern of b-value of the frequency-magnitude relation, or mean magnitude, varies little in the Kaoiki-Hilea area of Hawaii, and the b-values are normal, with b = 0.8 in the top 10 km and somewhat lower values below that depth. We interpret the Kaoiki-Hilea area as relatively stable, normal Hawaiian crust. In contrast, the b-values beneath Kilauea's South Flank are anomalously high (b = 1.3-1.7) at depths between 4 and 8 km, with the highest values near the East Rift zone, but extending 5-8 km away from the rift. Also, the anomalously high b-values vary along strike, parallel to the rift zone. The highest b-values are observed near Hiiaka and Pauahi craters at the bend in the rift, the next highest are near Makaopuhi and also near Puu Kaliu. The mildest anomalies occur adjacent to the central section of the rift. The locations of the three major and two minor b-value anomalies correspond to places where shallow magma reservoirs have been proposed based on analyses of seismicity, geodetic data and differentiated lava chemistry. The existence of the magma reservoirs is also supported by magnetic anomalies, which may be areas of dike concentration, and self-potential anomalies, which are areas of thermal upwelling above a hot source. The simplest explanation of these anomalously high b-values is that they are due to the presence of active magma bodies beneath the East Rift zone at depths down to 8 km. In other volcanoes, anomalously high b-values correlate with volumes adjacent to active magma chambers. This supports a model of a magma body beneath the East Rift zone, which may widen and thin along strike, and which may reach 8 km depth and extend from Kilauea's summit to a distance of at least 40 km down rift. The anomalously high b-values at the center of the South Flank, several kilometers away from the rift, may be explained by unusually high pore pressure throughout the South Flank, or by anomalously strong heterogeneity due to extensive cracking, or by both phenomena. The major b-value anomalies are located SSE of their parent reservoirs, in the direction of motion of the flank, suggesting that magma reservoirs leave an imprint in the mobile flank. We hypothesize that the extensive cracking may have been acquired when the anomalous parts of the South Flank, now several kilometers distant from the rift zone, were generated at the rift zone near persistent reservoirs. Since their generation, these volumes may have moved seaward, away from the rift, but earthquakes occurring in them still use the preexisting complex crack distribution. Along the decollement plane at 10 km depth, the b-values are exceptionally low (b = 0.5), suggesting faulting in a more homogeneous medium. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Composition of the crust beneath the Kenya rift

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mooney, W.D.; Christensen, N.I.

1994-01-01

We infer the composition of the crust beneath and on the flanks of the Kenya rift based on a comparison of the KRISP-90 crustal velocity structure with laboratory measurements of compressional-wave velocities of rock samples from Kenya. The rock samples studied, which are representative of the major lithologies exposed in Kenya, include volcanic tuffs and flows (primarily basalts and phonolites), and felsic to intermediate composition gneisses. This comparison indicates that the upper crust (5-12 km depth) consists primarily of quartzo-feldspathic gneisses and schists similar to rocks exposed on the flanks of the rift, whereas the middle crust (12-22 km depth) consists of more mafic, hornblende-rich metamorphic rocks, probably intruded by mafic rocks beneath the rift axis. The lower crust on the flanks of the rift may consist of mafic granulite facies rocks. Along the rift axis, the lower crust varies in thickness from 9 km in the southern rift to only 2-3 km in the north, and has a seismic velocity substantially higher than the samples investigated in this study. The lower crust of the rift probably consists of a crust/mantle mix of high-grade metamorphic rocks, mafic intrusives, and an igneous mafic residuum accreted to the base of the crust during differentiation of a melt derived from the upper mantle. ?? 1994.

Thermomechanical Controls on the Success and Failure of Continental Rift Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brune, S.

2017-12-01

Studies of long-term continental rift evolution are often biased towards rifts that succeed in breaking the continent like the North Atlantic, South China Sea, or South Atlantic rifts. However there are many prominent rift systems on Earth where activity stopped before the formation of a new ocean basin such as the North Sea, the West and Central African Rifts, or the West Antarctic Rift System. The factors controlling the success and failure of rifts can be divided in two groups: (1) Intrinsic processes - for instance frictional weakening, lithospheric thinning, shear heating or the strain-dependent growth of rift strength by replacing weak crust with strong mantle. (2) External processes - such as a change of plate divergence rate, the waning of a far-field driving force, or the arrival of a mantle plume. Here I use numerical and analytical modeling to investigate the role of these processes for the success and failure of rift systems. These models show that a change of plate divergence rate under constant force extension is controlled by the non-linearity of lithospheric materials. For successful rifts, a strong increase in divergence velocity can be expected to take place within few million years, a prediction that agrees with independent plate tectonic reconstructions of major Mesozoic and Cenozoic ocean-forming rift systems. Another model prediction is that oblique rifting is mechanically favored over orthogonal rifting, which means that simultaneous deformation within neighboring rift systems of different obliquity and otherwise identical properties will lead to success and failure of the more and less oblique rift, respectively. This can be exemplified by the Cretaceous activity within the Equatorial Atlantic and the West African Rifts that lead to the formation of a highly oblique oceanic spreading center and the failure of the West African Rift System. While in nature the circumstances of rift success or failure may be manifold, simplified numerical and analytical models allow the isolated analysis of various contributing factors and to define a characteristic time scale for each process.

Ambient Noise Tomography of the East African Rift System in Mozambique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domingues, Ana; Custódio, Susana; Chamussa, José; Silveira, Graça; Chang, Sung-Joon; Lebedev, Sergei; Ferreira, Ana; Fonseca, João

2014-05-01

Project MOZART - MOZAmbique Rift Tomography (funded by FCT, Lisbon) deployed a total of 30 temporary broadband seismic stations from the SEIS-UK Pool in central and south Mozambique and in NE South Africa. The purpose of this project is the study of the East African Rift System (EARS) in Mozambique. We estimated preliminary locations with the data recorded from April 2011 to July 2012. A total of 307 earthquakes were located, with ML magnitudes ranging from 0.9 to 3.9. We observe a linear northeast-southwest distribution of the seismicity that seems associated to the Inhaminga fault. The seismicity in the northeast sector correlates well with the topography, tracing the Urema rift valley. The seismicity extends to ~300km, reaching the M7 2006 Machaze earthquake area. In order to obtain an initial velocity model of the region, we applied the ambient noise method to the MOZART data and two additional stations from AfricaARRAY. Cross-correlations were computed between all pairs of stations, and we obtained Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion curves for all interstation paths, in the period range from 3 to 50 seconds. The geographical distribution of the group velocity anomalies is in good agreement with the geology map of Mozambique, having lower group velocities in sedimentary basins areas and higher velocities in cratonic regions. We also observe two main regions with different velocities that may indicate a structure not proposed in previous studies. We perform a three-dimensional inversion to obtain the S-wave velocity of the crust and upper mantle, and in order to extend the investigation to longer periods we apply a recent implementation of the surface-wave two-station method (teleseismic interferometry), while augmenting our dataset with Rayleigh wave phase velocities curves in broad period ranges. In this way we expect to be able to look into the lithosphere-asthenosphere depth range.

Hydrocarbon source rock potential of the Karoo in Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiller, K.; Shoko, U.

1996-07-01

The hydrocarbon potential of Zimbabwe is tied to the Karoo rifts which fringe the Zimbabwe Craton, i.e. the Mid-Zambezi basin/rift and the Mana Pools basin in the northwest, the Cabora Bassa basin in the north and the Tuli-Bubye and Sabi-Runde basins in the south. Based on the geochemical investigation of almost one thousand samples of fine clastic Karoo sediments, a concise source rock inventory has been established showing the following features. No marine source rocks have been identified. In the Mid-Zambezi area and Cabora Bassa basin, the source rocks are gas-prone, carbonaceous to coaly mudstones and coal of Lower Karoo age. In the Cabora Bassa basin, similar gas-prone source rocks occur in the Upper Karoo (Angwa Alternations Member). These kerogen type III source rocks are widespread and predominantly immature to moderately mature. In the southern basins, the Lower Karoo source rocks are gas-prone; in addition some have a small condensate potential. Most of the samples are, however, overmature due to numerous dolerite intrusions. Samples with a mixed gas, condensate and oil potential (mainly kerogen types II and III) were identified in the Lower Karoo (Coal Measure and Lower Madumabisa Mudstone Formations) of the Mid-Zambezi basin, and in the Louver Karoo (Mkanga Formation) and Upper Karoo (Upper Angwa Alternations Member Formation) of the Cabora Bassa basin. The source rocks, with a liquid potential, are also immature to moderately mature and were deposited in swamp, paludal and lacustrine environments of limited extent.

Paleomagnetism and tectonic interpretations of the Taos Plateau volcanic field, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Laurie L.; Caffall, Nancy M.; Golombek, Matthew P.

1993-01-01

The tectonic response of the Taos Plateau volcanic field in the southern San Luis basin to late stage extensional environment of the Rio Grande rift was investigate using paleomagnetic techniques. Sixty-two sites (533 samples) of Pliocene volcanic units were collected covering four major rock types with ages of 4.7 to 1.8 Ma. Twenty-two of these sites were from stratigraphic sections of the lower, middle and upper Servilleta Basalt collected in the Rio Grande gorge at two locations 19 km apart. Flows from the lower and middle members in the southern gorge record reversed polarities, while those in Garapata Canyon are normal with an excursion event in the middle of the sequence. The uppermost flows of the upper member at both sites display normal directions. Although these sections correlate chemically, they seem to represent different magnetic time periods during the Gilbert Reversed-Polarity Chron. The data suggest the Taos Plateau volcanic field, showing no rotation and some flattening in the south and east, has acted as a stable buttress and has been downwarped by overriding of the southeastern end of the plateau by the Picuris Mountains, which make up the northern corner of the counter-clockwise rotating Espanola block.

Paleomagnetism and tectonic interpretations of the Taos Plateau volcanic field, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Laurie L.; Caffall, Nancy M.; Golombek, Matthew P.

1993-12-01

The tectonic response of the Taos Plateau volcanic field in the southern San Luis basin to late stage extensional environment of the Rio Grande rift was investigate using paleomagnetic techniques. Sixty-two sites (533 samples) of Pliocene volcanic units were collected covering four major rock types with ages of 4.7 to 1.8 Ma. Twenty-two of these sites were from stratigraphic sections of the lower, middle and upper Servilleta Basalt collected in the Rio Grande gorge at two locations 19 km apart. Flows from the lower and middle members in the southern gorge record reversed polarities, while those in Garapata Canyon are normal with an excursion event in the middle of the sequence. The uppermost flows of the upper member at both sites display normal directions. Although these sections correlate chemically, they seem to represent different magnetic time periods during the Gilbert Reversed-Polarity Chron. The data suggest the Taos Plateau volcanic field, showing no rotation and some flattening in the south and east, has acted as a stable buttress and has been downwarped by overriding of the southeastern end of the plateau by the Picuris Mountains, which make up the northern corner of the counter-clockwise rotating Espanola block.

Ambient noise tomography reveals upper crustal structure of Icelandic rifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Robert G.; Priestley, Keith F.; White, Robert S.

2017-05-01

The structure of oceanic spreading centres and subsurface melt distribution within newly formed crust is largely understood from marine seismic experiments. In Iceland, however, sub-aerial rift elevation allows both accurate surface mapping and the installation of large broadband seismic arrays. We present a study using ambient noise Rayleigh wave tomography to image the volcanic spreading centres across Iceland. Our high resolution model images a continuous band of low seismic velocities, parallelling all three segments of the branched rift in Iceland. The upper 10 km contains strong velocity variations, with shear wave velocities 0.5 km s-1 faster in the older non-volcanically active regions compared to the active rifts. Slow velocities correlate very closely with geological surface mapping, with contours of the anomalies parallelling the edges of the neo-volcanic zones. The low-velocity band extends to the full 50 km width of the neo-volcanic zones, demonstrating a significant contrast with the narrow (8 km wide) magmatic zone seen at fast spreading ridges, where the rate of melt supply is similarly high. Within the seismically slow rift band, the lowest velocity cores of the anomalies occur above the centre of the mantle plume under the Vatnajökull icecap, and in the Eastern Volcanic Zone under the central volcano Katla. This suggests localisation of melt accumulation at these specific volcanic centres, demonstrating variability in melt supply into the shallow crust along the rift axis. Shear velocity inversions with depth show that the strongest velocity contrasts are found in the upper 8 km, and show a slight depression in the shear velocity through the mid crust (10-20 km) in the rifts. Our model also shows less intensity to the slow rift anomaly in the Western Volcanic Zone, supporting the notion that rift activity here is decreasing as the ridge jumps to the Eastern Volcanic Zone.

Petroleum geology of Cretaceous-Tertiary rift basins in Niger, Chad, and Central African Republic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Genik, G.J.

1993-08-01

This overview of the petroleum geology of rift basins in Niger, Chad, and Central African Republic (CAR) is based on exploration work by Exxon and partners in the years 1969-1991. The work included 50,000 km of modern reflection seismic, 53 exploration wells, 1,000,000 km[sup 2] of aeromagnetic coverage, and about 10,500 km of gravity profiles. The results outline ten Cretaceous and Tertiary rift basins, which constitute a major part of the West and Central African rift system (WCARS). The rift basins derive from a multiphased geologic history dating from the Pan-African (approximately 750-550 Ma) to the Holocene. WCARS in themore » study area is divided into the West African rift subsystem (WAS) and the Central African rift subsystem (WAS) and the Central African rift subsystem (CAS). WAS basins in Niger and Chad are chiefly extensional, and are filled by up to 13,000 m of Lower Cretaceous to Holocene continental and marine clastics. The basins contain five oil (19-43[degrees]API) and two oil and gas accumulations in Upper Cretaceous and Eocene sandstone reservoirs. The hydrocarbons are sourced and sealed by Upper Cretaceous and Eocene marine and lacustrine shales. The most common structural styles and hydrocarbon traps usually are associated with normal fault blocks. CAS rift basins in Chad and CAR are extensional and transtensional, and are filled by up to 7500 m of chiefly Lower Cretaceous continental clastics. The basins contain eight oil (15-39[degrees]API) and one oil and gas discovery in Lower and Upper Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs. The hydrocarbons are sourced by Lower Cretaceous shales and sealed by interbedded lacustrine and flood-plain shales. Structural styles range from simple fault blocks through complex flower structures. The main hydrocarbon traps are in contractional anticlines. Geological conditions favor the discovery of potentially commercial volumes of oil in WCARS basins, of Niger, Chad and CAR. 108 refs., 24 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Venus - Limited extension and volcanism along zones of lithospheric weakness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaber, G. G.

1982-01-01

Three global-scale zones of possible tectonic origin are described as occurring along broad, low rises within the Equatorial Highlands on Venus (lat 50 deg N to 50 deg S, long 60 deg to 310 deg). The two longest of these tectonic zones, the Aphrodite-Beta and Themis-Atla zones, extend for 21,000 and 14,000 km, respectively. Several lines of evidence indicate that Beta and Atla Regiones, located at the only two intersections of the three major tectonic zones, are dynamically supported volcanic terranes associated with currently active volcanism. Rift valleys south of Aphrodite Terra and between Beta and Phoebe Regiones are characterized by 75- to 100-km widths, raised rims, and extensions of only a few tens of kilometers, about the same magnitudes as in continental rifts on the earth. Horizontal extension on Venus was probably restricted by an early choking-off of plate motion by high crustal and upper-mantle temperatures, and the subsequent loss of water and an asthenosphere.

Neogene Development of the Terror Rift, western Ross Sea, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauli, C.; Sorlien, C. C.; Busetti, M.; De Santis, L.; Wardell, N.; Henrys, S. A.; Geletti, R.; Wilson, T. J.; Luyendyk, B. P.

2015-12-01

Terror Rift is a >300 km-long, 50-70 km-wide, 14 km-deep sedimentary basin at the edge of the West Antarctic Rift System, adjacent to the Transantarctic Mountains. It is cut into the broader Victoria Land Basin (VLB). The VLB experienced 100 km of mid-Cenozoic extension associated with larger sea floor spreading farther north. The post-spreading (Neogene) development of Terror Rift is not well understood, in part because of past use of different stratigraphic age models. We use the new Rossmap seismic stratigraphy correlated to Cape Roberts and Andrill cores in the west and to DSDP cores in the distant East. This stratigraphy, and new fault interpretations, was developed using different resolutions of seismic reflection data included those available from the Seismic Data Library System. Depth conversion used a new 3D velocity model. A 29 Ma horizon is as deep as 8 km in the south, and a 19 Ma horizon is >5 km deep there and 4 km-deep 100 km farther north. There is a shallower northern part of Terror Rift misaligned with the southern basin across a 50 km right double bend. It is bounded by steep N-S faults down-dropping towards the basin axis. Between Cape Roberts and Ross Island, the Oligocene section is also progressively-tilted. This Oligocene section is not imaged within northern Terror Rift, but the simplest hypothesis is that some of the Terror Rift-bounding faults were active at least during Oligocene through Quaternary time. Many faults are normal separation, but some are locally vertical or even reverse-separation in the upper couple of km. However, much of the vertical relief of the strata is due to progressive tilting (horizontal axis rotation) and not by shallow faulting. Along the trend of the basin, the relief alternates between tilting and faulting, with a tilting margin facing a faulted margin across the Rift, forming asymmetric basins. Connecting faults across the basin form an accommodation zone similar to other oblique rifts. The Neogene basin is shallow to non-existent 300 km north of Ross Island, near -74° 30' latitude. We propose that the Neogene history of Terror Rift has been highly-oblique right-lateral, terminating northward into right lateral faults of northern Victoria Land.

Transient cracks and triple junctions induced by Cocos-Nazca propagating rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schouten, H.; Smith, D. K.; Zhu, W.; Montesi, L. G.; Mitchell, G. A.; Cann, J. R.

2009-12-01

The Galapagos triple junction is a ridge-ridge-ridge triple junction where the Cocos, Nazca, and Pacific plates meet around the Galapagos microplate (GMP). On the Cocos plate, north of the large gore that marks the propagating Cocos-Nazca (C-N) Rift, a 250-km-long and 50-km-wide band of NW-SE-trending cracks crosscuts the N-S-trending abyssal hills of the East Pacific Rise (EPR). These appear as a succession of minor rifts, accommodating some NE-SW extension of EPR-generated seafloor. The rifts successively intersected the EPR in triple junctions at distances of 50-100 km north of the tip of the C-N Rift. We proposed a simple crack interaction model to explain the location of the transient rifts and their junction with the EPR. The model predicts that crack locations are controlled by the stress perturbation along the EPR, induced by the dominant C-N Rift, and scaled by the distance of its tip to the EPR (Schouten et al., 2008). The model also predicts that tensile stresses are symmetric about the C-N Rift and thus, similar cracks should have occurred south of the C-N Rift prior to formation of the GMP about 1 Ma. There were no data at the time to test this prediction. In early 2009 (AT 15-41), we mapped an area on the Nazca plate south of the C-N rift out to 4 Ma. The new bathymetric data confirm the existence of a distinctive pattern of cracks south of the southern C-N gore that mirrors the pattern on the Cocos plate until about 1 Ma, and lends support to the crack interaction model. The envelope of the symmetric cracking pattern indicates that the distance between the C-N Rift tip and the EPR varied between 40 and 65 km during this time (1-4 Ma). The breakdown of the symmetry at 1 Ma accurately dates the onset of a southern plate boundary of the GMP, now Dietz Deep Rift. At present, the southern rift boundary of the GMP joins the EPR with a steep-sided, 80 km long ridge. This ridge releases the stress perturbation otherwise induced along the EPR by elastic interaction with the C-N Rift and prevents the formation of minor rifts of the type in the North of the C-N Rift. However, the seafloor displays traces of rifts formed as the Dietz Deep Rift was approaching the EPR. In fact, the present day ridge appears to have originated as one of these minor rifts, probably stabilized by enhanced magma supply from a nearby volcano at the southwestern end of Dietz Deep.

Structural Geology of the Northwestern Portion of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico: Implications for Seismic Surface Rupture Potential from TA-3 to TA-55

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jamie N. Gardner: Alexis Lavine; Giday WoldeGabriel; Donathon Krier

1999-03-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory lies at the western boundary of the Rio Grande rift, a major tectonic feature of the North American Continent. Three major faults locally constitute the modem rift boundary, and each of these is potentially seismogenic. In this study we have gathered structural geologic data for the northwestern portion of Los Alamos National Laboratory through high-precision geologic mapping, conventional geologic mapping, stratigraphic studies, drilling, petrologic studies, and stereographic aerial photograph analyses. Our study area encompasses TA-55 and TA-3, where potential for seismic surface rupture is of interest, and is bounded on the north and south by themore » townsite of Los Alamos and Twomile Canyon, respectively. The study area includes parts of two of the potentially active rift boundary faults--the Pajarito and Rendija Canyon faults-that form a large graben that we name the Diamond Drive graben. The graben embraces the western part of the townsite of Los Alamos, and its southern end is in the TA-3 area where it is defined by east-southeast-trending cross faults. The cross faults are small, but they accommodate interactions between the two major fault zones and gentle tilting of structural blocks to the north into the graben. North of Los Alamos townsite, the Rendija Canyon fault is a large normal fault with about 120 feet of down-to-the-west displacement over the last 1.22 million years. South from Los Alamos townsite, the Rendija Canyon fault splays to the southwest into a broad zone of deformation. The zone of deformation is about 2,000 feet wide where it crosses Los Alamos Canyon and cuts through the Los Alamos County Landfill. Farther southwest, the fault zone is about 3,000 feet wide at the southeastern corner of TA-3 in upper Mortandad Canyon and about 5,000 feet wide in Twomile Canyon. Net down-to-the-west displacement across the entire fault zone over the last 1.22 million years decreases to the south as the fault zone broadens as follows: about 100 feet at Los Alamos Canyon, about 50 feet at upper Mortandad Canyon, and less than 30 feet at Twomile Canyon. These relations lead us to infer that the Rendija Canyon fault probably dies out just south of Twomile Canyon. In detail, the surface deformation expressed within the fault zones can be large, fairly simple normal faults, broad zones of smaller faults, largely unfaulted monocline, and faulted monocline. Our study indicates that the seismic surface rupture hazard, associated with the faults in the study area, is localized. South of the county landfill and Los Alamos Canyon, displacements on individual faults become very small, less than about 10 feet in the last 1.22 million years. Such small displacements imply that these little faults do not have much continuity along strike and in a worst-case scenario present a mean probabilistic fault displacement hazard of less than 0.67 inches in 10,000 years (Olig et al., 1998). We encourage, however, site-specific fault investigations for new construction in certain zones of our study area and that facility siting on potentially active faults be avoided.« less

Structural inheritance versus magmatic weakening: What controls the style of deformation at rift segment boundaries in the Gulf of California, Mexico?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seiler, Christian; Gleadow, Andrew; Kohn, Barry

2013-04-01

Rifts are commonly segmented into several hundred kilometre long zones of opposing upper-plate transport direction with boundaries defined by accommodation and transfer zones. A number of such rift segments have been recognized in the Gulf of California, a youthful oceanic basin that is currently undergoing the rift-drift transition. However, detailed field studies have so far failed to identify suitable structures that could accommodate the obvious deformation gradients between different rift segments, and the nature of strain transfer at segment boundaries remains enigmatic. The Bocana transfer zone (BTZ) in central Baja California is a linear, WNW striking structural discontinuity separating two rift segments with different magnitudes and styles of extensional deformation. North of the BTZ, the Libertad fault is part of the Main Gulf Escarpment, which represents the breakaway fault that separates the Gulf of California rift to the east from the relatively stable western portion of the Baja peninsula. The N-striking Libertad escarpment developed during the Late Miocene (~10-8Ma) and exhibits a topographic relief of ca. 1,000m along a strike-length of ca. 50km. Finite displacement decreases from ~1000m in the central fault segment to ~500m further south, where the fault bends SE and merges with the BTZ. In the hanging wall of the Libertad fault, a series of W-tilted horsts are bound along their eastern margins by two moderate-displacement E-dipping normal faults. South of the BTZ, extension was much less than further north, which explains the comparatively subdued relief and generally shallower tilt of pre-rift strata in this area. The BTZ itself is characterized by two en echelon WNW-ESE striking dextral-oblique transfer faults with a significant down-to-the-NNE extensional component. Strain is transferred from the Libertad breakaway fault onto the transfer faults over a distance of >20km through a network of interacting normal, oblique and strike-slip faults. The shape, location and orientation of the main faults were strongly influenced by pre-existing rheological heterogeneities. Major normal faults are parallel to either the Mesozoic metamorphic foliation or Cretaceous intrusive contacts, and developed where the foliation was at a high angle to the extension direction. In contrast, the oblique-slip faults of the BTZ formed parallel to the metamorphic foliation where formlines are at a small angle to the regional extension direction. Compared to the BTZ, deformation in other known accommodation zones of the Gulf of California rift occurred distributed across a much wider zone, and appropriate transfer faults are either lacking or minor. In these cases, however, the accommodation zones coincide with the locations of significant pre- and synrift volcanism, suggesting that thermal weakening associated with magmatic activity may have promoted the distribution of strain across a wider region instead of localising it into discrete transfer faults.

Storage, migration, and eruption of magma at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, 1971-1972

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duffield, W.A.; Christiansen, R.L.; Koyanagi, R.Y.; Peterson, D.W.

1982-01-01

The magmatic plumbing system of Kilauea Volcano consists of a broad region of magma generation in the upper mantle, a steeply inclined zone through which magma rises to an intravolcano reservoir located about 2 to 6 km beneath the summit of the volcano, and a network of conduits that carry magma from this reservoir to sites of eruption within the caldera and along east and southwest rift zones. The functioning of most parts of this system was illustrated by activity during 1971 and 1972. When a 29-month-long eruption at Mauna Ulu on the east rift zone began to wane in 1971, the summit region of the volcano began to inflate rapidly; apparently, blockage of the feeder conduit to Mauna Ulu diverted a continuing supply of mantle-derived magma to prolonged storage in the summit reservoir. Rapid inflation of the summit area persisted at a nearly constant rate from June 1971 to February 1972, when a conduit to Mauna Ulu was reopened. The cadence of inflation was twice interrupted briefly, first by a 10-hour eruption in Kilauea Caldera on 14 August, and later by an eruption that began in the caldera and migrated 12 km down the southwest rift zone between 24 and 29 September. The 14 August and 24-29 September eruptions added about 107 m3 and 8 ?? 106 m3, respectively, of new lava to the surface of Kilauea. These volumes, combined with the volume increase represented by inflation of the volcanic edifice itself, account for an approximately 6 ?? 106 m3/month rate of growth between June 1971 and January 1972, essentially the same rate at which mantle-derived magma was supplied to Kilauea between 1952 and the end of the Mauna Ulu eruption in 1971. The August and September 1971 lavas are tholeiitic basalts of similar major-element chemical composition. The compositions can be reproduced by mixing various proportions of chemically distinct variants of lava that erupted during the preceding activity at Mauna Ulu. Thus, part of the magma rising from the mantle to feed the Mauna Ulu eruption may have been stored within the summit reservoir from 4 to 20 months before it was erupted in the summit caldera and along the southwest rift zone in August and September. The September 1971 activity was only the fourth eruption on the southwest rift zone during Kilauea's 200 years of recorded history, in contrast to more than 20 eruptions on the east rift zone. Order-of-magnitude differences in topographic and geophysical expression indicate greatly disparate eruption rates for far more than historic time and thus suggest a considerably larger dike swarm within the east rift zone than within the southwest rift zone. Characteristics of the historic eruptions on the southwest rift zone suggest that magma may be fed directly from active lava lakes in Kilauea Caldera or from shallow cupolas at the top of the summit magma reservoir, through fissures that propagate down rift from the caldera itself at the onset of eruption. Moreover, emplacement of this magma into the southwest rift zone may be possible only when compressive stress across the rift is reduced by some unknown critical amount owing either to seaward displacement of the terrane south-southeast of the rift zone or to a deflated condition of Mauna Loa Volcano adjacent to the northwest, or both. The former condition arises when the forceful emplacement of dikes into the east rift zone wedges the south flank of Kilauea seaward. Such controls on the potential for eruption along the southwest rift zone may be related to the topographic and geophysical constrasts between the two rift zones. ?? 1982.

Deep structure of Porcupine Basin and nature of the Porcupine Median Ridge from seismic refraction tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watremez, L.; Chen, C.; Prada, M.; Minshull, T. A.; O'Reilly, B.; Reston, T. J.; Wagner, G.; Gaw, V.; Klaeschen, D.; Shannon, P.

2015-12-01

The Porcupine Basin is a narrow V-shaped failed rifted basin located offshore SW Ireland. It is of Permo-Triassic to Cenozoic age, with the main rifting phase in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. Porcupine Basin is a key study area to learn about the processes of continental extension and to understand the thermal history of this rifted basin. Previous studies show increasing stretching factors, from less than 1.5 to the North to more than 6 to the South. A ridge feature, the Porcupine Median Ridge, has been identified in the middle of the southernmost part of the basin. During the last three decades, this ridge has been successively interpreted as a volcanic structure, a diapir of partially serpentinized mantle, or a block of continental crust. Its nature still remains debated today. In this study, we use arrival times from refractions and wide-angle reflections in the sedimentary, crustal and mantle layers to image the crustal structure of the thinnest part of the basin, the geometry of the continental thinning from margin to margin, and the Porcupine Median Ridge. The final velocity model is then compared with coincident seismic reflection data. We show that (1) the basin is asymmetric, (2) P-wave velocities in the uppermost mantle are lower than expected for unaltered peridotites, implying upper-mantle serpentinisation, (3) the nature of Porcupine Median Ridge is probably volcanic, and (4) the amount of thinning is greater than shown in previous studies. We discuss the thermal implications of these results for the evolution of this rift system and the processes leading to the formation of failed rifts. This project is funded by the Irish Shelf Petroleum Studies Group (ISPSG) of the Irish Petroleum Infrastructure Programme Group 4.

The Newly Identified Subsurface Hazlehurst Formation and Implications for the Tectonic Evolution of the South Georgia Rift Basin, Southeastern U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, R.; Knapp, J. H.

2016-12-01

Integration of new 2-D seismic reflection profile with existing wells and potential field data from southeastern Georgia, USA provide exciting discovery of a new stratigraphic unit associated with the post-rift phase of the South Georgia Rift (SGR) basins. These data document an apparent reversal of rift basin asymmetry across the Warner Robins Transfer Zone, and the apparent presence of a new sub-horizontal stratigraphic unit (informally named the Hazlehurst Formation) which overlies with angular unconformity an inferred Triassic rift basin (Valdosta Basin), and sits below the regional Coastal Plain unconformity. Triassic rifting of the supercontinent Pangea left behind numerous extensional basins on what is now the eastern North American margin. The SGR is thought to be the most regionally extensive and best preserved of these basins, which were capped by thick basalt -flows of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) and later buried beneath the Cretaceous and younger Coastal Plain section. Because it is buried beneath the Coastal Plain, the SGR is only known through relatively sparse drilling and geophysical methods. With these new seismic data acquired in 2013 near Hazlehurst, Georgia, we are able to put more constraints into the tectonic history of the basin. We test several hypotheses related to the SGR: (1) the "Transfer Zone" had to exist to transmit extensional strain between rift sub-basins with reverse polarities; (2) the newly identified sub-horizontal stratigraphic interval ("Hazlehurst Formation"), with a possible Jurassic age may represent a post-rift phase of regional subsidence; (3) the extent of this new unit appears to cover most of the coastal plain from eastern Mississippi to South Carolina. The result of this study suggests the previous inferred extent of the might need revision.

The Cenozoic volcanism in the Kivu rift: Assessment of the tectonic setting, geochemistry, and geochronology of the volcanic activity in the South-Kivu and Virunga regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pouclet, A.; Bellon, H.; Bram, K.

2016-09-01

The Kivu rift is part of the western branch of the East African Rift system. From Lake Tanganyika to Lake Albert, the Kivu rift is set in a succession of Precambrian zones of weakness trending NW-SE, NNE-SSW and NE-SW. At the NW to NNE turn of the rift direction in the Lake Kivu area, the inherited faults are crosscut by newly born N-S fractures which developed during the late Cenozoic rifting and controlled the volcanic activity. From Lake Kivu to Lake Edward, the N-S faults show a right-lateral en echelon pattern. Development of tension gashes in the Virunga area indicates a clockwise rotation of the constraint linked to dextral oblique motion of crustal blocks. The extensional direction was W-E in the Mio-Pliocene and ENE-WSW in the Pleistocene to present time. The volcanic rocks are assigned to three groups: (1) tholeiites and sodic alkali basalts in the South-Kivu, (2) sodic basalts and nephelinites in the northern Lake Kivu and western Virunga, and (3) potassic basanites and potassic nephelinites in the Virunga area. South-Kivu magmas were generated by melting of spinel + garnet lherzolite from two sources: an enriched lithospheric source and a less enriched mixed lithospheric and asthenospheric source. The latter source was implied in the genesis of the tholeiitic lavas at the beginning of the South-Kivu tectono-volcanic activity, in relationships with asthenosphere upwelling. The ensuing outpouring of alkaline basaltic lavas from the lithospheric source attests for the abortion of the asthenospheric contribution and a change of the rifting process. The sodic nephelinites of the northern Lake Kivu originated from low partial melting of garnet peridotite of the sub-continental mantle due to pressure release during swell initiation. The Virunga potassic magmas resulted from the melting of garnet peridotite with an increasing degree of melting from nephelinite to basanite. They originated from a lithospheric source enriched in both K and Rb, suggesting the presence of phlogopite and the local existence of a metasomatized mantle. A carbonatite contribution is evidenced in the Nyiragongo lavas. New K-Ar ages date around 21 Ma the earliest volcanic activity made of nephelinites. A sodic alkaline volcanism took place between 13 and 9 Ma at the western side of the Virunga during the doming stage of the rift and before the formation of the rift valley. In the South-Kivu area, the first lavas were tholeiitic and dated at 11 Ma. The rift valley subsidence began around 8-7 Ma. The tholeiitic lavas were progressively replaced by alkali basaltic lavas until to 2.6 Ma. Renewal of the basaltic volcanism happened at ca. 1.7 Ma on a western step of the rift. In the Virunga area, the potassic volcanism appeared ca. 2.6 Ma along a NE-SW fault zone and then migrated both to the east and west, in jumping to oblique tension gashes. The uncommon magmatic evolution and the high diversity of volcanic rocks of the Kivu rift are explained by varying transtensional constraints during the rift history.

Crustal structure associated with Gondwana graben across the Narmada-Son lineament in India: An inference from aeromagnetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, D. Atchuta; Babu, H. V. Ram; Sinha, G. D. J. Sivakumar

1992-10-01

Aeromagnetic data over an 80-km-wide belt along the ENE-trending Narmada-Son lineament (NSL), starting from Baroda in the west and continuing to the south of Jabalpur in the east, has been studied to understand the structural and tectonic framework of the region. The area is covered by generally E-W-trending steeply dipping and folded Archean phyllites and quartzites as basement, with Bijawars (Upper Precambrian), upper Vindhyans (Upper Proterozoic), and Gondwanas (Upper Carboniferous) overlying them. Overlapping them all are the Deccan trap (Cretaceous-Eocene) flows. Aeromagnetic linements and their disposition and pattern in this region suggest major dislocations in the crust. The region around Hoshangabad, which is the intersection point of the NSL and the northwestern extension of the Godavari lineament, appears to have been intensely disturbed. Spectral analysis of aeromagnetic profiles across the NSL belt brought out a deep magnetic interface within crust at depths varying from 4 km to about 20 km below the surface, perhaps corresponding to the discontinuity characterized by the interface of granitic and basaltic rocks. There is a significant downwarping of this interface under the Hoshangabad region, suggesting that this is perhaps related to the evolution of the Gondwana basin structure in this area. This warping of the magnetic interface may be a reflection of the crustal flexuring and rift faulting. Elsewhere in the world, concentrations of carbonatite complexes and dike swarms are known to occur in areas of crustal flexuring and rift faulting. The occurrence of carbonatite complexes in this region (e.g. at Amba Dongar and Barwaha, and dike swarms in the Dadiapada region) gives credence to the present inferences from the aeromagnetic study.

GLIMPCE Seismic reflection evidence of deep-crustal and upper-mantle intrusions and magmatic underplating associated with the Midcontinent Rift system of North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Behrendt, John C.; Hutchinson, D.R.; Lee, M.; Thornber, C.R.; Tréhu, A.; Cannon, W.; Green, A.

1990-01-01

Deep-crustal and Moho reflections, recorded on vertical incidence and wide angle ocean bottom Seismometer (OBS) data in the 1986 GLIMPCE (Great Lakes International Multidisciplinary Program on Crustal Evolution) experiment, provide evidence for magmatic underplating and intrusions within the lower crust and upper mantle contemporaneous with crustal extension in the Midcontinent Rift system at 1100 Ma. The rift fill consists of 20-30 km (7-10 s) of basalt flows, secondary syn-rift volcaniclastic and post-basalt sedimentary rock. Moho reflections recorded in Lake Superior over the Midcontinent Rift system have times from 14-18 s (about 46 km to as great as 58 km) in contrast to times of about 11-13 s (about 36-42 km crustal thickness) beneath the surrounding Great Lakes. The Seismically complex deep-crust to mantle transition zone (30-60 km) in north-central Lake Superior, which is 100 km wider than the rift half-graben, reflects the complicated products of tectonic and magmatic interaction of lower-crustal and mantle components during evolution or shutdown of the aborted Midcontinent Rift. In effect, mantle was changed into crust by lowering Seismic velocity (through intrusion of lower density magmatic rocks) and increasing Moho (about 8.1 km s-1 depth. 

Palaeogeographic evolution of the central segment of the South Atlantic during Early Cretaceous times: palaeotopographic and geodynamic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaboureau, A. C.; Guillocheau, F.; Robin, C.; Rohais, S.; Moulin, M.; Aslanian, D.

2012-04-01

The tectonic and sedimentary evolution of the Early Cretaceous rift of the central segment of the South Atlantic Ocean is debated. Our objective is to better constraint the timing of its evolution by drawing palaeogeographic and deformation maps. Eight palaeogeographic and deformations maps were drawn from the Berriasian to the Middle-Late Aptian, based on a biostratigraphic (ostracodes and pollens) chart recalibrated on absolute ages (chemostratigraphy, interstratified volcanics, Re-Os dating of the organic matter). The central segment of the South Atlantic is composed of two domains that have a different history in terms of deformation and palaeogeography. The southern domain includes Namibe, Santos and Campos Basins. The northern domain extends from Espirito Santo and North Kwanza Basins, in the South, to Sergipe-Alagoas and North Gabon Basins to the North. Extension started in the northern domain during Late Berriasian (Congo-Camamu Basin to Sergipe-Alagoas-North Gabon Basins) and migrated southward. At that time, the southern domain was not a subsiding domain. This is time of emplacement of the Parana-Etendeka Trapp (Late Hauterivian-Early Barremian). Extension started in this southern domain during Early Barremian. The brittle extensional period is shorter in the South (5-6 Ma, Barremian to base Aptian) than in the North (19 to 20 Myr, Upper Berriasian to Base Aptian). From Late Berriasian to base Aptian, the northern domain evolves from a deep lake with lateral highs to a shallower one, organic-rich with no more highs. The lake migrates southward in two steps, until Valanginian at the border between the northern and southern domains, until Early Barremian, North of Walvis Ridge. The Sag phase is of Middle to Late Aptian age. In the southern domain, the transition between the brittle rift and the sag phase is continuous. In the northern domain, this transition corresponds to a hiatus of Early to Middle Aptian age, possible period of mantle exhumation. Marine influences were clearly occurring since the Early Aptian in the Northern domain and the Campos Basin. They seem sharp, brief flooding coming from the North, i.e. from the Tethys-Central Atlantic, trough a seaway crossing South America from Sao Luis, Parnaiba, Araripe and Almada basins (Arai, 1989). In the absence of data, the importance of those marine flooding during the Middle Aptian in the Santos Basin is still discussed. Keywords: South Atlantic Ocean, Early Cretaceous, Rift, Palaeogeography, Geodynamic

Inhomogeneous Crustal Structure of the Rifting in the Okinawa Trough, a Backarc Basin West of Kyushu, Japan, Deduced from Seismic Reflection and Refraction Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishizawa, A.; Kaneda, K.; Oikawa, M.; Horiuchi, D.; Fujioka, Y.; Okada, C.

2017-12-01

Several depressions found under the thick sediments in the East China Sea shelf have been considered as failed rift basins. Their formation age becomes progressively younger from NW to SE and the youngest rift basin is the Okinawa Trough, an active backarc basin of the Ryukyu (Nansei-Shoto) arc-trench system, to the southwest of Kyusyu, Japan. Its rifting is in progress and related hydrothermal activity is present in the trough. The knowledge of the crustal structure of the trough is fundamental to understand the current active tectonics and predict the future of the trough. We, Japan Coast Guard, have conducted extensive seismic reflection and refraction surveys in the Ryukyu region since 2008 and compiled the seismic structures of the Okinawa Trough. We will show the crustal structures along seven along-trough and ten across-trough seismic survey lines. The P-wave velocity models beneath the Okinawa Trough generally show a thinned continental/island arc crust consisting of upper, middle, and lower crusts. Moho depths below the trough were estimated mainly from Moho reflection (PmP) travel times. The crustal thickness of the trough is thinner than those of the East China Sea shelf and of the Ryukyu Islands. The depth of the Moho below the trough decreases from over 30 km in the north to about 13 km in the south, indicating a difference in degree of the rifting process. The position of the shallowest Moho along the across-trough lines in the northern trough does not necessarily correspond to the center of the trough defined as the deepest water depth, but it corresponds to the transition area between the East China Sea shelf and the Okinawa Trough. An M7.1 earthquake occurred at the transition area on Nov. 14, 2015 (JST) and many aftershocks were observed along the transition. This seismic activity demonstrated that the area is under rifting tectonics in the present.

A Broadband Investigation of the Texas/Gulf of Mexico Passive Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evanzia, D.; Ainsworth, R.; Pratt, K. W.; Pulliam, J.; Gurrola, H.

2012-12-01

The lithosphere of central and east Texas underwent two cycles of continental rifting and orogeny from the formation of Laurentia and assembly through the breakup of Pangea. The craton itself, exposed in the Llano uplift of central Texas, formed ~1.4 Ga as part of the great expanse of Mesoproterozoic crust that makes up southern Laurentia. Some of this crust was deformed during the Grenville orogeny ~1.1 Ga. Southern Laurentia was subsequently stable until rifting began in Cambrian time (~530 Ma). Suturing of Gondwana to Laurentia (310-290 Ma) during the assembly of Pangea formed the Ouachita orogen in west Texas. Sometime before 200 Ma rifting was initiated, opening the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). In north and east Texas the Ouachita front lies north of GoM rifting but, according to deep seismic data, Ouachita structures appear to coincide with GoM rifting in south and central Texas. This suggests that rifting in that region occurred along structures that were weakened previously by Ouachita deformation and reactivated during the Jurassic opening of the GoM. It is not clear whether the process that created the Gulf of Mexico and led to the formation of Texas' Gulf Coast Plain (GCP) is best described as "active" or "passive" rifting. A recent study interpreted the GCP to be a volcanic rifted margin—an active rifting process—using available gravity, magnetic, drilling and geological data, but older studies describe the opening of the GoM as a passive event. In the coastal plain, a large magnetic anomaly suggests that the crust here was modified by volcanism. Seismic data are sparse and of limited quality in the Gulf Coast region so we conducted a 2.5-year broadband seismograph transect across the GCP in an effort to clarify its structure and origin. In all, twenty-three broadband seismographs were deployed in a line from Matagorda Island, in the Gulf of Mexico, to Johnson City, TX, on the uplifted Llano Plateau from July 2010 to December 2012. These seismographs have an average spacing of 15 km and coincided with the deployment of EarthScope Transportable Array stations in central and east Texas. We will present the results of P- and S-wave tomographic inversions for upper mantle structure beneath the array.

Crustal structure and extension mode in the northwestern margin of the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jinwei; Wu, Shiguo; McIntosh, Kirk; Mi, Lijun; Liu, Zheng; Spence, George

2016-06-01

Combining multi-channel seismic reflection and gravity modeling, this study has investigated the crustal structure of the northwestern South China Sea margin. These data constrain a hyper-extended crustal area bounded by basin-bounding faults corresponding to an aborted rift below the Xisha Trough with a subparallel fossil ridge in the adjacent Northwest Sub-basin. The thinnest crust is located in the Xisha Trough, where it is remnant lower crust with a thickness of less than 3 km. Gravity modeling also revealed a hyper-extended crust across the Xisha Trough. The postrift magmatism is well developed and more active in the Xisha Trough and farther southeast than on the northwestern continental margin of the South China Sea; and the magmatic intrusion/extrusion was relatively active during the rifting of Xisha Trough and the Northwest Sub-basin. A narrow continent-ocean transition zone with a width of ˜65 km bounded seaward by a volcanic buried seamount is characterized by crustal thinning, rift depression, low gravity anomaly and the termination of the break-up unconformity seismic reflection. The aborted rift near the continental margin means that there may be no obvious detachment fault like that in the Iberia-Newfoundland type margin. The symmetric rift, extreme hyper-extended continental crust and hotter mantle materials indicate that continental crust underwent stretching phase (pure-shear deformation), thinning phase and breakup followed by onset of seafloor spreading and the mantle-lithosphere may break up before crustal-necking in the northwestern South China Sea margin.

Crustal architecture and deep structure of the Namibian passive continental margin around Walvis Ridge from wide-angle seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrmann, Jan H.; Planert, Lars; Jokat, Wilfried; Ryberg, Trond; Bialas, Jörg; Jegen, Marion

2013-04-01

The opening of the South Atlantic ocean basin was accompanied by voluminous magmatism on the conjugate continental margins of Africa and South America, including the formation of the Parana and Entendeka large igneous provinces (LIP), the build-up of up to 100 km wide volcanic wedges characterized by seaward dipping reflector sequences (SDR), as well as the formation of paired hotspot tracks on the rifted African and South American plates, the Walvis Ridge and the Rio Grande Rise. The area is considered as type example for hotspot or plume-related continental break-up. However, SDR, and LIP-related features on land are concentrated south of the hotspot tracks. The segmentation of the margins offers a prime opportunity to study the magmatic signal in space and time, and investigate the interrelation with rift-related deformation. A globally significant question we address here is whether magmatism drives continental break-up, or whether even rifting accompanied by abundant magmatism is in response to crustal and lithospheric stretching governed by large-scale plate kinematics. In 2010/11, an amphibious set of wide-angle seismic data was acquired around the landfall of Walvis Ridge at the Namibian passive continental margin. The experiments were designed to provide crustal velocity information and to investigate the structure of the upper mantle. In particular, we aimed at identifying deep fault zones and variations in Moho depth, constrain the velocity signature of SDR sequences, as well as the extent of magmatic addition to the lower crust near the continent-ocean transition. Sediment cover down to the igneous basement was additionally constrained by reflection seismic data. Here, we present tomographic analysis of the seismic data of one long NNW oriented profile parallel to the continental margin across Walvis Ridge, and a second amphibious profile from the Angola Basin across Walvis Ridge and into the continental interior, crossing the area of the Etendeka Plateau basalts. The most striking feature is the sharp transition in crustal structure and thickness across the northern boundary of Walvis Ridge. Thin oceanic crust (6.5 km) of the Angola Basin lies next to the up to 35 km thick igneous crustal root founding the highest elevated northern portions of Walvis Ridge. Both structures are separated by a very large transform fault zone. The velocity structure of Walvis Ridge lower crust is indicative of gabbro, and, in the lowest parts, of cumulate sequences. On the southern side of Walvis Ridge there is a smooth gradation into the adjacent 25-30 km thick crust underlying the ocean-continent boundary, with a velocity structure resembling that of Walvis Ridge The second profile shows a sharp transition from oceanic to rifted continental crust. The transition zone may be underlain by hydrated uppermost mantle. Below the Etendeka Plateau, an extensive high-velocity body, likely representing gabbros and their cumulates at the base of the crust, indicates magmatic underplating. We summarize by stating that rift-related lithospheric stretching and associated transform faulting play an overriding role in locating magmatism, dividing the margin in a magmatic-dominated segment to the south, and an amagmatic segment north of Walvis Ridge.

New perspectives on the geometry of the Albuquerque Basin, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico: Insights from geophysical models of rift-fill thickness

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grauch, V. J.; Connell, Sean D.

2013-01-01

Discrepancies among previous models of the geometry of the Albuquerque Basin motivated us to develop a new model using a comprehensive approach. Capitalizing on a natural separation between the densities of mainly Neogene basin fill (Santa Fe Group) and those of older rocks, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) geophysical model of syn-rift basin-fill thickness that incorporates well data, seismic-reflection data, geologic cross sections, and other geophysical data in a constrained gravity inversion. Although the resulting model does not show structures directly, it elucidates important aspects of basin geometry. The main features are three, 3–5-km-deep, interconnected structural depressions, which increase in size, complexity, and segmentation from north to south: the Santo Domingo, Calabacillas, and Belen subbasins. The increase in segmentation and complexity may reflect a transition of the Rio Grande rift from well-defined structural depressions in the north to multiple, segmented basins within a broader region of crustal extension to the south. The modeled geometry of the subbasins and their connections differs from a widely accepted structural model based primarily on seismic-reflection interpretations. Key elements of the previous model are an east-tilted half-graben block on the north separated from a west-tilted half-graben block on the south by a southwest-trending, scissor-like transfer zone. Instead, we find multiple subbasins with predominantly easterly tilts for much of the Albuquerque Basin, a restricted region of westward tilting in the southwestern part of the basin, and a northwesterly trending antiform dividing subbasins in the center of the basin instead of a major scissor-like transfer zone. The overall eastward tilt indicated by the 3D geophysical model generally conforms to stratal tilts observed for the syn-rift succession, implying a prolonged eastward tilting of the basin during Miocene time. An extensive north-south synform in the central part of the Belen subbasin suggests a possible path for the ancestral Rio Grande during late Miocene or early Pliocene time. Variations in rift-fill thickness correspond to pre-rift structures in several places, suggesting that a better understanding of pre-rift history may shed light on debates about structural inheritance within the rift.

Rift Valley fever in Namibia, 2010.

PubMed

Monaco, Federica; Pinoni, Chiara; Cosseddu, Gian Mario; Khaiseb, Siegfried; Calistri, Paolo; Molini, Umberto; Bishi, Alec; Conte, Annamaria; Scacchia, Massimo; Lelli, Rossella

2013-12-01

During May-July 2010 in Namibia, outbreaks of Rift Valley fever were reported to the National Veterinary Service. Analysis of animal specimens confirmed virus circulation on 7 farms. Molecular characterization showed that all outbreaks were caused by a strain of Rift Valley fever virus closely related to virus strains responsible for outbreaks in South Africa during 2009-2010.

Geologic history of the summit of Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clague, David A.; Dreyer, Brian M; Paduan, Jennifer B; Martin, Julie F; Chadwick, William W Jr; Caress, David W; Portner, Ryan A; Guilderson, Thomas P.; McGann, Mary; Thomas, Hans; Butterfield, David A; Embley, Robert W

2013-01-01

Multibeam (1 m resolution) and side scan data collected from an autonomous underwater vehicle, and lava samples, radiocarbon-dated sediment cores, and observations of flow contacts collected by remotely operated vehicle were combined to reconstruct the geologic history and flow emplacement processes on Axial Seamount's summit and upper rift zones. The maps show 52 post-410 CE lava flows and 20 precaldera lava flows as old as 31.2 kyr, the inferred age of the caldera. Clastic deposits 1–2 m thick accumulated on the rims postcaldera. Between 31 ka and 410 CE, there are no known lava flows near the summit. The oldest postcaldera lava (410 CE) is a pillow cone SE of the caldera. Two flows erupted on the W rim between ∼800 and 1000 CE. From 1220 to 1300 CE, generally small eruptions of plagioclase phyric, depleted, mafic lava occurred in the central caldera and on the east rim. Larger post-1400 CE eruptions produced inflated lobate flows of aphyric, less-depleted, and less mafic lava on the upper rift zones and in the N and S caldera. All caldera floor lava flows, and most uppermost rift zone flows, postdate 1220 CE. Activity shifted from the central caldera to the upper S rift outside the caldera, to the N rift and caldera floor, and then to the S caldera and uppermost S rift, where two historical eruptions occurred in 1998 and 2011. The average recurrence interval deduced from the flows erupted over the last 800 years is statistically identical to the 13 year interval between historical eruptions.

Sedimentary record and structural analysis of the opening of the European Cenozoic Rift System: The case of the Upper Rhine Graben

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briais, Justine; Lasseur, Eric; Homberg, Catherine; Beccaletto, Laurent; Couëffé, Renaud; Bellahsen, Nicolas; Chateauneuf, Jean-Jacques

2017-04-01

The European Cenozoic Rift System (ECRIS) attests to an intracontinental rifting period attributed to the late Eocene-Oligocene period of time. The opening mechanisms of ECRIS still remain discussed, mainly because they took place during the regional compressive period related to the Africa-Eurasia convergence. Several geodynamic-related mechanisms are proposed, such as (1) a mantle activity, (2) an extension of the European plate related to the Alpine subduction (slab pull or slab roll-back), (3) a transtension related to strike slips induced by the Iberia-Eurasia and Apulia-Eurasia convergences. Our study discusses the mechanism for opening the Upper Rhine Graben (URG), located in the middle part of the ECRIS. Using reprocessed seismic lines and well data, we carried out a detailed sedimentary infilling analysis coupled with a structural study of the graben and its borders. As a result, three steps are identified for its tectonic evolution: (1) Lutetian-Bartonian: the first step of the opening is recorded by small lacustrine basins bounded by N060- and N010-020-trending inherited normal faults. These basins open either by transtension in a NS compressive context, or by NW-SE extension. (2) Priabonian-Rupelian: the subsidence occurs at a wider scale; the geographic extension of the basin is larger than the current borders of the URG. The structure is controlled essentially by N010-20-trending normal faults and by N060-trending transfer faults. Three structural blocks, bounded by N060-trending transfer faults, are identified from north to south. Each structural block displays an E-W sedimentary filling asymmetry. This period records an NW-SE extension. (3) Chattian-Miocene: the tectonic activity increases and a large-scale strike slip (sinistral) system takes place. This sinistral strike slip is contemporaneous with an uplift of the southern part of the URG and a rapid subsidence of its northern part. These events are related to compressive alpine constraints. During the syn-rift period, the tectonic activity and the amplitude of the vertical movements are low compared to those of the post-rift period. Finally, the NW-SE extension is in the same axis as the NW-SE compressive alpine constraints, likely indicating a direct relation with the alpine dynamic.

Crustal shear velocity structure in the Southern Lau Basin constrained by seafloor compliance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zha, Yang; Webb, Spahr C.

2016-05-01

Seafloor morphology and crustal structure vary significantly in the Lau back-arc basin, which contains regions of island arc formation, rifting, and seafloor spreading. We analyze seafloor compliance: deformation under long period ocean wave forcing, at 30 ocean bottom seismometers to constrain crustal shear wave velocity structure along and across the Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC). Velocity models obtained through Monte Carlo inversion of compliance data show systematic variation of crustal structure in the basin. Sediment thicknesses range from zero thickness at the ridge axis to 1400 m near the volcanic arc. Sediment thickness increases faster to the east than to the west of the ELSC, suggesting a more abundant source of sediment near the active arc volcanoes. Along the ELSC, upper crustal velocities increase from the south to the north where the ridge has migrated farther away from the volcanic arc front. Along the axial ELSC, compliance analysis did not detect a crustal low-velocity body, indicating less melt in the ELSC crustal accretion zone compared to the fast spreading East Pacific Rise. Average upper crust shear velocities for the older ELSC crust produced when the ridge was near the volcanic arc are 0.5-0.8 km/s slower than crust produced at the present-day northern ELSC, consistent with a more porous extrusive layer. Crust in the western Lau Basin, which although thought to have been produced through extension and rifting of old arc crust, is found to have upper crustal velocities similar to older oceanic crust produced at the ELSC.

Abrupt plate acceleration through oblique rifting: Geodynamic aspects of Gulf of California evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brune, S.

2016-12-01

The Gulf of California formed by oblique divergence across the Pacific-North America plate boundary. This presentation combines numerical forward modeling and plate tectonic reconstructions in order to address 2 important aspects of rift dynamics: (1) Plate motions during continental rifting are decisively controlled by the non-linear decay of rift strength. This conclusion is based on a recent plate-kinematic analysis of post-Pangea rift systems (Central Atlantic, South Atlantic, Iberia/Newfoundland, Australia/Antarctica, North Atlantic, South China Sea). In all cases, continental rifting starts with a slow phase followed by an abrupt acceleration within a few My introducing a fast rift phase. Numerical forward modeling with force boundary conditions shows that the two-phase velocity behavior and the rapid speed-up during rifting are intrinsic features of continental rupture that can be robustly inferred for different crust and mantle rheologies. (2) Rift strength depends on the obliquity of the rift system: the force required to maintain a given rift velocity can be computed from simple analytical and more realistic numerical models alike, and both modeling approaches demonstrate that less force is required to perpetuate oblique extension. The reason is that plastic yielding requires a smaller plate boundary force when extension is oblique to the rift trend. Comparing strike slip and pure extension end-member scenarios, it can be shown that about 50% less force is required to deform the lithosphere under strike-slip. This result implies that rift systems involving significant obliquity are mechanically preferred. These two aspects shed new light on the underlying geodynamic causes of Gulf of California rift history. Continental extension is thought to have started in Late Eocene/Oligocene times as part of the southern Basin and Range Province and evolved in a protracted history at low extension rate (≤15 mm/yr). However, with a direction change in Baja California microplate motion 13-6 My ago, plate divergence drastically increased its obliquity, which reduced the rifts mechanical resistance to extension. This effective loss of rift strength sparked an acceleration of the Gulf of California rift and ultimately enabled today's divergence velocities of more than 45 mm/yr.

EAGLE The controlled source experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maguire, P. K. H.; Eagle Controlled Source Group

2003-04-01

In January 2003, a wide-angle reflection / refraction seismic project was carried out over the north-eastern section of the Main Ethiopian Rift as part of the international EAGLE (Ethiopia Afar Geoscientific Lithospheric Experiment) programme. EAGLE comprises a combination of passive and controlled source seismic experiments to determine the geometry and kinematics of a continental rift immediately prior to break-up, enabling the development of magmatic margin break-up models. A total of ˜900 seismic instruments were deployed along two 450km profiles, one along the axis of the Ethiopian Rift into the south-west corner of Afar; and a second across the rift, extending north and south across the uplifted, flood basalt covered, Ethiopian plateau. The two profiles intersect over the Nazret volcanic segment in the rift. This may be indicative of the transition from continental style rifting in which strain is accommodated on the rift bounding border faults, to a state where strain and magmatism have migrated to a narrow zone within the rift, a necessary pre-cursor to break-up. A further ˜300 instruments were deployed in a 100x100km^2 array around the intersection of the two profiles. A total of 16 borehole and 2 lake shots were fired into the network over a period of four days. The principal objectives of the controlled source project were to examine crustal strain, the distribution of crustal magmatic intrusions, the influence of pre-rift crustal property variations on rift development and also to provide a crustal seismic velocity distribution to improve images of the deep mantle, as well as earthquake locations derived from the EAGLE passive arrays.

Long wavelength magnetic anomalies over continental rifts in cratonic region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, S. A.; Persaud, P.; Ferre, E. C.; Martín-Hernández, F.; Feinberg, J. M.

2017-12-01

New collections of unaltered mantle xenoliths shed light on potential upper mantle contributions to long wavelength magnetic anomalies (LWMA) in continental rifts in cratonic / shield areas. The new material originates from the East African Rift (Tanzania), the Rio Grande Rift (U.S.A.), the Rhine Rift (Germany), and the West Antarctic Rift (Antarctica). The xenoliths sample the uppermost (<80 km depth) lithospheric mantle in these regions in the spinel-peridotite and plagioclase-peridotite stability fields. The most common lithology by far (95% of samples) is a spinel-lherzolite indicating relatively low oxygen fugacities (FMQ -1). Chrome spinel in these peridotites is non-magnetic (Al + Mg > 0.2 or Fe < 0.3) and primary magnetite (Fe3O4) occurs only in trace amounts, typically yielding low natural remanent magnetizations (NRM < 10-2 A/m). The low Koenigsberger ratios (Qn < 1) of these materials, combined with high geotherms (>60ºC/km) that are characteristic of rifted regions preclude any contribution to LWMA at depths >10 km. Hence, only upper basalts and hypovolcanic mafic sills would constitute potential magnetic sources. In contrast, the margins of these rifted regions consist of refractory cratonic domains, often characterized by oxidized sublithospheric mantle that host significant concentrations of primary magnetite. The higher NRMs of these peridotites (up to 15 A/m, Qn > 2.5) combined with much lower geotherms (as low as 15ºC/km) allows for a 5 to 10 km layer of uppermost mantle to potentially contribute to LWMA. Assuming that Qn values in rift margins are also <1, the new data presented here suggests that relatively young rifts would display a central negative magnetic anomaly surrounded by two broad positive anomalies. The latitude of the rift is predicted to exert a primary control on the magnitude of such anomalies, while the steepness of the magnetic gradient across the rift would primarily reflect thermal equilibration over time.

High resolution 2D numerical models from rift to break-up: Crustal hyper-extension, Margin asymmetry, Sequential faulting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brune, Sascha; Heine, Christian; Pérez-Gussinyé, Marta; Sobolev, Stephan

2013-04-01

Numerical modelling is a powerful tool to integrate a multitude of geological and geophysical data while addressing fundamental questions of passive margin formation such as the occurrence of crustal hyper-extension, (a-)symmetries between conjugate margin pairs, and the sometimes significant structural differences between adjacent margin segments. This study utilises knowledge gathered from two key examples of non-magmatic, asymmetric, conjugate margin pairs, i.e. Iberia-New Foundland and Southern Africa-Brazil, where many published seismic lines provide solid knowledge on individual margin geometry. While both margins involve crustal hyper-extension, it is much more pronounced in the South Atlantic. We investigate the evolution of these two margin pairs by carefully constraining our models with detailed plate kinematic history, laboratory-based rheology, and melt fraction evaluation of mantle upwelling. Our experiments are consistent with observed fault patterns, crustal thickness, and basin stratigraphy. We conduct 2D thermomechanical rift models using the finite element code SLIM3D that operates with nonlinear stress- and temperature-dependent elasto-visco-plastic rheology, with parameters provided by laboratory experiments on major crustal and upper mantle rocks. In our models we also calculate the melt fraction within the upwelling asthenosphere, which allows us to control whether the model indeed corresponds to the non-magmatic margin type or not. Our modelling highlights two processes as fundamental for the formation of hyper-extension and margin asymmetry at non-magmatic margins: (1) Strain hardening in the rift center due to cooling of upwelling mantle material (2) The formation of a weak crustal domain adjacent to the rift center caused by localized viscous strain softening and heat transfer from the mantle. Simultaneous activity of both processes promotes lateral rift migration in a continuous way that generates a wide layer of hyper-extended crust on one side of the rift basin. This mechanism implies that syn-rift deformation at the distal margin postdates faulting at the proximal margin by several million years. The succession of events holds intriguing implications not only for peak heat flow migration but also for processes like serpentinization and magmatic underplating.

40Ar- 39Ar dating of detrital muscovite in provenance investigations: a case study from the Adelaide Rift Complex, South Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haines, Peter W.; Turner, Simon P.; Kelley, Simon P.; Wartho, Jo-Anne; Sherlock, Sarah C.

2004-11-01

Detrital zircon ages are commonly used to investigate sediment provenance and supply routes. Here, we explore the advantages of employing multiple, complimentary techniques via a case study of the Neoproterozoic and Cambrian of the Adelaide Rift Complex, South Australia. Detrital muscovite Ar-Ar ages are presented from stratigraphic units, or equivalents, that have previously been the subject of U-Pb detrital zircon dating, and, in some cases, whole-rock Sm-Nd isotope studies. The zircon age ranges and whole-rock Sm-Nd isotope data suggest that early Neoproterozoic sediments from near the base of the Adelaide Rift Complex comprise a mixture of detritus derived from the adjacent Gawler Craton (Palaeoproterozoic to earliest Mesoproterozoic) and overlying Gairdner flood basalts. In contrast, detrital muscovites from this level have a broad scatter of Mesoproterozoic infrared (IR) laser total fusion Ar-Ar ages, while UV laser traverses indicate that the age spread reflects partial resetting by multiple heating events, rather than a mixture of sources. Younger Neoproterozoic sediments document replacement of the Gawler Craton by the more distant Musgrave and/or Albany-Fraser Orogens as the main provenance. The Cambrian Kanmantoo Group marks an abrupt change in depositional style and a new sediment source. The Kanmantoo Group have older Nd model ages than underlying strata, yet are dominated by near to deposition-aged (˜500-650 Ma) detrital zircons and muscovites, suggesting rapid cooling and exhumation of a tectonically active provenance region. Although this source remains uncertain, evidence points towards the distant Pan-African orogenic belts. Deposition in the Adelaide Rift Complex was terminated in the late Early Cambrian by the Delamerian Orogeny, and the results of previous detrital mineral dating studies from the Lachlan Fold Belt to the east are consistent with at least partial derivation of these sediments from reworked upper Adelaide Rift Complex (Kanmantoo Group), rather than a continuation of sediment supply from the Kanmantoo Group sediment source. More broadly, the data suggest a close link between basin formation and orogen exhumation, and we also speculate that mantle plumes have played a significant role in crustal evolution at this Palaeo-Pacific margin of Gondwanaland, challenging the notion that subduction zones are the principle sites of crustal growth and sediment provenance.

Impact of rheological layering on rift asymmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaquet, Yoann; Schmalholz, Stefan M.; Duretz, Thibault

2015-04-01

Although numerous models of rift formation have been proposed, what triggers asymmetry of rifted margins remains unclear. Parametrized material softening is often employed to induce asymmetric fault patterns in numerical models. Here, we use thermo-mechanical finite element models that allow softening via thermal weakening. We investigate the importance of lithosphere rheology and mechanical layering on rift morphology. The numerical code is based on the MILAMIN solver and uses the Triangle mesh generator. Our model configuration consists of a visco-elasto-platic layered lithosphere comprising either (1) only one brittle-ductile transition (in the mantle) or (2) three brittle-ductile transitions (one in the upper crust, one in the lower crust and one in the mantle). We perform then two sets of simulations characterized by low and high extensional strain rates (5*10-15 s-1, 2*10-14 s-1). The results show that the extension of a lithosphere comprising only one brittle-ductile transition produces a symmetric 'neck' type rift. The upper and lower crusts are thinned until the lithospheric mantle is exhumed to the seafloor. A lithosphere containing three brittle-ductile transitions favors strain localization. Shear zones at different horizontal locations and generated in the brittle levels of the lithosphere get connected by the weak ductile layers. The results suggest that rheological layering of the lithosphere can be a reason for the generation of asymmetric rifting and subsequent rift morphology.

Structuring of The Jurassic Basin of Chott in Gabes region (Southern Tunisia) associated to the Liassic rifting from geophysical and well data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassine, Mouna; Abbes, Chedly; Azaiez, Hajer; Gabtni, Hakim; Bouzid, Wajih

2016-04-01

The graben system of El Hamma, west of Gabes in Tunisia, corresponds to a pull apart basin developed in an extensive relay zone between two principal shear corridors (PSC) with a dextral sliding of N110-120 average direction. These PSC corresponds to two segments of the south-Atlasic shear corridor of NW-SE direction, which extends from Chott El Hodna in Algeria, to the NW, to the Libyan Djeferra to the SE (M.Hassine and al., 2015; M.Hassine and al., work in progress). This work aims to define the basin structuring during the Jurassic, especially from the Upper Lias during the Liassic rifting. For this, we performed seismic, gravity and well data analysis. Several wells situated in this basin and on its edges, which totally or partly crossed the Jurassic series which were described by several authors (J. Bonnefous, 1972 ; M. Soussi, 2002, 2004). These series corresponds to the Nara formation (PF Burollet, 1956) elevated to a group rank by M. Soussi (2003). It consists of two carbonate units separated by a marl-carbonate and sandstone member, dated successively of lower Lias (Hettangian- lower Pliensbachian.), Toarcian to Callovian and Upper Callovian-Tithonian. The correlation of this Jurassic formations along a North-South transect shows, from the South to the North, a significant variation in facies and thickness of the Jurassic series especially from the Upper Lias. Two resistant moles appears to the Northern and Southern edges of the pull-apart basin of El Hamma. The trend reversal of the lateral evolution of this series take place on the border NW-SE faults of the basin (PSC). The analysis of several seismic lines calibrated to well data, reveals a differentiated structuring inside the pull-apart basin itself, associated on the one hand, to the play of the N160 and N130-140 direction fault network which structure the basin in horsts and grabens of second order ( M. Hassine and al., 2015); and on the other hand, to the rise of the upper Triassic evaporates either by intrusions along major faults or as domes. They are especially observed on the northern margin of the basin where they delimit subsiding mini-basins bordered by high zones. The Middle Jurassic seismic horizons are then billeted in these mini-basins where they show an aggradational and retrogradational onlaps between the gutters zones and the salt rise zones. The Upper carbonate term of the series, attributed to the Upper Callovian- Tithonian sealed in unconformity the entire system. This early salt migration, that seems to be associated to the Liassic extension, was already mentioned in the Central Atlas (Bedir M. and al., 2000; D. Tanfous and al., 2005) and along the north-south chain (C . Gourmelen, 1984; C. Abbes, 2004). The residual gravity anomaly map shows a complex gravity field. Negative anomalies of -7.2 to -3.2 mlGal coincide with the graben structures; while positive anomalies reaching 2.2 mlGal overlap with horst structures. Moreover, Euler solutions reveal only the deep faults sealed by the upper member Callovo- Tithonian of the series, preferentially oriented in a direction close to East-West.

Mantle Flow Across the Baikal Rift Constrained With Integrated Seismic Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebedev, S.; Meier, T.; van der Hilst, R. D.

2005-12-01

The Baikal Rift is located at the boundary of the stable Siberian Craton and deforming central Mongolia. The origin of the late Cenozoic rifting and volcanism are debated, as is the mantle flow beneath the rift zone. Here we combine new evidence from azimuthally-anisotropic upper-mantle tomography and from a radially-anisotropic inversion of interstation surface-wave dispersion curves with previously published shear-wave-splitting measurements of azimuthal anisotropy across the rift (Gao et al. 1994). While our tomographic model maps isotropic and anisotropic shear-velocity heterogeneity globally, the inversion of interstation phase-velocity measurements produces a single, radially-anisotropic, shear-velocity profile that averages from the rift to 500 km SE of it. The precision and the broad band (8-340 s) of the Rayleigh and Love wave curves ensures high accuracy of the profile. Tomography and shear-wave splitting both give a NW-SE fast direction (perpendicular to the rift) in the vicinity of the rift, changing towards W-E a few hundred kilometers from it. Previously, this has been interpreted as evidence for mantle flow similar to that beneath mid-ocean ridges, with deeper vertical flow directly beneath the rift also proposed. Our radially anisotropic profile, however, shows that while strong anisotropy with SH waves faster than SV waves is present in the thin lithosphere and upper asthenosphere beneath and SE of the rift, no anisotropy is required below 110 km. The tomographic model shows thick cratonic lithosphere north of the rift. These observations suggest that instead of a flow diverging from the rift axis in NW and SE directions, the most likely pattern is the asthenospheric flow in SE direction from beneath the Siberian lithosphere and across the rift. Possible driving forces of the flow are large-scale lithospheric deformation in East Asia and the draining of asthenosphere at W-Pacific subduction zones; a plume beneath the Siberian craton also cannot be ruled out. As shown for the model of subcontinental asthenospheric flow by Morgan and Morgan (2005), this mantle flow pattern can explain not only the rifting but also the basaltic volcanism observed in the Lake Baikal region.

Using Geological Implications of a Physical Libration to Constrain Enceladus' Libration State

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurford, T. A.; Bills, B. G.; Helfenstein, P.; Greenberg, R.; Hoppa, G. V.; Hamilton, D. P.

2009-01-01

Observations of Enceladus' south pole revealed large rifts in the crust, called "tiger stripes", which exhibit higher temperatures than the surrounding terrain and are likely sources of observed eruptions. Tidal stress may periodically open the tiger stripe rifts, controlling the timing and location of eruptions. Moreover, shear motion along rifts may produce the heat to drive eruptions.

Geologic map of the Latir Volcanic Field, and adjacent areas, northern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lipman, P.W.; Reed, J.C.

1989-01-01

Development of the Rio Grande Rift beginning at about 15 Ma was accompanied by development of the north-south trending normal faults along the western foot of the Taos Range. The rift is filled with thousands of meters of clastic sediments interleaved with basalt flows, some as young as 3.6 Ma. The bounding faults of the rift cut the Questa Caldera so that the western part of the original structure is now deeply buried beneath the rift fill.

Crustal structure of the Southern Rio Grande rift determined from seismic refraction profiling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sinno, Y. A.; Keller, G. R.; Harder, S. H.; Daggett, P. H.; Morgan, P.

1986-01-01

As part of a major cooperative seismic experiment, a series of seismic refraction profiles have been recorded in south-central New Mexico with the goal of determining the crustal structure in the southern Rio Grande rift. The data gathered greatly expand the seismic data base in the area, and consist of three interlocking regional profiles: a reversed E-W line across the rift, an unreversed N-S axial line, and an unreversed SW-SE line. The reversed E-W line shows no significant dip along the Moho (32 km thick crust) and a 7.7 km/s Pn velocity. Results from the N-S axial line and the NW-SE line indicate an apparent Pn velocity of 7.95 km/s and significant dip along the Moho with crustal thinning toward the south and southeast. When interpreted together, these data indicate a crustal thinning in the southern rift of 4-6 km with respect to the northern rift and the adjacent Basin and Range province, and establish the regional Pn velocity to be approximately 7.7 km/s. These results suggest that the Rio Grande rift can be identified as a crustal feature separate and distinct from the Basin and Range province.

The transition from diffuse to focused extension: Modeled evolution of the West Antarctic Rift system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huerta, Audrey D.; Harry, Dennis L.

2007-03-01

Two distinct stages of extension are recognized in the West Antarctic Rift system (WARS). During the first stage, beginning in the Late Cretaceous, extension was broadly distributed throughout much of West Antarctica. A second stage of extension in the late Paleogene was focused primarily in the Victoria Land Basin, near the boundary with the East Antarctic craton. The transition to focused extension was roughly coeval with volcanic activity and strike-slip faulting in the adjacent Transantarctic Mountains. This spatial and temporal correspondence suggests that the transition in extensional style could be the result of a change in plate motions or impingement of a plume. Here we use finite element models to study the processes and conditions responsible for the two-stage evolution of rifting in the WARS. Model results indicate that the transition from a prolonged period of broadly distributed extension to a later period of focused rifting did not require a change in the regional stress regime (changes in plate motion), or deep mantle thermal state (impingement of a plume). Instead, we attribute the transition from diffuse to focused extension to an early stage dominated by the initially weak accreted lithosphere of West Antarctica, and a later stage that concentrated around a secondary weakness located at the boundary between the juvenile West Antarctica lithosphere and Precambrian East Antarctic craton. The modeled transition in extension from the initially weak West Antarctica region to the secondary weakness at the West Antarctic-East Antarctic boundary is precipitated by strengthening of the West Antarctica lithosphere during syn-extensional thinning and cooling. The modeled syn-extensional strengthening of the WARS lithosphere promotes a wide-rift mode of extension between 105 and ˜ 65 Ma. By ˜ 65 Ma most of the extending WARS region becomes stronger than the area immediately adjacent to the East Antarctic craton and extension becomes concentrated near the East Antarctic/West Antarctic boundary, forming the Victoria Land Basin region. Mantle necking in this region leads to syn-extensional weakening that promotes a narrow-rift mode of extension that becomes progressively more focused with time, resulting in formation of the Terror Rift in the western Victoria Land Basin. The geodynamic models demonstrate that the transition from diffuse to focused extension occurs only under a limited set of initial and boundary conditions, and is particularly sensitive to the pre-rift thermal state of the crust and upper mantle. Models that predict diffuse extension in West Antarctica followed by localization of rifting near the boundary between East and West Antarctica require upper mantle temperatures of 730 ± 50 °C and sufficient concentration of heat producing elements in the crust to account for ˜ 50% of the upper mantle temperature. Models with upper mantle temperatures < ca. 680 °C and/or less crustal heat production initially undergo diffuse extension in West Antarctica, and quickly develop a lithospheric neck at the model edge furthest from East Antarctica. Models with upper mantle temperatures > ca. 780 °C do not develop focused rifts, and predict indefinite diffuse extension in West Antarctica.

Early evolution of the southern margin of the Neuquén Basin, Argentina: Tectono-stratigraphic implications for rift evolution and exploration of hydrocarbon plays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Elia, Leandro; Bilmes, Andrés; Franzese, Juan R.; Veiga, Gonzalo D.; Hernández, Mariano; Muravchik, Martín

2015-12-01

Long-lived rift basins are characterized by a complex structural and tectonic evolution. They present significant lateral and vertical stratigraphic variations that determine diverse basin-patterns at different timing, scale and location. These issues cause difficulties to establish facies models, correlations and stratal stacking patterns of the fault-related stratigraphy, specially when exploration of hydrocarbon plays proceeds on the subsurface of a basin. The present case study corresponds to the rift-successions of the Neuquén Basin. This basin formed in response to continental extension that took place at the western margin of Gondwana during the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic. A tectono-stratigraphic analysis of the initial successions of the southern part of the Neuquén Basin was carried out. Three syn-rift sequences were determined. These syn-rift sequences were located in different extensional depocentres during the rifting phases. The specific periods of rifting show distinctly different structural and stratigraphic styles: from non-volcanic to volcanic successions and/or from continental to marine sedimentation. The results were compared with surface and subsurface interpretations performed for other depocentres of the basin, devising an integrated rifting scheme for the whole basin. The more accepted tectono-stratigraphic scheme that assumes the deposits of the first marine transgression (Cuyo Cycle) as indicative of the onset of a post-rift phase is reconsidered. In the southern part of the basin, the marine deposits (lower Cuyo Cycle) were integrated into the syn-rift phase, implying the existence of different tectonic signatures for Cuyo Cycle along the basin. The rift climax becomes younger from north to south along the basin. The post-rift initiation followed the diachronic ending of the main syn-rift phase throughout the Neuquén Basin. Thus, initiation of the post-rift stage started in the north and proceeded towards the south, constituting a diachronous post-rift event. This arrangement implies that the lower part of Cuyo Cycle, traditionally related to regional thermal subsidence, may be deposited during either mechanical subsidence or thermal subsidence according to its position within the basin.

Insights into Rift Initiation, Evolution, and Failure from North America's Midcontinent Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, C. A.; Stein, S.; Elling, R. P.; Keller, G. R.; Kley, J.; Wysession, M. E.

2017-12-01

Recent studies of the Midcontinent Rift (MCR) near Lake Superior give insights into how some rifts start, evolve, and fail because the rift-filling volcanic and sedimentary rocks are exposed at the surface and well imaged by deep seismic reflection and gravity data. The MCR was traditionally considered to have formed by midplate extension and volcanism 1.1 Ga that ended due to compression from the Grenville orogeny, the 1.3 - 0.98 Ga assembly of Amazonia (Precambrian northeast South America), Laurentia (Precambrian North America), and other continents into the supercontinent of Rodinia. We find that a more plausible scenario is that the MCR formed as part of the rifting of Amazonia from Laurentia and became inactive once seafloor spreading was established. A cusp in Laurentia's apparent polar wander path just before the onset of MCR volcanism likely reflects the rifting. Such cusps have been observed elsewhere when continents separate and a new ocean forms between the two fragments. New analyses also find that the MCR's failure did not result from Grenville compression. This view is consistent with the observation that many intracontinental rifts form and fail as part of plate boundary reorganizations. Present-day continental extension in the East African Rift and seafloor spreading in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden form a classic three-arm rift geometry as Africa splits into Nubia, Somalia, and Arabia. The West Central African Rift system formed during the Mesozoic breakup of Africa and South America and became inactive once full seafloor spreading was established on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. An important feature of the MCR is that it is has aspects both of a continental rift - a segmented linear depression filled with sedimentary and igneous rocks - and a large igneous province (LIP). We view it as a LIP deposited in crust weakened by rifting, and thus first a rift and then a LIP. The MCR exhibits many key features of volcanic passive margins: seaward dipping reflectors, volcanic rocks yielding magnetic anomalies landward of the oldest spreading anomalies, and a high-velocity lower crustal body. Hence the MCR can be treated as a rift that failed just short of forming a passive margin.

Rio Grande rift evolution and accommodation mechanisms as revealed through low-temperature thermochronometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbey, A. L.; Niemi, N. A.

2017-12-01

Low-temperature thermochronometry in the Rio Grande rift (RGR) in CO and NM, USA, allows for quantification of exhumation magnitudes and rates across the rift and reveals insights into rift basin segmentation and symmetry as well as the timing of extensional fault initiation and dominant mechanisms for rift accommodation. We combine new apatite helium (AHe) and zircon helium (ZHe) thermochronologic data with previously published AHe and apatite fission track (AFT) data to compile 17 vertical transects, each consisting of at least four samples, spanning more than >800 km along the RGR axis. Inverse thermal modeling (QTQt; Gallagher, 2012) of these vertical transects and compilation of bimodal rift related volcanism highlight transfer regions that separate several asymmetric basins with opposing fault dip directions. The Tularosa, Jornada and Albuquerque basins, in the southern RGR show extension initiation ca. 15 Ma with 3-4 km of exhumation accommodated on east dipping faults. Northward, the Española basin, a transfer zone of several strike slip, oblique-slip and smaller normal faults, does not record significant exhumation since the early Cenozoic. In the north-central part of the rift data from the San Luis Basin reveals 3-5 km of exhumation on west dipping faults began 20-15 Ma. East dipping faults in the upper Arkansas and Blue River grabens represent the northern extent of the rift and accommodate 3-5 km of exhumation beginning 15-10 Ma. RGR extension and magmatism initiation is commonly cited at 28 Ma (Tweto, 1979) however, our low-temperature thermochronometry modeling indicates that the majority of upper crustal extension initiated somewhat synchronously 15 Ma along the entire length of the rift. Rift related volcanism increased significantly in volume at 15 Ma, as well, but the locus of this volcanism is the Jemez lineament rather than the rift axis. As a result rifting within the RGR appears to be accommodated primarily by extensional faulting, with the exception of the central part of the rift (Española Basin) where the rift intersects the Jemez lineament. Widespread pre-rift thermochronometric ages in the Española Basin suggest that rifting in the central RGR is accommodated by, non-tectonic processes, most-likely magmatism.

Serological surveillance studies confirm the Rift Valley fever virus free status in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun Joo; Park, Jee-Yong; Jeoung, Hye-Young; Yeh, Jung-Yong; Cho, Yun-Sang; Choi, Jeong-Soo; Lee, Ji-Youn; Cho, In-Soo; Yoo, Han-Sang

2015-10-01

Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease of domestic ruminants. This disease causes abortions in pregnant animals, and it has a high mortality rate in newborn animals. Recently, a Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) outbreak in the Arabian Peninsula increased its potential spread to new regions worldwide. In non-endemic or disease-free countries, early detection and surveillance are important for preventing the introduction of RVFV. In this study, a serological surveillance was conducted to detect antibodies against RVFV. A total of 2382 serum samples from goats and cattle were randomly collected from nine areas in South Korea from 2011 to 2013. These samples were tested for antibodies against RVFV, using commercial ELISA kits. None of the goats and cattle were positive for antibodies against RVFV. This finding suggests that this disease is not present in South Korea, and furthermore presents the evidence of the RVFV-free status of this country.

Distributed deformation ahead of the Cocos-Nazca Rift at the Galapagos triple junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Deborah K.; Schouten, Hans; Zhu, Wen-lu; Montési, Laurent G. J.; Cann, Johnson R.

2011-11-01

The Galapagos triple junction is not a simple ridge-ridge-ridge (RRR) triple junction. The Cocos-Nazca Rift (C-N Rift) tip does not meet the East Pacific Rise (EPR). Instead, two secondary rifts form the link: Incipient Rift at 2°40‧N and Dietz Deep volcanic ridge, the southern boundary of the Galapagos microplate (GMP), at 1°10‧N. Recently collected bathymetry data are used to investigate the regional tectonics prior to the establishment of the GMP (∼1.5 Ma). South of C-N Rift a band of northeast-trending cracks cuts EPR-generated abyssal hills. It is a mirror image of a band of cracks previously identified north of C-N Rift on the same age crust. In both areas, the western ends of the cracks terminate against intact abyssal hills suggesting that each crack initiated at the EPR spreading center and cut eastward into pre-existing topography. Each crack formed a short-lived triple junction until it was abandoned and a new crack and triple junction initiated nearby. Between 2.5 and 1.5 Ma, the pattern of cracking is remarkably symmetric about C-N Rift providing support for a crack interaction model in which crack initiation at the EPR axis is controlled by stresses associated with the tip of the westward-propagating C-N Rift. The model also shows that offsets of the EPR axis may explain times when cracking is not symmetric. South of C-N Rift, cracks are observed on seafloor as old as 10.5 Ma suggesting that this triple junction has not been a simple RRR triple junction during that time.

A bottom-driven mechanism for distributed faulting: Insights from the Gulf of California Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persaud, P.; Tan, E.; Choi, E.; Contreras, J.; Lavier, L. L.

2017-12-01

The Gulf of California is a young oblique rift that displays a variation in rifting style along strike. Despite the rapid localization of strain in the Gulf at 6 Ma, the northern rift segment has the characteristics of a wide rift, with broadly distributed extensional strain and small gradients in topography and crustal thinning. Observations of active faulting in the continent-ocean transition of the Northern Gulf show multiple oblique-slip faults distributed in a 200 x 70 km2area developed some time after a westward relocation of the plate boundary at 2 Ma. In contrast, north and south of this broad pull-apart structure, major transform faults accommodate Pacific-North America plate motion. Here we propose that the mechanism for distributed brittle deformation results from the boundary conditions present in the Northern Gulf, where basal shear is distributed between the Cerro Prieto strike-slip fault (southernmost fault of the San Andreas fault system) and the Ballenas Transform fault. We hypothesize that in oblique-extensional settings whether deformation is partitioned in a few dip-slip and strike-slip faults, or in numerous oblique-slip faults may depend on (1) bottom-driven, distributed extension and shear deformation of the lower crust or upper mantle, and (2) the rift obliquity. To test this idea, we explore the effects of bottom-driven shear on the deformation of a brittle elastic-plastic layer with pseudo-three dimensional numerical models that include side forces. Strain localization results when the basal shear is a step-function while oblique-slip on numerous faults dominates when basal shear is distributed. We further investigate how the style of faulting varies with obliquity and demonstrate that the style of faulting observed in the Northern Gulf of California is reproduced in models with an obliquity of 0.7 and distributed basal shear boundary conditions, consistent with the interpreted obliquity and boundary conditions of the study area. Our findings motivate a suite of 3D models of the early plate boundary evolution in the Gulf, and highlight the importance of local stress field perturbations as a mechanism for broadening the deformation zone in other regions such as the Basin and Range, Rio Grande Rift and Malawi Rift.

Voluminous lava flow from Axial Seamount's south rift constrains extension rate on northern Vance Segment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Saout, M.; Clague, D. A.; Paduan, J. B.

2017-12-01

Axial Seamount is characterized by a robust magma supply resulting from the interaction between the Cobb hotspot and the Juan de Fuca Ridge. During the last two decades, magmatic activity was focused within the summit caldera and upper and middle portions of the two rift zones, with eruptions in 1998, 2011, and 2015. However, the distal ends of both rift zones have experienced numerous eruptions in the past. The most voluminous flows are located near the extreme ends, greater than 40 kilometers from the caldera. Where Axial's South Rift Zone overlaps with the Vance Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, the 2015 MBARI expedition mapped 16 km2 of the seafloor with our AUV, and collected 33 rocks and 33 sediment cores during two ROV dives. The data were used to confirm the boundaries of an extensive flow tentatively identified using modern ship based bathymetry. This flow is 18 km wide and 6 km long for a total surface area of 63 km2. The flow is modified by superficial ( 5 m deep) and deep (25 to 45 m deep) subsidence pits, with the deepest pits giving an indication of the minimum thickness of the flow. The maximum thickness of 100 m is measured at the margins of the flow. We thus estimate a volume between 2.5 and 6 km3, making this flow the most voluminous known on the global mid ocean ridge system. The minimum volume is equivalent to the present volume of the summit caldera. Radiocarbon ages of foraminifera from the basal sections of sediment cores suggest that this flow is 1000 years old. This flow travelled east and partially filled the axial valley of the adjacent Vance Segment. Since emplacement, this part of the flow has experienced deformation by fissures and faults aligned with the trend of the Vance Segment. The horizontal extension across these features allows us to estimate a local deformation rate of 3 cm/yr of tectonic extension on the northern end of Vance Segment during the last 1000 years.

Geology and physiography of the continental margin north of Alaska and implications for the origin of the Canada Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grantz, Arthur; Eittreim, Stephen L.; Whitney, O.T.

1979-01-01

The continental margin north of Alaska is of Atlantic type. It began to form probably in Early Jurassic time but possibly in middle Early Cretaceous time, when the oceanic Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean is thought to have opened by rifting about a pole of rotation near the Mackenzie Delta. Offsets of the rift along two fracture zones are thought to have divided the Alaskan margin into three sectors of contrasting structure and stratigraphy. In the Barter Island sector on the east and the Chukchi sector on the west the rift was closer to the present northern Alaska mainland than in the Barrow sector, which lies between them. In the Barter Island and Chukchi sectors the continental shelf is underlain by prisms of clastic sedimentary rocks that are inferred to include thick sections of Jurassic and Neocomian (lower Lower Cretaceous) strata of southern provenance. In the intervening Barrow sector the shelf is underlain by relatively thin sections of Jurassic and Neocomian strata derived from northern sources that now lie beneath the outer continental shelf. The rifted continental margin is overlain by a prograded prism of Albian (upper Lower Cretaceous) to Tertiary clastic sedimentary rocks that comprises the continental terrace of the western Beaufort and northern Chukchi Seas. On the south the prism is bounded by Barrow arch, which is a hingeline between the northward-tilted basement surface beneath the continental shelf of the western Beaufort Sea and the southward-tilted Arctic Platform of northern Alaska. The Arctic platform is overlain by shelf clastic and carbonate strata of Mississippian to Cretaceous age, and by Jurassic and Cretaceous clastic strata of the Colville foredeep. Both the Arctic platform and Colville foredeep sequences extend from northern Alaska beneath the northern Chukchi Sea. At Herald fault zone in the central Chukchi Sea they are overthrust by more strongly deformed Cretaceous to Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of Herald arch, which trends northwest from Cape Lisburne. Hope basin, an extensional intracontinental sedimentary basin of Tertiary age, underlies the Chukchi Sea south of Herald arch.

Seismic anisotropy of the lithosphere/asthenosphere system beneath the Rwenzori region of the Albertine Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homuth, B.; Löbl, U.; Batte, A. G.; Link, K.; Kasereka, C. M.; Rümpker, G.

2016-09-01

Shear-wave splitting measurements from local and teleseismic earthquakes are used to investigate the seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle beneath the Rwenzori region of the East African Rift system. At most stations, shear-wave splitting parameters obtained from individual earthquakes exhibit only minor variations with backazimuth. We therefore employ a joint inversion of SKS waveforms to derive hypothetical one-layer parameters. The corresponding fast polarizations are generally rift parallel and the average delay time is about 1 s. Shear phases from local events within the crust are characterized by an average delay time of 0.04 s. Delay times from local mantle earthquakes are in the range of 0.2 s. This observation suggests that the dominant source region for seismic anisotropy beneath the rift is located within the mantle. We use finite-frequency waveform modeling to test different models of anisotropy within the lithosphere/asthenosphere system of the rift. The results show that the rift-parallel fast polarizations are consistent with horizontal transverse isotropy (HTI anisotropy) caused by rift-parallel magmatic intrusions or lenses located within the lithospheric mantle—as it would be expected during the early stages of continental rifting. Furthermore, the short-scale spatial variations in the fast polarizations observed in the southern part of the study area can be explained by effects due to sedimentary basins of low isotropic velocity in combination with a shift in the orientation of anisotropic fabrics in the upper mantle. A uniform anisotropic layer in relation to large-scale asthenospheric mantle flow is less consistent with the observed splitting parameters.

Geologic Map of the Albuquerque 30' x 60' Quadrangle, North-Central New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Paul L.; Cole, James C.

2007-01-01

The Albuquerque 30' x 60' quadrangle spans the Rio Grande rift between the Colorado Plateau and Great Plains geologic provinces, and includes parts of the Basin and Range and Southern Rocky Mountain physiographic provinces. Geologic units exposed in the quadrangle range in age from Early Proterozoic schist and granite to modern river alluvium. The principal geologic features of the area, however, chiefly reflect contractional folding and thrusting of the Late Cretaceous Laramide orogeny and the Neogene extension of the Rio Grande rift. Significant parts of the history of the rift in this region are displayed and documented by the geology exposed in the Albuquerque quadrangle. Post-Laramide erosion, beginning at about 60 Ma, is recorded by the Diamond Tail and Galisteo Formations (upper Paleocene and Eocene) that are preserved in the Hagan Basin and around the uplifted margins of the younger Rio Grande rift. Intermediate volcaniclastic deposits of the Espinaso Formation (upper Eocene and Oligocene) were shed in and around the contemporaneous volcanic-intrusive complexes of the Ortiz porphyry belt in the northeastern part of the quadrangle. The earliest fluvial sediments attributed to extension in the Rio Grande rift in this area are the Tanos and Blackshare Formations (upper Oligocene and Miocene) in the Hagan Basin, which indicate extension was underway by 25 Ma. Farther west, the oldest rift-filling sediments are eolian sand and interdune silty deposits of the Zia Formation (lower to middle Miocene). Major extension occurred during the Miocene, but subsidence and sedimentation were highly irregular from place to place. Parts of three rift sub-basins are known within the Albuquerque quadrangle, each basin locally as deep as about 14,000 ft, separated by less-extended zones (structural horsts) where the rift fill is much thinner. The geometry of these early, deep rift sub-basins suggests the primary extension direction was oriented northeast-southwest. Significant local folding and uplift within the complex rift seems to have occurred in the late Miocene, accompanied by erosion and recycling of earlier rift-fill sediments. This deformation may reflect clockwise reorientation of the primary extension direction to its Pliocene and current east-west alignment. Late Miocene and early Pliocene uplift and erosion were widespread in the region, as indicated by channeled and local angular unconformities at the bases of all Pliocene units, especially prominent along basin margins. These Pliocene fluvial and alluvial deposits (Ceja and Ancha Formations and Tuerto Gravel) and the upper part of the Cochiti Formation are all conspicuously coarser grained than the Miocene beds they cover, particularly near source areas along the margins of the rift. These observations together indicate that the regional streams flowed at much greater discharge than the Miocene streams and that the Pliocene onset of cooler, wetter climate worldwide was the most likely cause. Despite these higher discharge conditions, it appears there was no Pliocene trunk stream through the rift valley because the youngest Pliocene beds in the basin center are largely fine grained sand, pebbly sand, and sandy silt. No Pliocene cobble-gravel deposits, or thick crossbed sets indicative of major stream discharge, have been documented in the basin center. Considerable evidence indicates significant erosion began in late Pliocene time, coincident with and following eruption of abundant basalt from several local centers at about 2.7-2.6 Ma. The onset of central valley erosion marks the initiation of the first through-flowing, high-energy trunk stream (the 'ancestral' Rio Grande), which most likely was caused by integration of drainage southward through the Socorro region. No upper Pliocene fluvial deposits have been identified in the valley center; rather, a significant unconformity separates beds with medial (or earliest late) Blancan fauna (older than about 2.2 Ma) from

Crustal structure across the Brunswick Magnetic Anomaly in Southern Georgia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizarralde, D.; Shillington, D. J.; Harder, S. H.

2017-12-01

We will present results from Line 3 of the SUGAR experiment, a seismic refraction profile crossing the Brunswick Magnetic Anomaly (BMA) in southern Georgia. The BMA is a prominent, long-wavelength magnetic low that runs along the shelf offshore South Carolina and Georgia, turns inland near Brunswick and extends WNW toward Columbus GA. The source and significance of the BMA remain central elements of hypotheses for the construction of the SE U.S. continental lithosphere, including scenarios where the BMA marks the location of the Alleghany suture, where it represents a pre-existing suture within a peri-Gondwanan accreted terrane, and where the anomaly is related to Mesozoic rift-related tectono/magmatic processes. Deep-crustal reflectivity observed in multi-channel seismic images across the BMA proximal to the Laurentian margin near Columbus GA promoted the hypothesis that the BMA marks the location of the Alleghany suture. Results from an offshore refraction profile across the BMA along the Georgia shelf revealed a continuous, stratified, 4-km-thick layer in the upper crust beneath the post-rift unconformity with Vp=5.8 km/s interpreted as an undeformed Paleozoic metasedimentary section, inconsistent with an Alleghany suture, but also found an abrupt transition in mid-crustal velocity (6.18 north to 6.4 km/s south of BMA), consistent with preferential emplacement of Mesozoic magmatic additions or perhaps a pre-Alleghany suture. Line 3 of the SUGAR experiment is a relatively high-resolution crustal refraction line that included 11 shots and 700 seismic stations along a 110-km-long profile crossing normal to the BMA near Jesup GA. Preliminary results from Line 3 are similar to what is found offshore, with upper crustal velocities transitioning from 6.0 to 6.3 km/s across the BMA from N to S, with modest structural disruption related to the Kibbee Basin at the northern end of the line. These results are thus generally consistent with the ancient-suture hypothesis, though there is no corollary to the 5.8 km/s layer observed offshore. Further analyses will reveal upper-crustal structure in greater detail and also provide information on Moho structure across the BMA.

Thinning Mechanism of the South China Sea Crust: New Insight from the Deep Crustal Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, S. P.; Pubellier, M. F.; Delescluse, M.; Qiu, Y.; Liang, Y.; Chamot-Rooke, N. R. A.; Nie, X.; Wang, J.

2017-12-01

The passive margin in the South China Sea (SCS) has experienced a long-lived extension period from Paleocene to late Miocene, as well as an extreme stretching which implies an unusual fault system to accommodate the whole amount of extension. Previous interpretations of the fault system need to be revised to explain the amount of strain. We study a long multichannel seismic profile crossing the whole rifted margin in the southwest of SCS, using 6 km- and 8 km-long streamers. After de-multiple processing by SRME, Radon and F-K filtering, an enhanced image of the crustal geometry, especially on the deep crust, allows us to illustrate two levels of detachment at depth. The deeper detachment is around 7-8 sec TWT in the profile. The faults rooting at this detachment are characterized by large offset and are responsible for thicker synrift sediment. A few of these faults appear to reach the Moho. The geometry of the acoustic basement between these boundary faults suggests gentle tilting with a long wavelength ( 200km), and implies some internal deformation. The shallower detachment is located around 4-5 sec TWT. The faults rooting at this detachment represent smaller offset, a shorter wavelength of the basement and thinner packages of synrift sediment. Two detachments separate the crust into upper, middle and lower crust. If the lower crust shows ductile behavior, the upper and middle crust is mostly brittle and form large wavelength boudinage structure, and the internal deformation of the boudins might imply low friction detachments at shallower levels. The faults rooting to deep detachment have activated during the whole rifting period until the breakup. Within the upper and middle crust, the faults resulted in important tilting of the basement at shallow depth, and connect to the deep detachment at some places. The crustal geometry illustrates how the two detachments are important for the thinning process, and also constitute a pathway for the following magmatic activity from the mantle to the surface.

The MOZART Project - MOZAmbique Rift Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonseca, J. F.; Chamussa, J. R.; Domingues, A.; Helffrich, G. R.; Fishwick, S.; Ferreira, A. M.; Custodio, S.; Brisbourne, A. M.; Grobbelaar, M.

2012-12-01

Project MOZART (MOZAmbique Rift Tomography) is an ongoing joint effort of Portuguese, Mozambican and British research groups to investigate the geological structure and current tectonic activity of the southernmost tip of the East African Rift System (EARS) through the deployment of a network of 30 broad band seismic stations in Central and Southern Mozambique. In contrast with other stretches of the EARS to the North and with the Kapvaal craton to the West and South, the lithosphere of Mozambique was not previously studied with a dense seismographic deployment on account of past political instability, and many questions remain unanswered with respect to the location and characteristics of the EARS to the south of Tanzania. In recent years, space geodesy revealed the existence of three microplates in and off Mozambique - Victoria, Rovuma, Lwandle - whose borders provide a connection of the EARS to the South West Indian Ridge as required by plate tectonics. However, the picture is still coarse concerning the location of the rift structures. The 2006 M7 Machaze earthquake in Central Mozambique highlighted the current tectonic activity of the region and added a further clue to the location of the continental rift, prompting the MOZART deployment. Besides helping unravel the current tectonics, the project is expected to shed light on the poorly known Mesoproterozoic structure described by Arthur Holmes in 1951 as the Mozambique Belt, and on the mechanisms of transition from stable craton to rifted continental crust, through the development of a tomographic model for the lithosphere. The MOZART network is distributed South of the Zambezi river at average inter-station spaces of the order of 100 km and includes four stations across the border in South Africa. Data exchange was agreed with AfricaArray. The deployment proceeded in two phases in March 2011, and November and December 2011. Decommissioning is foreseen for August 2013. We report preliminary results for this previously unexplored region concerning the seismicity and ambient noise (see also Domingues et al, this conference), receiver function analysis, surface wave dispersion and SEM forward modelling. These preliminary results will pave the way for a tomographic model of the lithosphere, to be developed in the next stage of the project.

Along-strike variation in deformation style inferred from kinematic reconstruction and strain rate analysis: A case study of the Ethiopian Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muluneh, Ameha A.; Cuffaro, Marco; Kidane, Tesfaye

2017-09-01

In this paper we combine kinematic reconstruction and seismic strain rate analysis to understand the along-strike variation in strain accommodation in the Ethiopian Rift (ER) evolution. The reconstruction poles close the southern and central ER at 19 and 15 Myr, respectively whereas there is 34 ± 14 km overlap in the northern ER at 11 Myr. Using Kostrov summation, seismic strain rates of 6.81 ×10-9 yr-1 and 0.06 × 10-9 yr-1 are obtained for the south-central and northern ER, respectively. Comparison of the seismic and geodetic strain rates shows that seismic deformation dominates the south and central ER contrary to the northern ER that deforms aseismically. The results obtained indicate that Nubia/Somalia plate reconstructions together with information on the onset of rifting overestimate the kinematics of the northern ER. We argue that magmatic processes play significant role in accommodating the ∼ 2 Myr opening of the rift. Our findings agree well with previous geophysical and geological studies in the Ethiopian Rift.

Extension style in the Orphan Basin during the Mesozoic North Atlantic rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouiza, Mohamed; Hall, Jeremy

2013-04-01

The Orphan Basin, lying along the Newfoundland passive continental margin, has formed in Mesozoic time during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean and the breakup of Iberia/Eurasia from North America. Regional deep seismic reflection profiles across the basin indicate that the Neoproterozoic basement has been affected by repeated extensional episodes between the Late Triassic/Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous. Deformation initiated in the eastern part of the Orphan basin in the Jurassic and migrated toward the west in the Early Cretaceous, resulting in numerous rift structures filled with Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous syn-rift successions and sealed by thick Upper Cretaceous-Cenozoic post-rift sediments. The seismic data show an extremely attenuated crust underneath the eastern and western part of the deep basin, forming two sub-basins associated with the development of rifting. The two sub-basins are separated by a wide structural high with a relatively thick crust and are bounded to the west by the continental shelf domain. Restoration of the Orphan Basin along a 2D crustal section (520 km long), yields a total amount of stretching of about 144 km, while the total crustal thinning indicates an extension of around 250 km, assuming mass conservation along the section and an initial crustal thickness of 28 km. Brittle deformation accommodated by normal faults is documented in the seismic profiles and affected essentially the present-day upper portion of the crust, and represents only 60% of the total extension which thinned the Orphan crust. The remaining crustal thinning must involve other deformation processes which are not (easily) recognizable in the seismic data. We propose two models that could explain discrepancies between brittle deformation and total crustal thinning during lithospheric extension. The first model assumes the reactivation of pre-rift inherited structures, which act as crustal-scale detachments during the early stages of rifting. The second model uses depth-dependent extension of a 20 km thick crust characterized by a strong upper crust and a weak lower crust. Both models raise secondary issues that are discussed around the order of rifting events and the original crustal thickness.

Structure and Evolution of Hawaii's Loihi Seamount from High-resolution Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clague, D. A.; Paduan, J. B.; Moyer, C. L.; Glazer, B. T.; Caress, D. W.; Yoerger, D.; Kaiser, C. L.

2016-12-01

Loihi Seamount has been mapped repeatedly using shipboard multibeam sonars with improving resolution over time. Simrad EM302 data with 25m resolution at the 950m summit and 90m at the 5000m base of the volcano were collected from Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falkor in 2014. A contracted multibeam survey in 1997 employing a deep-towed vehicle has 7m resolution for the summit and upper north and south rift zones, but suffered from poor navigation. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's AUV Sentry surveyed most of the summit and low-T hydrothermal vents on the base of the south rift in 2013 and 2014. The 2m resolution of most data is more precise than the navigation. The 6 summit surveys were reprocessed using MB-System to remove abundant bad bottom picks and adjust the navigation to produce a spatially accurate map. The 3 summit pits, including Pele's Pit that formed in 1996, are complex collapse structures and nested inside a larger caldera that was modified by large landslides on the east and west summit flanks. The pits cut low shields that once formed a complex of overlapping summit shields, similar to Kilauea before the current caldera formed 1500 to 1790 CE. An 11m section of ash deposits crops out on the east rim of the summit along a caldera-bounding fault and is analogous to Kilauea where the caldera-bounding faults expose ash erupted as the present caldera formed. Most of the Loihi ash section is 3300 to 5880 yr BP, indicating that the larger caldera structure at Loihi is younger than 3300 yr BP. The landslides on the east and west edges of the summit are therefore younger 3300 yr BP. The uppermost south rift has several small pit craters between cones and pillow ridges, also analogous to Kilauea. Two cones near the deep low-T vents are steep pillow mounds with slopes of talus. High-resolution mapping reveals, for the first time, the many similarities between the structure and evolution of submarine Loihi Seamount and subaerial Kilauea Volcano.

Three-dimensional Seismic Survey of the Continental-Ocean Transition Zone of the Northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, M.; Wang, Q.; Sibuet, J. C.; Sun, L.; Sun, Z.; Qiu, X.

2017-12-01

The South China Sea (SCS) is one of the largest marginal seas in the western Pacific, which has experienced extension, rifting, breakup, post-spreading magmatism on its northern margin during the Cenozoic era. The complexity of this margin is exacerbated by rifting and seafloor spreading processes, which developed at the expenses of the subducting proto-South China Sea. Based on Sun et al. (2014, 2016) proposals, 6 sites were drilled on the northern SCS margin from February to June 2017, during IODP Expeditions 367/368. The preliminary results indicate that the width of the COT is about 20 km and is different from the typical magma-poor Iberia margin whose width is around 100 km. The combination of three-dimensional (3D) Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS) refractive survey with IODP drilling results, will improve the drilling achievement and greatly contribute to the understanding of the specific mechanism of rifting and breakup processes of the northern SCS. In particular, it is expected to constrain: 1) the nature of the crust in the COT, 2) the degree of serpentinization of the upper mantle beneath the COT, and 3) the 3D extension of the COT, the oceanic crust and the serpentinized mantle. We firstly carry out the resolution tests and calculate the interval of OBSs using a ray tracing and travel time modelling software. 7-km interval between OBSs is the optimal interval for the resolution tests and ray coverage, which will provide optimal constraints for the characterization of the 20-km wide COT. The 3D seismic survey will be carried out in 2018. The design of the OBSs arrangement and the location of shooting lines are extremely important. At present, we propose 5 main profiles and 14 shooting lines along the multi-channel seismic lines already acquired in the vicinity of the 6 drilling sites. Any comments and suggestions concerning the OBSs arrangement will be appreciated. This work is supported by the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (contracts 91428204, 41576070 and 41176053). Key words: Continental-ocean transition zone (COT); 3D refraction survey; IODP Expeditions 367/368; nature of crust.

Seismic evidence for a crustal magma reservoir beneath the upper east rift zoneof Kilauea volcano, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lin, Guoqing; Amelung, Falk; Lavallee, Yan; Okubo, Paul G.

2014-01-01

An anomalous body with low Vp (compressional wave velocity), low Vs (shear wave velocity), and high Vp/Vs anomalies is observed at 8–11 km depth beneath the upper east rift zone of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii by simultaneous inversion of seismic velocity structure and earthquake locations. We interpret this body to be a crustal magma reservoir beneath the volcanic pile, similar to those widely recognized beneath mid-ocean ridge volcanoes. Combined seismic velocity and petrophysical models suggest the presence of 10% melt in a cumulate magma mush. This reservoir could have supplied the magma that intruded into the deep section of the east rift zone and caused its rapid expansion following the 1975 M7.2 Kalapana earthquake.

Upper mantle Q and thermal structure beneath Tanzania, East Africa from teleseismic P wave spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkataraman, Anupama; Nyblade, Andrew A.; Ritsema, Jeroen

2004-08-01

We measure P wave spectral amplitude ratios from deep-focus earthquakes recorded at broadband seismic stations of the Tanzania network to estimate regional variation of sublithospheric mantle attenuation beneath the Tanzania craton and the eastern branch of the East African Rift. One-dimensional profiles of QP adequately explain the systematic variation of P wave attenuation in the sublithospheric upper mantle: QP ~ 175 beneath the cratonic lithosphere, while it is ~ 80 beneath the rifted lithosphere. By combining the QP values and a model of P wave velocity perturbations, we estimate that the temperature beneath the rifted lithosphere (100-400 km depth) is 140-280 K higher than ambient mantle temperatures, consistent with the observation that the 410 km discontinuity in this region is depressed by 30-40 km.

Volcanism at Rifts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Robert S.; McKenzie, Dan P.

1989-01-01

Investigates the nature of catastrophic volcanism and the rifting process. Describes two kinds of evidence: quantitative descriptions of rock melting and a wide range of observations. Discusses examples of continent growth in the North Atlantic, India and the Seychelles islands, and the South Atlantic. (YP)

The effects of thick sediment upon continental breakup: seismic imaging and thermal modeling of the Salton Trough, southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, L.; Hole, J. A.; Lowell, R. P.; Stock, J. M.; Fuis, G. S.; Driscoll, N. W.; Kell, A. M.; Kent, G. M.; Harding, A. J.; Gonzalez-Fernandez, A.; Lázaro-Mancilla, O.

2015-12-01

Continental rifting ultimately creates a deep accommodation space for sediment. When a major river flows into a late-stage rift, thick deltaic sediment can change the thermal regime and alter the mechanisms of extension and continental breakup. The Salton Trough, the northernmost rift segment of the Gulf of California plate boundary, has experienced the same extension as the rest of the Gulf, but is filled to sea level by sediment from the Colorado River. Unlike the southern Gulf, seafloor spreading has not initiated. Instead, seismicity, high heat flow, and minor volcanoes attest to ongoing rifting of thin, transitional crust. Recently acquired controlled-source seismic refraction and wide-angle reflection data in the Salton Trough provide constraints upon crustal architecture and active rift processes. The crust in the central Salton Trough is only 17-18 km thick, with a strongly layered but relatively one-dimensional structure for ~100 km in the direction of plate motion. The upper crust includes 2-4 km of Colorado River sediment. Crystalline rock below the sediment is interpreted to be similar sediment metamorphosed by the high heat flow and geothermal activity. Meta-sediment extends to at least 9 km depth. A 4-5 km thick layer in the middle crust is either additional meta-sediment or stretched pre-existing continental crust. The lowermost 4-5 km of the crust is rift-related mafic magmatic intrusion or underplating from partial melting in the hot upper mantle. North American lithosphere in the Salton Trough has been almost or completely rifted apart. The gap has been filled by ~100 km of new transitional crust created by magmatism from below and sedimentation from above. These processes create strong lithologic, thermal, and rheologic layering. While heat flow in the rift is very high, rapid sedimentation cools the upper crust as compared to a linear geotherm. Brittle extension occurs within new meta-sedimentary rock. The lower crust, in comparison, is maintained hot and weak by the overlying sedimentary thermal blanket. The lower crust stretches by ductile flow and magmatism is not localized. In this passive rift driven by distant plate motions, rapid sedimentation and its thermal effects delay final breakup of the crust and the onset of seafloor spreading.

Regional tectonic framework of the Pranhita Godavari basin, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, S. K.

2003-03-01

The Pranhita-Godavari Gondwana rift (PGR) has a co-genetic relationship with Permo-Triassic reactivation of the Narmada-Son Geofracture (NSG). The Satpura Gondwana basin represents the terminal depocentre against the NSG, which restricted the northwestward propagation of the PGR. The NE-SW tensional stress responsible for the NW-SE trending PGR could not propagate beyond the ramp formed by uplift along the NSG and transformed kinetically into an ENE directed horizontal shear along the NSG, inducing large scale strike-slip movements. The latter dynamics were responsible for ENE extension of the Satpura rift as a pull-apart basin. The PGR extends up to the present east coast of India, where it is apparently terminated by the NE-SW trending Bapatla ridge along the Eastern Ghat Rift (EGR). The subsurface data, however, shows that the PGR extends across the Bapatla ridge and continues beneath the Cretaceous-Tertiary sediments of the Krishna-Godavari basin (KG) in the EGR. Thus, the Permo-Triassic PGR appears to have continued in the Indo-Antarctic plate before the Cretaceous break up. The EGR, during break up of the continents, cuts across the PGR and the KG basin was superimposed on it. The PGR site is located on a paleo-suture between the Dharwar and Bastar proto-cratons. The master faults developed bordering the rift, and the intra-rift higher order faults followed the pre-existing fabric. The transverse transfer zones manifested as basement ridges, divide the rift into segments of tectono-sedimentary domains. The major domains are the Chintalapudi, Godavari, and Chandrapur sub-basins, each of which subsided differentially. The central Godavari sub-basin subsided most and shows maximum structural complexity and sediment accommodation. The rifting started with initial half-graben faulting along the northeastern master fault and expanded by successive half graben faulting. This gave rise to intra-basinal horsts and grabens, which exercised control on the syn-rift sedimentation. The southeastern boundary fault developed as a strike-slip fault in response to plate rotation and the rift expansion was constrained by it.The basin fill sediments were deposited during two rifting events—Early Permian to (?) Early Jurassic Lower Gondwana rifting, and Early Cretaceous Upper Gondwana rifting. The Lower Gondwana sedimentation started with a pre-rift crustal sagging over the rift site and was filled by glaciogenic Talchir sediments. This was followed by syn-rift-fluvial sedimentation in repeating cycles during the early to late rift stages. Early Cretaceous Chikiala and Gangapur sediments were deposited during the Upper Gondwana rifting. The fluvial cycles were tectonically controlled during each rift stage. The absence of igneous intrusions indicates that the PGR is a passive rift in contrast to the rifts developed in the NSG zone.

Incorporating Cutting Edge Scientific Results from the Margins-Geoprisms Program into the Undergraduate Curriculum, Rupturing Continental Lithosphere Part I: Introducing Seismic Interpretation and Isostasy Principles Using Gulf of California Examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamb, M. A.; Cashman, S. M.; Dorsey, R. J.; Bennett, S. E. K.; Loveless, J. P.; Goodliffe, A. M.

2014-12-01

The NSF-MARGINS Program funded a decade of research on continental margin processes. The NSF-GeoPRISMS Mini-lesson Project, funded by NSF-TUES, is designed to integrate the significant findings from the MARGINS program into open-source college-level curriculum. The Gulf of California (GOC) served as the focus site for the Rupturing Continental Lithosphere initiative, which addressed several scientific questions: What forces drive rift initiation, localization, propagation and evolution? How does deformation vary in time and space, and why? How does crust evolve, physically and chemically, as rifting proceeds to sea-floor spreading? What is the role of sedimentation and magmatism in continental extension? We developed two weeks of curriculum designed for an upper-division structural geology, tectonics or geophysics course. The curriculum includes lectures, labs, and in-class activities that can be used as a whole or individually. The first set of materials introduces the RCL initiative to students and has them analyze the bathymetry and oblique-rifting geometry of the GOC in an exercise using GeoMapApp. The second set of materials has two goals: (1) introduce students to fundamental concepts of interpreting seismic reflection data via lectures and in-class interpretation of strata, basement, and faults from recent GOC seismic data, and (2) encourage students to discover the structural geometry and rift evolution, including the east-to-west progression of faulting and transition from detachment to high-angle faulting in the northern GOC, and changes in deformation style from north to south. In the third set of materials, students investigate isostatic affects of sediment fill in GOC oblique rift basins. This activity consists of a problem set, introduced in a lecture, where students integrate their findings from the previous bathymetry- and seismic-interpretation exercises.

Plate Speed-up and Deceleration during Continental Rifting: Insights from Global 2D Mantle Convection Models.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brune, S.; Ulvrova, M.; Williams, S.

2017-12-01

The surface of the Earth is divided into a jigsaw of tectonic plates, some carrrying continents that disperse and aggregate through time, forming transient supercontinents like Pangea and Rodinia. Here, we study continental rifting using large-scale numerical simulations with self-consistent evolution of plate boundaries, where continental break-up emerges spontaneously due to slab pull, basal drag and trench suction forces.We use the StagYY convection code employing a visco-plastic rheology in a spherical annulus geometry. We consider an incompressible mantle under the Boussinesq approximation that is basally and internally heated.We show that continental separation follows a characteristic evolution with three distinctive phases: (1) A pre-rift phase that typically lasts for several hundreds of millions of years with tectonic quiescence in the suture and extensional stresses that are slowly building up. (2) A rift phase that further divides into a slow rift period of several tens of millions of years where stresses continuously increase followed by a rift acceleration period featuring an abrupt stress drop within several millions of years. The speed-up takes place before lithospheric break-up and therefore affects the structural architecture of the rifted margins. (3) The drifting phase with initially high divergence rates persists over tens of millions of years until the system adjust to new conditions and the spreading typically slows down.By illustrating the geodynamic connection between subduction dynamics and rift evolution, our results allow new interpretations of plate tectonic reconstructions. Rift acceleration within the second phase of rifting is compensated by enhanced convergence rates at subduction zones. This model outcome predicts enhanced subduction velocities, e.g. between North America and the Farallon plate during Central Atlantic rifting 200 My ago, or closure of potential back-arc basins such as in the proto-Andean ranges of South America during South Atlantic opening. Post-rift deceleration occurs when the global plate system re-equilibrates after continental rupture. This phenomenon of a plate slow-down after mechanical rupture is recorded by observations from rifted margins between Australia-Antarctica and Greenland-Eurasia.

Tectonic framework of northeast Egypt and its bearing on hydrocarbon exploration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khalil, M.; Moustafa, A.R.

1995-08-01

Detailed structural study of northern and central Sinai, the northern Eastern Desert, and the northern Gulf of Suez clarified the tectonic framework of northeast Egypt. This framework is related to the movements between the African Plate and the Eurasian and Arabian Plates. Late Cretaceous folding and thrusting in response to oblique convergence between the African and Eurasian Plates formed NE-ENE oriented, doubly plunging, en echelon folds of the northern Egypt fold belt. This fold belt is well exposed in northern Sinai and a few other places but is concealed under younger sediments in the other parts of northern Egypt. Youngermore » folding of local importance is related to dextral slip on the Themed Fault (Central Sinai) in post Middle Eocene-pre Miocene time. Early Miocene rifting of the Afro-Arabian Plate led to the opening of the Suez rift and deposition of significant syn-rift facies. Half grabens and tilted fault blocks dominate the rift. Slightly tilted fault blocks characterize the competent Middle Eocene limestones of the Eastern Desert south of the Cairo-Suez road but north of this road, Middle Eocene rocks are locally dragged on nearby E-W and NW-SE oriented faults forming fault-drag folds. Ductile Upper Eocene and Miocene rocks are also folded about gentle NW-SE oriented doubly plunging folds. The different stages of tectonic activity in northern Egypt contributed to the development of different types of structural traps as well as different source, reservoir, and cap rocks. The sedimentary history of the region indicates well developed marine sediments of Jurassic, Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene ages. Basin development in structurally low areas provided good sites for hydrocarbon generation and maturation.« less

Istopically Defined Source Reservoirs of Primitive Magmas in the East African Rift.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rooney, T. O.; Furman, T.; Hanan, B.

2005-12-01

Extension within the East African Rift is a function of the interaction between plume-driven uplift and far-field stresses associated with plate tectonic processes. Geochemical and isotopic investigation of primitive basalts from the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) reveals systematic spatial variations in the contributions from distinct and identifiable source reservoirs that, in turn help identify the mechanisms by which along-axis rifting has progressed. The Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic characteristics of MER basalts can be described by a three-component mixing model involving the long-lived Afar plume, a depleted mantle component similar to the source region for Gulf of Aden MORB from east of 48° E and a reservoir that is likely lithospheric (sub-continental mantle lithosphere, magmatic underplate or lower crust). Quaternary basalts in the central MER exhibit a systematic decrease in plume influence southward from 9.5° N to 8° N, i.e., away from the modern surface expression of the Afar plume in Djibouti and Erta 'Ale. The composition of the Afar plume component is comparable to the "C" mantle reservoir. This southward decrease in plume influence is coupled with an increase in the influence of the lithospheric and depleted mantle components. Linear arrays observed within Pb-Pb isotopic space at each eruptive center require distinctive ratio of lithospheric + depleted mantle components mixing with variable amounts of the "C"-like plume component. This isotopic evidence suggests the depleted mantle and lithosphere mixed prior to the generation of the recent magmas. To the south, the Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions of Turkana (Kenya) rift basalts record a mix of a similar "C"-like plume component and a fourth HIMU-like source component. Low 3He/4He values observed in the HIMU-dominated lavas from Turkana contrast with the higher ratios found in basalts associated with the "C"-like Afar plume. Further analysis of "C"-HIMU lavas at Turkana is required to fully constrain the He isotopic signatures. Thus, along-axis patterns in Quaternary EARS magmatism are compatible with two "C"-like plumes with contributions from the upper mantle and chemically distinct lithospheric components. Alternatively, a single "C"-like plume can account for these relationships. In the single plume scenario, the HIMU source component present in the 30 Ma Turkana lavas may represent melting of metasomatised lithosphere, derived from the accretion of island-arc-backarc basins during Pan-African events (e.g. Schilling et al., 1992). The recent plume-dominated activity in Turkana and Afar are separated by a region characterized by waning plume influence and a greater contribution from the depleted mantle. This intermediate zone, which is located in the south-central MER represents the modern site of contact between the northward propagating Kenya / Turkana Rift and the southward propagating Afar Rift zone.

The crustal structure of the southern Argentine margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Katharina; Franke, Dieter; Schnabel, Michael; Schreckenberger, Bernd; Heyde, Ingo; Krawczyk, Charlotte M.

2012-06-01

Multichannel reflection seismic profiles, combined with gravimetric and magnetic data provide insight into the crustal structure of the southernmost Argentine margin, at the transition from a rifted to a transform margin and outline the extent of the North Falkland Graben. Based on these data, we establish a regional stratigraphic model for the post-rift sediments, comprising six marker horizons with a new formation in the Barremian/Lower Cretaceous. Our observations support that a N-S trending subsidiary branch of the North Falkland Graben continues along the continental shelf and slope to the Argentine basin. During the rift phase, a wide shelf area was affected by the E-W extension, subsequently forming the North Falkland Graben and the subsidiary branch along which finally breakup occurred. We propose the division of the margin in two segments: a N-S trending rifted margin and an E-W trending transform margin. This is further underpinned by crustal scale gravity modelling. Three different tectono-dynamic processes shaped the study area. (1) The Triassic/Early Jurassic extensional phase resulting in the formation of the North Falkland Graben and additional narrower rift grabens ended synchronously with the breakup of the South Atlantic in the early Valanginian. (2) Extensional phase related to the opening of the South Atlantic. (3) The transform margin was active in the study area from about Hauterivian times and activity lasted until late Cretaceous/early Cenozoic. Both, the rifted margin and the transform margin are magma-poor. Very limited structures may have a volcanic origin but are suggested to be post-rift. The oceanic crust was found to be unusually thin, indicating a deficit in magma supply during formation. These findings in combination with the proposed breakup age in the early Valanginian that considerably predates the formation of the Paraná-Etendeka continental flood basalt provinces in Brazil and Namibia question the influence of the Tristan da Cunha hotspot during the initial formation of the South Atlantic.

Numerical models for continental break-up: Implications for the South Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beniest, A.; Koptev, A.; Burov, E.

2017-03-01

We propose a mechanism that explains in one unified framework the presence of continental break-up features such as failed rift arms and high-velocity and high-density bodies that occur along the South Atlantic rifted continental margins. We used 2D and 3D numerical models to investigate the impact of thermo-rheological structure of the continental lithosphere and initial plume position on continental rifting and break-up processes. 2D experiments show that break-up can be 1) "central", mantle plume-induced and directly located above the centre of the mantle anomaly, 2) "shifted", mantle plume-induced and 50 to 200 km shifted from the initial plume location or 3) "distant", self-induced due to convection and/or slab-subduction/delamination and 300 to 800 km off-set from the original plume location. With a 3D, perfectly symmetrical and laterally homogeneous setup, the location of continental break-up can be shifted hundreds of kilometres from the initial position of the mantle anomaly. We demonstrate that in case of shifted or distant continental break-up with respect to the original plume location, multiple features can be explained. Its deep-seated source can remain below the continent at one or both sides of the newly-formed ocean. This mantle material, glued underneath the margins at lower crustal levels, resembles the geometry and location of high velocity/high density bodies observed along the South Atlantic conjugate margins. Impingement of vertically up-welled plume material on the base of the lithosphere results in pre-break-up topography variations that are located just above this initial anomaly impingement. This can be interpreted as aborted rift features that are also observed along the rifted margins. When extension continues after continental break-up, high strain rates can relocalize. This relocation has been so far attributed to rift jumps. Most importantly, this study shows that there is not one, single rift mode for plume-induced crustal break-up.

Comparison of Antarctic Crustal Thickness from Gravity Inversion and Seismology: Evidence for Mantle Dynamic Uplift under Marie Byrd Land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraccioli, F.; Kusznir, N. J.; Jordan, T. A.

2017-12-01

Using gravity anomaly inversion, we produce comprehensive regional maps of crustal thickness and oceanic lithosphere distribution for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Antarctic crustal thicknesses derived from gravity inversion are compared with seismic estimates from Baranov (2011) and An et al. (2015). We determine Moho depth, crustal basement thickness, continental lithosphere thinning (1-1/) and ocean-continent transition location using a 3D spectral domain gravity inversion method, which incorporates a lithosphere thermal gravity anomaly correction (Chappell & Kusznir 2008). Data used in the gravity inversion are elevation and bathymetry, free-air gravity anomaly, the Bedmap 2 ice thickness and bedrock topography compilation south of 60 degrees south and relatively sparse constraints on sediment thickness. Our gravity inversion study predicts thick crust (> 45 km) under interior East Antarctica, which is penetrated by narrow continental rifts featuring relatively thinner crust. The largest crustal thicknesses predicted from gravity inversion lie in the region of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, and are consistent with seismic estimates. The East Antarctic Rift System (EARS), a major Permian to Cretaceous age rift system, is imaged by our inversion and appears to extend from the continental margin at the Lambert Rift (LR) to the South Pole region, a distance of 2500 km. Thin crust is predicted under the Ross Sea and beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and delineates the regional extent of the broad West Antarctic Rift System (WARS). Substantial regional uplift is required under Marie Byrd Land to reconcile gravity and seismic estimates. A mantle dynamic uplift origin of the uplift is preferred to a thermal anomaly from a very young rift. The new crustal thickness map produced by this gravity inversion study support the hypothesis that one branch of the WARS links through to the De Gerlache sea-mounts (DG) and Peter I Island (PI) in the Bellingshausen Sea region, while another branch may link to the George V Sound Rift in the Antarctic Peninsula region.

Contrasting modes of rifting: The Benue Trough and Cameroon Volcanic Line, West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okereke, C. S.

1988-08-01

The Benue trough of west Africa is commonly believed to be a rift feature that originated in the Cretaceous at about the time that Africa and South America began to separate. Bouguer gravity and available geological data in the trough indicate that its formation was probably the result of regional horizontal stresses in the lithosphere, causing crustal extension and surface subsidence. By contrast, the data for the adjoining Cameroon volcanic line suggests that the associated tensional stresses relate to mantle upwarp causing thinning of the lithosphere and regional crustal uplift similar to that associated with the Kenya rift. Thus the association of passive and active rifts seen in the Afro-Arabia rift system is also a feature of the Cretaceous rift system in west Africa.

The source rock potential of the Karroo coals of the south western Rift Basin of Tanzania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mpanju, F.; Ntomola, S.; Kagya, M.

For many years geoscientists believed that coals (Type III Kerogen) generate gas only. The geochemical study of Durand and Parrante ( Petrolum Geochemistry and Exploration of Europe, pp. 255-265, 1983) revealed that coals have reasonable potential for oil generation. On this basis forty outcrop samples of Lower and Upper Permian age, i.e. coals and carbonaceous shales, were collected from the south western Rift Basin of Tanzania. The aim of the study was to determine the richness, type, maturity and hydrocarbon potential of the above samples. These samples were subjected to both geochemical and petrological analyses. Geochemical analyses included solvent extraction, TOC, GC, GC-MS and pyrolysis. The petrological analysis included vitrinite reflectance, spore fluorescence and maceral content. The geochemical analyses showed all samples to be rich in organic matter of Types II and III and samples from Songwe Kiwira, Namwele, Mbamba Bay, Njuga and Mhukuru coalfields were in an early mature-mature stage of hydrocarbon generation. Whereas samples from Ketewaka and Ngaka coalfields showed a GC-trace of early generated waxy oil. All samples contained organic matter derived from terrestrial material which was deposited under oxic environment. The Hydrogen Index of most coals and carbonaceous shales was greater than 200 indicating that they can generate oil or light oil. Petrological observations showed all samples to be in the range of 0.47-0.67% Ro and some of them were rich in both liptinite and vitrinite macerals. From both geochemical and petrological observations it was concluded that the Lower and Upper Permian coals and carbonaceous shales under study are probably capable of generating oil. The oil generated has the same characteristics as that generated by Cretaceous and Tertiary coals discovered from other parts of the world, i.e. Adjuna and Kutei Basins in Indonesia and the Gippsland Basin in Australia (Kirkland et al., AAPG Bull.71, 577, 1987).

Crustal Deformation In the Northwestern Margin of the South China Sea: Results From Wide-angle Seismic Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, H.; Klingelhoefer, F.

2017-12-01

The South China Sea (SCS) has undergone episodic spreading during the Cenozoic Era. The long-term extension has shaped the continental margins of the SCS, leading to a progressive breakup of the lithosphere. Separated blocks and rift troughs, as controlled by tectonic stretching, contains key information about the deforming mechanism of the crust. In this work, we present a P-wave velocity model of a wide-angle seismic profile OBS2013-1 which passes through the NW margin of the SCS. Modeling of 25 ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) data revealed a detailed crustal structure and shallow complexities along the profile (Figure 1). The crust thins symmetrically across the Xisha Trough, from more than 20 km on flanks to 10 km in the central valley where the sediments thickens over 5 km; A volcano is situated on top of the centre basement high where the Moho drops slightly. At the distal margin around the Zhongsha Trough, the upper crust was detached and accordingly made the middle crust exhumed in a narrow area ( 20 km wide). Meanwhile, materials from the lower crust rises asymmetrically, increasing the crustal velocity by 0.3 km/s and may also giving rise to volcanisms along the hanging side. A 40 km wide hyper-stretched crust (with thickness of 5 km) was identified next to the Zhongsha Trough and covered by overflowing magma and post-rift sediments on the top. These observations argue for a depth-related and asymmetrically extension of the crust, including (1) detachment fault controls the deformation of the upper crust, leading to exhumation of the middle crust and asymmetrically rising of the lower crust, (2) The region adjacent to the exhumation region and with highly thinned crust can be considered as extinct OCT due to magma-starved supplying.

The Sagatu Ridge dike swarm, Ethiopian rift margin. [tectonic evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohr, P. A.; Potter, E. C.

1976-01-01

A swarm of dikes forms the core of the Sagatu Ridge, a 70-km-long topographic feature elevated to more than 4000 m above sea level and 1500 m above the level of the Eastern (Somalian) plateau. The ridge trends NNE and lies about 50 km east of the northeasterly trending rift-valley margin. Intrusion of the dikes and buildup of the flood-lava pile, largely hawaiitic but with trachyte preponderant in the final stages, occurred during the late Pliocene-early Pleistocene and may have been contemporaneous with downwarping of the protorift trough to the west. The ensuing faulting that formed the present rift margin, however, bypassed the ridge. The peculiar situation and orientation of the Sagatu Ridge, and its temporary existence as a line of crustal extension and voluminous magmatism, are considered related to a powerful structural control by a major line of Precambrian crustal weakness, well exposed further south. Transverse rift structures of unknown type appear to have limited the development of the ridge to the north and south.

Deep magma body beneath the summit and rift zones of kilauea volcano, hawaii.

PubMed

Delaney, P T; Fiske, R S; Miklius, A; Okamura, A T; Sako, M K

1990-03-16

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake in 1975 caused the south flank of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, to move seaward in response to slippage along a deep fault. Since then, a large part of the volcano's edifice has been adjusting to this perturbation. The summit of Kilauea extended at a rate of 0.26 meter per year until 1983, the south flank uplifted more than 0.5 meter, and the axes of both the volcano's rift zones extended and subsided; the summit continues to subside. These ground-surface motions have been remarkably steady and much more widespread than those caused by either recurrent inflation and deflation of the summit magma chamber or the episodic propagation of dikes into the rift zones. Kilauea's magmatic system is, therefore, probably deeper and more extensive than previously thought; the summit and both rift zones may be underlain by a thick, near vertical dike-like magma system at a depth of 3 to 9 kilometers.

Deep magma body beneath the summit and rift zones of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delaney, P.T.; Fiske, R.S.; Miklius, Asta; Okamura, A.T.; Sako, M.K.

1990-01-01

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake in 1975 caused the south flank of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, to move seaward in response to slippage along a deep fault. Since then, a large part of the volcano's edifice has been adjusting to this perturbation. The summit of Kilauea extended at a rate of 0.26 meter per year until 1983, the south flank uplifted more than 0.5 meter, and the axes of both the volcano's rift zones extended and subsided; the summit continues to subside. These ground-surface motions have been remarkably steady and much more widespread than those caused by either recurrent inflation and deflation of the summit magma chamber or the episodic propagation of dikes into the rift zones. Kilauea's magmatic system is, therefore, probably deeper and more extensive than previously thought; the summit and both rift zones may be underlain by a thick, near vertical dike-like magma system at a depth of 3 to 9 kilometers.

Insights into Along Strike Variability in the Lau Back Spreading Center and Tonga Arc from Bodywave Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, A. N.; Wiens, D.; Barklage, M.; Conder, J. A.; Wei, S. S.; Cai, C.

2016-12-01

The Lau Backarc Spreading Center (LBSC) and the Tonga Arc offer an excellent location to study the complex interactions between magma production in subduction arcs and backarcs. Although the LBSC is often considered to be an archetype of backarc spreading centers, the system exhibits major along strike changes in surficial and subsurface characteristics - including rift morphology, spreading and subduction rates, rift-arc separation, magma production, and crustal thickness. These variations, together with geochemical evidence, suggest that mixing of arc and backarc magmas may occur at depth beneath the southern LBSC, where the backarc spreading center and the Tonga Arc are most proximal. To investigate magma production and transport beneath the LBSC and the Tonga Arc, this study jointly inverts arrivals from local and teleseismic earthquakes at 51 OBS and 16 land stations to create P- and S-wave upper mantle velocity models. Results from this study show that low velocity zones associated with the LBSC and Tonga Arc are distinctly separated in the north, but merge to a single low velocity zone in the south, supporting prior geochemical evidence for a common source of arc and backarc magmas in the south. Low velocities beneath the LBSC tilt westward with depth, consistent with predictions from numerical models for asymmetrical melting in the mantle wedge. Beneath the central LBSC, low velocities extend to depths of 300 km, suggesting a deep source for melt in some regions.

Topography of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary below the Upper Rhine Graben Rift and the volcanic Eifel region, Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seiberlich, C. K. A.; Ritter, J. R. R.; Wawerzinek, B.

2013-09-01

We study the crust-mantle and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundaries (Moho and LAB) in Central Europe, specifically below the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) rift, the Eifel volcanic region and their surrounding areas. Teleseismic recordings at permanent and mobile stations are analysed to search for shear (S) wave to compressional (P) wave converted phases. After a special processing these phases are identified in shear wave receiver functions (S-RFs). Conversions from the Moho at 2.9-3.3 s arrival time are the clearest signals in the S-RFs and indicate a relatively flat Moho at 27-30 km depth. A negative polarity conversion signal at 7-9 s arrival time can be explained with a low shear wave velocity zone (LVsZ) in the upper mantle. We use forward S-RF waveform modelling and Monte-Carlo techniques to determine shear wave velocity (vs)-depth (z) profiles which explain the observed S-RF and which outline variations of the lithospheric thickness in the study region. Across the URG rift and its surrounding mountain ranges (Black Forest, Odenwald etc.) the LAB is at a depth of about 60 ± 5 km. This depth is found for the rift itself as well as for the rift shoulders. Southeast and southwest of the URG, in the regions of the Swabian Alb and Vosges Mountains, the LAB dips to about 78 ± 5 km depth. In the volcanic Eifel region the LAB is at a much shallower depth of just 41 ± 5 km. There an upwelling mantle plume thermally eroded the lower lithosphere. The reduction of vs is about 2%-4% in the upper asthenosphere compared to the lower lithosphere. This vs contrast may be explained with a low portion of partial melt or hydrous minerals in the asthenosphere.

Seismic structure of the central US crust and upper mantle: Uniqueness of the Reelfoot Rift

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollitz, Fred; Mooney, Walter D.

2014-01-01

Using seismic surface waves recorded with Earthscope's Transportable Array, we apply surface wave imaging to determine 3D seismic velocity in the crust and uppermost mantle. Our images span several Proterozoic and early Cambrian rift zones (Mid-Continent Rift, Rough Creek Graben—Rome trough, Birmingham trough, Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen, and Reelfoot Rift). While ancient rifts are generally associated with low crustal velocity because of the presence of thick sedimentary sequences, the Reelfoot Rift is unique in its association with low mantle seismic velocity. Its mantle low-velocity zone (LVZ) is exceptionally pronounced and extends down to at least 200 km depth. This LVZ is of variable width, being relatively narrow (∼50km">∼50km wide) within the northern Reelfoot Rift, which hosts the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). We hypothesize that this mantle volume is weaker than its surroundings and that the Reelfoot Rift consequently has relatively low elastic plate thickness, which would tend to concentrate tectonic stress within this zone. No other intraplate ancient rift zone is known to be associated with such a deep mantle low-velocity anomaly, which suggests that the NMSZ is more susceptible to external stress perturbations than other ancient rift zones.

Mass wasting on the Orange Cone of the Atlantic Margin, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fielies, Anthony; Murphy, Alain; Johnson, Sean; Thovhogi, Tshifhiwa

2017-04-01

The South African Atlantic Margin represents the rift-drift passive volcanic margin sequence which records the break-up of Gondwana around 155 Ma and the subsequent opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. The Orange Cone - the morphological expression of the sediment buildout and modification of the continental margin along the southwest African continental margin - has undergone extensive mass failure and slope modification over a protracted period. This failure extends all the way to the present-day toe of the Orange Cone. This paper outlines the data and analysis by South Arica in support of its Submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. South Africa has, in its submission, identified and mapped a considerable number of gravity-driven failure features and deposits as evidence of the Orange Cone being classified as a slope in the sense of Article 76 of UNCLOS. Sediment mass failure, which includes slumping, sliding, mass transport deposits, etc., are known to be continental slope phenomena because they are gravity-driven and thus require a free slope upon which gravitational forces can cause kinetic action. Upper slope failure is ubiquitous on the Orange Cone and has been well documented. The most striking example of slope modification and downslope movement in the upper slope of the Orange Cone/Basin is the paired, gravity-driven deformation system, over 100 km across, with extension high on the submarine slope and contraction toward the toe of slope. The lower slope of the Orange Cone has experienced multiple episodes of failure in the form of glides, slides and debris flows. Failure on the lower slope is highly relevant for the purposes of delineating the foot of the continental slope as the deposition location represents the terminus of the slope processes. These gravity-driven failures are inherently linked to upper slope failure processes although their expression is markedly different. The change in gradients between the upper and lower slope corresponds to a change in the style of mass wasting where the failure regime changes from one of faulting and mass wasting to one of detachment and debris flows. Much of the material that is redeposited at the base of the upper slope is in turn remobilised and transported downslope on the lower slope. Some MTDs are likely disaggregated extensions of more coherent slides that have their origin in the upper slope. The lower slope is characterised by bathymetric scarps and translation of material along distinct glide planes. Seismic interpretation suggests that these relatively coherent units disaggregate further downslope resulting in debrites.

Recognized Multiple Rifts of the Neoproterozoic in the Initiation of the Tarim Craton (NW China) and Their Tectonic Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, B.; Jiao, C.; Huang, T.; Zhou, X.; Cai, Z.; Cao, Z.; Jiang, Z.; Cui, J.; Yu, Z.; Chen, W.

2017-12-01

The Tarim Basin is the largest, oil-bearing and superimposed basin in the northwest of China. The development and tectonic property of the initial Tarim basin have been acutely disputed and remain enigmatic. Urgently need to reveal the origin and formation dynamics of the Tarim Carton and evaluate the potential of the deep energy resources. However, covered by vast desert and huge-thickness sedimentary strata, suffered by multiple tectonic movements, seismic data with low signal- to- noise ratio in the deep are the critical difficulties. We analyse 4 field outcrops, 18 wells, 27 reprocessed seismic reflection profiles with high SNR across the basin and many ancillary ones and aeromagnetic data. We find about 20 normal fault-controlled rift depressions of the Cryogenian and Ediacaran scattered in the Tarim basin, which developed on the Precambrian metamorphic and crystalline basements and covered by the epeiric sea and basin facies sediments of the Lower Cambrian. The structural styles of the rifts are mainly half grabens, symmetrical troughs and horst-grabens. The regional differences exist obviously in spatial and temporal. The WNW-ESE-trending faults occur in the central part and northern of the basin and the NE, and the NEE-trending faults occur in the southern parts, which response with the anomaly of aeromagnetic. Some main faults of the Ediacaran inherited from the Cryogenian and some occurred newly, the more rifting depressions occurred during the Ediacaran. The extensional NNW-SSE-oriented and NNE-SSW-oriented paleostress field occurred simultaneously during rifting, and accompanied with the clockwise shearing. According to the activities of syn-sedimentary faults, magmatic events and sediments, the tectonic properties of the rifts are different depending on their locations in the Tarim craton. The rifting phases mainly occurred from 780 Ma to 615 Ma. The formation of rifts were associated with the opening of the South Tianshan Ocean and the South Altun-West Kunlun Oceans, which located at the north and south margin of the Tarim block, respectively, in response to break-up of the Rodinia supercontinent. The multiple rifts recognized reflect the fine-scale structure of the initiation of the Tarim craton and is the significant for understanding of the plate system and formation dynamics.

The 1974 Ethiopian rift geodimeter survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohr, P.

1977-01-01

The field techniques and methods of data reduction for five successive geodimeter surveys in the Ethiopian rift valley are enlarged upon, with the considered conclusion that there is progressive accumulation of upper crustal strain, consonant with on-going rift extension. The extension is restricted to the Quaternary volcanotectonic axis of the rift, namely the Wonji fault belt, and is occurring at rates of 3 to 6 mm/yr in the northern sector of the rift valley. Although this concurs with the predictions of platetectonic analysis of the Afar triple junction, it is considered premature to endorse such a concurrence on the basis of only 5 years of observations. This is underlined by the detection of local tectonic contractions and expansions associated with geothermal and gravity anomalies in the central sector of the rift valley. There is a hint of a component of dextral slip along some of the rift-floor fault zones, both from geological evidence and from the strain patterns detected in the present geodetic surveys.

Geologic structures related to New Madrid earthquakes near Memphis, Tennessee, based on gravity and magnetic interpretations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildenbrand, T.G.; Stuart, W.D.; Talwani, P.

2001-01-01

New inversions of gravity and magnetic data in the region north of memphis. Tennessee, and south of latitude 36?? define boundaries of regional structures and igneous complexes in the upper crust. Microseismicity patterns near interpreted boundaries suggest that igneous complexes influence the locations of microseismicity. A weak seismicity cluster occurs near one intrusion (Covington pluton), at the intersection of the southwest margin of the Missouri batholith and the southeast margin of the Reelfoot rift. A narrow seismicity trend along the Reelfoot rift axis becomes diffuse near a second intrusion (Osceola intrusive complex) and changes direction to an area along the northwest flank of the intrusion. The axial seismicity trend also contains a tight cluster of earthquakes located just outside the Osceola intrusive complex. The mechanical explanation of the two seismicity patterns is uncertain, but the first cluster may be caused by stress concentration due to the high elastic stiffness and strength of the Covington intrusion. The spatially changing seismicity pattern near the Osceola complex may be caused by the preceding factors plus interaction with faulting along the rift axis. The axial seismicity strand itself is one of several connected and interacting active strands that may produce stress concentrations at strand ends and junctions. The microseismicity clusters at the peripheries of the two intrusions lead us to conclude that these stress concentrations or stressed volumes may be locations of future moderate to large earthquakes near Memphis. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Subsidence history and tectonic evolution of Campos basin, offshore Brazil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohriak, W.U.; Karner, G.D.; Dewey, J.F.

1987-05-01

The tectonic component of subsidence in the Campos basin reflects different stages of crustal reequilibration subsequent to the stretching that preceded the breakup of Pangea. Concomitant with rifting in the South Atlantic, Neocomian lacustrine rocks, with associated widespread mafic volcanism, were deposited on a vary rapidly subsiding crust. The proto-oceanic stage (Aptian) is marked by a sequence of evaporitic rocks whose originally greater sedimentary thickness is indicated by residual evaporitic layers with abundant salt flow features. An open marine environment begins with thick Albian/Cenomanian limestones that grade upward and basinward into shales. This section, with halokinetic features and listric detachedmore » faulting sloping out on salt, is characterized by an increased sedimentation rate. The marine Upper Cretaceous to Recent clastic section, associated with the more quiescent phase of thermal subsidence, is characterized by drastic changes in sedimentation rate. Stratigraphic modeling of the sedimentary facies suggests a flexurally controlled loading mechanism (regional compensation) with a temporally and spatially variable rigidity. Locally, the subsidence in the rift-phase fault-bounded blocks shows no correspondence with the overall thermal subsidence, implying that the crust was not effectively thinned by simple, vertically balanced stretching. Deep reflection seismic sections show a general correspondence between sedimentary isopachs and Moho topography, which broadly compensates for the observed subsidence. However, even the Moho is locally affected by crustal-scale master faults that apparently are also controlling the movement mechanisms during the rift-phase faulting.« less

Style of extensional tectonism during rifting, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bohannon, R.G.

1989-01-01

Geologic and geophysical studies from the Arabian continental margin in the southern Red Sea and LANDSAT analysis of the northern Somalia margin in the Gulf of Aden suggest that the early continental rifts were long narrow features that formed by extension on closely spaced normal faults above moderate- to shallow-dipping detachments with break-away zones defining one rift flank and root zones under the opposing rift flank. The rift flanks presently form the opposing continental margins across each ocean basin. The detachment on the Arabian margin dips gently to the west, with a breakaway zone now eroded above the deeply dissected terrain of the Arabian escarpment. A model is proposed in which upper crustal breakup occurs on large detachment faults that have a distinct polarity. -from Author

January 30, 1997 eruptive event on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, as monitored by continuous GPS

USGS Publications Warehouse

Owen, S.; Segall, P.; Lisowski, M.; Miklius, Asta; Murray, M.; Bevis, M.; Foster, J.

2000-01-01

A continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) network on Kilauea Volcano captured the most recent fissure eruption in Kilauea's East Rift Zone (ERZ) in unprecedented spatial and temporal detail. The short eruption drained the lava pond at Pu'u O' o, leading to a two month long pause in its on-going eruption. Models of the GPS data indicate that the intrusion's bottom edge extended to only 2.4 km. Continuous GPS data reveal rift opening 8 hours prior to the eruption. Absence of precursory summit inflation rules out magma storage overpressurization as the eruption's cause. We infer that stresses in the shallow rift created by the continued deep rift dilation and slip on the south flank decollement caused the rift intrusion.

Continental rift evolution: From rift initiation to incipient break-up in the Main Ethiopian Rift, East Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corti, Giacomo

2009-09-01

The Main Ethiopian Rift is a key sector of the East African Rift System that connects the Afar depression, at Red Sea-Gulf of Aden junction, with the Turkana depression and Kenya Rift to the South. It is a magmatic rift that records all the different stages of rift evolution from rift initiation to break-up and incipient oceanic spreading: it is thus an ideal place to analyse the evolution of continental extension, the rupture of lithospheric plates and the dynamics by which distributed continental deformation is progressively focused at oceanic spreading centres. The first tectono-magmatic event related to the Tertiary rifting was the eruption of voluminous flood basalts that apparently occurred in a rather short time interval at around 30 Ma; strong plateau uplift, which resulted in the development of the Ethiopian and Somalian plateaus now surrounding the rift valley, has been suggested to have initiated contemporaneously or shortly after the extensive flood-basalt volcanism, although its exact timing remains controversial. Voluminous volcanism and uplift started prior to the main rifting phases, suggesting a mantle plume influence on the Tertiary deformation in East Africa. Different plume hypothesis have been suggested, with recent models indicating the existence of deep superplume originating at the core-mantle boundary beneath southern Africa, rising in a north-northeastward direction toward eastern Africa, and feeding multiple plume stems in the upper mantle. However, the existence of this whole-mantle feature and its possible connection with Tertiary rifting are highly debated. The main rifting phases started diachronously along the MER in the Mio-Pliocene; rift propagation was not a smooth process but rather a process with punctuated episodes of extension and relative quiescence. Rift location was most probably controlled by the reactivation of a lithospheric-scale pre-Cambrian weakness; the orientation of this weakness (roughly NE-SW) and the Late Pliocene (post 3.2 Ma)-recent extensional stress field generated by relative motion between Nubia and Somalia plates (roughly ESE-WNW) suggest that oblique rifting conditions have controlled rift evolution. However, it is still unclear if these kinematical boundary conditions have remained steady since the initial stages of rifting or the kinematics has changed during the Late Pliocene or at the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary. Analysis of geological-geophysical data suggests that continental rifting in the MER evolved in two different phases. An early (Mio-Pliocene) continental rifting stage was characterised by displacement along large boundary faults, subsidence of rift depression with local development of deep (up to 5 km) asymmetric basins and diffuse magmatic activity. In this initial phase, magmatism encompassed the whole rift, with volcanic activity affecting the rift depression, the major boundary faults and limited portions of the rift shoulders (off-axis volcanism). Progressive extension led to the second (Pleistocene) rifting stage, characterised by a riftward narrowing of the volcano-tectonic activity. In this phase, the main boundary faults were deactivated and extensional deformation was accommodated by dense swarms of faults (Wonji segments) in the thinned rift depression. The progressive thinning of the continental lithosphere under constant, prolonged oblique rifting conditions controlled this migration of deformation, possibly in tandem with the weakening related to magmatic processes and/or a change in rift kinematics. Owing to the oblique rifting conditions, the fault swarms obliquely cut the rift floor and were characterised by a typical right-stepping arrangement. Ascending magmas were focused by the Wonji segments, with eruption of magmas at surface preferentially occurring along the oblique faults. As soon as the volcano-tectonic activity was localised within Wonji segments, a strong feedback between deformation and magmatism developed: the thinned lithosphere was strongly modified by the extensive magma intrusion and extension was facilitated and accommodated by a combination of magmatic intrusion, dyking and faulting. In these conditions, focused melt intrusion allows the rupture of the thick continental lithosphere and the magmatic segments act as incipient slow-spreading mid-ocean spreading centres sandwiched by continental lithosphere. Overall the above-described evolution of the MER (at least in its northernmost sector) documents a transition from fault-dominated rift morphology in the early stages of extension toward magma-assisted rifting during the final stages of continental break-up. A strong increase in coupling between deformation and magmatism with extension is documented, with magma intrusion and dyking playing a larger role than faulting in strain accommodation as rifting progresses to seafloor spreading.

Piggyback tectonics: Long-term growth of Kilauea on the south flank of Mauna Loa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lipman, Peter W.; Sisson, Thomas W.; Coombs, Michelle L.; Calvert, Andrew T.; Kimura, Jun-Ichi

2006-01-01

Present-day Kilauea is the more dynamic edifice, but prior to inception of Kilauea and during its early growth, Mauna Loa is inferred to have undergone intense volcano spreading, involving the Kaoiki–Honuapo fault system (considered a geometric analog of the Hilina system on Kilauea). Cumulative deformation of Mauna Loa's south flank during growth of Kilauea since 200–300 ka is estimated to have involved > 10 km of seaward spreading, displacing the rift zones of Kīlauea while its deep plumbing system and summit magma reservoir remained nearly fixed in space. Kilauea's rift zones, rather than migrating southward with time solely due to dike emplacement preferentially on the mobile seaward side, alternatively are interpreted to have been transported passively southward, “piggyback” style, during shield-stage growth of Kilauea as a blister on the still-mobile south flank of Mauna Loa. Such an evolution of Kilauea accounts for the arcuate geometry of the present-day rift zones, proximity of the summit magma supply to the exposed flank of Mauna Loa, initial submarine growth of the ancestral edifice, and present-day location of Mauna Loa rocks at shallow depth beneath the south flank of Kilauea.

Jurassic-Cretaceous history of Cuba: implications for the evolution of the southern margin of the North American plate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barros, J.A.; Rosencrantz, E.

The oldest Cuban sedimentary rocks, clastics of the Bajocian San Cayetano Fm. provide the earliest record of North American-Gondwana rifting as seen in Cuba. A similar clastic sequence is seen below the carbonates of the Bahamas platform. In the Pinar del Rio area, the San Cayetano is succeeded by Oxfordian limestones, the shallow water Jagua Fm. to the south and deeper water Francisco Fm. to the north. Both contain basaltic pillow lavas, related either to rifting or to leaky transform motion parallel to the margin. The Oxfordian units are overlain by Kimmeridgian to Tithonian pelagic limestones, the Guasasa and Artemisamore » Fms. The later interfingers with northerly derived calci-turbidites. North of the Escambray, silici-clastic fragments in late Jurassic pelagic limestones suggests that a basement high existed south of the platform until the Berriasian. The carbonate platform continues to shed debris along its southern edge throughout the Cretaceous. To the south an Aptian-Albian episode of turbidite deposition suggests that South America-Africa rifting caused tectonic disturbances in the Caribbean. Southerly derived volcanoclastics deposited during the Maastrichtian marks the start of the Cuban orogeny.« less

New Constraints on Extensional Environments through Analysis of Teleseisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eilon, Zachary Cohen

We apply a variety of teleseismic methodologies to investigate the upper mantle structure in extensional environments. Using a body wave dataset collected from a regional deployment in the Woodlark Rift, Papua New Guinea, we image anisotropic velocity structure of a rapidly extending rift on the cusp of continental breakup. In the process, we develop a technique for azimuthal anisotropy tomography that is generally applicable to regions of relatively simple anisotropic structure. The Cascadia Initiative ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) deployment provides coverage of an entire oceanic plate in unprecedented detail; we measure attenuation and velocities of teleseisms to characterize the temperature and melt structure from ridge to trench. Our study of shear wave splitting reveals strong azimuthal anisotropy within the Woodlark Rift with fairly uniform fast directions parallel to extension. This observation differs markedly from other continental rifts and resembles the pattern seen at mid-ocean ridges. This phenomenon is best explained by extension-related strain causing preferential alignment of mantle olivine. We develop a simple relationship that links total extension to predicted splitting, and show that it explains the apparent dichotomy in rifts' anisotropy. Finite frequency tomography using a dataset of teleseismic P- and S-wave differential travel times reveals the upper mantle velocity structure of the Woodlark Rift. A well developed slow rift axis extending >250 km along strike from the adjacent seafloor spreading centers demonstrates the removal of mantle lithosphere prior to complete crustal breakup. We argue that the majority of this rift is melt-poor, in agreement with geochemical results. A large temperature gradient arises from the juxtaposition of upwelled axial asthenosphere with a previously unidentified cold structure north of the rift that hosts well located intermediate depth earthquakes. Localization of upper mantle extension is apparent from the velocity structure of the rift axis and may result from the presence of water following recent subduction. In order to resolve potential tradeoffs between anisotropy and velocity gradients, we develop a novel technique for the joint inversion of Delta VS and strength of azimuthal anisotropy using teleseismic direct S-waves. This approach exploits the natural geometry of the regional tectonics and the relative consistency of observed splits; the imposed orthogonality of anisotropic structure takes care of the non-commutative nature of multi-layer splitting. Our tomographic models reveal the breakup of continental lithosphere in the anisotropy signal, as pre-existing fabric breaks apart and is replaced by upwelling asthenosphere that simultaneously advects and accrues an extension-related fabric. Accounting for anisotropy removes apparent noise in isotropic travel times and clarifies the velocity model. Taken together, our results paint a detailed and consistent picture of a highly extended continental rift. Finally, we collect a dataset of differential travel time (delta T) and attenuation (Deltat*) measurements of P- and S-waves recorded on OBS stations that span the Juan de Fuca and Gorda plates. We observe large gradients in Delta t*, with values as high as 2.0 s for S-waves at the ridge axes. Such high values of differential attenuation are not compatible with a purely thermal control, nor are they consistent with focusing effects. We assert that melt, grainsize, and water enhance anelastic effects beneath the ridge. The combination of attenuation and velocity measurements enables us to place quantitative constraints on the properties of the upper mantle in the vicinity of the spreading axis.

Okavango Delta, Botswana as seen from STS-66 shuttle Atlantis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This November 1994 view looking south-southeast shows clouds over the Okavango Delta area of northern Botswana. The Okavango is one of the wilder, less spoiled regions of Africa. The Okavango River (lower left of view) brings water from the high, wet plateaus of Angola into the Kalahari Dessert, and enormous inland basin. As a result of a series of small faults (upper center of the view) related to the African Rift System, the river is dammed up in the form of a swampy inland delta. The visual patterns of the area are strongly linear: straight sand dunes occur in many places and can be seen across the bottom portion of the photograph. Numerous brush-fire scars produce a complex, straight-edged pattern over much of the lower portion of this view. Lake Ngami (upper right of view) was once permanently full as late as the middle 1800s. Changes in the climate of the area over the last 100 years has changed the size and shape of the inland delta.

Relations between tectonics and sedimentation along the Eastern Sardinian margin (Western Tyrrhenian Sea) : from rifting to reactivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaullier, Virginie; Chanier, Frank; Vendeville, Bruno; Lymer, Gaël; Maillard, Agnès; Thinon, Isabelle; Lofi, Johanna; Sage, Françoise; Giresse, Pierre; Bassetti, Maria-Angela

2014-05-01

The offshore-onshore project "METYSS-METYSAR" aims at better understand the Miocene-Pliocene relationships between crustal tectonics, salt tectonics, and sedimentation along the Eastern Sardinian margin, Western Tyrrhenian Sea. In this key-area, the Tyrrhenian back-arc basin underwent recent rifting (9-5 Ma), pro parte coeval with the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, 5.96-5.33 Ma), sea-floor spreading starting during Pliocene times. Thereby, the Tyrrhenian basin and the Eastern Sardinian margin are excellent candidates for studying the mechanisms of extreme lithospheric stretching and thinning, the role of pre-existing structural fabric during and after rifting, and the reactivation of a passive margin and the associated deformation and sedimentation patterns during the MSC. We looked at the respective contributions of crustal and salt tectonics in quantifying vertical and horizontal movements, using especially the seismic markers of the MSC. Overall, we delineate the history of rifting and tectonic reactivation in the area. The distribution maps respectively of the Messinian Erosion Surface and of Messinian units (Upper Unit and Mobile Unit) show that a rifted basin already existed by Messinian time. This reveals a major pre-MSC rifting across the entire domain. Because salt tectonics can create fan-shaped geometries in sediments, syn-rift deposits have to be carefully re-examined in order to decipher the effects of crustal tectonics (rifting) and thin-skinned salt tectonics. Our data surprisingly show that there are no clues for Messinian syn-rift sediments along the East-Sardinia Basin and Cornaglia Terrace, hence no evidence for rifting after Late Tortonian times. Nevertheless, widespread deformation occurred during the Pliocene and can only be attributed to post-rift reactivation. This reactivation is characterized not only by normal faulting but also by contractional structures. Some Pliocene vertical movements caused localized gravity gliding of the mobile salt and its Late Messinian and Early Pliocene brittle overburden. "METYSAR" fieldwork onshore was conducted in the Orosei region and showed that the main present-day Cedrino river follows the trend of a paleo-valley that cuts through the underlying granitic basement and alterites. These deposits, along with the basement, were likely eroded during Messinian times, then reworked during a marine transgression. Micro-fauna in these fine-grained marine sediments are of Upper Pliocene age. The strata dip by 20° to 30° and trend NNE-SSW, a direction which is sub-parallel to the main tectonic structures involved in the rifting of the margin. The tilted Pliocene strata were overlain by volcanic flows, some dating from Upper Pliocene time. Field mapping has evidenced that there was a paleo-topographic relief, trending NNE-SSW, that controlled the sediment deposition. These results indicate that the post-Messinian tectonic activity, which is also visible offshore, controlled the sedimentary architecture and the paleogeography of this area. Onshore, there are signs of neither Lower-Pliocene marine deposits nor Gilbert deltas. The absence of such sedimentary edifices, which are characteristic of the Pliocene refilling of the Mediterranean basin are clues about significant post-rift vertical movements in the Tyrrhenian sea.

Continuous Spectrum of Crustal Structures and Spreading Processes from Volcanic Rifted Margins to Mid-Ocean Ridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J. A.

2016-12-01

Structures generated by seafloor spreading in oceanic crust (and ophiolites) and thick oceanic crust of Iceland show a continuous spectrum of features that formed by similar mechanisms but at different scales. A high magma budget near the Iceland hotspot generates thick (40-25 km) mafic crust in a plate boundary zone about 50 km wide. The upper crust ( 10 km thick) is constructed by the subaxial subsidence and thickening of lavas fed by dense dike swarms over a hot, weak lower crust to produce structures analogous to seaward-dipping reflectors of volcanic rifted margins. Segmented rift zones propagate away from the hotspot creating migrating transform fault zones, microplate-like crustal blocks and rift-parallel strike-slip faults. These structures are decoupled from the underlying lower crustal gabbroic rocks that thin by along-axis flow that reduces the overall crustal thickness and smooths-out local crustal thickness variations. Spreading on mid-ocean ridges with high magma budgets have much thinner crust (10-5 km) generated at a much narrower (few km) plate boundary zone. Subaxial subsidence accommodates the thickening of the upper crust of inward-dipping lavas and outward-dipping dikes about 1-2 km thick over a hot weak lower crust. Along-axis (high-temperature ductile and magmatic) flow of lower crustal material may help account for the relatively uniform seismic thickness of oceanic crust worldwide. Spreading along even slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges near hotspots (e.g., the Reykjanes Ridge) probably have similar features that are transitional between these extremes. In all of these settings, upper crustal and lower crustal structures are decoupled near the plate boundary but eventually welded together as the crust ages and cools. Similar processes are likely to occur along volcanic rifted margins as spreading begins.

Rifting Process and Geomorphic Development of the Okinawa Tough, Southwest Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, T.; Arai, K.; Inoue, T.; Matsumoto, D.

2012-12-01

The Ryukyu Island Arc extends from Kyushu to Taiwan, a distance of 1,200 km, along the Ryukyu Trench where the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate. The Okinawa Trough, a back arc basin has formed behind the Ryukyu Island Arc in late Pliocene to early Pleistocene. The research cruises of GH11 (from 14 July to 15 August, 2011) and GH12 (from 20 to 30 July, 2012) were carried out around the Okinawa Trough. More than 3,600 miles multi channel high-resolution seismic profiles were acquired during these cruises by the GI-gun (Generator 250 cu inch and Injector 105 cu. inch) systems with 16ch digital streamer cable. As a result, two unconformities and three depositional sequence divided by the unconformities are recognized in the trough. The lower and the midlle sequence are tilted and blocked by many normal faults, on the other hand the upper one is not tilted and shows the pattern of onlap fill. From this result, the upper sequence started to deposit after start of the rifting. Additionally, internal reflection of the upper sequence shows the cyclic activities of the rifting. The position of the rifting axis was revealed based on dip of the normal faults. As a result, rifting axis shows echelon arrangement and the displacement of the faults are varied with the segment of the arrangement. The location of the segment boundaries is correlated with geometrical boundary of the adjacent slope. Steep slope with incised valley is distributed in southwestern part where the displacement of the normal fault is large, on the other hand, gentle slope without incised valley is distributed in northeastern part where the displacement is small. This difference of the displacement strongly controls the geometry of the adjacent slope.

Evidence for heterogeneous (and possibly transient) geothermal flux beneath the Ross-Amundsen ice divide of the West Antarctic ice sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blankenship, D. D.; Danque, H. A.; Quartini, E.; Young, D. A.

2012-12-01

It is well established that the geological framework for the evolution of the marine-based West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) is the Cretaceous through Cenozoic rifting of the underlying lithosphere. The southern flank of this rift along the Whitmore Mountains underlies the upper reaches of the Ross Sea catchment of the WAIS and has been identified as a site of active subglacial volcanism. Interestingly, the northern flank of this rift represented by the upward doming of the Marie Byrd Land volcanic province has not yet been associated with active subglacial volcanism. Similarly, it is not known whether the heterogeneity of geothermal flux associated with these existing and potential rift flank volcanic provinces extends across the floor of the rift between the rift flanks. Here we present geophysical evidence for heterogeneous geothermal flux associated with active subglacial volcanism along the northern rift flank adjacent to Marie Byrd Land where it intersects the ice divide for the Ross and Amundsen Sea sectors for the WAIS. We further evaluate the evidence for the continuity of heterogeneous geothermal flux along this ice divide and across the rift floor between the two flanks of the West Antarctic rift system.

Hazard Models From Periodic Dike Intrusions at Kı¯lauea Volcano, Hawai`i

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montgomery-Brown, E. K.; Miklius, A.

2016-12-01

The persistence and regular recurrence intervals of dike intrusions in the East Rift Zone (ERZ) of Kı¯lauea Volcano lead to the possibility of constructing a time-dependent intrusion hazard model. Dike intrusions are commonly observed in Kı¯lauea Volcano's ERZ and can occur repeatedly in regions that correlate with seismic segments (sections of rift seismicity with persistent definitive lateral boundaries) proposed by Wright and Klein (USGS PP1806, 2014). Five such ERZ intrusions have occurred since 1983 with inferred locations downrift of the bend in Kı¯lauea's ERZ, with the first (1983) being the start of the ongoing ERZ eruption. The ERZ intrusions occur on one of two segments that are spatially coincident with seismic segments: Makaopuhi (1993 and 2007) and Nāpau (1983, 1997, and 2011). During each intrusion, the amount of inferred dike opening was between 2 and 3 meters. The times between ERZ intrusions for same-segment pairs are all close to 14 years: 14.07 (1983-1997), 14.09 (1997-2011), and 13.95 (1993-2007) years, with the Nāpau segment becoming active about 3.5 years after the Makaopuhi segment in each case. Four additional upper ERZ intrusions are also considered here. Dikes in the upper ERZ have much smaller opening ( 10 cm), and have shorter recurrence intervals of 8 years with more variability. The amount of modeled dike opening during each of these events roughly corresponds to the amount of seaward south flank motion and deep rift opening accumulated in the time between events. Additionally, the recurrence interval of 14 years appears to be unaffected by the magma surge of 2003-2007, suggesting that flank motion, rather than magma supply, could be a controlling factor in the timing and periodicity of intrusions. Flank control over the timing of magma intrusions runs counter to the historical research suggesting that dike intrusions at Kı¯lauea are driven by magma overpressure. This relatively free sliding may have resulted from decreased friction following the 1975 Kalapana earthquake. A hazard model can be constructed from the historical intrusion record (i.e., how long has it been since an intrusion on that segment), and augmented by monitoring the accumulation of strain across the rift and local seismicity rates.

Correlation of the Jurassic through Oligocene Stratigraphic Units of Trinidad and Northeastern Venezuela

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Algar, S.; Erikson, J.P.

1995-04-01

The Jurassic through Oligocene stratigraphies of Trinidad and the Serrenia del Interior of eastern Venezuela exhibit many similarities because of their proximity on the passive continental margins of northeastern South America. A slightly later subsidence in eastern Venezuela, and the generally deeper-water sedimentation in Trinidad, is interpreted to be the result of a serration of the original rift margin, producing an eastern Venezuela promontory and Trinidadian re-entrant. We interpret these serrations to be the result of oblique (NW-SE) spreading of North and South America during Middle and late Jurassic time. The stratigraphies of northeastern Venezuela and Trinidad contrast in themore » Hauterivan-Albian interval, with dynamic shallow shelf environments prevailing in the Serrenia del Interior and deeper marine submarine-fan deposition in Trinidad. Both areas develop middle to Upper Cretaceous source rocks during a time of eustatic sea level high and widespread oceanic anoxia. 15 refs., 4 fig.« less

Multiphased extension along continental margins: a case study of the Porcupine Basin, offshore Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulois, Cédric; Shannon, Patrick, M.; Manuel, Pubellier; Nicolas, Chamot-Rooke; Louise, Watremez; Jacques, Deverchère

2017-04-01

Mesozoic faulting has been recognised in several Irish sedimentary basins as part of the northward propagation of the Atlantic rift system. However, the contribution of older structural elements remains poorly constrained. The present study documents the succession of extensional phases in the northern part of the Porcupine Basin sensu largo, offshore west of Ireland, in which structural inheritance and fault reactivation is commonly observed. The correlation of 2D and 3D seismic lines with exploration wells enables the precise definition of four overprinted extensional systems that link to specific tectonic stages identified along the Irish margin. The Porcupine Basin opened through a thickened continental crust that evolved during the Palaeozoic with the Caledonian and Variscan orogenic cycles. Extension initiated during the Carboniferous by reactivation of old structures, resulting in the migration of depocentres bounded by E-W, NE-SW and N-S structural trends. Subsequent episodic rifting occurred during several discrete events. The first rift episode, of Late Triassic to Early Jurassic age, is restricted to the North Porcupine Basin and most likely reactivated E-W structures of Caledonian age. Synrift sediments were generally deposited in a littoral setting that progressively deepened through time. The second episode, much more pronounced, occurred during the Upper Jurassic to lowermost Cretaceous (Neocomian). It resulted in shallow to deep marine deposition controlled by structural directions recognised in Caledonian and Variscan terranes. A third rift phase, evidenced by thick clastic deposition, locally occurred during the Aptian and finally died out with the opening of the Bay of Biscay located to the south of the region. A series of extensional megacycles are recognised from seismic unconformities and faulting geometries. Initial extension strongly followed the structural architecture of the continental crust (i.e. ancient folds, thrusts or orogenic fronts). This is interpreted as an effect of orogenic collapse. It was followed by the rifting phase sensu stricto during which the successive extensional megacycles are internally composed of several rift pulses. The first rift pulses are narrow and controlled by numerous faults with deposition in continental conditions. Subsequent deformation progressively passed to more localised normal faulting during which a major deepening occurs in all the rift basins. This results in progressive marine flooding, possible detachment faults and a widening of the rift systems with basinal interconnection. In a more global view, faults stop when abuting either new oceanic basins (e.g. Bay of Biscay) or transversal lineaments (e.g. Caledonian and Variscan trends). Such an evolution implies asymmetry of the overall region and an oceanward propagation of depocentres. Therefore, extension migrates progressively from the initial deformation core by reactivating pre-existing structures and then stops once boundary conditions change.

Control of rift asymmetry and segmentation on the thermal architecture of hyperextended rift systems: insights from Pyrenean field observations and numerical modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lescoutre, Rodolphe; Tugend, Julie; Brune, Sascha; Manatschal, Gianreto

2017-04-01

Mid-Cretaceous rift basins are exposed in the Pyrenees providing key information on rifted domain formation that is not available at present-day rift system. Substantial paleotemperature and thermochronological data have been collected and published in numerous recent papers. These data show a strong heterogeneity in the distribution of peak temperatures within the Cretaceous rift basins. Locations that experienced relatively high or low temperatures appear to cluster in specific areas along strike. These areas have been interpreted as either reflecting hot and cold conditions during rifting, or alternatively, a change in the polarity of a strongly asymmetric rift systems. In this study, we test if the observed variability of peak temperatures can be explained by segmentation and a change in polarity of an asymmetrical upper/lower plate rift model. To this aim we restore the observed syn- to early post-rift peak temperatures to their paleo-location within sections across the evolving rift system. In the meantime, we conduct numerical models of rift migration leading to asymmetrical extension that are benchmarked with geological and geophysical observations from the Pyrenees. From the models, we extract thermal information at different stages of rifting that are finally compared to the thermal data from the Pyrenean Cretaceous rift basins. This work employs a novel approach by comparing thermal output from numerical modelling with the distribution of peak temperatures and thermal gradient from field data. As such, these results may have substantial implications to further understand the pre-orogenic thermal evolution of the Pyrenean rift system and the role of segmentation. More generally, the results of this work may unravel the role of rift asymmetry and segmentation on the thermal architecture of hyperextended rift basins and margins.

Testing Predictions of Continental Insulation using Oceanic Crustal Thicknesses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoggard, Mark; Shorttle, Oliver; White, Nicky

2016-04-01

The thermal blanketing effect of continental crust has been predicted to lead to elevated temperatures within the upper mantle beneath supercontinents. Initial break-up is associated with increased magmatism and the generation of flood basalts. Continued rifting and sea-floor spreading lead to a steady reduction of this thermal anomaly. Recently, evidence in support of this behaviour has come from the major element geochemistry of mid-ocean ridge basalts, which suggest excess rifting temperatures of ˜ 150 °C that decay over ˜ 100 Ma. We have collated a global inventory of ˜ 1000 seismic reflection profiles and ˜ 500 wide-angle refraction experiments from the oceanic realm. Data are predominantly located along passive margins, but there are also multiple surveys in the centres of the major oceanic basins. Oceanic crustal thickness has been mapped, taking care to avoid areas of secondary magmatic thickening near seamounts or later thinning such as across transform faults. These crustal thicknesses are a proxy for mantle potential temperature at the time of melt formation beneath a mid-ocean ridge system, allowing us to quantify the amplitude and duration of thermal anomalies generated beneath supercontinents. The Jurassic break-up of the Central Atlantic and the Cretaceous rifting that formed the South Atlantic Ocean are both associated with excess temperatures of ˜ 50 °C that have e-folding times of ˜ 50 Ma. In addition to this background trend, excess temperatures reach > 150 °C around the region of the Rio Grande Rise, associated with the present-day Tristan hotspot. The e-folding time of this more local event is ˜ 10 Ma, which mirrors results obtained for the North Atlantic Ocean south of Iceland. In contrast, crustal thicknesses from the Pacific Ocean reveal approximately constant potential temperature through time. This observation is in agreement with predictions, as the western Pacific was formed by rifting of an oceanic plate. In summary, variations in oceanic crustal thickness support the existence of continental insulation effects. Characteristic e-folding times are ˜ 50 Ma, but excess break-up temperatures are significantly lower than previously expected at around ˜ 50 °C. We tentatively suggest that higher excess temperatures of > 150 °C occur in the vicinity of upwelling mantle plumes, which are associated with shorter e-folding times of ˜ 10 Ma.

Crustal and Mantle Structure beneath the Okavango and Malawi Rifts and Its Geodynamic Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, S. S.; Liu, K. H.; Yu, Y.; Reed, C. A.; Mickus, K. L.; Moidaki, M.

2017-12-01

To investigate crustal and mantle structure beneath the young and incipient sections of the East African Rift System and provide constraints on rifting models, a total of 50 broadband seismic stations were placed along three profiles across the Okavango and Malawi rifts, with a total length of about 2500 km. Results to date suggest minor crustal thinning and nearly normal seismic velocities in the upper mantle beneath both rifts. The thickness of the mantle transition zone is comparable to the global average, suggesting the lack of thermal upwelling from the lower mantle beneath the rifts. In addition, shear-wave splitting analysis found no anomalies in either the fast polarization orientation or the splitting time associated with the rifts, and thus has ruled out the existence of small-scale mantle convection or plume-related mantle flow beneath the rifts. While the Okavango rift has long been recognized to be located in a Precambrian orogenic zone between the Kalahari and Congo cratons, our results suggest that the Malawi Rift is also developing along the western edge of a lithospheric block with relatively greater thickness relative to the surrounding area. Those seismological and gravity modeling results are consistent with a passive rifting model, in which rifts develop along pre-existing zones of lithospheric weakness, where rapid variations of lithospheric thickness is observed. Lateral variations of dragging stress applied to the bottom of the lithosphere are the most likely cause for the initiation and development of both rifts.

Petroleum Systems of the Nigerian Sector of Chad Basin: Insights from Field and Subsurface Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suleiman, A. A.; Nwaobi, G. O.; Bomai, A.; Dauda, R.; Bako, M. D.; Ali, M. S.; Moses, S. D.

2017-12-01

A.A. Suleiman, A. Bomai, R. Dauda, O.G. NwaobiNigerian National Petroleum CorporationAbstract:Formation of the West and Central African Rift systems (WCARS) reflects intra-plate deformation linked to the Early to Late Cretaceous opening of South Atlantic Ocean. From an economic point of view, the USGS (2010) estimated Chad Basin, which is part of WCARS rift system to contain, up to 2.32 BBO and 14.62 TCF. However, there has been no exploration success in the Nigerian sector of the Chad Basin principally because of a poor understanding of the basin tectono-stratigraphic evolution and petroleum system development. In this study, we use 3D seismic, geochemical and field data to construct a tectono-stratigraphic framework of the Nigerian sector of Chad Basin; within this framework we then investigate the basins petroleum system development. Our analysis suggests two key plays exist in the basin, Lower and Upper Cretaceous plays. Pre-Bima lacustrine shale and the Gongila Formation constitute the prospective source rocks for the Lower Cretaceous play, whereas the Fika Shale may provide the source, for the Upper Cretaceous play. Source rock hydrocarbon modeling indicates possible oil and gas generation and expulsion from the lacustrine shales and Fika Shale in Cretaceous and Tertiary times respectively. Bima Sandstone and weathered basement represent prospective reservoirs for the Lower Cretaceous play and intra-Fika sandstone beds for the Upper Cretaceous play. We identify a range of trapping mechanisms such as inversion-related anticlines. Shales of the Gongila Formation provide the top sealing for the Lower Cretaceous play. Our field observations have proved presence of the key elements of the petroleum system in the Nigerian Sector of the Chad Basin. It has also demonstrated presence of igneous intrusions in the stratigraphy of the basin that we found to influence the hydrocarbon potential of the basin through source rock thermal maturity and degradation. Our study indicates that Nigerian sector of the Chad Basin is affected by igneous activity and basin inversion both of which impact its petroleum system development. Therefore, a detailed study of the tectono-stratigraphic framework of a rift basin is crucial to investigate the development of its petroleum system and hydrocarbon prospectivity.

The hydrogeology of Kilauea volcano

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ingebritsen, S.E.; Scholl, M.A.

1993-08-01

The hydrogeology of Kilauea volcano and adjacent areas has been studied since the turn of this century. However, most studies to date have focused on the relatively shallow, low-salinity parts of the ground-water system, and the deeper hydrothermal system remains poorly understood. The rift zones of adjacent Mauna Loa volcano bound the regional ground-water flow system that includes Kilauea, and the area bounded by the rift zones of Kilauea and the ocean may comprise a partly isolated subsystem. Rates of ground-water recharge vary greatly over the area, and discharge is difficult to measure, because streams are ephemeral and most ground-watermore » discharges diffusely at or below sea level. Hydrothermal systems exist at depth in Kilauea's east and southwest rift zone, as evidenced by thermal springs at the coast and wells in the lower east-rift zone. Available data suggest that dike-impounded, heated ground water occurs at relatively high elevations in the upper east- and southwest-rift zones of Kilauea, and that permeability at depth in the rift zones. Available data suggest that dike-impounded, heated ground water occurs at relatively high elevations in the upper east- and southwest-rift zones of Kilauea, and that permeability at depth in the rift zones (probably [le]10[sup [minus]15] m[sup 2]) is much lower than that of unaltered basalt flows closer to the surface ([ge]10[sup [minus]10] m[sup 2]). Substantial variations in permeability and the presence of magmatic heat sources influence that structure of the fresh water-salt water interface, so the Ghyben-Herzberg model will often fail to predict its position. Numerical modeling studies have considered only subsets of the hydrothermal system, because no existing computer code solves the coupled fluid-flow, heat- and solute-transport problem over the temperature and salinity range encountered at Kilauea. 73 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Window into the Caledonian orogen: Structure of the crust beneath the East Shetland platform, United Kingdom

USGS Publications Warehouse

McBride, J.H.; England, R.W.

1999-01-01

Reprocessing and interpretation of commercial and deep seismic reflection data across the East Shetland platform and its North Sea margin provide a new view of crustal subbasement structure beneath a poorly known region of the British Caledonian orogen. The East Shetland platform, east of the Great Glen strike-slip fault system, is one of the few areas of the offshore British Caledonides that remained relatively insulated from the Mesozoic and later rifting that involved much of the area around the British Isles, thus providing an "acoustic window" into the deep structure of the orogen. Interpretation of the reflection data suggests that the crust beneath the platform retains a significant amount of its original Caledonian and older architecture. The upper to middle crust is typically poorly reflective except for individual prominent dipping reflectors with complex orientations that decrease in dip with depth and merge with a lower crustal layer of high reflectivity. The three-dimensional structural orientation of the reflectors beneath the East Shetland platform is at variance with Caledonian reflector trends observed elsewhere in the Caledonian orogen (e.g., north of the Scottish mainland), emphasizing the unique tectonic character of this part of the orogen. Upper to middle crustal reflectors are interpreted as Caledonian or older thrust surfaces that were possibly reactivated by Devonian extension associated with post-Caledonian orogenic collapse. The appearance of two levels of uneven and diffractive (i.e., corrugated) reflectivity in the lower crust, best developed on east-west-oriented profiles, is characteristic of the East Shetland platform. However, a north-south-oriented profile reveals an interpreted south-vergent folded and imbricated thrust structure in the lower crust that appears to be tied to the two levels of corrugated reflectivity on the east-west profiles. A thrust-belt origin for lower crustal reflectivity would explain its corrugated appearance. Regional seismic velocity models derived from refraction data suggest that this reflectivity correlates with a continuous lower crustal layer that has an intermediate seismic velocity. The lower crustal reflectivity is determined to be older than Mesozoic age by the bending down and truncation of the two reflectivity levels at the western margin of the North Sea Viking graben by a major mantle reflector inferred to be associated with Mesozoic rifting. The results of this study are thus in contrast with orthodox interpretations of the reflective layered lower crust as being caused by mantle-derived igneous intrusion or by deformation fabrics associated with stretching in response to continental rifting.

Controls of inherited lithospheric heterogeneity on rift linkage: Numerical and analog models of interaction between the Kenyan and Ethiopian rifts across the Turkana depression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brune, Sascha; Corti, Giacomo; Ranalli, Giorgio

2017-09-01

Inherited rheological structures in the lithosphere are expected to have large impact on the architecture of continental rifts. The Turkana depression in the East African Rift connects the Main Ethiopian Rift to the north with the Kenya rift in the south. This region is characterized by a NW-SE trending band of thinned crust inherited from a Mesozoic rifting event, which is cutting the present-day N-S rift trend at high angle. In striking contrast to the narrow rifts in Ethiopia and Kenya, extension in the Turkana region is accommodated in subparallel deformation domains that are laterally distributed over several hundred kilometers. We present both analog experiments and numerical models that reproduce the along-axis transition from narrow rifting in Ethiopia and Kenya to a distributed deformation within the Turkana depression. Similarly to natural observations, our models show that the Ethiopian and Kenyan rifts bend away from each other within the Turkana region, thus forming a right-lateral step over and avoiding a direct link to form a continuous N-S depression. The models reveal five potential types of rift linkage across the preexisting basin: three types where rifts bend away from the inherited structure connecting via a (1) wide or (2) narrow rift or by (3) forming a rotating microplate, (4) a type where rifts bend towards it, and (5) straight rift linkage. The fact that linkage type 1 is realized in the Turkana region provides new insights on the rheological configuration of the Mesozoic rift system at the onset of the recent rift episode.

Two Generations of Detachment System in an Aborted Hyper-extended Rift Basin: A Case in the Baiyun Sag, northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Z.; Mei, L.; Liu, J.; Chen, L.; Zheng, J.

2016-12-01

Three episodes of rifting started from the latest Cretaceous and contributed to final breakup of the South China Sea in Early Oligocene. The Baiyun Sag developed in the continental slope of northern South China Sea was supposed to be only affected by the second and third rifting events and defined as a hyper-extended rift basin with extremely thinned crust through a deep seismic reflection profile by former researchers. In this paper, 19 supplementary deep seismic images were used to investigate the deep crustal structure. The results suggest that only 4-km-thick continental crust is preserved in the middle of the Baiyun Sag, whereas about 26-km-thick in the adjacent relatively unextended regions, such as Panyu Low Uplift in the north and Shunhe Uplift in the southwest. Furthermore, recently gathered 2D/3D offshore seismic data almost cover the whole research region, allowing us to recognize a Cenozoic detachment system which consists of six major detachment faults. In contrast to the performance of the distal domains in the Iberia and Mid-Norway rifted margins, all of these detachment faults dipped toward the continent and thinned the crust effectively, indicating that the extension of the Baiyun Sag was independent of the future lithospheric breakup zone. Consequently, we define the Baiyun Sag as an aborted hyper-extended rift basin formed during Paleocene to Early Oligocene. The inherited basement structures will clearly influence the evolution process of new born rift basin. Under the top basement, a pre-Cenozoic detachment system is also well described in our research area and act as a series of surface with strong amplitude in seismic imaging. We argue that the Cenozoic detachment system was built on the basis of the pre-rift detachment system which is speculated to have formed in the Late Cretaceous. Extensional style of a conveyor belt is recognized in this sediment-rich, aborted hyper-extended supra-detachment basin, showing that the breakaway blocks or extensional allochthons move gradually away from the footwall upon the major detachment surface. This study provides valuable insights into the processes that are related to the evolution of extremely crustal thinning under the constraint of pre-existing fabrics.

The Red Sea structural architecture assessment based on yield strength spatial variations and Arabian margin preexisting structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alotaibi, T.; Furlong, K. P.

2016-12-01

Rift initiation and localization might reflect spatial changes in the lithospheric yield strength. However, this does not appear to be the case in the Red Sea extensional system where fission track analysis shows no significant changes in the geothermal gradient prior to the Red Sea rift onset. In contrast, though the whole Red Sea rift initiated 25 Ma ago, its extensional architecture changes dramatically along strike from narrow localized spreading in the south to asymmetrical diffuse extension north of 21° latitude. This onset of diffuse extension has been recorded in the north-western Arabian margin as old as 33 Ma. Such diversity in the extensional style might reflect along strike yield strength variations as a consequence of the geological setting in the Arabian margin. The north-western Arabian basin, which is part of the Arabian margin, bounded by Qiba high from the east, the Arabian shield from the south and the west and Syrian plateau from the north. The basin accommodates part of the Red Sea diffuse extension and has a preexisting structural architecture represented in the Cenozoic failed rift that called Sarhan graben. Our goal is to analyze the current lithospheric yield strength spatial variations along the Red Sea rift and emphasize their relationship with the Arabian margin structural architecture. We hypothesize that the north-western Arabian margin's lithospheric weakness and structural diversity are playing an important role in producing region of diffuse extension by their interaction with the forces applied by far field stresses represented by the New Tethys slab pull. On the other hand, the south-western Arabian margin interacts with the far field stresses as a single strong block in which led to localize the extension in the southern Red Sea. Our work may improve the scientific community understanding for how rifts initiate and evolve over time.

The Structure Difference in the Southern Margin of the Dangerous Grounds: Implications for the Final Evolution of the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xi, P.; Shen, C.; Zhao, Z.; Xie, X.; Mei, L.; Gong, J.; Huang, X.

2015-12-01

We interpret two multi-channel seismic reflection profiles, more than 900 km across the entire Dangerous Grounds, locating in east and west of the southern margin of the South China Sea respectively. Eight Cenozoic sequence boundaries are determined as well as three tectono-stratigraphic units. Detailed analysis of extensional features and unconformities revealed the tectonic in the east and west. Early extension (syn-rifting sequence) occurred in the two profiles during continental rifting, which lasted from Palaeocene to Early Oligocene, and resulted in formation of half-grabens and rotated fault-blocks. Late extension (drift-rifting sequence) has the significant difference in the both profiles. The eastern Dangerous Grounds entered rifting-depression stage and some compressional deformation occurred in the Reed Bank basin at about the beginning of Early Miocene, probably resulting from the collision of the Dangerous Grounds and the Sabah-Cagayan Arc. The western Dangerous Grounds was still in rifting until the end of Early Miocene, forming the MMU or DRU which is strongly erosional and represents a major break in sedimentation and/or erosion in partial area. Denudation fold and inverted fault can be distinguished blow the MMU, indicating the cessation of the South China Sea accompanied the NW compression, while the boundary corresponding the MMU is nearly a plano-conformity in the east. The thermal sag (post-rifting sequence) is characterized by non-faulted draping strata in the whole area. The different structure in east and west may be related to the final evolution of the SCS. When the proto-SCS closed in a scissor fashion plus the clockwise rotation of Borneo, the initial collision (c.20Ma) appeared in east part building the NW foreland basin system from Palawan Trough to Reed Bank in a short-live process, while the west part was drifting southwards until c.15Ma to form the even more remarkable foreland system from Borneo Trough to deep-water Sarawak.

Matching conjugate volcanic rifted margins: 40Ar/ 39Ar chrono-stratigraphy of pre- and syn-rift bimodal flood volcanism in Ethiopia and Yemen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ukstins, Ingrid A.; Renne, Paul R.; Wolfenden, Ellen; Baker, Joel; Ayalew, Dereje; Menzies, Martin

2002-05-01

40Ar/ 39Ar dating of mineral separates and whole-rock samples of rhyolitic ignimbrites and basaltic lavas from the pre- and syn-rift flood volcanic units of northern Ethiopia provides a temporal link between the Ethiopian and Yemen conjugate rifted volcanic margins. Sixteen new 40Ar/ 39Ar dates confirm that basaltic flood volcanism in Ethiopia was contemporaneous with flood volcanism on the conjugate margin in Yemen. The new data also establish that flood volcanism initiated prior to 30.9 Ma in Ethiopia and may predate initiation of similar magmatic activity in Yemen by ˜0.2-2.0 Myr. Rhyolitic volcanism in Ethiopia commenced at 30.2 Ma, contemporaneous with the first rhyolitic ignimbrite unit in Yemen at ˜30 Ma. Accurate and precise 40Ar/ 39Ar dates on initial rhyolitic ignimbrite eruptions suggest that silicic flood volcanism in Afro-Arabia post-dates the Oligocene Oi2 global cooling event, ruling out a causative link between these explosive silicic eruptions (with individual volumes ≥200 km 3) and climatic cooling which produced the first major expansion of the Antarctic ice sheets. Ethiopian volcanism shows a progressive and systematic younging from north to south along the escarpment and parallel to the rifted margin, from pre-rift flood volcanics in the north to syn-rift northern Main Ethiopian Rift volcanism in the south. A dramatic decrease in volcanic activity in Ethiopia between 25 and 20 Ma correlates with a prominent break-up unconformity in Yemen (26-19 Ma), both of which mark the transition from pre- to syn-rift volcanism (˜25-26 Ma) triggered by the separation of Africa and Arabia. The architecture of the Ethiopian margin is characterized by accumulation and preservation of syn-rift volcanism, while the Yemen margin was shaped by denudational unloading and magmatic starvation as the Arabian plate rifted away from the Afar plume. A second magmatic hiatus and angular unconformity in the northern Main Ethiopian Rift is evident at 10.6-3.2 Ma, and is also observed throughout the Arabian plate in Jordanian, Saudi Arabian and Yemeni intraplate volcanic fields and is possibly linked to tectonic re-organization and initiation of sea floor spreading in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea at 10 and 5 Ma, respectively.

Tectonic Evolution of the Terceira Rift (Azores)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stratmann, Sjard; Huebscher, Christian; Terrinha, Pedro; Ornelas Marques, Fernando; Weiß, Benedik

2017-04-01

The Azores Plateau is located in the Central Atlantic at the Eurasian, Nubian and North-American plates (RRT) Azores Triple Junction. The Terceira Rift (TR) connects the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with the Gloria Fault, hence establishing a transtensional-transform present day plate boundary between the Eurasian and the Nubian plates. Three volcanic islands arose along the TR, Graciosa, Terceira and Sao Miguel. In the geological past, the plate boundary in the Azores area between the Eurasian and Nubian plates was located further south at the East Azores Fracture Zone. The timing of the plate boundary jump, which marks the onset of rifting along the TR, is heavily disputed. Published ages vary from 36 to 1 Ma. Based on bathymetric data and high-resolution marine 2D multi-channel seismic data acquired during M113 cruise of R/V Meteor in 2014/2015 we discuss the structural evolution of the TR and address the question whether the divergence between both plates is entirely accommodated by the TR. The central TR between São Miguel and Terceira, also known as Hirondelle Basin, is up to 70 km wide. Rifting created two asymmetric graben sections separated by a rift parallel horst. The north-eastern and south-western graben sections are ca. 4 km and 3 km deep, respectively, and the corresponding graben floors are tilted towards the central horst. Volcanic cones emerged on the central horst and rift shoulders. Bright spots in the basin fill deposits indicate fluid flow out of the volcanic basement. The seafloor is displaced by faults which suggest recent fault displacement. In the Eastern Graciosa Basin between Terceira and Graciosa Islands the rift narrows to ca. 40 km and shallows to ca. 3200 m water depth. The central horst is no longer detectable. Instead, a buried normal fault and a small escarpment are observed. Shallow faults and block rotation are less pronounced compared to the basins to the south-east and north-west. The Western Graciosa Basin is about 30 km wide and ca. 3050 m deep. The floor of the wider and deeper north-eastern rift valley dips to the northeast. The southwestern basin is represented by tilted fault blocks. The relatively undisturbed rift valley between Terceira and Graciosa (Eastern Graciosa Basin) is consistent with a rather low earthquake activity compared to the other TR segments. We therefore conclude that the TR west of Terceira does not accommodate the entire Nubia-Eurasia plate motion. In fact, we assume that tectonic stress is also dissipated in a seismically active area south of the TR where the lineaments of Pico and São Jorge Island are located. Consequently, the new seismic data support the assumption of a diffuse plate boundary in the western half of the TR. Estimating the age of the TR on the basis of fault geometry and present day extension rates supports all those previous studies which suggested a TR age of 1-3 Ma.

Introduction to section 2. Climax-stage magmatism: Growth history Of Kilauea Volcano and its instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipman, Peter W.

On the south flank of Hawai'i Island, frequent eruptions, abundant earthquakes, and rapid ground deformation mark the current locus of volcanism along the Hawaiian Ridge. Kïlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes are in a tholeiitic shield-building stage, erupting mainly on land. South of Kïlauea, Lö'ihi Seamount has erupted alkalic and transitional basalts that mark the growth of Hawai`i's youngest volcano. Kïlauea is the most active volcano on Earth, and its summit caldera and two rift zones characterize the typical shield stage of Hawaiian volcanoes. Kïlauea's south flank, between the rift zones, is subject to sustained and episodic seaward displacements associated with frequent earthquakes and expressed on land by the Hilina fault system.

Mantle Upwellings Below the Ibero-Maghrebian Region with a Common Deep Source from P Travel-time Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Civiero, C.; Custodio, S.; Silveira, G. M.; Rawlinson, N.; Arroucau, P.

2017-12-01

The processes responsible for the geodynamical evolution of the Ibero-Maghrebian domain are still enigmatic. Several geophysical studies have improved our understanding of the region, but no single model has been accepted yet. This study takes advantage of the dense station networks deployed from France in the north to Canary Islands and Morocco in the south to provide a new high-resolution P-wave velocity model of the structure of the upper-mantle and top of the lower mantle. These images show subvertical small-scale upwellings below Atlas Range, Canary Islands and Central Iberia that seem to cross the transition zone. The results, together with geochemical evidence and a comparison with previous global tomographic models, reveal the ponding or flow of deep-plume material beneath the transition zone, which seems to feed upper-mantle "secondary" pulses. In the upper mantle the plumes, in conjunction with the subduction-related upwellings, allow the hot mantle to rise in the surrounding zones. During its rising, the mantle interacts with horizontal SW slab-driven flow which skirts the Alboran slab and connects with the mantle upwelling below Massif Central through the Valencia Trough rift.

Structure of the southern Rio Grande rift from gravity interpretation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daggett, P. H.; Keller, G. R.; Wen, C.-L.; Morgan, P.

1986-01-01

Regional Bouguer gravity anomalies in southern New Mexico have been analyzed by two-dimensional wave number filtering and poly-nomial trend surface analysis of the observed gravity field. A prominent, regional oval-shaped positive gravity anomaly was found to be associated with the southern Rio Grande rift. Computer modeling of three regional gravity profiles suggests that this anomaly is due to crustal thinning beneath the southern Rio Grande rift. These models indicate a 25 to 26-km minimum crustal thickness within the rift and suggest that the rift is underlain by a broad zone of anomalously low-density upper mantle. The southern terminus of the anomalous zone is approximately 50 km southwest of El Paso, Texas. A thinning of the rifted crust of 2-3 km relative to the adjacent Basin and Range province indicates an extension of about 9 percent during the formation of the modern southern Rio Grande rift. This extension estimate is consistent with estimates from other data sources. The crustal thinning and anomalous mantle is thought to result from magmatic activity related to surface volcanism and high heat flow in this area.

Large mammals from the Upper Neopleistocene reference sections in the Tunka rift valley, southwestern Baikal Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shchetnikov, A. A.; Klementiev, A. M.; Filinov, I. A.; Semeney, E. Yu.

2015-03-01

This work presents the data on new finds of fossil macrotheriofauna in the reference sections of the Upper Neopleistocene sediments in the Tunka rift valley (southwestern Baikal Region). The osteological material of a number of Late Neopleistocene mammals including extinct species rare for the Baikal region such as Crocuta spelaea, Panthera spelaea, and Spirocerus kiakhtensis (?) was directly dated with a radiocarbon (AMS) method. The obtained 14C data (18000-35000 years) allow one to rejuvenate significantly the upper limit of the common age interval of habitat of these animals in southern part of Eastern Siberia. Cave hyena and spiral-horned antelope lived in the Tunka rift valley in the Baikal region in Late Kargino time (37-24 ka), and cave lion survived the maximum in the Sartan cryochron in the region (21-20 ka). The study of collected paleontological collections provides a basis for selection of independent Kargino (MIS 3) faunal assemblages to use them for regional biostratigraphic analysis of Pleistocene deposits. Radiocarbon age dating of samples allows one to attribute confidently all paleofaunal remains available to the second half of the Late Pleistocene.

Continental breakup of the Central Atlantic and the initiation of the southern Central Atlantic Magmatic Province: revisiting the role of a mantle plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohrman, M.

2017-12-01

Central Atlantic breakup is strongly associated with magmatism of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), although the exact mechanism, as well as the temporal and spatial relations, have so far been poorly constrained. Here, I propose a mantle plume origin for the 200 Ma southern Central Atlantic Province (CAMP), based on an original plume conduit location off southeastern Florida, linking Early Jurassic rift systems: One rift arm is defined by the Takutu rift in present-day Guyana and Brazil, extending all the way past the Demerara Rise. This rift is linking up with a second arm from the Bahamas basin to the Blake Plateau basin. Finally, there is the third, failed rift between the Demerara Rise and the Guinea Plateau. This rift system post-dates earlier Triassic rift systems along the US eastcoast and in the subsurface of Arkansas, Texas, the Gulf of Mexico and northern South America. Chronostratigraphic analysis of outcrop, wells and seismic data near the proposed conduit, suggest initial Rhaetian uplift, followed by dike/sill intrusions feeding flood basalts and the initiation of igneous centers at the triple point. The latter resulted in various subsequent uplift and subsidence events, as a result of volcanic construction and erosion. The load of the volcanic edifice generated a point of weakness, allowing favorable plate stresses to generate rift systems, propagating away from the rift junction and eventually break up Pangea. The breakup is marked by the magmatic breakup (un)conformity on seismic data, separating hotspot/plume sourced Seaward Dipping reflectors (SDRs) within the continental rift system, from early ocean spreading sourced SDRs. As ocean spreading continued, the volcanic construction evolved into a hotspot track, now recognized as the Bahamas island trail. Time progression of this hotspot track resembles the present-day Iceland hotspot track, as suggested by plate reconstructions (Figure 1). Based on melting depth estimates from Sm/Yb ratios of outcropping intrusives in northwestern Africa, eastern USA and northern South America, the initial flattened plume disc must have been 200 km thick with a radius 2000 km to account for widespread magmatism in the southern CAMP.

The initiation of segmented buoyancy-driven melting during continental breakup

PubMed Central

Gallacher, Ryan J.; Keir, Derek; Harmon, Nicholas; Stuart, Graham; Leroy, Sylvie; Hammond, James O. S.; Kendall, J-Michael; Ayele, Atalay; Goitom, Berhe; Ogubazghi, Ghebrebrhan; Ahmed, Abdulhakim

2016-01-01

Melting of the mantle during continental breakup leads to magmatic intrusion and volcanism, yet our understanding of the location and dominant mechanisms of melt generation in rifting environments is impeded by a paucity of direct observations of mantle melting. It is unclear when during the rifting process the segmented nature of magma supply typical of seafloor spreading initiates. Here, we use Rayleigh-wave tomography to construct a high-resolution absolute three-dimensional shear-wave velocity model of the upper 250 km beneath the Afar triple junction, imaging the mantle response during progressive continental breakup. Our model suggests melt production is highest and melting depths deepest early during continental breakup. Elevated melt production during continental rifting is likely due to localized thinning and melt focusing when the rift is narrow. In addition, we interpret segmented zones of melt supply beneath the rift, suggesting that buoyancy-driven active upwelling of the mantle initiates early during continental rifting. PMID:27752044

Shear zone reactivation during South Atlantic rifting in NW Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koehn, D.; Passchier, C. W.; Salomon, E.

2013-12-01

Reactivation of inherited structures during rifting as well as an influence of inherited structures on the orientation of a developing rift has long been discussed (e.g. Piqué & Laville, 1996; Younes & McClay, 2002). Here, we present a qualitative and quantitative study of shear zone reactivation during the South Atlantic opening in NW Namibia. The study area comprises the Neo-Proterozoic rocks of the Kaoko Belt which was formed during the amalgamation of Gondwana. The Kaoko Belt encompasses the prominent ~500 km long ductile Purros shear zone and the Three Palms shear zone, both running sub-parallel to the present continental margin. The Kaoko Belt is partly overlain by the basalts of the Paraná-Etendeka Large Igneous Province, which with an age of ~133 Ma were emplaced just before or during the onset of the Atlantic rifting at this latitude. Combining the analysis of satellite imagery and digital elevation models with extensive field work, we identified numerous faults tracing the old shear zones along which the Etendeka basalts were down-faulted. The faults are often listric, yet we also found evidence for a regional scale basin formation. Our analysis allowed for constructing the geometry of three of these faults and we could thus estimate the vertical offsets to ~150 m, ~500 m, and ~1100 m, respectively. Our results contribute to the view that the basement inheritance plays a significant role on rifting processes and that the reactivation of shear zones can accumulate significant amounts of displacement. References: Pique, A. and E. Laville (1996). The Central Atlantic rifting: Reactivation of Paleozoic structures?. J. Geodynamics, 21, 235-255. Younes, I.A. and K. McClay (2002). Development of accommodation zones in the Gulf of Suez-Red Sea rift, Egypt. AAPG Bulletin, 86, 1003-1026.

The mechanism of post-rift fault activities in Baiyun sag, Pearl River Mouth basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhen; Xu, Ziying; Sun, Longtao; Pang, Xiong; Yan, Chengzhi; Li, Yuanping; Zhao, Zhongxian; Wang, Zhangwen; Zhang, Cuimei

2014-08-01

Post-rift fault activities were often observed in deepwater basins, which have great contributions to oil and gas migration and accumulation. The main causes for post-rift fault activities include tectonic events, mud or salt diapirs, and gravitational collapse. In the South China Sea continental margin, post-rift fault activities are widely distributed, especially in Baiyun sag, one of the largest deepwater sag with its main body located beneath present continental slope. During the post-rift stage, large population of faults kept active for a long time from 32 Ma (T70) till 5.5 Ma (T10). Seismic interpretation, fault analysis and analogue modeling experiments indicate that the post-rift fault activities in Baiyun sag between 32 Ma (T70) and 13.8 Ma (T30) was mainly controlled by gravity pointing to the Main Baiyun sag, which caused the faults extensive on the side facing Main Baiyun sag and the back side compressive. Around 32 Ma (T70), the breakup of the continental margin and the spreading of the South China Sea shed a combined effect of weak compression toward Baiyun sag. The gravity during post-rift stage might be caused by discrepant subsidence and sedimentation between strongly thinned sag center and wing areas. This is supported by positive relationship between sedimentation rate and fault growth index. After 13.8 Ma (T30), fault activity shows negative relationship with sedimentation rate. Compressive uplift and erosion in seismic profiles as well as negative tectonic subsiding rates suggest that the fault activity from 13.8 Ma (T30) to 5.5 Ma (T10) might be controlled by the subductive compression from the Philippine plate in the east.

Temporal and spatial constraints on the evolution of a Rio Grande rift sub-basin, Guadalupe Mountain area, northern New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, R. A.; Turner, K. J.; Cosca, M. A.; Drenth, B.; Hudson, M. R.; Lee, J.

2013-12-01

The Taos Plateau volcanic field (TPVF) in the southern San Luis Valley of northern New Mexico is the most voluminous of the predominantly basaltic Neogene (6-1 Ma) volcanic fields of the Rio Grande rift. Volcanic deposits of the TPVF are intercalated with alluvial deposits of the Santa Fe Group and compose the N-S-trending San Luis Basin, the largest basin of the northern rift (13,500 km2 in area). Pliocene volcanic rocks of the Guadalupe Mountain area of northern New Mexico are underlain by the southern end of one of the larger sub-basins of the San Luis Valley, the Sunshine sub-basin (~ 450 km2 in area) juxtaposed against the down-to-west frontal fault of the Precambrian-cored Sangre de Cristo Range. The sub-basin plunges northward and extends to near the Colorado-New Mexico border. The western margin (~15 km west of the Sangre de Cristo fault) is constrained by outcrops of Oligocene to Miocene volcanic rocks of the Latir volcanic field, interpreted here as a broad pre-Pliocene intra-rift platform underlying much of the northern TPVF. The southern sub-basin border is derived, in part, from modeling of gravity and aeromagnetic data and is interpreted as a subsurface extension of this intra-rift platform that extends southeastward to nearly the Sangre de Cristo range front. Broadly coincident with this subsurface basement high is the northwest-trending, curvilinear terminus of the down-to-northeast Red River fault zone. South of the gravity high, basin-fill alluvium and ~3.84 Ma Servilleta basalt lava flows thicken along a poorly exposed, down-to-south, basin-bounding fault of the northern Taos graben, the largest of the San Luis Valley sub-basins. The uppermost, western sub-basin fill is exposed along steep canyon walls near the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Red River. Unconformity-bound, lava flow packages are intercalated with paleo Red River fan alluvium and define six eruptive sequences in the Guadalupe Mountain area: (1) Guadalupe Mtn. lavas (dacite ~5.27-4.8 Ma), (2) lower Servilleta basalt lavas (olivine tholeiite ~5.26-4.92 Ma), (3) Hatchery volcano lavas (basaltic andesite to andesite ~4.93 Ma), (4) Red River lavas (high silica andesite ~4.93 Ma), (5) UCEM lavas (dacite ~4.85 Ma), and (6) upper Servilleta basalt lavas (olivine tholeiite ~3.84-3.45 Ma). Mapped eruptive centers are interpreted to reflect discrete pulses of volcanic activity characterized by limited compositional range and short eruption cycles. Four major, northwest-trending, dip-slip faults cut the volcanic fill. From west to east these are: (1) down-to-east Red River fault zone (post 3.84 Ma displacement), (2) down-to-east Fish Hatchery fault zone including fault splays of opposite displacement (pre- upper Servilleta displacement < 3.84 Ma and contemporaneous with eruption of Hatchery volcano lavas, ~4.93 Ma), (3) Guadalupe Mtn. fault zone, both down-to-west and down-to-east components (post ~5 Ma displacement), and (4) Tailings Pond fault zone, down-to-east (post ~5 Ma displacement). The Red River and Tailings Pond fault zones appear to have the largest cumulative displacements and may reflect eastward migration of the western sub-basin margin. This may reflect coupled partitioning of extensional strain reflected as local expressions of sub-basin development and contemporaneous volcanism.

Development of a Rift Valley fever real-time RT-PCR assay that can detect all three genome segments

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Outbreaks of Rift Valley fever in Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, and South Africa had devastating effects on livestock and human health. In addition, this disease is a food security issue for endemic countries. There is growing concern for the potential introduction of RVF into non-endemic countries...

Mantle convection patterns reveal the enigma of the Red Sea rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrunin, Alexey; Kaban, Mikhail; El Khrepy, Sami; Al-Arifi, Nassir

2017-04-01

Initiation and further development of the Red Sea rift (RSR) is usually associated with the Afar plume at the Oligocene-Miocene separating the Arabian plate from the rest of the continent. Usually, the RSR is divided into three parts with different geological, tectonic and geophysical characteristics, but the nature of this partitioning is still debatable. To understand origin and driving forces responsible for the tectonic partitioning of the RSR, we have developed a global mantle convection model based on the refined density model and viscosity distribution derived from tectonic, rheological and seismic data. The global density model of the upper mantle is refined for the Middle East based on the high-resolution 3D model (Kaban et al., 2016). This model based on a joint inversion of the residual gravity and residual topography provides much better constraints on the 3D density structure compared to the global model based on seismic tomography. The refined density model and the viscosity distribution based on a homologous temperature approach provide an initial setup for further numerical calculations. The present-day snapshot of the mantle convection is calculated by using the code ProSpher 3D that allows for strong lateral variations of viscosity (Petrunin et al., 2013). The setup includes weak plate boundaries, while the measured GPS velocities are used to constrain the solution. The resulting mantle flow patterns show clear distinctions among the mantle flow patterns below the three parts of the RSR. According to the modeling results, tectonics of the southern part of the Red Sea is mainly determined by the Afar plume and the Ethiopian rift opening. It is characterized by a divergent mantle flow, which is connected to the East African Rift activity. The rising mantle flow is traced down to the transition zone and continues in the lower mantle for a few thousand kilometers south-west of Afar. The hot mantle anomaly below the central part of the RSR can be explained either by the asthenospheric upwelling due to the Red Sea floor spreading or by a secondary plume rising from the transition zone. According to our model, there is no obvious evidence for a direct connection of the hot anomaly below the central part of the RSR and the Afar plume in the upper mantle. In the northern part of the RSR, we found the ridge-axis aligned downstream flow contradicting the hypothesis of the intra-continental rifting in this area. Likely, the tectonics of this area implies a complex interplay of the Dead Sea transform fault development and the Sinai and Mediterranean tectonics. Kaban, M. K., S. El Khrepy, N. Al-Arifi, M. Tesauro, and W. Stolk (2016), Three dimensional density model of the upper mantle in the Middle East: Interaction of diverse tectonic processes, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 121, doi:10.1002/2015JB012755. Petrunin, A. G.; Kaban, M. K.; Rogozhina, I.; Trubitsyn, V. (2013). Revising the spectral method as applied to modeling mantle dynamics. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems (G3), EDOC: 21048.

Evidence for a Slow Spreading Ocean Ridge in the Southern Rockall Trough From Satellite Gravity Inversion and Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chappell, A. R.; Kusznir, N. J.

2005-12-01

The southern Rockall Trough, located to the west of Ireland and the UK in the NE Atlantic, has been interpreted as both a Mesozoic intra-continental rift basin (O'Reilly 1995) and a mid Cretaceous ocean basin (e.g. Roberts et al. 1980). The continental rift hypothesis (O'Reilly 1995) requires differential stretching of the upper and lower crust and syn-tectonic cooling to mechanically explain the formation of 5-6km thick continental crust and allow serpentinisation of the upper mantle. In this model serpentinisation of the upper mantle is needed to explain low upper mantle seismic velocities. The serpentinisation has also been required to fit gravity modelling of seismic transects to the observed gravity (e.g. Shannon 1999). We use satellite gravity inversion to map Moho depth and crustal thickness (Chappell & Kusznir 2005) for the Rockall Trough area. The satellite gravity inversion is a 3D spectral method incorporating a correction for the residual lithosphere thermal gravity anomaly present in continental rifted margin lithosphere and oceanic lithosphere. The gravity inversion predicts Moho depth and geometry in agreement with wide-angle seismic estimates without invoking the extensive serpentinisation of the upper-mantle needed by the intra-continental rift hypothesis (O'Reilly 1995). Recent seismic modelling (Morewood 2005) suggests that the thin crust in the southern Rockall Trough does not have the seismic layering associated with oceanic crust formed at intermediate or fast spreading rates. Also, wide-angle seismic data shows low upper mantle seismic velocities are present and spatially associated with the thin 5-6km crust (Shannon 1999). These observations are consistent with models and observations of oceanic crust formed at slow spreading ocean ridges (Cannat 1996, Jokat 2003). Such models are based on a proportion of melt being retained in the upper mantle, producing low seismic velocities, and a reduced supply of melt to the crust, resulting in thin seismic crust with some serpentinised mantle material included. We propose that the southern Rockall Trough was formed by continental break-up and a period of slow mid Cretaceous sea floor spreading rather than as an intra- continental rift basin. This work forms part of the NERC Margins iSIMM project. iSIMM investigators are from Liverpool and Cambridge Universities, Badley Geoscience & Schlumberger Cambridge Research supported by the NERC, the DTI, Agip UK, BP, Amerada Hess Ltd, Anadarko, Conoco-Phillips, Shell, Statoil and WesternGeco. The iSIMM team comprises NJ Kusznir, RS White, AM Roberts, PAF Christie, AR Chappell, J Eccles, RJ Fletcher, D Healy, N Hurst, ZC Lunnon, CJ Parkin, AW Roberts, LK Smith, VJ Tymms & R Spitzer.

Regional 3D Numerical Modeling of the Lithosphere-Mantle System: Implications for Continental Rift-Parallel Surface Velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stamps, S.; Bangerth, W.; Hager, B. H.

2014-12-01

The East African Rift System (EARS) is an active divergent plate boundary with slow, approximately E-W extension rates ranging from <1-6 mm/yr. Previous work using thin-sheet modeling indicates lithospheric buoyancy dominates the force balance driving large-scale Nubia-Somalia divergence, however GPS observations within the Western Branch of the EARS show along-rift motions that contradict this simple model. Here, we test the role of mantle flow at the rift-scale using our new, regional 3D numerical model based on the open-source code ASPECT. We define a thermal lithosphere with thicknesses that are systematically changed for generic models or based on geophysical constraints in the Western branch (e.g. melting depths, xenoliths, seismic tomography). Preliminary results suggest existing variations in lithospheric thicknesses along-rift in the Western Branch can drive upper mantle flow that is consistent with geodetic observations.

An Isotopic Perspective into the Magmatic Evolution and Architecture of the Rift Zones of Kīlauea Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pietruszka, A. J.; Marske, J. P.; Garcia, M. O.; Heaton, D. E.; Rhodes, M. M.

2016-12-01

We present Pb, Sr, and Nd isotope ratios for Kīlauea's historical rift zone lavas (n=50) to examine the magmatic evolution and architecture of the volcano's East Rift Zone (ERZ) and Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ). Our results show that Kīlauea's historical eruptive period was preceded by the delivery of a major batch of magma from the summit reservoir to the ERZ. The timing of this intrusion, most likely in the late 17th century, was probably related to the 300-yr period of explosive eruptions that followed the formation of the modern caldera (Swanson et al., 2012; JVGR). This rift-stored magma was a component in lavas from lower ERZ (LERZ) eruptions in 1790(?), 1840, 1955, and 1960. The only other components in these LERZ lavas are related to summit lavas erupted (1) after the 1924 collapse of Halemáumáu and (2) during episodes of high fountaining at Kīlauea Iki in 1959. Thus, the intrusion of magma from the summit reservoir into the LERZ is a rare occurrence that is tied to major volcanological events. Intrusions from the summit reservoir in the 1960s likely flushed most older, stored magma from the upper ERZ (UERZ) and middle ERZ (MERZ), leaving large pockets of 1960s-era magma to serve as a dominant component in many subsequent rift lavas. An increase in the duration of pre-eruptive magma storage from the UERZ ( 0-7 yr) to the MERZ ( 0-19 yr) to the LERZ (up to 335 yr) is likely controlled by a decrease in the rate of magma supply to the more distal portions of the ERZ. Lavas from several UERZ eruptions in the 1960s and 1970s have a component of mantle-derived magma that bypassed the summit reservoir. There is no evidence for a summit bypass into the MERZ, LERZ, or the volcanically active portion of the SWRZ. These results support a recent model for Kīlauea's plumbing system (Poland et al., 2014; USGS Prof. Pap. 1801): the ERZ is connected to the deeper "South Caldera" magma body and the volcanic SWRZ is connected to the shallower Halemáumáu magma body.

Normal-Faulting in Madagascar: Another Round of Continental Rifting?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wysession, M. E.; Pratt, M. J.; Tsiriandrimanana, R.; Andriampenomanana Ny Ony, F. S. T.; Nyblade, A.; Durrheim, R. J.; Tilmann, F. J.; Rumpker, G.; Rambolamanana, G.; Aleqabi, G. I.; Shore, P.

2017-12-01

Analyses of seismicity and seismic structure within Madagascar suggest the current occurrence of crustal extension, which may be related to continental rifting associated with a diffuse boundary between the Somalia and Lwandle tectonic plates. Madagascar has participated in two major rifting events as part of the break-up of Gondwana: the break-away of Greater India (Madagascar, India, the Seychelles) away from mainland Africa during the Jurassic and the break-away of India from Madagascar during the Cretaceous. Seismic activity and the structures obtained from it, using data from the 2-year (2011-2013) MACOMO project, suggest that this break-up may not be finished, and that continental rifts may be developing again. There are fairly high levels of intraplate seismicity within Madagascar: over 800 events located during the 22 months of the deployment. For comparison, a 2-year deployment of seismometers within the upper Midwest of the U.S. yielded just 12 intraplate earthquakes. While the Madagascar seismicity occurs across the island, it is strongly concentrated in the central region, where Cenozoic volcanism has occurred through the Holocene, and earthquakes align along N-S-trending lineations associated with N-S-trending pull-apart graben structures. The thickness of the crust is still >40 km in this region, but it is underlain by a large low-velocity structure within the lithosphere and asthenosphere that is observed in our studies of surface-wave, body-wave, and Pn-phase tomography. Normal faulting is not observed everywhere on the island, however; seismicity in the north is largely strike-slip, and seismicity in the south appears to be largely reverse faulting. Several studies have suggested that the diffuse boundary between the Somalia and Lwandle plates runs roughly E-W across Madagascar. Extensional faulting seems to predominate only within central Madagascar, likely associated with the current volcanic activity, which also appears to be associated with the delamination of the northern half of Madagascar's subcrustal lithosphere. If so, it may be that the volcanism, seismicity, and extension are all occurring syntectonically, and that we may be witnessing the development of another continental rift involving Madagascar.

Continental rifting and the origin of Beta Regio, Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgill, G. E.; Steenstrup, S. J.; Barton, C.; Ford, P. G.

1981-01-01

Topographic maps based on Pioneer Venus altimetry suggest that Beta Regio, an elevated feature centered at 27 deg N, 282 deg E, is analogous to domes associated with continental rift systems on earth. This interpretation is consistent with the commonly quoted analogy between the East African rift system and the topography of the region from Beta Regio southward to Phoebe Regio. If Beta Regio is a dome, major structural uplift of the crust of Venus is implied, suggesting a more dynamic upper mantle than would be the case if Beta Regio were simply a large volcanic construct.

Continental magnetic anomaly constraints on continental reconstruction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonfrese, R. R. B.; Hinze, W. J.; Olivier, R.; Bentley, C. R.

1985-01-01

Crustal magnetic anomalies mapped by the MAGSAT satellite for North and South America, Europe, Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica and adjacent marine areas were adjusted to a common elevation of 400 km and differentially reduced to the radial pole of intensity 60,000 nT. These radially polarized anomalies are normalized for differential inclination, declination and intensity effects of the geomagnetic field, so that in principle they directly reflected the geometric and magnetic polarization attributes of sources which include regional petrologic variations of the crust and upper mantle, and crustal thickness and thermal perturbations. Continental anomalies demonstrate remarkably detailed correlation of regional magnetic sources across rifted margins when plotted on a reconstruction of Pangea. Accordingly, they suggest further fundamental constraints on the geologic evolution of the continents and their reconstructions.

The crustal characteristics at syn- and/or post-rifting in eastern Shikoku basin by seismic reflection survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, M.; Takahashi, N.; Kodaira, S.; Takizawa, K.; No, T.; Miura, S.; Kaneda, Y.

2008-12-01

Imaging of the arc-backarc transition zone is important in relation to the backarc opening process. Shikoku Basin locates between the Kyushu-Palau Ridge and the Izu-Ogasawara Arc, which is an important area to reveal the opening evolution of the backarc basins as a part of the growth process of the Philippine Sea. The Shikoku Basin was in the backarc rifting and spreading stage during about 30-15 Ma (e.g. Okino et al., 1994). High P-wave velocity lower crust is identified in arc-backarc transition zone by refraction survey using OBSs (Takahashi et al., 2007). Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) carried out multi-channel seismic reflection (MCS) survey using 12,000 cu.in. air gun and 5 km streamer with 204 ch hydrophones in the Izu-Ogasawara region since 2004. We extracted and mapped the crustal characteristics from poststack and prestack depth migrated profiles. According to obtained profiles, the deformation structure with share component is recognized in arc-backarc transition zone, which located eastern side of Shikoku Basin from Zenisu Ridge to about 500 km south. The maximum width of this deformation zone is about 100 km. The relative displacement of horizon is little; however, it is strongly deformed from upper crust beneath seafloor. This deformation zone indicates the post- rifting activity in east side of Shikoku Basin. On the other hand, some knolls are indicated along the en- echelon arrangement from Izu-Ogasawara arc. Ishizuka et al. (2003) reported post-rifting volcanism with Miocene age in en-echelon arrangement. A part of these knolls are estimated to penetrate at syn-rifting and/or post-rifting stage in backarc opening. By comparing the both side of arc-backarc transition zone, we elucidate syn- and post-rifting effect in Shikoku Basin. We also carried out high density MCS surveys in Shikoku Basin in order to IODP proposal site for reconstruction of magmatic processes since Oligocene in rear arc. In this survey, we use new tuned airgun array with total capacity of 7,800 cu. in. for high resolution imaging. Preliminary result shows that the proposed site is covered with thick sediments, and acoustic basement is seen at depth of 1.5-2 km (1.5-2 sec in two way traveltime) from sea bottom, a part of which is discontinuous. Many clear reflectors can be observed within sediments, some of which corresponding to those identified in previous MCS lines.

Recent Inflation of Kilauea Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miklius, A.; Poland, M.; Desmarais, E.; Sutton, A.; Orr, T.; Okubo, P.

2006-12-01

Over the last three years, geodetic monitoring networks and satellite radar interferometry have recorded substantial inflation of Kilauea's magma system, while the Pu`u `O`o eruption on the east rift zone has continued unabated. Combined with the approximate doubling of carbon dioxide emission rates at the summit during this period, these observations indicate that the magma supply rate to the volcano has increased. Since late 2003, the summit area has risen over 20 cm, and a 2.5 km-long GPS baseline across the summit area has extended almost half a meter. The center of inflation has been variable, with maximum uplift shifting from an area near the center of the caldera to the southeastern part of the caldera in 2004-2005. In 2006, the locus of inflation shifted again, to the location of the long-term magma reservoir in the southern part of the caldera - the same area that had subsided more than 1.5 meters during the last 23 years of the ongoing eruption. In addition, the southwest rift zone reversed its long-term trend of subsidence and began uplifting in early 2006. The east rift zone has shown slightly accelerated rates of extension, but with a year-long hiatus following the January 2005 south flank aseismic slip event. Inflation rates have varied greatly. Accelerated rates of extension and uplift in early 2005 and 2006 were also associated with increased seismicity. Seismicity occurred not only at inflation centers, but was also triggered on the normal faulting area northwest of the caldera and the strike-slip faulting area in the upper east rift zone. In early 2006, at about the time that we started recording uplift on the southwest rift zone, the rate of earthquakes extending from the summit into the southwest rift zone at least quadrupled. The most recent previous episode of inflation at Kilauea, in 2002, may have resulted from reduced lava- transport capacity, as it was associated with decreased outflow at the eruption site. In contrast, eruption volumes have not decreased during the current inflation. Indeed, gas emission measurements indicate increased outflow, with average sulfur dioxide emissions from the eruption site having almost doubled in 2005. While the eruption is apparently taking up some of the increased supply, at least intermittently, the magma system to Pu`u `O`o is obviously not capable of sustaining the transport of the entire volume; as a result, both the summit and rift zones are being pressurized. Whether the existing magma transport system to the eruption site can evolve in time to handle the increased flux remains to be seen.

Rifts never die: Structure of the Upper Rhine Graben, and bearing on young and recent tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrmann, J. H.

2003-04-01

The Upper Rhine Graben (URG) is a 300 km long, NNE trending, low-strain, small-displacement continental rift of mid-Tertiary age. Its structure can be adequately retrodeformed in 3D if sinistrally transtensive strain and displacement paths along the major faults and associated contact deformation in the wall rocks are restored. The overall structure of the URG is characterised by low listric curvature of the principal faults and large (16-20 km) depth to a basal detachment zone. This deformation geometry and kinematics inhibits block rotation, minimises displacement on individual faults, and apparently leads to strain dissipation into intricate fault networks and/or "en masse" fracturing of large rock volumes, and propagation of dominantly brittle deformation deep into the continental crust. A net result of such deformation may be permanent reduction of tensional and shear strength on a crustal scale, making oblique rifts like the URG particularly prone to tectonic reactivation. Continued Quaternary and recent tectonic activity of the URG is documented by the following phenomena: (1) strong local differential subsidence and sedimentary basin filling, especially in the northern and southern parts of the rift. (2) Formation of morphological scarps at the locations of some major faults and offset of Quaternary stata at depth, especially in the southern (Freiburg-Basel) segment (3) Changes in relative elevation of reference points along precise levelling traverses. (4) Considerable microearthquake activity (> 50 events since 1995 in the Freiburg area), concentrated in the middle and upper crust on or in the vicinity of depth projections of faults. One possible conclusion to be drawn from the URG data and observations is that rifts can remain in a near-critical mechanical state very long after formation, even if plate-scale principal stresses have changed orientations and/or differential magnitudes. Rates of movement and seismicity are up to one order of magnitude lower than in areas of active rifting. However, they may be large enough to define a sizeable geological risk to the human environment, especially by large earthquakes with very long recurrence time.

Variable styles of rifting expressed in crustal structure across three rift segments of the Gulf of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizarralde, D. D.; Axen, G. J.; Brown, H. E.; Fletcher, J. M.; Fernandez, A. G.; Harding, A. J.; Holbrook, W. S.; Kent, G. M.; Paramo, P.; Sutherland, F. H.; Umhoefer, P. J.

2007-05-01

We present a summary of results from a crustal-scale seismic experiment conducted in the southern Gulf of California. This experiment, the PESCADOR experiment, imaged crustal structure across three rift segments, the Alarcon, Guaymas, and San José del Cabo to Puerto Vallarta (Cabo-PV) segments, using seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection data acquired with airgun sources and recorded by closely spaced (10-15 km) ocean-bottom seismometers (OBSs). The imaged crustal structure reveals a surprisingly large variation in rifting style and magmatism between these segments: the Alarcon segment is a wide rift with apparently little syn-rift magmatism; the Guaymas segment is a narrow, magmatically robust rift; and the Cabo-PV segment is a narrow, magmatically "normal" rift. Our explanation for the observed variability is non-traditional in that we do not invoke mantle temperature, the factor commonly invoked to explain end-member volcanic and non-volcanic rifted margins, as the source of the considerable, though non-end-member variability we observe. Instead, we invoke mantle depletion related to pre-rift arc volcanism to account for observed wide, magma-poor rifting and mantle fertility and possibly the influence of sediments to account for robust rift and post-rift magmatism. These factors may commonly vary over small lateral spatial scales in regions that have transitioned from convergent to extensional tectonics, as is the case for the Gulf of California and many other rifts. Our hypothesis suggests that substantial lateral variability may exist within the uppermost mantle beneath the Gulf of California today, and it is hoped that ongoing efforts to image upper mantle structure here will provide tests for this hypothesis.

Lithospheric structure, composition, and thermal regime of the East European Craton: Implications for the subsidence of the Russian platform

USGS Publications Warehouse

Artemieva, I.M.

2003-01-01

A new mechanism for Paleozoic subsidence of the Russian, or East European, platform is suggested, since a model of lithosphere tilting during the Uralian subduction does not explain the post-Uralian sedimentation record. Alternatively, I propose that the Proterozoic and Paleozoic rifting (when a platform-scale Central Russia rift system and a set of Paleozoic rifts were formed) modified the structure and composition of cratonic lithosphere, and these tectono-magmatic events are responsible for the post-Uralian subsidence of the Russian platform. To support this hypothesis, (a) the thermal regime and the thickness of the lithosphere are analyzed, and (b) lithospheric density variations of non-thermal origin are calculated from free-board constraints. The results indicate that Proterozoic and Paleozoic rifting had different effects on the lithospheric structure and composition. (1) Proterozoic rifting is not reflected in the present thermal regime and did not cause significant lithosphere thinning (most of the Russian platform has lithospheric thickness of 150-180 km and the lithosphere of the NE Baltic Shield is 250-300 km thick). Paleozoic rifting resulted in pronounced lithospheric thinning (to 120-140 km) in the southern parts of the Russian platform. (2) Lithospheric density anomalies suggest that Proterozoic-Paleozoic rifting played an important role in the platform subsidence. The lithospheric mantle of the Archean-early Proterozoic part of the Baltic Shield is ??? 1.4 ?? 0.2% less dense than the typical Phanerozoic upper mantle. However, the density deficit in the subcrustal lithosphere of most of the Russian platform is only about (0.4-0.8) ?? 0.2% and decreases southwards to ???0%. Increased densities (likely associated with low depletion values) in the Russian platform suggest strong metasomatism of the cratonic lithosphere during rifting events, which led to its subsidence. It is proposed that only the lower part of the cratonic lithosphere was metasomatized as a result of Proterozoic rifting; the boundary between a depleted upper and more fertile lower layers can be at ca. 90-150 km depth and can produce a seismic pattern similar to the top of a seismic low-velocity zone. Paleozoic rifting has modified the entire lithospheric column and the regions affected are still subsiding. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Salton Seismic Imaging Project: Tomographic characterization of a sediment-filled rift valley and adjacent ranges, southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davenport, K.; Hole, J. A.; Stock, J. M.; Fuis, G. S.; Carrick, E.; Tikoff, B.

2011-12-01

The Salton Trough in Southern California represents the northernmost rift of the Gulf of California extensional system. Relative motion between the Pacific and North American plates is accommodated by continental rifting in step-over zones between the San Andreas, Imperial, and Cerro Prieto transform faults. Rapid sedimentation from the Colorado River has isolated the trough from the southern portion of the Gulf of California, progressively filling the subsiding rift basin. Based on data from previous seismic surveys, the pre-existing continent has ruptured completely, and a new ~22 km thick crust has been created entirely by sedimentation overlying rift-related magmatism. The MARGINS, EarthScope, and USGS-funded Salton Seismic Imaging Project (SSIP) was designed to investigate the nature of this new crust, the ongoing process of continental rifting, and associated earthquake hazards. SSIP, acquired in March 2011, comprises 7 lines of onshore seismic refraction / wide-angle reflection data, 2 lines of refraction / reflection data in the Salton Sea, and a line of broadband stations. This presentation focuses on the refraction / wide-angle reflection line across the Imperial Valley, extending ~220 km across California from Otay Mesa, near Tijuana, to the Colorado River. The data from this line includes seventeen 100-160 kg explosive shots and receivers at 100 m spacing across the Imperial Valley to constrain the structure of the Salton Trough rift basin, including the Imperial Fault. Eight larger shots (600-920 kg) at 20-35 km spacing and receivers at 200-500 m spacing extend the line across the Peninsular Ranges and the Chocolate Mountains. These data will contrast the structure of the rift to that of the surrounding crust and provide constraints on whole-crust and uppermost mantle structure. Preliminary work has included tomographic inversion of first-arrival travel times across the Valley, emphasizing a minimum-structure approach to create a velocity model of the upper crust. Ongoing modeling provides constraints on the basin margins, showing a steeply dipping western edge of the rift valley approximately coincident to the shoreline of the ancient Lake Cahuilla. Low velocity sediments and low velocity crystalline crust within the Imperial Valley are consistent with previous studies and contrast with faster crystalline rocks near the surface outside the rift. Ongoing analysis will provide a more detailed image of upper crustal structure, as well as preliminary modeling of the entire crust.

Seismic imaging of the geodynamic activity at the western Eger rift in central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullick, N.; Buske, S.; Hrubcova, P.; Ruzek, B.; Shapiro, S.; Wigger, P.; Fischer, T.

2015-04-01

The western Eger rift at the Czech-German border in central Europe is an important geodynamically active area within the European Cenzoic rift system (ECRS) in the forelands of the Alps. Along with two other active areas of the ECRS, the French Massif Central and the east and west Eifel volcanic fields, it is characterized by numerous CO2-rich fluid emission points and frequent micro-seismicity. Existence of a plume(s) is indicated in the upper mantle which may be responsible for these observations. Here we reprocess a pre-existing deep seismic reflection profile '9HR' and interpret the subsurface structures as mapped by seismic reflectivity with previous findings, mainly from seismological and geochemical studies, to investigate the geodynamic activity in the subsurface. We find prominent hints of pathways which may allow magmatic fluids originating in the upper mantle to rise through the crust and cause the observed fluid emanations and earthquake activity.

Towards a better understanding of Rift Valley fever epidemiology in the south-west of the Indian Ocean

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Rift Valley fever virus (Phlebovirus, Bunyaviridae) is an arbovirus causing intermittent epizootics and sporadic epidemics primarily in East Africa. Infection causes severe and often fatal illness in young sheep, goats and cattle. Domestic animals and humans can be contaminated by close contact with infectious tissues or through mosquito infectious bites. Rift Valley fever virus was historically restricted to sub-Saharan countries. The probability of Rift Valley fever emerging in virgin areas is likely to be increasing. Its geographical range has extended over the past years. As a recent example, autochthonous cases of Rift Valley fever were recorded in 2007–2008 in Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. It has been proposed that a single infected animal that enters a naive country is sufficient to initiate a major outbreak before Rift Valley fever virus would ever be detected. Unless vaccines are available and widely used to limit its expansion, Rift Valley fever will continue to be a critical issue for human and animal health in the region of the Indian Ocean. PMID:24016237

Towards a better understanding of Rift Valley fever epidemiology in the south-west of the Indian Ocean.

PubMed

Balenghien, Thomas; Cardinale, Eric; Chevalier, Véronique; Elissa, Nohal; Failloux, Anna-Bella; Jean Jose Nipomichene, Thiery Nirina; Nicolas, Gaelle; Rakotoharinome, Vincent Michel; Roger, Matthieu; Zumbo, Betty

2013-09-09

Rift Valley fever virus (Phlebovirus, Bunyaviridae) is an arbovirus causing intermittent epizootics and sporadic epidemics primarily in East Africa. Infection causes severe and often fatal illness in young sheep, goats and cattle. Domestic animals and humans can be contaminated by close contact with infectious tissues or through mosquito infectious bites. Rift Valley fever virus was historically restricted to sub-Saharan countries. The probability of Rift Valley fever emerging in virgin areas is likely to be increasing. Its geographical range has extended over the past years. As a recent example, autochthonous cases of Rift Valley fever were recorded in 2007-2008 in Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. It has been proposed that a single infected animal that enters a naive country is sufficient to initiate a major outbreak before Rift Valley fever virus would ever be detected. Unless vaccines are available and widely used to limit its expansion, Rift Valley fever will continue to be a critical issue for human and animal health in the region of the Indian Ocean.

Seismicity within a propagating ice shelf rift: the relationship between icequake locations and ice shelf structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heeszel, David S.; Fricker, Helen A.; Bassis, Jeremy N.; O'Neel, Shad; Walter, Fabian

2014-01-01

Iceberg calving is a dominant mass loss mechanism for Antarctic ice shelves, second only to basal melting. An important known process involved in calving is the initiation and propagation of through-penetrating fractures called rifts; however, the mechanisms controlling rift propagation remain poorly understood. To investigate the mechanics of ice-shelf rifting, we analyzed seismicity associated with a propagating rift tip on the Amery Ice Shelf, using data collected during the Austral summers of 2004-2007. We investigated seismicity associated with fracture propagation using a suite of passive seismological techniques including icequake locations, back projection, and moment tensor inversion. We confirm previous results that show that seismicity is characterized by periods of relative quiescence punctuated by swarms of intense seismicity of one to three hours. However, even during periods of quiescence, we find significant seismic deformation around the rift tip. Moment tensors, calculated for a subset of the largest icequakes (MW > -2.0) located near the rift tip, show steeply dipping fault planes, horizontal or shallowly plunging stress orientations, and often have a significant volumetric component. They also reveal that much of the observed seismicity is limited to the upper 50 m of the ice shelf. This suggests a complex system of deformation that involves the propagating rift, the region behind the rift tip, and a system of rift-transverse crevasses. Small-scale variations in the mechanical structure of the ice shelf, especially rift-transverse crevasses and accreted marine ice, play an important role in modulating the rate and location of seismicity associated with propagating ice shelf rifts.

Crustal structure of the southeastern Brazilian margin, Campos Basin, from aeromagnetic data: New kinematic constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanton, N.; Schmitt, R.; Galdeano, A.; Maia, M.; Mane, M.

2010-07-01

The continental and adjacent marginal features along southeast Brazil were investigated, focusing on the basement structural relationships between onshore and offshore provinces. Lateral and vertical variations in the magnetic anomalies provided a good correlation with the regional tectonic features. The sin-rift dykes and faults are associated with the magnetic lineaments and lie sub parallel to the Precambrian N45E-S45W basement structure of the Ribeira Belt, but orthogonally to the Cabo Frio Tectonic Domain (CFTD) basement, implying that: (1) the upper portion of the continental crust was widely affected by Mesozoic extensional deformation; and (2) tectonic features related to the process of break up of the Gondwana at the CFTD were form regardless of the preexisting structural basement orientation being controlled by the stress orientation during the rift phase. The deep crustal structure (5 km depth) is characterized by NE-SW magnetic "provinces" related to the Ribeira Belt tectonic units, while deep suture zones are defined by magnetic lows. The offshore Campos structural framework is N30E-S30W oriented and resulted from a main WNW-ESE direction of extension in Early Cretaceous. Transfer zones are represented by NW-SE and E-W oriented discontinuities. A slight difference in orientation between onshore (N45E) and offshore (N30E) structural systems seems to reflect a re-orientation of stress during rifting. We proposed a kinematical model to explain the structural evolution of this portion of the margin, characterized by polyphase rifting, associated with the rotation of the South American plate. The Campos Magnetic High (CMH), an important tectonic feature of the Campos Basin corresponds to a wide area of high crustal magnetization. The CMH wass interpreted as a magmatic feature, mafic to ultramafic in composition that extends down to 14 km depth and constitutes an evidence of intense crustal extension at 60 km from the coast.

Biosystematics of Aedes (Neomelaniconion)

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-01

Coast , Ghana, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Zaire, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia , Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa. In...Rift Valley fever virus. A complete understanding of the natural history of this virus is not possible without better knowledge of these mosquitoes...have been isolated from species of Neomelaniconion (20). The virus that causes Rift Valley fever , an important disease of domestic animals and humans

P and S Body Wave Tomography of the West Antarctic Rift System: Evidence for Recent Cenozoic Rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soto, D. R.; Nyblade, A.; Anandakrishnan, S.; Aster, R. C.; Wiens, D.; Huerta, A. D.; Winberry, J. P.; Wilson, T. J.

2017-12-01

Imaging the upper mantle of West Antarctica can provide valuable information about its deep structure, the source of subglacial volcanism, and the age of rifting in the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS). The WARS extends across West Antarctica and is characterized by low sub-ice sheet topography, with the deepest area being the Bentley Subglacial Trench. Seismic data from POLENET/ANET broadband seismic stations were used to obtain improved body wave images of the upper mantle. The data comes from 34 backbone stations, 13 temporary broadband stations deployed across the WARS from the Whitmore Mountains to Marie Byrd Land from January 2010 to January 2012, 10 stations deployed above the Byrd Subglacial Basin from January 2015 to January 2017, and 5 stations from the UKANET network deployed January 2016 to the present. Using multi-channel cross correlation of P and S body waves from teleseismic earthquakes, travel time residuals have been obtained from 360 events for the P-wave model and 263 events for the S-wave model. The VanDecar's method of linear inversion method has been used to develop a model of relative P and S wave velocity variations in the upper mantle. Preliminary P and S wave models show a low velocity anomaly 150 km beneath Marie Byrd Land and faster wave speeds across much of the WARS, except for beneath the Bentley Subglacial Trench, where a modest low wave speed region is imaged. These results are consistent with previously published tomographic models of West Antarctica.

The evolution of rifting process in the tectonic history of the Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milanovsky, E. E.; Nikishin, A. M.

1985-01-01

The continental rifting is the response of the lithosphere to the oriented tension. The distribution of viscosity in the lithosphere plays an essential role during all stages of the rifting. The viscosity is a function of the temperature, the lithostatic pressure, the rock composition, the deformation rate and other factors. The temperature is the most important factor. The vertical section of continental lithosphere of the rift zone may be divided into the following layers: the upper crust, in which brittle deformation prevails; the medialcrust, in which the role of plastic deformation increases; the lower crust, in which plastic deformation prevails; and the uppermost plastic part of the mantle overlapping asthenosphere. The depth of the boundaries in the crust layers are mainly controlled by the temperature.

Fault kinematics and tectonic stress in the seismically active Manyara Dodoma Rift segment in Central Tanzania Implications for the East African Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macheyeki, Athanas S.; Delvaux, Damien; De Batist, Marc; Mruma, Abdulkarim

2008-07-01

The Eastern Branch of the East African Rift System is well known in Ethiopia (Main Ethiopian Rift) and Kenya (Kenya or Gregory Rift) and is usually considered to fade away southwards in the North Tanzanian Divergence, where it splits into the Eyasi, Manyara and Pangani segments. Further towards the south, rift structures are more weakly expressed and this area has not attracted much attention since the mapping and exploratory works of the 1950s. In November 4, 2002, an earthquake of magnitude Mb = 5.5 struck Dodoma, the capital city of Tanzania. Analysis of modern digital relief, seismological and geological data reveals that ongoing tectonic deformation is presently affecting a broad N-S trending belt, extending southward from the North Tanzanian Divergence to the region of Dodoma, forming the proposed "Manyara-Dodoma Rift segment". North of Arusha-Ngorongoro line, the rift is confined to a narrow belt (Natron graben in Tanzania) and south of it, it broadens into a wide deformation zone which includes both the Eyasi and Manyara grabens. The two-stage rifting model proposed for Kenya and North Tanzania also applies to the Manyara-Dodoma Rift segment. In a first stage, large, well-expressed topographic and volcanogenic structures were initiated in the Natron, Eyasi and Manyara grabens during the Late Miocene to Pliocene. From the Middle Pleistocene onwards, deformations related to the second rifting stage propagated southwards to the Dodoma region. These young structures have still limited morphological expressions compared to the structures formed during the first stage. However, they appear to be tectonically active as shown by the high concentration of moderate earthquakes into earthquake swarms, the distribution of He-bearing thermal springs, the morphological freshness of the fault scarps, and the presence of open surface fractures. Fault kinematic and paleostress analysis of geological fault data in basement rocks along the active fault lines show that recent faults often reactivate older fault systems that were formed under E-W to NW-SE horizontal compression, compatible with late Pan-African tectonics. The present-day stress inverted from earthquake focal mechanisms shows that the Manyara-Dodoma Rift segment is presently subjected to an extensional stress field with a N080°E direction of horizontal principal extension. Under this stress field, the rift develops by: (1) reactivation of the pre-existing tectonic planes of weakness, and (2) progressive development of a new fault system in a more N-S trend by the linkage of existing rift faults. This process started about 1.2 Ma ago and is still ongoing.

The Evolution of the Tethysides during the Medial to Late Triassic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saǧdıç, Nurbike G.; Celâl Şengör, A. M.

2016-04-01

The Triassic is a time of widespread rifting within the future Alpides of the circum-Mediterranean countries. However, this rifting had little to do with the later, Sinemurian-Hettangian rifting that penetrated the Tethyan realm from the Atlantic Ocean. The eastern part of the rifting occurred south of the Palaeo-Tethys and seems to have been related to stretching above its extensional arc. Evidence for his stretching is seen in the Karakaya-Pelagonian-Pindos- Meliata-Hallstatt zones and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Eastern Mediterranean is separated from the other extensional zones by a Mikrasian continental fragment that had begun separating from Gondwana-Land already during the Permian. The rifting propagated eastward along the Carpathians (Transylvanian Nappes) and the Eastern and the Southern Alps from where it entered the future Provençal chains and finally the Pyrenees where evaporites were laid down in extensional basins. In the south, an area of rifting went from the Eastern Mediterranean into the High Atlas thus delimiting an Iberapulian continental fragment. The Iberapulian fragment became divided into an Iberian and an Apulian parts later during the Hettangian-Sinemurian rifting that also invaded the earlier extensional areas in the Atlas. The extension directions during the medial and late Triassic are controlled by the tectonics of the eastern end of the Palaeo-Tethys. Along its northern margin, i.e., along the Scythides, right-lateral motion dominated. Along the northern margin of the Mikrasian fragment subduction was nearly head-on (slightly oblique so as to impose a slight right-lateral motion along the arc), but the stretching along the Karakaya rift zones was probably orthogonal because of the similarly orthogonal stretching in the Eastern Mediterrarean. The kinematics is dependent on what sort of motion is imposed onto the Palaeo-Tethyan plate (s) along its (their) northern margin and the direction of stretching in the Eastern Mediterranean. The rifting in areas farther west may have been a consequence of the origin of secondary shear structures along the Mikrasian and Iberapulian fragments. The Italian rifts, such as the Lagonegro and the Sclafani seem to have resulted from a similar process. Plate kinematics, as reconstructed, imposes a slight right-lateral motion onto the East Alpine/Southern Alpine areas. It is remarkable how independent the later Jurassic rifting seems to have been. It avoided in many places the former regions of stretching and opened new avenues of rifting for itself. One wonders whether the lithosphere in the older areas of rifting had recovered sufficiently to pose a hindernis to fracturing or whether the newer rifting followed older, Hercynian zones of deformation. For the time being we favour the second alternative as the time between the Triassic rifting and the Jurassic rifting seems insufficient to allow the lithosphere to recover to build sufficient strength.

Examination of the Reelfoot Rift Petroleum System, south-central United States, and the elements that remain for potential exploration and development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coleman, James; Pratt, Thomas L.

2016-01-01

No production has been established in the Reel-foot rift. However, at least nine of 22 exploratory wells have reported petroleum shows, mainly gas shows with some asphalt or solid hydrocarbon residue. Regional seismic profiling shows the presence of two large inversion structures (Blytheville arch and Pascola arch). The Blytheville arch is marked by a core of structurally thickened Elvins Shale, whereas the Pascola arch reflects the structural uplift of a portion of the entire rift basin. Structural uplift and faulting within the Reelfoot rift since the late Paleozoic appear to have disrupted older conventional hydrocarbon traps and likely spilled any potential conventional petroleum accumulations. The remaining potential resources within the Reelfoot rift are likely shale gas accumulations within the Elvins Shale; however, reservoir continuity and porosity as well as pervasive faulting appear to be significant future challenges for explorers and drillers.

Buried Mesozoic rift basins of Moroccan Atlantic continental margin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohamed, N.; Jabour, H.; El Mostaine, M.

1995-08-01

The Atlantic continental margin is the largest frontier area for oil and gas exploration in Morocco. Most of the activity has been concentrated where Upper Jurassic carbonate rocks have been the drilling objectives, with only one significant but non commercial oil discovery. Recent exploration activities have focused on early Mesozoic Rift basins buried beneath the post-rift sediments of the Middle Atlantic coastal plain. Many of these basins are of interest because they contain fine-grained lacustrine rocks that have sufficient organic richness to be classified as efficient oil prone source rock. Location of inferred rift basins beneath the Atlantic coastal plainmore » were determined by analysis of drilled-hole data in combination with gravity anomaly and aeromagnetic maps. These rift basins are characterized by several half graben filled by synrift sediments of Triassic age probably deposited in lacustrine environment. Coeval rift basins are known to be present in the U.S. Atlantic continental margin. Basin modeling suggested that many of the less deeply bored rift basins beneath the coastal plain are still within the oil window and present the most attractive exploration targets in the area.« less

Florida: A Jurassic transform plate boundary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klitgord, Kim D.; Popenoe, Peter; Schouten, Hans

1984-01-01

Magnetic, gravity, seismic, and deep drill hole data integrated with plate tectonic reconstructions substantiate the existence of a transform plate boundary across southern Florida during the Jurassic. On the basis of this integrated suite of data the pre-Cretaceous Florida-Bahamas region can be divided into the pre-Jurassic North American plate, Jurassic marginal rift basins, and a broad Jurassic transform zone including stranded blocks of pre-Mesozoic continental crust. Major tectonic units include the Suwannee basin in northern Florida containing Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, a central Florida basement complex of Paleozoic age crystalline rock, the west Florida platform composed of stranded blocks of continental crust, the south Georgia rift containing Triassic sedimentary rocks which overlie block-faulted Suwannee basin sedimentary rocks, the Late Triassic-Jurassic age Apalachicola rift basin, and the Jurassic age south Florida, Bahamas, and Blake Plateau marginal rift basins. The major tectonic units are bounded by basement hinge zones and fracture zones (FZ). The basement hinge zone represents the block-faulted edge of the North American plate, separating Paleozoic and older crustal rocks from Jurassic rifted crust beneath the marginal basins. Fracture zones separate Mesozoic marginal sedimentary basins and include the Blake Spur FZ, Jacksonville FZ, Bahamas FZ, and Cuba FZ, bounding the Blake Plateau, Bahamas, south Florida, and southeastern Gulf of Mexico basins. The Bahamas FZ is the most important of all these features because its northwest extension coincides with the Gulf basin marginal fault zone, forming the southern edge of the North American plate during the Jurassic. The limited space between the North American and the South American/African plates requires that the Jurassic transform zone, connecting the Central Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico spreading systems, was located between the Bahamas and Cuba FZ's in the region of southern Florida. Our plate reconstructions combined with chronostratigraphic and lithostratigraphic information for the Gulf of Mexico, southern Florida, and the Bahamas indicate that the gulf was sealed off from the Atlantic waters until Callovian time by an elevated Florida-Bahamas region. Restricted influx of waters started in Callovian as a plate reorganization, and increased plate separation between North America and South America/Africa produced waterways into the Gulf of Mexico from the Pacific and possibly from the Atlantic.

Metasomatism and the Weakening of Cratons: A Mechanism to Rift Cratons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenker, Stefanie; Beaumont, Christopher

2016-04-01

The preservation of cratons is a demonstration of their strength and resistance to deformation. However, several cratons are rifting now (e.g. Tanzania and North China Craton) or have rifted in the past (e.g. North Atlantic Craton). To explain this paradox, we suggest that widespread metasomatism of the originally cold depleted dehydrated craton mantle lithosphere root can act as a potential weakening mechanism. This process, particularly melt metasomatism, increases root density through a melt-peridotite reaction, and reduces root viscosity by increasing the temperature and rehydrating the cratonic mantle lithosphere. Using 2D numerical models, we model silicate-melt metasomatism and rehydration of cold cratonic mantle lithosphere that is positioned beside standard Phanerozoic lithosphere. The models are designed to investigate when a craton is sufficiently weakened to undergo rifting and is no longer protected by the initially weaker adjacent standard Phanerozoic lithosphere. Melt is added to specified layers in the cratonic mantle lithosphere at a uniform volumetric rate determined by the duration of metasomatism (3 Myr, 10 Myr or 30 Myr), until a total of ~30% by volume of melt has been added. During melt addition heat and mass are properly conserved and the density and volume increase by the respective amounts required by the reaction with the peridotite. No extensional boundary conditions are applied to the models during the metasomatism process. As expected, significant refertilization leads to removal and thinning of progressively more gravitationally unstable cratonic mantle lithosphere. We show that the duration of metasomatism dictates the final temperature in the cratonic upper mantle lithosphere. Consequently, when extensional boundary conditions are applied in our rifting tests in most cases the Phanerozoic lithosphere rifts. The craton rifts only in the models with the hottest cratonic upper mantle lithosphere. Our results indicate rifting of cratons depends on the timing of extension, with respect to metasomatism. The key effect is the associated increase in temperature which must have time to reach peak values in the initially cold and strongest, uppermost mantle lithosphere. However, it remains true that the model cratons mostly remain strong and only rift when subjected to intensive metasomatism. This may explain why so many cratons have survived and only a few have rifted. An additional effect is that the craton surface subsides isostatically to balance the increasing density of craton mantle lithosphere where it is moderately metasomatized. We suggest that this is the mechanism that forms intracratonic basins. If correct, subsidence and subsequent uplift of intracratonic basins, and cratonic rifting constitute evidence of progressive metasomatism of cratonic mantle lithosphere.

Paleomagnetism and Tectonic Interpretations of the Taos Plateau Volcanic Field, Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Laurie L.; Caffall, Nancy M.; Golombek, Matthew P.

1993-01-01

The tectonic response of the Taos Plateau volcanic field in the southern San Luis basin to the late stage extensional environment of the Rio Grande rift was investigated using paleomagnetic techniques. Sixty-two sites (533 samples) of Pliocene volcanic units were collected covering four major rock types with ages of 4.7 to 1.8 Ma. Twenty-two of these sites were from stratigraphic sections of the lower, middle and upper Servilleta Basalt collected in the Rio Grande gorge at two locations 19 km apart. Flows from the lower and middle members in the southern gorge record reversed polarities, while those in Garapata Canyon are normal with an excursion event in the middle of the sequence. The uppermost flows of the upper member at both sites display normal directions. Although these sections correlate chemically, they seem to represent different magnetic time periods during the Gilbert Reversed-Polarity Chiron. Alternating field demagnetization, aided by principal component analysis, yields 55 sites with stable directions representing both normal and reversed polarities, and five sites indicating transitional fields. Mean direction of the normal and inverted reversed sites is I=49.3 deg. and D=356.7 deg. (alpha(sub 95)=3.6 deg). Angular dispersion of the virtual geomagnetic poles is 16.3 deg, which is consistent with paleosecular variation model G, fit to data from the past 5 m.y. Comparison with the expected direction indicates no azimuthal rotation of the Taos Plateau volcanic field; inclination flattening for the southern part of the plateau is 8.3 deg +/- 5.3 deg. Previous paleomagnelic data indicate 10 deg- 15 deg counterclockwise rotation of die Espanola block to the south over the past 5 m.y. The data suggest the Taos Plateau volcanic field, showing no rotation and some flattening in the south and east, has acted as a stable buttress and has been downwarped by overriding of the southeastern end of the plateau by the Picuris Mountains, which make up the northern corner of the counterclockwise rotating Espanola block.

Tectonic and sedimentary linkages between the Belt-Purcell basin and southwestern Laurentia during the Mesoproterozoic ca. 1.60-1.40 Ga

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, James V.; Dainel, Christohper G; Doe, Michael F

2015-01-01

Mesoproterozoic sedimentary basins in western North America provide key constraints on pre-Rodinia craton positions and interactions along the western rifted margin of Laurentia. One such basin, the Belt-Purcell basin, extends from southern Idaho into southern British Columbia and contains a >18-km-thick succession of siliciclastic sediment deposited ca. 1.47–1.40 Ga. The ca. 1.47–1.45 Ga lower part of the succession contains abundant distinctive non-Laurentian 1.61–1.50 Ga detrital zircon populations derived from exotic cratonic sources. Contemporaneous metasedimentary successions in the southwestern United States–the Trampas and Yankee Joe basins in Arizona and New Mexico–also contain abundant 1.61–1.50 Ga detrital zircons. Similarities in depositional age and distinctive non-Laurentian detrital zircon populations suggest that both the Belt-Purcell and southwestern successions record sedimentary and tectonic linkages between western Laurentia and one or more cratons including North Australia, South Australia, and (or) East Antarctica. At ca. 1.45 Ga, both the Belt-Purcell and southwest successions underwent major sedimentological changes, with a pronounced shift to Laurentian provenance and the disappearance of the 1.61–1.50 Ga detrital zircon. Upper Belt-Purcell strata contain strongly unimodal ca. 1.73 Ga detrital zircon age populations that match the detrital zircon signature of Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Yavapai province to the south and southeast. We propose that the shift at ca. 1.45 Ga records the onset of orogenesis in southern Laurentia coeval with rifting along its northwestern margin. Bedrock uplift associated with orogenesis and widespread, coeval magmatism caused extensive exhumation and erosion of the Yavapai province ca. 1.45–1.36 Ga, providing a voluminous and areally extensive sediment source–with suitable zircon ages–during upper Belt deposition. This model provides a comprehensive and integrated view of the Mesoproterozoic tectonic evolution of western Laurentia and its position within the supercontinent Columbia as it evolved into Rodinia.

Structure of Kilauea's southwest rift zone and western south flank defined by relocated earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinard, Bethany D.

This study is the first detailed seismic investigation of the southwest rift and western south flank of Kilauea Volcano. Earthquakes outline the tectonic and magmatic systems of the volcano. In this study, more than 4800 earthquakes from the years 1981--2001 were relocated with a double-difference method, and almost 500 were relocated with cross-correlation. The result is a much-improved image of Kilauea's south flank structure. The shallowest of the earthquakes on Kilauea (<5km) are usually related to magma movement, and occur almost exclusively in the actively intruded rift. The few tectonic earthquakes that occur at this depth are along the Koae and Hilina Fault systems. Focal mechanisms indicate that the shallow events on the Hilina system have [normal, right-lateral] oblique-slip motion. Beneath the entire south flank are earthquakes that occur on a decollement, located at a depth of 7--10km. The inland-dipping decollement structure is clearly imaged with this new data set. Earthquakes on the volcano's south flank normal faults appear to extend downward to the decollement. Earthquakes at intermediate depths image the decollement, a plane that dips inland. This is the boundary between the volcano and the old oceanic crust beneath it. Movement on faults at decollement depths of 7--10km have [right-lateral thrust] oblique-slip motion. When intrusions occur in the rift zones, the flank is forced seaward along the decollement. Since the decollement dips inland, the south flank must move up an incline as it slides seaward. Hawaii also experiences deep (>25km) earthquakes, which are the most intriguing events in this study. These earthquakes are significant because the Moho is located at a depth of 13--15km, so they are clearly occurring in the mantle. The deep events examined in this study are tectonic earthquakes, not attributable to melt migration. A high strain rate in the mantle, largely due to the geologically rapid formation of the island that has quickly increased the load on the underlying mantle, may account for the occurrence of these deep earthquakes. Focal mechanisms indicate [normal, right-lateral] oblique-slip motion on faults below 25km depth.

Tectonic study of the extension of the New Madrid fault zone near its intersection with the 38th parallel lineament

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braile, L.W.; Hinze, W.J.; Sexton, J.L.

1982-06-01

Gravity, magnetic, geologic, and seismicity data have been combined in a seismotectonic analysis of the New Madrid seismic zone. Previous studies have presented evidence for several rift zones in this area (Upper Mississippi enmbayment), including the Reelfoot rift, a late precambrian-early Paleozoic failed arm which extends north-northeast from the ancient continental margin. We suggest that the northern terminus of the Reelfoot rift forms a rift complex, with arms extending northeast into southwestern Indiana, northwest along the Mississippi River, and east into western Kentucky, which appears to correlate well with the seismicity in the area. This correlation suggests that faults associatedmore » with this rift complex are being reactivated in the contemporary stress field (east-northeast compression). If this interpretation is valid, it represents a seismotectonic model which can be used to predict the extent of future seismicity in the New Madrid seismic zone. The proposed rift complex also provides a coherent model for the tectonic development of this region of the North American midcontinent.« less

Using Global Plate Velocity Boundary Conditions for Embedded Regional Geodynamic Models: Application to 3-D Modeling of the Early Rifting of the South Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taramón, Jorge M.; Morgan, Jason P.; Pérez-Gussinyé, Marta

2016-04-01

The treatment of far-field boundary conditions is one of the most poorly resolved issues for regional modeling of geodynamic processes. In viscous flow, the choice of far-field boundary conditions often strongly shapes the large-scale structure of a geosimulation. The mantle velocity field along the sidewalls and base of a modeling region is typically much more poorly known than the geometry of past global motions of the surface plates as constrained by global plate motion reconstructions. For regional rifting models it has become routine to apply highly simplified 'plate spreading' or 'uniform rifting' boundary conditions to a 3-D model that limits its ability to simulate the geodynamic evolution of a specific rifted margin. One way researchers are exploring the sensitivity of regional models to uncertain boundary conditions is to use a nested modeling approach in which a global model is used to determine a large-scale flow pattern that is imposed as a constraint along the boundaries of the region to be modeled. Here we explore the utility of a different approach that takes advantage of the ability of finite element models to use unstructured meshes than can embed much higher resolution sub-regions. Here we demonstrate the workflow and code tools that we created to generate this unstructured mesh: solver based on springs, guide-mesh and routines to improve the quality, e.g., closeness to a regular tetrahedron, of the tetrahedral elements of the mesh. Note that the same routines are used to generate a new mesh in the remeshing of a distorted Lagrangian mesh. In our initial project to validate this approach, we create a global spherical shell mesh in which a higher resolution sub-region is created around the nascent South Atlantic Rifting Margin. Global Plate motion BCs and plate boundaries are applied for the time of the onset of rifting, continuing through several 10s of Ma of rifting. Thermal, compositional, and melt-related buoyancy forces are only non-zero within the high-resolution sub-region, elsewhere, motions are constrained by surface plate-motion constraints. The total number of unknowns needed to solve an embedded regional model with this approach is less than 1/3 larger than that needed for a structured-mesh solution on a Cartesian or spherical cap sub-regional mesh. Here we illustrate the steps within this workflow for modeling the potential mantle flow associated with the early rifting evolution of the South Atlantic, in particular studying the potential effects of a 'Parana Plume' during the transition from rift to drift.

Lithospheric structure of an incipient rift basin: Results from receiver function analysis of Bransfield Strait, NW Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biryol, C. Berk; Lee, Stephen J.; Lees, Jonathan M.; Shore, Michael J.

2018-06-01

Bransfield Basin (BB), located northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) and southeast of the South Shetland Islands (SSI), is the most active section of the Antarctic continental margin. The region has long been (50 Ma) a convergent plate boundary where the Phoenix plate was subducting beneath the Antarctic Plate and is characterized by long-lived arc magmatism and accretion. However, the collision of the Antarctic-Phoenix spreading center with the subduction front near SSI (ca. 4 Ma) gave way to the opening of slab windows and dramatic decrease in the subduction rate of the Phoenix plate beneath AP and SSI. Consequently, the Phoenix slab began to rollback slowly along the South Shetland Trench (SST), giving way to slow extension in the back-arc region and rifting along the BB. Although there is consensus on the factors that control the current deformation and extension of the BB, the origin of the BB and the tectonic configuration of the basin are still unclear. Most of the controversy stems from uncertainties regarding the crustal thickness of the BB. Hence, we computed teleseismic receiver functions for 10 broadband stations in the region that belong to existing permanent and temporary deployments in order obtain robust constraints on the lithospheric structure and crustal thickness of the BB, as well as the AP and SSI. Our results indicate that the crust is thinning from 30 km to 26 km from the AP towards the South Shetland trench and Central BB showing the asymmetrical character of the rift basin. The crustal thickness and Vp/Vs variations are less pronounced along the AP but very significant across the SSB indicating the lithospheric scale segmentation of the South Shetland Block (SSB) and the incipient rift basin under the control of the opening of slab window and the roll-back of stalled Phoenix slab. High Vp/Vs ratios (∼1.9) beneath BB and SSI, agree well with the nascent rift character of BB, the presence of a steep Phoenix slab and consequently a wider mantle wedge characterized by the presence of underplating partial melts beneath SSI and BB.

A network-based meta-population approach to model Rift Valley fever epidemics.

PubMed

Xue, Ling; Scott, H Morgan; Cohnstaedt, Lee W; Scoglio, Caterina

2012-08-07

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) has been expanding its geographical distribution with important implications for both human and animal health. The emergence of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in the Middle East, and its continuing presence in many areas of Africa, has negatively impacted both medical and veterinary infrastructures and human morbidity, mortality, and economic endpoints. Furthermore, worldwide attention should be directed towards the broader infection dynamics of RVFV, because suitable host, vector and environmental conditions for additional epidemics likely exist on other continents; including Asia, Europe and the Americas. We propose a new compartmentalized model of RVF and the related ordinary differential equations to assess disease spread in both time and space; with the latter driven as a function of contact networks. Humans and livestock hosts and two species of vector mosquitoes are included in the model. The model is based on weighted contact networks, where nodes of the networks represent geographical regions and the weights represent the level of contact between regional pairings for each set of species. The inclusion of human, animal, and vector movements among regions is new to RVF modeling. The movement of the infected individuals is not only treated as a possibility, but also an actuality that can be incorporated into the model. We have tested, calibrated, and evaluated the model using data from the recent 2010 RVF outbreak in South Africa as a case study; mapping the epidemic spread within and among three South African provinces. An extensive set of simulation results shows the potential of the proposed approach for accurately modeling the RVF spreading process in additional regions of the world. The benefits of the proposed model are twofold: not only can the model differentiate the maximum number of infected individuals among different provinces, but also it can reproduce the different starting times of the outbreak in multiple locations. Finally, the exact value of the reproduction number is numerically computed and upper and lower bounds for the reproduction number are analytically derived in the case of homogeneous populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geophysical expression of elements of the Rio Grande rift in the northeast Tusas Mountains - Preliminary interpretations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drenth, Benjamin J.; Turner, Kenzie J.; Thompson, Ren A.; Grauch, V. J.; Cosca, Michael A.; Lee, John

2011-01-01

New interpretations of the nature of the Rio Grande rift and pre-existing rocks in the northeast Tusas Mountains region are derived from new and existing gravity and aeromagnetic data. 12-15 mGal amplitude gravity lows are interpreted to mainly reflect large thicknesses of the upper Oligocene to upper Miocene, syn-rift Los Pinos Formation and possibly significant amounts of the Eocene El Rito Formation. The Broke Off Mountain sub basin, named after the location of its greatest inferred depth, is interpreted to be a ~40 km long and ~13 km wide structure elongated in a northwest trend at the western margin of the San Luis Basin. The sub basin is interpreted to contain a maximum combined thickness of 900-2300 m of the Los Pinos Formation and El Rito Formation, with the Los Pinos Formation constituting the majority of the section. Sub basin age is constrained to be older than 21.6 ± 1.4 Ma, the age of a Hinsdale Formation basalt flow that caps the Los Pinos Formation section at Broke Off Mountain. This age constraint and surface geology indicate a pre- and early-rift age. The structural fabric of the northeast Tusas Mountains region is dominated by northwest-trending normal faults, as indicated by geologic mapping and interpretation of aeromagnetic data. Preliminary analysis of the aeromagnetic data suggests that lineaments, possibly reflecting faulting, trend through volcanic rocks as young as Pliocene in age. If correct, these interpretations challenge commonly held beliefs regarding two stages in the structural style of rifting, where early (Oligocene-Miocene) rifting was characterized by broad, shallow basins bounded by northwest-trending faults and later (Miocene-Pliocene) rifting was characterized by deep, narrow basins bounded by north-trending faults. The Broke Off Mountain sub basin is a counter example of a pre- and early-rift, deep and narrow basin. We hypothesize that the Broke Off Mountain sub basin may represent a southward extension of the Monte Vista graben in Colorado, based on similarities in geophysical expression, stratigraphy, and its position at the western portion of the San Luis Basin

Seismicity During Continental Breakup in the Red Sea Rift of Northern Afar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illsley-Kemp, Finnigan; Keir, Derek; Bull, Jonathan M.; Gernon, Thomas M.; Ebinger, Cynthia; Ayele, Atalay; Hammond, James O. S.; Kendall, J.-Michael; Goitom, Berhe; Belachew, Manahloh

2018-03-01

Continental rifting is a fundamental component of plate tectonics. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of magmatic activity in accommodating extension during late-stage rifting, yet the mechanisms by which crustal thinning occurs are less clear. The Red Sea rift in Northern Afar presents an opportunity to study the final stages of continental rifting as these active processes are exposed subaerially. Between February 2011 and February 2013 two seismic networks were installed in Ethiopia and Eritrea. We locate 4,951 earthquakes, classify them by frequency content, and calculate 31 focal mechanisms. Results show that seismicity is focused at the rift axis and the western marginal graben. Rift axis seismicity accounts for ˜64% of the seismic moment release and exhibits a swarm-like behavior. In contrast, seismicity at the marginal graben is characterized by high-frequency earthquakes that occur at a constant rate. Results suggest that the rift axis remains the primary locus of seismicity. Low-frequency earthquakes, indicative of magmatic activity, highlight the presence of a magma complex ˜12 km beneath Alu-Dalafilla at the rift axis. Seismicity at the marginal graben predominantly occurs on westward dipping, antithetic faults. Focal mechanisms show that this seismicity is accommodating E-W extension. We suggest that the seismic activity at the marginal graben is either caused by upper crustal faulting accommodating enhanced crustal thinning beneath Northern Afar or as a result of flexural faulting between the rift and plateau. This seismicity is occurring in conjunction with magmatic extension at the rift axis, which accommodates the majority of long-term extension.

Permian Minimum and the Following Major Rise in Seawater 87Sr/86Sr Linked to the Glaciation/Deglaciation and Resultant Change in Weathering Rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kani, T.; Isozaki, Y.

2014-12-01

We report a detailed secular change of the middle Middle to early Late Permian seawater 87Sr/86Sr ratio for and Akasaka and Kamura carbonates (Japan) deposited on mid-Pansalassan seamounts and for Shizipo carbonates (South China) deposited on the shallow marine shelf. In these coeval sections, extremely low values (<0.7069; the lowest values of the Phanerozoic) continued from upper Wordian (middle Middle Permian) to the topmost Capitanian (upper Middle Permian) barren interval immediately below the Middle-Late Permian boundary characterized by the major crisis of large-tested fusulines and rugose corals. Immediately after ca. 5 m.y.-long minimum interval, the major rise in 87Sr/86Sr was started and the rate of the rise (0.00007/m.y.) continued in period of time containing 21 m.y. until early Triassic (~239 Ma), that is faster than the Cenozoic major rise (0.00003/m.y.).　The most significant shift through Phanerozoic in Sr isotope trend can be explained by the remarkable changes in continental erosion/weathering rate; in particular, by the onset of glaciation and the following deglaciation, that is supported by global sea level change, in addition to the initial doming/rifting of Pangea. After the Capitanian cooling, the long-term climatic regime shifted to a warmer one during which inland ice sheet was removed to expose old crustal silicates for to erosion/weathering. A mantle plume impingiment might lead a domal uplift that accelerate weathering. Highly radiogenic continental Sr could enter the ocean along the new drainage systems developed with the rifting.

A refined model for Kilauea's magma plumbing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poland, M. P.; Miklius, A.; Montgomery-Brown, E. D.

2011-12-01

Studies of the magma plumbing system of Kilauea have benefitted from the volcano's frequent eruptive activity, ease of access, and particularly the century-long observational record made possible by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The explosion of geophysical data, especially seismic and geodetic, collected since the first model of Kilauea's magmatic system was published in 1960 allows for a detailed characterization of Kilauea's magma storage areas and transport pathways. Using geological, geochemical, and geophysical observations, we propose a detailed model of Kilauea's magma plumbing that we hope will provide a refined framework for studies of Kilauea's eruptive and intrusive activity. Kilauea's summit region is underlain by two persistently active, hydraulically linked magma storage areas. The larger reservoir is centered at ~3 km depth beneath the south caldera and is connected to Kilauea's two rift zones, which radiate from the summit to the east and southwest. All magma that enters the Kilauea edifice passes through this primary storage area before intrusion or eruption. During periods of increased magma storage at the summit, as was the case during 2003-2007, uplift may occur above temporary magma storage volumes, for instance, at the intersection of the summit and east rift zone at ~3 km depth, and within the southwest rift zone at ~2 km depth. The east rift zone is the longer and more active of Kilauea's two rift zones and apparently receives more magma from the summit. Small, isolated pods of magma exist within both rift zones, as indicated by deformation measurements, seismicity, petrologic data, and geothermal drilling results. These magma bodies are probably relicts of past intrusions and eruptions and can be highly differentiated. Within the deeper part of the rift zones, between about 3 km and 9 km depth, magma accumulation is hypothesized based on surface deformation indicative of deep rift opening. There is no direct evidence for magma within the deep rift zones, however, suggesting the possibility that the region is "dry" and that the opening deformation is accommodated by processes other than filling by magma. A smaller summit magma storage area is located at 1-2 km depth beneath the east margin of Halema'uma'u Crater, near the center of the caldera. The smaller reservoir is connected to, but perched above, the larger south caldera reservoir and rift zones, and therefore has more hydraulic head and drains rapidly during rift zone intrusions and eruptions. Secondary, shallow (~1 km depth) rift systems branch from this magma reservoir, as indicated by alignments of eruptive vents and fracture systems to the east and west from Halema'uma'u Crater. Although usually inactive, large historical eruptions have occurred from these rift systems, including Kilauea Iki in 1959 (east) and Mauna Iki in 1919-20 (west).

Age distribution of Serra Geral (Paraná) flood basalts, southern Brazil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fodor, R.V.; McKee, E.H.; Roisenberg, A.

1989-01-01

We evaluated 193 K-Ar ages (10 newly determined) of basaltic and differentiated rocks of the Serra Geral (Paraná) flood-basalt province for indications of magmatism occurring systematically with progressive rifting and complete separation ( ≈130-105 Ma) of South America from Africa. The K-Ar ages represent basalt emplacement between 35° and 19°S covering about 1,200,000 km2. We note that volcanism appears ubiquitous across the province between about 140 and 115 Ma, and that there are no significant age differences within that relate directly to progressive south-to-north tectonism. On the other hand, the oldest samples, about 140–160 Ma, are among those nearest the Brazil coastline (rift margin), perhaps suggesting migration of activity away from the rift with time. Studies of other flood-basalt provinces now indicate short (<3 m.y.) eruption periods, thereby pointing to the need for re-examination of Serra Geral ages by 40Ar-39Ar incremental heating techniques.

Dynamics of Lithospheric Extension and Residual Topography in Southern Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, B.; Shahnas, M. H.; Pysklywec, R.; Sengul Uluocak, E.

2017-12-01

Although the north-south (N-S) convergence between India and Eurasia is ongoing, a number of north-south trending rifts (e.g., Tangra Yum Co Rift, Yadong-Gulu Rift and Cona Rift) and normal faulting are observed at the surface of southern Tibet, suggesting an east-west (E-W) extension tectonic regime. The earthquake focal mechanisms also show that deformation of southern Tibet is dominated by E-W extension across these N-S trending rifts. Because the structure of the lithosphere and underlying mantle is poorly understood, the origin of the east-west extension of southern Tibet is still under debate. Gravitational collapse, oblique convergence, and mantle upwelling are among possible responsible mechanisms. We employ a 3D-spherical control volume model of the present-day mantle flow to understand the relationship between topographic features (e.g., rifts and the west-east extension), intermediate-depth earthquakes, and tectonic stresses induced by mantle flow beneath the region. The thermal structure of the mantle and crust is obtained from P and S-wave seismic inversions and heat flow data. Power-law creep with viscous-plastic rheology, describing the behavior of the lithosphere and mantle material is employed. We determine the models which can best reconcile the observed features of southern Tibet including surface heat flow, residual topography with uplift and subsidence, reported GPS rates of the vertical movements, and the earthquake events. The 3D geodynamic modeling of the contemporary mantle flow-lithospheric response quantifies the relative importance of the various proposed mechanism responsible for the E-W extension and deep earthquakes in southern Tibet. The results also have further implications for the magmatic activities and crustal rheology of the region.

The development of the East African Rift system in north-central Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hackman, B. D.; Charsley, T. J.; Key, R. M.; Wilkinson, A. F.

1990-11-01

Between 1980 and 1986 geological surveying to produce maps on a scale of 1:250,000 was completed over an area of over 100,000 km 2 in north-central Kenya, bounded by the Equator, the Ethiopian border and longitudes 36° and 38 °E. The Gregory Rift, much of which has the structure of an asymmetric half-graben, is the most prominent component of the Cenozoic multiple rift system which extends up to 200 km to the east and for about 100 km to the west, forming the Kenya dome. On the eastern shoulder and fringes two en echelon arrays of late Tertiary to Quaternary multicentre shields can be recognized: to the south is the Aberdares-Mount Kenya-Nyambeni Range chain and, to the north the clusters of Mount Kulal, Asie, Huri Hills and Marsabit, with plateau lavas and fissure vents south of Marsabit in the Laisamis area. The Gregory Rift terminates at the southern end of Lake Turkana. Further north the rift system splays: the arcuate Kinu Sogo fault zone forms an offset link with the central Ethiopian Rift system. In the rifts of north-central Kenya volcanism, sedimentation and extensional tectonics commenced and have been continuous since the late Oligocene. Throughout this period the Elgeyo Fault acted as a major bounding fault. A comparative study of the northern and eastern fringes of the Kenya dome with the axial graben reinforces the impression of regional E-W asymmetry. Deviations from the essential N-trend of the Gregory Rift reflect structural weaknesses in the underlying Proterozoic basement, the Mozambique Orogenic Belt: thus south of Lake Baringo the swing to the southeast parallels the axes of the ca. 620 Ma phase folds. Secondary faults associated with this flexure have created a "shark tooth" array, an expression of en echelon offsets of the eastern margin of the Gregory Rift in a transtensional stress regime: hinge zones where major faults intersect on the eastern shoulder feature intense box faulting and ramp structures which have counterparts in the rift system in southern Ethiopia. The NE- and ENE-trending fissures of the eastern fringes of the Kenya dome, notably in the Meru-Nyambeni areaand in the Huri and Marsabit shields, parallel late orogenic structures dated at around 580-480 Ma. Alkaline trends characterize the petrochemistry of the Cenozoic volcanics: In the Gregory Rift, voluminous Miocene alkali basalts, associated with hawaiite/mugearite lavas, define a trend culminating in the Miocene flood phonolites of the eastern shoulderand in the trachyphonolites, trachytes and peralkaline rhyolites, with associated pyroclastics, in central volcanoes such as Korosi, Paka and Silali. Such trends may manifest in the products of a single volcanic centre, also regionally on a broadly cyclic basis. On the eastern flanks of the Kenya dome the flood phonolites are less evident, but the same alkaline trends dominate the lava sequences, supplemented by nephelinitic extrusives in parts of the Nyambeni Range and in the Laisamis area. Results from recent seismicity surveys in the Laisamis area indicate that crustal extension may be currently active on the eastern fringes of the Kenya dome, but manifest at greater depths than in the axial Gregory Rift-Lake Turkana zone: a correlation is suggested with the ultra-alkaline petrochemistry of some of the eastern multicentre shields.

Enigmatic rift-parallel, strike-slip faults around Eyjafjörður, Northern Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proett, J. A.; Karson, J. A.

2014-12-01

Strike-slip faults along mid-ocean ridge spreading centers are generally thought to be restricted to transform boundaries connecting rift segments. Faults that are parallel to spreading centers are generally assumed to be normal faults associated with tectonic extension. However, clear evidence of north-south (rift-parallel), strike-slip displacements occur widely around the southern portion of Eyjafjörður, northern Iceland about 50 km west of the Northern Rift Zone. The area is south of the southernmost strand (Dalvík Lineament) of the NW-SE-trending, dextral-slip, Tjӧrnes Fracture Zone (where N-S, sinistral, strike-slip "bookshelf" faulting occurs). Faults in the Eyjafjörður area cut 8.5-10 m.y. basaltic crust and are parallel to spreading-related dikes and are commonly concentrated along dike margins. Fault rocks range from fault breccia to gouge. Riedel shears and other kinematic indicators provide unambiguous evidence of shear sense. Most faults show evidence of sinistral, strike-slip movement but smaller proportions of normal and oblique-slip faults also are present. Cross cutting relations among the different types of faults are inconsistent and appear to be related to a single deformation event. Fault slip-line kinematic analysis yields solutions indicating sinistral-normal oblique-slip overall. These results may be interpreted in terms of either previously unrecognized transform-fault bookshelf faulting or slip accommodating block rotation associated with northward propagation of the Northern Rift Zone.

Rifting and reactivation of a Cretaceous structural belt at the northern margin of the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanni, Ugo; Pubellier, Manuel; Chan, Lung Sang; Sewell, Roderick J.

2017-04-01

The Tiu Tang Lung Fault, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region - China, is located on the northern stretched continental margin of the South China Sea. Along this fault, Middle Jurassic volcanic rocks of the Tai Mo Shan Formation are tectonically juxtaposed on Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Pat Sin Leng Formation. Both extensional detachments and compressional features are observed and various genetic strain configurations are proposed for the Tiu Tang Lung Fault with implications for understanding the dynamics of the pre-South China Sea rifting during the Cretaceous. We have identified tilted bedding planes in the continental deposits of the Pat Sin Leng Formation which can be related to Early Cretaceous syn-extensional deposition. A mid-Cretaceous penetrative top-to-the-south to top-to-the-west shear fabric is also observed and serves as an indicator of the strain pattern. This deformation is expressed by cleavages, schistosity, S/C fabrics, kink-folds, phacoids and stretched pebbles at both a macroscopic and microscopic scale. Cleavages and bedding are generally sub-parallel to the local shear orientation. The whole sedimentary pile is crosscut by Cenozoic N70 and N150 normal faults. These constraints, together with previous fission track, seismic and structural data, allow us to reinterpret the kinematics of this domain during syn-orogenic to syn-extensional periods. The observed top-to-the-south thrusting event is coeval with NE-SW strike-slip sinistral fault movement. Subsequent N-S extension can be correlated with South China Sea rifting from Eocene to Oligocene. These observations reveal a polyphase history associated with continental margin inversion which witnessed localized extension on previous compressional structures.

Role of deep crustal fluids in the genesis of intraplate earthquakes in the Kachchh region, northwestern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavan Kumar, G.; Mahesh, P.; Nagar, Mehul; Mahender, E.; Kumar, Virendhar; Mohan, Kapil; Ravi Kumar, M.

2017-05-01

Fluids play a prominent role in the genesis of earthquakes, particularly in intraplate settings. In this study, we present evidence for a highly heterogeneous nature of electrical conductivity in the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the Kachchh rift basin of northwestern India, which is host to large, deadly intraplate earthquakes. We interpret our results of high conductive zones inferred from magnetotelluric and 3-D local earthquake tomography investigations in terms of a fluid reservoir in the upper mantle. The South Wagad Fault (SWF) imaged as a near-vertical north dipping low resistivity zone traversing the entire crust and an elongated south dipping conductor demarcating the North Wagad Fault (NWF) serve as conduits for fluid flow from the reservoir to the middle to lower crustal depths. Importantly, the epicentral zone of the 2001 main shock is characterized as a fluid saturated zone at the rooting of NWF onto the SWF.