Deep penetrating MCS imaging of the rift-to-drift transition, offshore Douala and North Gabon basins, West Africa

Meyers, Jayson; Rosendahl, Bruce R.; Gröschel-Becker, Henrike M.; Austin, James A.; Rona, Peter A.

doi:10.1016/0264-8172(96)00030-x

Cited by 95 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 112 publications

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“…Similarly, an enigmatic high-velocity lower crustal body has also been documented farther south [Contrucci et al, 2004;Moulin et al, 2005]. Such a lower crustal body is not necessarily breakup related, but may be related to older tectonic episodes and, possibly, orogenies; e.g., inheritance from Transamazonian and Pan-African collision belts [e.g., Meyers et al, 1996a].…”

Section: Crustal Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

Crustal breakup and continent-ocean transition at South Atlantic conjugate margins

Blaich¹,

Faleide²,

Tsikalas³

2011

J. Geophys. Res.

150

174

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[1] Seismic reflection and refraction profiles, and potential field data, complemented by crustal-scale gravity modeling and plate reconstructions are used to study the evolution of the central and south segments of the South Atlantic conjugate margins. The central segment is characterized by a hyperextended continent-ocean transitional domain that shows evidence of rotated fault blocks and a detachment surface active during rifting. A polyphase rifting evolution mode, associated with a complex time-dependent thermal structure of the lithosphere, is substantiated for the central segment that is not a "magma-poor" end-member. Increase of volcanic activity during the late stages of rifting may have "interrupted" the extensional system implying a failed exhumation phase that was replaced instead by continental breakup and emplacement of fully igneous crust. The continent-ocean transitional domain along the "magma-dominated" south segment is characterized by a large volume of flood basalts and high-velocity/high-density lower crust. The northern province of the south segment is characterized by symmetrical seaward-dipping reflections and symmetrical continent-ocean transitional domain. The influence of the Tristan da Cunha plume on this province is very likely. The central province of the south segment is characterized by along-strike tectonomagmatic asymmetry, which can be caused by the initial continental stretching and accompanying magmatism rather than by the subsequent seafloor spreading. The Tristan da Cunha plume on the central province may have influenced the volume of magmatism but did not necessarily alter the process of rifted margin formation, implying that the central province of the south segment may have much in common with "magma-poor" margins.

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Section: Crustal Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

Crustal breakup and continent-ocean transition at South Atlantic conjugate margins

Blaich¹,

Faleide²,

Tsikalas³

2011

J. Geophys. Res.

150

174

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In contrast, postbreakup salt would wedge out distally against a seaoor rising to the mid-oceanic ridge. Thin, autochthonous salt pinches out seaward over oceanic or protooceanic crust in the Lower Congo Basin (Lehner & de Ruiter, 1977), South Gabon Basin (Meyers, Rosendahl & Austin, 1996a) and North Gabon and Douala Basins (Meyers, Rosendahl, Groschel-Becker, Austin & Rona, 1996b). Elsewhere on the African margin (Lower Congo, Kwanza, and Benguela Basins), the autochthonous salt is tectonically thickened and is allochthonous along its leading edge, the Angolan Escarpment (Emery, Uchupi, Phillips, Bowin & Mascle, 1975).…”

Section: Distal Margin Of Salt Basinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of subaerial volcanic rocks and mantle plumes in creation of South Atlantic margins: implications for salt tectonics and source rocks

Jackson¹,

Cramez

Fonck

2000

Marine and Petroleum Geology

174

147

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Seaward-dipping re¯ectors (SDRs) represent¯ood basalts rapidly extruded during either rifting or initially subaerial sea-¯oor spreading. Evaporites can form on this basaltic proto-oceanic crust, as in the Afar Triangle today. Evidence for SDRs in South Atlantic deep-water regions comes from proximity to the uniquely large ParanaÂ ±Etendeka volcanic province onshore, the Tristan and Gough hot spots, drilled volcanic rocks, and seismic pro®les showing SDR provinces more than 100 km wide, as much as 7 km thick, and thousands of kilometers long. SDRs are clearest adjoining the Aptian salt basins. However, we speculate that SDRs are also present but seismically obscured below the salt basins. We argue that the conjugate Aptian salt basins are post-breakup, not pre-breakup; they were separated from the start by a mid-oceanic ridge; distal salt accumulated on proto-oceanic crust, not rift basins. This hypothesis is supported by: seismic stratigraphy and structure; magnetic anomalies; plate reconstructions; and hydrothermal potash evaporites. An important implication for exploration is that thick basalts, rather than rift-age source rocks, may underlie distal parts of the salt basins. 7

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“…Several studies on South Atlantic margins have postulated a pattern of structural inheritance, indicating that early Precambrian continental lineaments and transfer zones exerted influence on the development of the Mesozoic rifting, breakup and early oceanic crust (McConnel, 1974;Guazelli & Carvalho,1978;Meyers et al, 1996). Within the study area, the Vaza-Barris transfer zone may reflect an inherited Precambrian zone of crustal weakness that separated tectonic provinces during the Braziliano/Pan-African orogeny.…”

Section: Structural Inheritancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…6.13). The Rio Muni-Gabon basins also exhibits transfer zones that apparently continue basinwards and join with oceanic fracture zones (Meyers et al, 1996). Furthermore, the Arcoverde Fault and Pernambuco Lineament, located on the Brazilian margin (Figs.…”

Section: Structural Inheritancementioning

confidence: 99%

Northeastern Brazilian margin: Regional tectonic evolution based on integrated analysis of seismic reflection and potential field data and modelling

2008

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Deep penetrating MCS imaging of the rift-to-drift transition, offshore Douala and North Gabon basins, West Africa

Cited by 95 publications

References 112 publications

Crustal breakup and continent-ocean transition at South Atlantic conjugate margins

Crustal breakup and continent-ocean transition at South Atlantic conjugate margins

Role of subaerial volcanic rocks and mantle plumes in creation of South Atlantic margins: implications for salt tectonics and source rocks

Northeastern Brazilian margin: Regional tectonic evolution based on integrated analysis of seismic reflection and potential field data and modelling

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