Geoscience of Rift Systems—Evolution of East Africa

Morley, Christopher

doi:10.1306/st44623

Cited by 63 publications

(100 citation statements)

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“…2a; e.g. Morley, 1999). In the northern Kenya rift, the earliest extension began during the Paleocene-Eocene (Morley et al, 1992;Ebinger and Scholz, 2012).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2a; Bosworth and Morley, 1994) and the N-S-oriented Lotikipi Plain, Turkana, Lokichar and North Kerio basins (e.g. Morley, 1999) began forming during the Cretaceous and continued subsiding into the Cenozoic (Foster and Gleadow, 1996;Morley, 1999;Tiercelin et al, 2012). The Anza Basin has been regarded as part of the E-W-striking central African rift system (Guiraud et al, 2005;Heine et al, 2013), which formed under the influence of (i) the northeastward movement of the Arabian-Nubian block, (ii) ongoing seafloor spreading between Madagascar and East Africa (which ceased at around 120 Ma; Seton et al, 2012) and (iii) the opening of the South Atlantic (since 132 Ma).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Kenya rift revisited: insights into lithospheric strength through data-driven 3-D gravity and thermal modelling

et al. 2017

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Abstract. We present three-dimensional (3-D) models that describe the present-day thermal and rheological state of the lithosphere of the greater Kenya rift region aiming at a better understanding of the rift evolution, with a particular focus on plume–lithosphere interactions. The key methodology applied is the 3-D integration of diverse geological and geophysical observations using gravity modelling. Accordingly, the resulting lithospheric-scale 3-D density model is consistent with (i) reviewed descriptions of lithological variations in the sedimentary and volcanic cover, (ii) known trends in crust and mantle seismic velocities as revealed by seismic and seismological data and (iii) the observed gravity field. This data-based model is the first to image a 3-D density configuration of the crystalline crust for the entire region of Kenya and northern Tanzania. An upper and a basal crustal layer are differentiated, each composed of several domains of different average densities. We interpret these domains to trace back to the Precambrian terrane amalgamation associated with the East African Orogeny and to magmatic processes during Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifting phases. In combination with seismic velocities, the densities of these crustal domains indicate compositional differences. The derived lithological trends have been used to parameterise steady-state thermal and rheological models. These models indicate that crustal and mantle temperatures decrease from the Kenya rift in the west to eastern Kenya, while the integrated strength of the lithosphere increases. Thereby, the detailed strength configuration appears strongly controlled by the complex inherited crustal structure, which may have been decisive for the onset, localisation and propagation of rifting.

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“…2a; e.g. Morley, 1999). In the northern Kenya rift, the earliest extension began during the Paleocene-Eocene (Morley et al, 1992;Ebinger and Scholz, 2012).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Kenya rift revisited: insights into lithospheric strength through data-driven 3-D gravity and thermal modelling

et al. 2017

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“…The development of volcanic activity synchronous with some of the evolutionary stages of rift basins (e.g., East African Rift, South Atlantic basins, Red Sea Basin, the Mesozoic Western Gondwana basins; Morley, ; Ziegler & Cloetingh, ; Chorowicz, ; Bosworth et al ., ; Ramos, ; Ebinger & Scholz, ) and extensional intra‐arc basins (e.g., Intra‐arc Taupo Volcanic Zone; Wilson et al ., ; Rowland et al ., ; Downs et al ., ) is a widely recognized phenomenon. However, most tectono‐stratigraphic works on extensional basins that addressed high‐resolution sedimentary models, were performed on successions with null concomitant volcanism (e.g., Leeder & Gawthorpe, ; Schlische, , ; Leeder et al ., ; Schlische & Anders, ; Ravnås & Steel, ; Gawthorpe & Leeder, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of volcanism on the sedimentary record of the Neuquén rift basin, Argentina: towards a cause and effect model

et al. 2016

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The analysis of volcano-sedimentary infill in sedimentary basins constitutes a challenge for basin analysis and hydrocarbon exploration worldwide. In order to understand the contribution of volcanism to the sedimentary record in rift basins, we study the Jurassic effusive-explosive volcanic infill of an inverted extensional depocentre at the Neuqu en Basin, Argentina. A cause and effect model that evaluates the relationship between volcanism and sedimentation was devised to develop a conceptual model for the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of this volcanic rift basin. We show how the variations in the volcanism, coupled with the activity of extensional faults, determined the types of volcanic edifices (i.e., composite volcanoes, graben-calderas, and lava fields). Volcanic edifices controlled the stacking patterns of the volcanic units as well as sedimentary systems. The landform of the volcanic edifices, as well as the styles and scales of the eruptions governed the sedimentary input to the basin, setting the main variables of the sedimentary systems, such as provenance, grain size, transport and deposition and geometry. As a result, the contrasting volcaniclastic input, from higher volcaniclastic input to lower volcaniclastic input, associated with different subsidence patterns, determined the high-resolution syn-rift infill patterns of the extensional depocentre. The cause and effect model presented in this study isolates the variables of the volcanic environments that control the sedimentary scenarios. We suggest that, by adjusting the first order input parameters of the model, these cause and effect scenarios could be adapted to similar rift basins, in order to establish predictive facies models with stratigraphic controls, and the impact of volcanism on their stratigraphic records.

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“…Although a number of books have been published in recent years that have focused on the stratigraphy of rift basins, in particular on the interaction of tectonics and sedimentation (Lambiase, 1995. ;Purser & Bosence, 1998. ;Morley 2000. ), none of these has dealt speci®cally with the processes governing stratigraphic development in rift basins.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, few workers had made links between sediment¯uxes as recorded in stratigraphy and the erosional evolution of source areas. Clearly, in such tectonically active basins, footwall erosion and sediment¯ux to the hangingwall basin are linked by the evolution of fault-controlled topography within, and adjacent to, the rift basins.Although a number of books have been published in recent years that have focused on the stratigraphy of rift basins, in particular on the interaction of tectonics and sedimentation (Lambiase, 1995. ;Purser & Bosence, 1998. ;Morley 2000. ), none of these has dealt speci®cally with the processes governing stratigraphic development in rift basins.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

INVITED EDITORIAL Processes and controls in the stratigraphic development of extensional basins

Gupta

Cowie

2000

Basin Research

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INTRODUCTIONThe sedimentary rocks that are preserved as the in®ll to continental extensional basins provide a tantalizing record of the evolution of coupled geomorphic±sedimentary systems in response to rifting. This record is tantalizing because, even though the stratigraphic record can arguably be considered to provide the only complete record of the effects of external forcing on basin evolution, how the sedimentary effects of this forcing come to be preserved in the stratigraphic record is not well understood. The stratigraphy rarely enables us to make direct links with forcing factors because independent evidence of the latter is generally no longer preserved. Thus our task of extracting the in¯uence of factors such as variations in tectonic subsidence and uplift, source-area erosion, sea-level change, climate, etc., from the stratigraphic record is daunting to say the least. Indeed, some would argue that the problem is largely intractable. Despite this, sedimentary geologists and stratigraphers are increasingly armed with a whole new range of tools that enable them to tease more information out of the apparently unyielding rocks. These tools include new dating techniques, novel geochemical methods and numerical modelling approaches. However, more importantly, we are currently seeing a revolutionary transition in our approach to the subject. Sedimentary geologists are no longer merely content to describe, document and speculate on the rocks they study, but are seeking to understand in more depth (and with greater quanti®cation) the processes that govern their organization. Our aim in this special issue is to examine some of the emerging process-driven themes that are central to current research on stratigraphy in extensional basins.Until relatively recently, tectono-stratigraphic models for rift basins focused on predictions of basin-scale stratigraphic geometries; these models did not attempt to address the ®ner-scale details of stratal geometry that stratigraphers were documenting in numerous basins.The stratigraphic community, on the other hand, lacked process-driven models to provide a framework within which their detailed observations could be interpreted. For example, it was dif®cult to explain complex temporal and spatial patterns of sedimentary architecture in terms of variations in fault-controlled subsidence. Moreover, few workers had made links between sediment¯uxes as recorded in stratigraphy and the erosional evolution of source areas. Clearly, in such tectonically active basins, footwall erosion and sediment¯ux to the hangingwall basin are linked by the evolution of fault-controlled topography within, and adjacent to, the rift basins.Although a number of books have been published in recent years that have focused on the stratigraphy of rift basins, in particular on the interaction of tectonics and sedimentation (Lambiase, 1995. ;Purser & Bosence, 1998. ;Morley 2000. ), none of these has dealt speci®cally with the processes governing stratigraphic development in rift basins. This special volume ...

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Geoscience of Rift Systems—Evolution of East Africa

Cited by 63 publications

References 0 publications

The Kenya rift revisited: insights into lithospheric strength through data-driven 3-D gravity and thermal modelling

The Kenya rift revisited: insights into lithospheric strength through data-driven 3-D gravity and thermal modelling

Impact of volcanism on the sedimentary record of the Neuquén rift basin, Argentina: towards a cause and effect model

INVITED EDITORIAL Processes and controls in the stratigraphic development of extensional basins

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