Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Muchen Sun, Stephen S. Gao, Kelly H. Liu, Kevin Mickus, Xiaofei Fu, Youqiang Yu
Summary: The study of the Malawi and Luangwa rift zones reveals significant variations in crustal thickness, stretching factor, and crustal properties, which may be related to lithospheric stretching, partial crustal melting, and magma infiltration. The differences observed in different regions provide insights into the geological processes occurring in these rift zones.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Gijs A. Henstra, Timothy M. Cullen, Robert L. Gawthorpe, Jhon M. Munoz-Barrera, Martin Muravchik, Atle Rotevatn
Summary: Basement highs are an important sediment source in continental rifts and rifted margins, but the back-tilted footwall dip slopes of these highs have been less studied. We investigate a case study from the Norwegian continental shelf, where sedimentary systems preserved on a dip slope provide insights into the evolution of the Froya High.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
A. Z. Tadesse, K. Fontijn, L. Caricchi, F. Begue, S. Gudbrandsson, V. C. Smith, P. Gopon, V. Debaille, P. Laha, H. Terryn, G. Yirgu, D. Ayalew
Summary: This paragraph introduces the Bora-Baricha-Tullu Moye volcanic system, a Late Quaternary volcanic system in the Main Ethiopian Rift that is characterized by both explosive and effusive volcanic eruptions. The petrological and geochemical characteristics of the volcanic products are investigated using a combination of petrography and geochemical analyses. The results show that the volcanic rocks vary in composition from basalt to peralkaline rhyolite, and the chemical variation can be explained by fractional crystallization and magma mixing. The study provides important insights into the origin and thermodynamic processes of this volcanic system.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
B. Chiasera, T. O. Rooney, I. D. Bastow, G. Yirgu, E. B. Grosfils, D. Ayalew, P. Mohr, J. Zimbelman, M. Ramsey
Summary: The study of magmatic activity in the Galema range in the northern Main Ethiopian Rift reveals evidence of magma ponding during ascent, indicating relatively thick lithosphere during the early magmatic rifting. Contrasting modeling approaches show different melting conditions and temperatures, suggesting a thermo-mechanical boundary to ascent. These results have important implications for late-stage decompression melting prior to the onset of seafloor spreading.
Article
Geology
Zhonglan Liu, Marta Perez-Gussinye, Javier Garcia-Pintado, Leila Mezri, Wolfgang Bach
Summary: Mantle serpentinization has significant impacts on the rheology of altered peridotites, global energy and volatile fluxes, chemolithotrophic life, and the carbon cycle. This study estimated the H2 release during mantle exhumation at continent-ocean transition zones and found that magma-poor margins play a crucial role in global H2 fluxes and potential energy sources.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Leonardo M. Pichel, Ritske S. Huismans, Robert Gawthorpe, Jan Inge Faleide, Thomas Theunissen
Summary: Research finds that wide rifted margins are characterized by gravity-driven updip extension and downdip shortening, and syn-depositional salt flow and salt stretching also occur in these margins. The results have significant implications for understanding the genesis and evolution of salt-bearing rifted margins.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Joao Pedro Macedo, Victor Sacek, Rafael Monteiro da Silva
Summary: The coupling between the crust and mantle and the surface processes have a significant impact on the escarpment amplitude and its preservation in rifted margins. If the erosive retreat of the escarpment is less than 100 km, the flexural uplift of the crust decreases over time while the escarpment elevation is still preserved. If the escarpment retreat exceeds 100 km, the escarpment elevation is mainly preserved by the combination of inherited topography and flexural rebound of the lithosphere due to erosion along the margin.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Yoseph Muhabaw, Ameha Atnafu Muluneh, Kahsay Nugsse, Ermias Filfilu Gebru, Tesfaye Kidane
Summary: One-hundred-seventy oriented paleomagnetic core samples were collected from volcanic lava flows in the Gedemsa magmatic segment in the Main Ethiopian Rift. The study identified two components of remanent magnetization and confirmed the geomagnetic polarity of the region. The results indicate complex deformation in the Gedemsa magmatic segment due to segment opening. This study is important for understanding the deformation history of the region.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ameha A. Muluneh, Derek Keir, Giacomo Corti
Summary: Lower crustal earthquakes at plate boundaries and intraplate settings occur at depth where deformation is normally expected to occur in a ductile manner. Our models suggest that the depth distribution of earthquakes in the lower crust is best explained by strong mafic lower crustal rheology and hydrostatic fluid pore pressure conditions in areas away from the Main Ethiopian Rift beneath the NW plateau. In the central MER, the lower crust has no long-term strength and seismicity is likely induced by a combination of near-lithostatic pore fluid pressure and high strain rates due to fluid movement.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kyle Dayton, Esteban Gazel, Penny Wieser, Valentin R. Troll, Juan Carlos Carracedo, Hector La Madrid, Diana C. Roman, Jamison Ward, Meritxell Aulinas, Harri Geiger, Frances M. Deegan, Guillem Gisbert, Francisco J. Perez-Torrado
Summary: The 2021 La Palma eruption presented a unique opportunity to study the relationship between earthquake hypocenters and magma reservoirs. Using calibrated Raman spectroscopy, we conducted density measurements on CO2-rich fluid inclusions (FIs) in olivine crystals to gain insight into magma storage and transport during the eruption. Our findings, which revealed depths of 15 to 27 km within the reported deep seismic zone, can greatly enhance our understanding of ongoing volcanic activity.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Sascha Brune, Folarin Kolawole, Jean-Arthur Olive, D. Sarah Stamps, W. Roger Buck, Susanne J. H. Buiter, Tanya Furman, Donna J. J. Shillington
Summary: A continental rift is a process where the lithosphere is thinned by tectonic activity, leading to the formation of new ocean basins or the cessation of activity. The mechanisms that determine rift success or failure are still debated. This Review explores the fundamental processes, geodynamic forces, and interactions that lead to the variety of rifts on Earth.
NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Martina Raggiunti, Derek Keir, Carolina Pagli
Summary: In the Main Ethiopian Rift, researchers focused on the Fentale-Dofan magmatic segment to study the spatial distribution of hydrothermal alteration and fumarolic deposits, as well as their link with faults and active hydrothermal manifestations. They found that hydrothermal products were mainly concentrated near Fentale and the Dofan Volcanic Complex, with different associations with rock types and faults at each location. These associations are likely due to the relative ease of alteration of certain rock types and the presence of fractures allowing for localized fluid flow. The study suggests that the DVC shows a stronger structural influence compared to Fentale, with magma reservoirs beneath both locations serving as the heat source for hydrothermal circulation.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Asfaw Erbello, Daniel Melnick, Gerold Zeilinger, Bodo Bookhagen, Heiko Pingel, Manfred R. Strecker
Summary: This study reveals a north-south gradient of tectonic activity in the transfer zone of southern Ethiopia, with the highest extensional deformation and recent tectonic activity occurring in the southern Chew Bahir Basin. The quantitative geomorphic analysis of river catchments and field work provide valuable insights into the tectono-geomorphic history of this complex kinematic transfer zone.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sabrina Maria Rita Bonetto, Chiara Caselle, Domenico Antonio De Luca, Manuela Lasagna
Summary: This study analyzed the water resources and hydrochemical characteristics in the central Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, identifying issues with high fluoride content and recognizing two different aquifers. The data gathered aims to raise awareness among rural communities and local governments about water resource risks, and supports planning appropriate interventions to increase access to fresh water for sustainable human and rural local development.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gwenn Peron-Pinvidic
Summary: This article uses high resolution seismic reflection data to describe the seismic reflection Moho at the Mid-Norwegian continental rifted margin across the entire margin, including the lower crust and upper mantle, and discusses its structural characteristics and tectonic deformation patterns.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Alessandro La Rosa, Derek Keir, Cecile Doubre, Federico Sani, Giacomo Corti, Sylvie Leroy, Atalay Ayele, Carolina Pagli
Summary: This study analyzed seismic activity along the Western Afar Margin and found earthquakes occurring at lower crustal depths, possibly induced by deep fluid migration. The localized deep earthquakes near hot springs, along with evidence of magmatism, suggest that seismicity during incipient continental rupture may be influenced by deep fluid migration.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Marco Bonini, Daniele Maestrelli, Giacomo Corti, Chiara Del Ventisette, Giovanna Moratti, Gerardo Carrasco-Nunez, Guido Giordano, Federico Lucci, Gianluca Norini, Luigi Piccardi, Stefano Urbani, Domenico Montanari
Summary: Scaled analogue models were used to study the impact of different boundary conditions on intra-caldera resurgence processes, including magma intrusion depth, caldera collapse symmetry, and existing discontinuities in the pre-volcanic substratum. Experimental findings demonstrated that varying intrusion depths resulted in different resurgence styles, ranging from piston-like resurgence for deeper intrusions to intra-caldera resurgent domes for shallower intrusions. Additionally, asymmetric collapse was linked to tilted roof blocks above emptied magma reservoirs, while pre-existing faults significantly influenced the deformation patterns of piston-like resurgence.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Damien Finch, Andrew Gleadow, Janet Hergt, Pauline Heaney, Helen Green, Cecilia Myers, Peter Veth, Sam Harper, Sven Ouzman, Vladimir A. Levchenko
Summary: Radiocarbon dating of mud wasp nests in the Kimberley region of Western Australia has established ages of up to 17,000 years for rock art from the earliest known, naturalistic, period of Australian Aboriginal figurative paintings. The results suggest that paintings in this style proliferated between 17,000 and 13,000 years ago, with one kangaroo painting securely dated to between 17,500 and 17,100 years.
NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Daniele Maestrelli, Marco Bonini, Giacomo Corti, Chiara Del Ventisette, Giovanna Moratti, Domenico Montanari
Summary: This study utilizes analogue modeling to investigate the process of caldera collapse and provides a new dataset specifically focusing on the relationships between caldera collapse and inherited crustal faults. The research results can be potentially compared with literature and natural case studies globally.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Samuel C. Boone, Hayden Dalton, Alexander Prent, Fabian Kohlmann, Moritz Theile, Yoann Greau, Guillaume Florin, Wayne Noble, Sally-Ann Hodgekiss, Bryant Ware, David Phillips, Barry Kohn, Suzanne O'Reilly, Andrew Gleadow, Brent McInnes, Tim Rawling
Summary: The consortium of Australian university research laboratories, called AuScope Geochemistry Network, has developed a collaborative platform called AusGeochem in partnership with Lithodat Pty Ltd. This platform aims to preserve, disseminate, and collate geochronology and isotopic data. AusGeochem serves as a geosample registry, a geochemical data repository, and a data analysis tool. It provides a dynamic resource for the geochemistry community to facilitate efficient data management and advanced quantitative investigations of Earth system processes.
GEOSTANDARDS AND GEOANALYTICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Giacomo Corti, Daniele Maestrelli, Federico Sani
Summary: This paper presents an overview of the influence exerted by pre-existing structures on continental rifting at different scales in the Main Ethiopian Rift. The study shows that at a large scale, rift localization is controlled by inherited lithospheric-scale heterogeneity, while at a smaller scale, inherited fabrics control the geometry of faults and the distribution of volcanic activity. These observations highlight the strong control exerted by pre-existing structures on continental rifting.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Sean Jones, Barry Kohn, Andy Gleadow
Summary: This article presents a series of experiments on monazites from Victoria, Australia, to further understand their fission track etching properties. The results show that the etchant can penetrate most of the etchable range of the fission tracks and reach the maximum etched region within a certain time.
AMERICAN MINERALOGIST
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Gilberto Saccorotti, Rebecca Bruni, Marco Bonini, Giacomo Corti, Derek Keir, Federico Sani
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of seismic activity in the Mugello Basin in Northeastern Tuscany, Italy over the past 15 years. It identifies several key seismic sequences, indicating an increase in seismic activity in the region, which is likely related to the activation of adjacent segments of fault systems.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
M. F. McMillan, S. C. Boone, B. P. Kohn, A. J. Gleadow, P. R. Chindandali
Summary: Using apatite fission track, apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He, and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology, this study reveals that the Nyika Plateau has been an isolated topographic feature since at least the Permo-Triassic, potentially forming as a horst between two large Karoo grabens. The thermal history of Nyika, along with the Livingstone Plateau, suggests the possibility of a contiguous highland prior to the formation of the Neogene Malawi rift.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
D. Maestrelli, S. Brune, G. Corti, D. Keir, A. A. Muluneh, F. Sani
Summary: Rift-Rift-Rift triple junctions are key features of emergent plate boundary networks during fragmentation of a continent. The differential extension velocities in the rift branches determine the localization of the structural triple junction, and the imposed velocities affect the resulting fault patterns.
Article
Geology
Alessandro Bragagni, Eleonora Braschi, Andrea Orlando, Luisa Guarnieri, Giacomo Corti, Simone Tommasini
Summary: The East African Rift System (EARS) is an active continental rift with extensive volcanic activity. This study investigates the contribution of different mantle domains to the generation of EARS magmas through space and time, using geochemical analysis of erupted magmas and mantle xenoliths. The research provides a comprehensive understanding of the common process driving magma genesis in the EARS.
ITALIAN JOURNAL OF GEOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
David Phillips, Erin L. L. Matchan, Andy J. J. Gleadow, Frank H. Brown, Ian A. McDougall, Thure E. E. Cerling, Meave G. Leakey, Janet M. M. Hergt, Louise N. N. Leakey
Summary: The Turkana Basin in NW Kenya and SW Ethiopia contains valuable fossil deposits that shed light on early hominin evolution. By using high-precision dating techniques, researchers were able to refine the age estimates of important fossils and better understand the climatic and environmental factors that influenced human evolution.
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samuel C. Boone, Fabian Kohlmann, Wayne Noble, Moritz Theile, Romain Beucher, Barry Kohn, Stijn Glorie, Martin Danisik, Renjie Zhou, Malcolm McMillan, Angus Nixon, Andrew Gleadow, Xiaodong Qin, Dietmar Mueller, Brent McInnes
Summary: Low-temperature thermochronology is a powerful tool for understanding the thermal evolution of rocks and minerals over time. A new tool for geospatial archival, analysis, and dissemination of thermochronology data has been developed. By placing regional datasets in their geological, geochemical, and geographic contexts, insights into tectono-thermal evolutions can be gained.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Christian Seiler, Samuel C. Boone, Barry P. Kohn, Andrew J. W. Gleadow
Summary: Laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), known as LAFT, is increasingly used in fission-track analysis to determine the uranium content of host mineral specimens. LAFT has advantages over the conventional External Detector Method (EDM) in terms of sample turn-around times and the handling of radioactive materials. A dataset of apatite fission track results using both techniques shows that the U-238 concentrations measured by the EDM and LAFT techniques yield indistinguishable results. The most important conclusion is that both the conventional EDM and LAFT methods can be expected to yield identical results for real world apatites.