Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
F. Albino, J. Biggs
Summary: The study utilized Sentinel-1 data to provide InSAR time series along the East African Rift System (EARS) from 2015 to 2020, detecting 18 ground deformation signals on 14 volcanoes including Tullu Moje and Suswa. The results show that around 20% of Holocene volcanoes in the EARS deformed during this 5-year period, demonstrating the diversity of processes occurring.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Maren Vormann, Wilfried Jokat
Summary: The study reveals the influence of the Davie Fracture Zone on the crustal structure in the northern Mozambique offshore area, with the formation of a continent-ocean transition zone due to rift activity. Despite recent seismicity, no significant crustal modifications or reduced seismic velocities were observed. The geological structures in the research area may have formed during an early Jurassic stage, with some regions possibly reactivated in a strike-slip sense during the Neogene.
GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Ahmad K. Shmela, Douglas A. Paton, Richard E. Collier, Rebecca E. Bell
Summary: The study examines the scaling relationship between fault length and displacement in the central Kenya Rift, revealing a power law distribution for fault length and displacement data in different fault zones. The results suggest a trend of strain localization onto larger faults as the fault system evolves, with varying fault orientations contributing to strain accommodation along the rift. The fractal dimension of cumulative distribution of fault size populations can be used to deduce patterns of fault growth and evolution.
Article
Geography, Physical
Shaidu Nuru Shaban, Christopher A. Scholz, James D. Muirhead, Douglas A. Wood
Summary: Active continental rifts serve as ideal locations for studying continent break-up, with Lake Tanganyika Rift's sedimentary fill providing a record of long-lasting continental extension and changing tropical climate. Through seismic stratigraphic analysis, it is possible to reconstruct past depositional environments, assess tectonic-driven subsidence, and examine how hydroclimate variability has impacted the lake basin. The evolution of sedimentary facies in the rift reveals a progression from shallow to deep rift valley environments, influencing the unique endemic organisms that inhabit the area.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
L. N. J. Wedmore, J. Biggs, M. Floyd, A. Fagereng, H. Mdala, P. Chindandali, J. N. Williams, F. Mphepo
Summary: The study reveals that the San microplate, located south of the southwestern branch of the East African Rift, is statistically distinct from the Nubia tectonic plate with an extension rate of 0.4-0.7 mm/yr. Additionally, new GNSS measurements show that the extension rate across the southern Malawi Rift is 2.2 +/- 0.3 mm/yr, mostly concentrated over 890 km, despite the narrow surface expression of faulting. These geodetic measurements provide insight into the strain accommodation in broad zones within southern Africa's thick continental lithosphere.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juliet Biggs, Atalay Ayele, Tobias P. Fischer, Karen Fontijn, William Hutchison, Emmanuel Kazimoto, Kathy Whaler, Tim J. Wright
Summary: New observations of volcanic and magmatic activity in Africa are reshaping our understanding of continental rifting and highlighting the associated hazards. Despite efforts to shift from crisis response to reducing disaster risks, limited capacity in sub-Saharan Africa hinders effective mitigation of geohazards.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Tahiry A. Rajaonarison, D. Sarah Stamps, John Naliboff, Andrew Nyblade, Emmanuel A. Njinju
Summary: Geodynamicists use high-resolution 3D thermomechanical models to investigate the forces driving continental rifting in the East African Rift. They find that the anomalous surface deformation and seismic anisotropy in the rift are primarily driven by northward mantle flow associated with the African Superplume.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Laurent Michon, Vincent Famin, Xavier Quidelleur
Summary: Through studying the East African Rift System, we have found a complex spatial and temporal relationship between rift and magmatic activity, leading to the identification of two distinct regimes of volcanism in the rift system.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Felicie Korostelev, Yang Lu, Fabrizio Magrini, Lapo Boschi, Sylvie Leroy, William Vetel
Summary: This study maps the entire East African Rift System (EARS) using a global surface-wave velocity model in order to understand the underlying mantle structure and its relationship with the Mozambique Channel. By analyzing seismic data from the African continent, the researchers obtain dispersion curves and phase-velocity maps, revealing the discontinuous nature of magmatic activity along the EARS and low-velocity anomalies beneath certain volcanic islands and seamounts. The presence of a low-velocity anomaly in the Mozambique Channel suggests the existence of an important magmatic system.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Joanna M. Holmgren, Maximilian J. Werner, Katsuichiro Goda, Manuela Villani, Vitor Silva, Patrick Chindandali, Victoria Stevens
Summary: This article introduces a newly compiled ground motion database for the southern East African rift system, which includes waveform records of 882 earthquakes from 1994 to 2022. It provides essential data for ground motion studies in the region.
EARTHQUAKE SPECTRA
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Francesca Innocenzi, Sara Ronca, Stephen Foley, Samuele Agostini, Michele Lustrino
Summary: This study investigates two volcanic provinces in the western branch of the East African Rift and finds that the volcanic products show wide variability in chemical and mineralogical characteristics. Petrographic and geochemical analysis reveals enriched and heterogeneous sub-lithospheric mantle sources. The differences in isotopic features between the two volcanic provinces may indicate changes in the composition, mineralogy, and depth of melting in the lithospheric mantle source.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Emma L. Chambers, Nicholas Harmon, Catherine A. Rychert, Derek Keir
Summary: The seismic data inversion results in the magmatically rifting area show that melt is mainly stored in sills, and as the rift widens, vertical dyke intrusion becomes dominant. The largest anisotropy is observed in the upper part of the rift, and the influence of vertical micro-cracks and dykes on the rift center gradually weakens.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Luke N. J. Wedmore, Tess Turner, Juliet Biggs, Jack N. Williams, Henry M. Sichingabula, Christine Kabumbu, Kawawa Banda
Summary: This study utilizes SRTM data to analyze surface deformation and develop the Luangwa Rift Active Fault Database (LRAFD) in Zambia. The research identifies 18 faults in the region that show evidence of Quaternary activity and could potentially cause earthquakes exceeding the magnitude of historically recorded events. The study also reveals that the most prominent faults are located along the edges of the Luangwa Rift, highlighting the importance of this research for evaluating future seismic hazard.
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
Geochemistry & Geophysics
N. S. Muravyeva, V. G. Senin, A. Ivanov, B. Belyatsky
Summary: The detailed investigation of leucite basanites from the Visoke and Muhavura volcanoes in the Virunga province revealed that the rocks are likely derived from an enriched mantle source and have been contaminated by deep metamorphic rocks. The isotopic composition suggests a complex origin involving processes such as mantle melting, fractional crystallization, magma mixing, and crustal contamination.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Nicolas Le Corvec, Patrick J. McGovern, Eric B. Grosfils, Gerald Galgana
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2015)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Francesco Mazzarini, Nicolas Le Corvec, Ilaria Isola, Massimiliano Favalli
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicolas Le Corvec, James D. Muirhead, James D. L. White
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2018)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Aurelie Germa, Laura J. Connor, Edgardo Canon-Tapia, Nicolas Le Corvec
BULLETIN OF VOLCANOLOGY
(2013)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nicolas Le Corvec, K. Bernhard Spoerli, Julie Rowland, Jan Lindsay
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2013)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Nicolas Le Corvec, Mark S. Bebbington, Jan M. Lindsay, Lucy E. McGee
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2013)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nicolas Le Corvec, Thomas R. Walter
JOURNAL OF VOLCANOLOGY AND GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH
(2009)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Marie-Noelle Guilbaud, Claus Siebe, Paul Layer, Sergio Salinas, Renato Castro-Govea, Victor Hugo Garduno-Monroy, Nicolas Le Corvec
JOURNAL OF VOLCANOLOGY AND GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH
(2011)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Nicolas Le Corvec, Thierry Menand, Jan Lindsay
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2013)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Nicolas Le Corvec, Thomas R. Walter, Joel Ruch, Alessandro Bonforte, Giuseppe Puglisi
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2014)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Edgar U. Zorn, Nicolas Le Corvec, Nick R. Varley, Jacqueline T. Salzer, Thomas R. Walter, Carlos Navarro-Ochoa, Dulce M. Vargas-Bracamontes, Samuel T. Thiele, Rail Arambula Mendoza
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nicolas Le Corvec, Patrick J. McGovern
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2018)