Role of mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence
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Role of mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence. / Stamps, D. S.; Iaffaldano, Giampiero; Calais, E.
I: Geophysical Research Letters (Online), Bind 42, Nr. 2, 28.01.2015, s. 290-296.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Role of mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence
AU - Stamps, D. S.
AU - Iaffaldano, Giampiero
AU - Calais, E.
PY - 2015/1/28
Y1 - 2015/1/28
N2 - Present-day continental extension along the East African Rift System (EARS) has often been attributed to diverging sublithospheric mantle flow associated with the African Superplume. This implies a degree of viscous coupling between mantle and lithosphere that remains poorly constrained. Recent advances in estimating present-day opening rates along the EARS from geodesy offer an opportunity to address this issue with geodynamic modeling of the mantle-lithosphere system. Here we use numerical models of the global mantle-plates coupled system to test the role of present-day mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence across the EARS. The scenario yielding the best fit to geodetic observations is one where torques associated with gradients of gravitational potential energy stored in the African highlands are resisted by weak continental faults and mantle basal drag. These results suggest that shear tractions from diverging mantle flow play a minor role in present-day Nubia-Somalia divergence.
AB - Present-day continental extension along the East African Rift System (EARS) has often been attributed to diverging sublithospheric mantle flow associated with the African Superplume. This implies a degree of viscous coupling between mantle and lithosphere that remains poorly constrained. Recent advances in estimating present-day opening rates along the EARS from geodesy offer an opportunity to address this issue with geodynamic modeling of the mantle-lithosphere system. Here we use numerical models of the global mantle-plates coupled system to test the role of present-day mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence across the EARS. The scenario yielding the best fit to geodetic observations is one where torques associated with gradients of gravitational potential energy stored in the African highlands are resisted by weak continental faults and mantle basal drag. These results suggest that shear tractions from diverging mantle flow play a minor role in present-day Nubia-Somalia divergence.
KW - East African Rift System
KW - geodynamics
KW - numerical modeling
KW - continental rifting
KW - tectonic forces
U2 - 10.1002/2014GL062515
DO - 10.1002/2014GL062515
M3 - Journal article
VL - 42
SP - 290
EP - 296
JO - Geophysical Research Letters (Online)
JF - Geophysical Research Letters (Online)
SN - 1944-8007
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 138732072