TY - GEN A1 - Sippel, Judith A1 - Meeßen, Christian A1 - Cacace, Mauro A1 - Mechie, James A1 - Fishwick, Stewart A1 - Heine, Christian A1 - Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena A1 - Strecker, Manfred T1 - The Kenya rift revisited BT - insights into lithospheric strength through data-driven 3-D gravity and thermal modelling T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - 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. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 644 KW - east-african rift KW - cenozoic Turkana depression KW - seismic velocity structure KW - Northern Kenya KW - upper-mantle KW - Mozambique belt KW - continental lithosphere KW - crustal structure KW - structure beneath KW - wave tomography Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-418221 SN - 1866-8372 IS - 644 SP - 45 EP - 81 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Rubey, Michael A1 - Brune, Sascha A1 - Heine, Christian A1 - Davies, D. Rhodri A1 - Williams, Simon E. A1 - Müller, R. Dietmar T1 - Global patterns in Earth’s dynamic topography since the Jurassic BT - the role of subducted slabs T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - We evaluate the spatial and temporal evolution of Earth's long-wavelength surface dynamic topography since the Jurassic using a series of high-resolution global mantle convection models. These models are Earth-like in terms of convective vigour, thermal structure, surface heat-flux and the geographic distribution of heterogeneity. The models generate a degree-2-dominated spectrum of dynamic topography with negative amplitudes above subducted slabs (i.e. circum-Pacific regions and southern Eurasia) and positive amplitudes elsewhere (i.e. Africa, north-western Eurasia and the central Pacific). Model predictions are compared with published observations and subsidence patterns from well data, both globally and for the Australian and southern African regions. We find that our models reproduce the long-wavelength component of these observations, although observed smaller-scale variations are not reproduced. We subsequently define "geodynamic rules" for how different surface tectonic settings are affected by mantle processes: (i) locations in the vicinity of a subduction zone show large negative dynamic topography amplitudes; (ii) regions far away from convergent margins feature long-term positive dynamic topography; and (iii) rapid variations in dynamic support occur along the margins of overriding plates (e.g. the western US) and at points located on a plate that rapidly approaches a subduction zone (e.g. India and the Arabia Peninsula). Our models provide a predictive quantitative framework linking mantle convection with plate tectonics and sedimentary basin evolution, thus improving our understanding of how subduction and mantle convection affect the spatio-temporal evolution of basin architecture. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 623 KW - spherical mantle convection KW - southern African plateau KW - vertical motion KW - sea-level KW - seismic tomography KW - models KW - surface KW - gravity KW - lithosphere KW - Australia Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-418241 SN - 1866-8372 IS - 623 SP - 899 EP - 919 ER -