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Crustal Structure of Eritrea from Receiver Function Analysis

Description: 

Located near the Afar Triple Junction, Eritrea hosts the Danakil microplate and is undergoing the final stages of on-land rifting. To better understand the nature of the Eritrean crust and continental breakup, we calculate teleseismic receiver functions across Eritrea and Afar. We estimate the Moho depth and bulk crustal V_P/V_S ratio using the H-κ stacking method. The heterogeneity of our crustal thickness results (~35 km — ~19 km) indicates that the Danakil microplate has undergone stretching and crustal thinning, and that rifting is highly localised in the Gulf of Zula. By investigating the relationship between crustal thickness and topographic elevation in Eritrea and Afar, we estimate the regional crustal density as ρc ≈ 2950 kg m^-3, which is denser than the global average of ρc ≈ 2880 kg m^-3. Our results demonstrate very strongly positive residual topography in the region. We propose that this topography is supported by the mantle plume responsible for the onset of rifting in East Africa, generating uplift due to the presence of a hot thermal anomaly beneath the plate and by thinning of the lithospheric mantle. We also observe high V_P/V_S ratios of > 1.9 in Eritrea. Our results demonstrate the presence of partial melt in the crust, and that magma-assisted extension continues to be important in the final stages of continental breakup.

Session: Earth’s Structure from the Crust to the Core - II

Type: Oral

Date: 5/1/2024

Presentation Time: 11:15 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Miriam

Student Presenter: Yes

Invited Presentation: 

Authors