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Journal Article

The Kenya Rift revisited: insights into lithospheric strength through data-driven 3D gravity and thermal modelling

Authors
/persons/resource/sippel

Sippel,  Judith
6.1 Basin Modelling, 6.0 Geotechnologies, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

/persons/resource/chmee

Meeßen,  Christian
6.1 Basin Modelling, 6.0 Geotechnologies, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

/persons/resource/cacace

Cacace,  Mauro
6.1 Basin Modelling, 6.0 Geotechnologies, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

/persons/resource/jimmy

Mechie,  James
2.2 Geophysical Deep Sounding, 2.0 Geophysics, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

Fishwick,  Stewart
External Organizations;

Heine,  Christian
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/leni

Scheck-Wenderoth,  Magdalena
6.1 Basin Modelling, 6.0 Geotechnologies, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

Strecker,  Manfred R.
External Organizations;

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1268903.pdf
(Publisher version), 10MB

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Citation

Sippel, J., Meeßen, C., Cacace, M., Mechie, J., Fishwick, S., Heine, C., Scheck-Wenderoth, M., Strecker, M. R. (2017): The Kenya Rift revisited: insights into lithospheric strength through data-driven 3D gravity and thermal modelling. - Solid Earth, 8, 45-81.
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2016-139


Cite as: https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_1862903
Abstract
We present 3D 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 3D integration of diverse geological and geophysical observations using gravity modelling. Accordingly, the resulting lithospheric-scale 3D 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 3D 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 Orogen and to magmatic processes during Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifting phases. In combination with seismic velocities, the densities of these crustal domains are indicative of compositional differences. The derived lithological trends have been used to parameterize 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.