The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data
The timing and geometry of the initial Gondwana break-up between Africa and East Antarctica is still poorly known due to missing information about the continent-ocean boundaries along the rifted margins. In this context, the Beira High off central Mozambique forms a critical geological feature of un...
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ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:41237 2023-05-15T13:40:27+02:00 The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data Mueller, Christian Olaf Jokat, Wilfried Schreckenberger, Bernd 2016-06-25 https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/41237/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2016.06.028 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.48238 unknown Elsevier Mueller, C. O. , Jokat, W. orcid:0000-0002-7793-5854 and Schreckenberger, B. (2016) The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data , Tectonophysics, 683 , pp. 233-254 . doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2016.06.028 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2016.06.028> , hdl:10013/epic.48238 EPIC3Tectonophysics, Elsevier, 683, pp. 233-254, ISSN: 00401951 Article isiRev 2016 ftawi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2016.06.028 2021-12-24T15:41:43Z The timing and geometry of the initial Gondwana break-up between Africa and East Antarctica is still poorly known due to missing information about the continent-ocean boundaries along the rifted margins. In this context, the Beira High off central Mozambique forms a critical geological feature of uncertain crustal fabric. Based on new wide-angle seismic and potential field data across Beira High a P-wave velocity model, supported by amplitude and gravity modelling, provides constraints on the crustal composition of this area. In the Mozambique Basin mainly normal oceanic crust of 5.5–7 km thickness with velocities of 6.5–7.0 km/s in the lower crust is present. A sharp transition towards Beira High marks the continent-ocean boundary. Here the crust thickens to 23 km at maximum. A small velocity-depth gradient and a constant increase in velocity with basal velocities of maximum 7.0 km/s are in good agreement with typical velocities of continental crust and continental fragments. The density model indicates the existence of felsicmaterial in greater depths and supports a fabric of stretched, but highly intruded continental crust below Beira High. A gradual decrease in crustal thickness characterizes the transition towards the Mozambican shelf area. Here, in the Zambezi Delta Depression 12 km of sediments cover the underlying 7 km thick crust. The presence of a high-velocity lower crustal body with velocities of 7.1–7.4 km/s indicates underplated, magmatic material in this part of the profile. However, the velocity structure in the shelf area allows no definite interpretation because of the experimental setup. Thus, the crustal nature below the Zambezi Delta and consequently the landward position of the continentocean boundary remains unknown. The difference in stretching below the margins of Beira High suggests the presence of different thinning directions and a rift jump during the early rifting stage. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica East Antarctica Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) East Antarctica Tectonophysics 683 233 254 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) |
op_collection_id |
ftawi |
language |
unknown |
description |
The timing and geometry of the initial Gondwana break-up between Africa and East Antarctica is still poorly known due to missing information about the continent-ocean boundaries along the rifted margins. In this context, the Beira High off central Mozambique forms a critical geological feature of uncertain crustal fabric. Based on new wide-angle seismic and potential field data across Beira High a P-wave velocity model, supported by amplitude and gravity modelling, provides constraints on the crustal composition of this area. In the Mozambique Basin mainly normal oceanic crust of 5.5–7 km thickness with velocities of 6.5–7.0 km/s in the lower crust is present. A sharp transition towards Beira High marks the continent-ocean boundary. Here the crust thickens to 23 km at maximum. A small velocity-depth gradient and a constant increase in velocity with basal velocities of maximum 7.0 km/s are in good agreement with typical velocities of continental crust and continental fragments. The density model indicates the existence of felsicmaterial in greater depths and supports a fabric of stretched, but highly intruded continental crust below Beira High. A gradual decrease in crustal thickness characterizes the transition towards the Mozambican shelf area. Here, in the Zambezi Delta Depression 12 km of sediments cover the underlying 7 km thick crust. The presence of a high-velocity lower crustal body with velocities of 7.1–7.4 km/s indicates underplated, magmatic material in this part of the profile. However, the velocity structure in the shelf area allows no definite interpretation because of the experimental setup. Thus, the crustal nature below the Zambezi Delta and consequently the landward position of the continentocean boundary remains unknown. The difference in stretching below the margins of Beira High suggests the presence of different thinning directions and a rift jump during the early rifting stage. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mueller, Christian Olaf Jokat, Wilfried Schreckenberger, Bernd |
spellingShingle |
Mueller, Christian Olaf Jokat, Wilfried Schreckenberger, Bernd The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data |
author_facet |
Mueller, Christian Olaf Jokat, Wilfried Schreckenberger, Bernd |
author_sort |
Mueller, Christian Olaf |
title |
The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data |
title_short |
The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data |
title_full |
The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data |
title_fullStr |
The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data |
title_full_unstemmed |
The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data |
title_sort |
crustal structure of beira high, central mozambique—combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/41237/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2016.06.028 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.48238 |
geographic |
East Antarctica |
geographic_facet |
East Antarctica |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica East Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica East Antarctica |
op_source |
EPIC3Tectonophysics, Elsevier, 683, pp. 233-254, ISSN: 00401951 |
op_relation |
Mueller, C. O. , Jokat, W. orcid:0000-0002-7793-5854 and Schreckenberger, B. (2016) The crustal structure of Beira High, central Mozambique—Combined investigation of wide-angle seismic and potential field data , Tectonophysics, 683 , pp. 233-254 . doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2016.06.028 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2016.06.028> , hdl:10013/epic.48238 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2016.06.028 |
container_title |
Tectonophysics |
container_volume |
683 |
container_start_page |
233 |
op_container_end_page |
254 |
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1766135090440568832 |