Mantle Exhumation and Post‐Rift Magmatism at an Oblique Magma‐Poor Continental Margin
Abstract Continental breakup is a fundamental tectonic process, which leads to seafloor spreading and the generation of oceanic crust. However, the current understanding of continental margins, based largely on 2‐D seismic transects, is inadequate to capture the spatial complexity of crustal evoluti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112069 |
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| author | Jie Chen Sylvie Leroy Louise Watremez Adam H. Robinson |
| author_facet | Jie Chen Sylvie Leroy Louise Watremez Adam H. Robinson |
| author_sort | Jie Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Continental breakup is a fundamental tectonic process, which leads to seafloor spreading and the generation of oceanic crust. However, the current understanding of continental margins, based largely on 2‐D seismic transects, is inadequate to capture the spatial complexity of crustal evolution. Here we present a 3‐D seismic velocity model through a young, magma‐poor margin at the north‐eastern Gulf of Aden. Our results highlight the 45° obliquity between the strike of crustal thinning and extension direction, which is accommodated by two transfer zones during the formation of the Continent‐Ocean Transition (COT). This obliquity causes the margin to be segmented, which predates seafloor spreading. Along strike, we find a progressive eastward crustal thinning from 13 to 5 km, corresponding to a V‐shaped COT. This eastward variation is characterized by (a) an eastward increase of mantle exhumation due to detachment faulting, and (b) post‐rift magmatism emplaced onto serpentinized mantle in the west. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d696a35478ce45b29475f4e9a5ee82aa |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-d696a35478ce45b29475f4e9a5ee82aa2025-08-20T01:51:50ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-04-01527n/an/a10.1029/2024GL112069Mantle Exhumation and Post‐Rift Magmatism at an Oblique Magma‐Poor Continental MarginJie Chen0Sylvie Leroy1Louise Watremez2Adam H. Robinson3Université Paris Cité Institut de physique du globe de Paris Paris FranceSorbonne Université CNRS‐INSU Institut des Sciences de la Terre Paris Paris FranceUniversité de Lille, CNRS, Université Littoral Côte d’Opale, IRD, UMR, Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences Lille FranceSchool of Ocean and Earth Science University of Southampton Southampton UKAbstract Continental breakup is a fundamental tectonic process, which leads to seafloor spreading and the generation of oceanic crust. However, the current understanding of continental margins, based largely on 2‐D seismic transects, is inadequate to capture the spatial complexity of crustal evolution. Here we present a 3‐D seismic velocity model through a young, magma‐poor margin at the north‐eastern Gulf of Aden. Our results highlight the 45° obliquity between the strike of crustal thinning and extension direction, which is accommodated by two transfer zones during the formation of the Continent‐Ocean Transition (COT). This obliquity causes the margin to be segmented, which predates seafloor spreading. Along strike, we find a progressive eastward crustal thinning from 13 to 5 km, corresponding to a V‐shaped COT. This eastward variation is characterized by (a) an eastward increase of mantle exhumation due to detachment faulting, and (b) post‐rift magmatism emplaced onto serpentinized mantle in the west.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112069continental marginGulf of Adencontinent‐ocean transition3‐D seismic tomographymantle exhumationpost‐rift magmatism |
| spellingShingle | Jie Chen Sylvie Leroy Louise Watremez Adam H. Robinson Mantle Exhumation and Post‐Rift Magmatism at an Oblique Magma‐Poor Continental Margin Geophysical Research Letters continental margin Gulf of Aden continent‐ocean transition 3‐D seismic tomography mantle exhumation post‐rift magmatism |
| title | Mantle Exhumation and Post‐Rift Magmatism at an Oblique Magma‐Poor Continental Margin |
| title_full | Mantle Exhumation and Post‐Rift Magmatism at an Oblique Magma‐Poor Continental Margin |
| title_fullStr | Mantle Exhumation and Post‐Rift Magmatism at an Oblique Magma‐Poor Continental Margin |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mantle Exhumation and Post‐Rift Magmatism at an Oblique Magma‐Poor Continental Margin |
| title_short | Mantle Exhumation and Post‐Rift Magmatism at an Oblique Magma‐Poor Continental Margin |
| title_sort | mantle exhumation and post rift magmatism at an oblique magma poor continental margin |
| topic | continental margin Gulf of Aden continent‐ocean transition 3‐D seismic tomography mantle exhumation post‐rift magmatism |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112069 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jiechen mantleexhumationandpostriftmagmatismatanobliquemagmapoorcontinentalmargin AT sylvieleroy mantleexhumationandpostriftmagmatismatanobliquemagmapoorcontinentalmargin AT louisewatremez mantleexhumationandpostriftmagmatismatanobliquemagmapoorcontinentalmargin AT adamhrobinson mantleexhumationandpostriftmagmatismatanobliquemagmapoorcontinentalmargin |