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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
earth and planetary sciences
Crustal structure beneath the Kenya Rift from axial profile data
Tectonophysics, Volume 236, No. 1-4, Year 1994
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Description
Modelling of the KRISP 90 axial line data shows that major crustal thinning occurs along the axis of the Kenya Rift from Moho depths of 35 km in the south beneath the Kenya Dome in the vicinity of Lake Naivasha to 20 km in the north beneath Lake Turkana. Low Pn velocities of 7.5-7.7 km/s are found beneath the whole of the axial line. The results indicate that crustal extension increases to the north and that the low Pn velocities are probably caused by magma (partial melt) rising from below and being trapped in the uppermost kilometres of the mantle. Along the axial line, the rift infill consisting of volcanics and a minor amount of sediments varies in thickness from zero where Precambrian crystalline basement highs occur to 5-6 km beneath the lakes Turkana and Naivasha. Analysis of the Pg phase shows that the upper crystalline crust has velocities of 6.1-6.3 km/s. Bearing in mind the Cainozoic volcanism associated with the rift, these velocities most probably represent Precambrian basement intruded by small amounts of igneous material. The boundary between the upper and lower crusts occurs at about 10 km depth beneath the northern part of the rift and 15 km depth beneath the southern part of the rift. The upper part of the lower crust has velocities of 6.4-6.5 km/s. The basal crustal layer which varies in thickness from a maximum of 2 km in the north to around 9 km in the south has a velocity of about 6.8 km/s. © 1994.
Authors & Co-Authors
Mechie, James
Germany, Karlsruhe
Karlsruher Institut Für Technologie, Campus Süd
Keller, George Randy
United States, El Paso
The University of Texas at el Paso
Prodehl, Claus
Germany, Karlsruhe
Karlsruher Institut Für Technologie, Campus Süd
Gaciri, S. J.
Kenya, Nairobi
University of Nairobi
Braile, Lawrence W.
United States, West Lafayette
Purdue University
Mooney, Walter D.
United States, Menlo Park
United States Geological Survey Western Region
Gajewski, D.
Germany, Clausthal-zellerfeld
Technische Universität Clausthal
Sandmeier, K. J.
Germany, Karlsruhe
Karlsruher Institut Für Technologie, Campus Süd
Statistics
Citations: 110
Authors: 8
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/0040-1951(94)90176-7
ISSN:
00401951
Study Locations
Kenya