Publication Date:
2019-07-16
Description:
The continental margin of Mozambique formed during the initial dispersal of Gondwana about 180 Ma. Due
to the lack of deep seismic and dense potential field data, many details of the timing and geometry of the
early breakup in this region remained unknown to date. To close this gap, a research project (MoBaMaSis
(“Mozambique Basin Marine Seismic Survey”) with the French research vessel R/V Marion Dufresne II was
conducted in 2007. This paper presents the results of P-wave, magnetic and 2D-gravity modelling along
two parallel seismic refraction profiles between 37° and 41° E, crossing the Mozambique rifted margin.
The crust shows the characteristics of normal to slightly thickened oceanic crust. A lower crustal highvelocity-
body with P-wave-velocities of 7.0–7.5 km/s is observed along both profiles. Its origin is discussed
in the context of upper mantle convection and thermal properties. The existing magnetic anomaly identifications
have been extended to older ages. We postulate that the oldest oceanic crust near the Central Mozambique
continental margin has been formed around M41n (166 Ma). Closer to the coast a pronounced
negative magnetic anomaly exists that we interpret to coincide with the continent–ocean-transition. This implies
that the position of the continent–ocean-transition is located significantly closer to the shoreline than
proposed before.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Article
,
isiRev
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