ACTIVE OR PASSIVE RIFTING IN ETHIOPIA - C ONTRIBUTION FROM THE STUDY OF PERIDOTITIC XENOLITHS FROM THE TANA LAKE AREA

Authors
ROGER S PIK R DAUTRIA JM COULON C YIRGU G AYALEW D LEGROS P
Citation
S. Roger et al., ACTIVE OR PASSIVE RIFTING IN ETHIOPIA - C ONTRIBUTION FROM THE STUDY OF PERIDOTITIC XENOLITHS FROM THE TANA LAKE AREA, Comptes rendus de l'Academie des sciences. Serie II. Sciences de la terre et des planetes, 324(12), 1997, pp. 1009-1016
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Geosciences, Interdisciplinary
Journal title
Comptes rendus de l'Academie des sciences. Serie II. Sciences de la terre et des planetes → ACNP
ISSN journal
12518050
Volume
324
Issue
12
Year of publication
1997
Pages
1009 - 1016
Database
ISI
SICI code
1251-8050(1997)324:12<1009:AOPRIE>2.0.ZU;2-1
Abstract
The comparative study of peridotitic xenoliths from Oligocene and Quat ernary volcanic formations of north-western Ethiopia shows that the te xtural, mineralogical, thermal and geochemical characteristics of the lithospheric mantle of th is region were acquired in Oligocene times. These data suggest that the impinging of the Afar plume beneath the Et hiopian lithosphere occurred prior to the traps emplacement and the Pl io-Quaternary rifting. This favours a model of active rifting for the Afar triple junction.