Exploring rift geodynamics in Ethiopia through olivine-spinel Al-exchange thermometry and rare-earth element distributions

Understanding the process of continental break-up requires knowledge of the geodynamics of mature rift systems close to the point of plate rupture. In Ethiopia, late-stage continental rifting occurs in a magma-rich setting where extensional processes correlate closely with magmatic and volcanic activity. Unravelling the role that mantle and lithospheric dynamics play in sustaining rifting in Ethiopia is key to improving models of late-stage continental rift evolution. In this study we provide petrological constraints on the physical characteristics of magma production using volcanic samples from the northern Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) and central Afar. Olivine crystallisation temperatures provide information about the thermal state of mantle-derived magmas generated by the mantle during upwelling and melting. These temperatures, determined by Al-exchange thermometry, are used in conjunction with other geochemical and geophysical constraints in inversion models of melting a multi-lithology mantle to find the best -fitting geodynamic parameters that can reproduce observed magma compositions and melt volumes. Our model results suggest that the potential temperature of the Ethiopian mantle is hotter than ambient mantle by >= 150 degrees C, and is elevated to a similar degree across the MER and Afar. We predict significant variations in lithospheric thickness between the MER (90 km) and Afar (50-70 km), with Afar also likely to have a higher portion of fusible mantle domains. This thinner lithosphere and/or more productive mantle is required to generate the larger volumes of magma inferred to have been intruded into the Afar crust. The geodynamic differences between these two settings can be attributed to the more-evolved state of the Afar rift and its proximity to the centre of the Afar plume. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

This study provides petrological constraints on magma production in the Ethiopian continental rift, revealing a hotter mantle temperature and significant differences in lithospheric thickness between the Main Ethiopian Rift and Afar regions.