Magnetotelluric imaging of upper crustal partial melt at Tendaho graben in Afar, Ethiopia
| dc.contributor.author | Didana, Y. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Thiel, S. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Heinson, G. | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014 | |
| dc.description.abstract | We report on a recent magnetotelluric (MT) survey across the Manda Hararo magmatic segment (MHMS) within the Tendaho graben in the Afar Depression in northeastern Ethiopia. Twenty-two broadband MT sites with ∼1 km station spacing were deployed along a profile with the recorded data covering a period range from 0.003 s to 1000 s. A two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model reveals an upper crustal fracture zone (fault) and partial melt with resistivity of 1–10Ωm at a depth of >1 km. The partial melt has a maximum horizontal width of 15 km and extends to a depth of 15 km within the Afar Stratoid Series basalts. We estimate a melt fraction of about 13% based on geochemical and borehole data, and bulk resistivity from the 2-D MT inversion model. The interpreted upper crustal partial melt may have been formed by either a magma intrusion from mantle sources or a large volume of continental crust that has been fluxed by a small amount of mantle melt and heat. Within the MHMS and Tendaho graben, a magma intrusion is a plausible explanation for the upper crustal conductor. The inferred presence of a conductive fracture zone or fault with hydrothermal fluid and shallow heat sourcing magma reservoir also makes the Tendaho graben a promising prospect for the development of conventional hydrothermal geothermal energy. | |
| dc.description.statementofresponsibility | Yohannes Lemma Didana, Stephan Thiel, and Graham Heinson | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Geophysical Research Letters, 2014; 41(9):3089-3095 | |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.1002/2014GL060000 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 0094-8276 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 1944-8007 | |
| dc.identifier.orcid | Thiel, S. [0000-0002-8678-412X] | |
| dc.identifier.orcid | Heinson, G. [0000-0001-7106-0789] | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2440/102141 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | American Geophysical Union | |
| dc.rights | © 2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. | |
| dc.source.uri | https://doi.org/10.1002/2014gl060000 | |
| dc.title | Magnetotelluric imaging of upper crustal partial melt at Tendaho graben in Afar, Ethiopia | |
| dc.type | Journal article | |
| pubs.publication-status | Published |