49º Congresso Brasileiro de Geologia

20 a 24 de agosto de 2018 – Rio de Janeiro

SEISMIC AND POTENTIAL FIELDS METHODS EVIDENCES OF THE

ARCHITECTURE IMPLYING THE BEST FIT IN RECONSTRUCTION MODEL
OF THE SUBSAHARIAN WESTERN AFRICAN RIFTED MARGINS
Aragão, M.A.N.F.1,4; Szameitat, L.S.A.2,4; Figueiredo, A.M.3; Heilbron, M.4, Manatschal, G.5
1PETROBRAS; 2Universidade Federal do Paraná; 3FIGUEROIL; 4GeoAtlantico Institute-TEKTOS - Universidade
Estadual do Rio de Janeiro; 5EOST-Université de Strasbourg

RESUMO: The SubSaharian Western African Rifted margins includes a large region from
Cameroon to South Africa reflecting a tectonic environment that comprises distinct margins
types – magma-rich, magma-poor and transform margins. The integrated study established a
structural framework characterized by a set of comparable architectural elements appointed as
proximal, necking, distal, outer and oceanic domains. These key domains display a strong and
consistent continuity along the continental margin. Transitional regions normally occur in a
gradual way, but interactions between structural domains may also occur with the possible
occurrence of spatial and temporal overprints. In this context, the Outer Domain, the key feature
in the magma-rich margin, tends to disappear northwards where the Distal and Proximal
Domains in magma-poor margins become the most important parts of the margin. Likewise, it is
observed the recurrence of the Outer Domain meanwhile as the Distal Domain in magma-poor
margin (north of Gabon Basin) is disturbed by the fracture zones presence. These facts may
introduce some implications in how the lithospheric breakup happened in these regions. The
gravity maps of total horizontal gradient of Bouguer anomaly, and tilt derivative of Bouguer
anomaly are useful to identify heterogeneous crustal domains. In the region of the Namibe
Basin, regional maps of the tilt derivative of Bouguer anomaly, the total magnetic field and the
first derivative of the total magnetic field support the interpretation that the Outer Domain of the
magma-rich margin could continue northward from the Walvis Ridge. This fact introduces new
implications on the mechanisms of the lithospheric breakup in this region. One important point is
that the proposed continental-oceanic boundary (oceanward boundary of the last continental
crust) in the region of Namibe Basin, transitional zone between magma-rich and magma-poor
margins, applied over the tightest possible reconstruction continental blocks before the break-up
shows a best fit between South Atlantic coast lines implying a drastic reduction of the gap
resulting from the extension in this region. In this model, less amount of horizontal movement
during the extension of the crust is needed to accommodate the continental portion, which is in
agreement with the recent geological observations in this region. In the evolution of the breakup
process, the Martin Vaz could have played a major role as the continuity of a probable strike-
slip fault that might limit the north portion of the Outer Domain, contact between the Outer
Domain and Ocean Domain in this region. Moreover, the residual Bouguer anomaly map
together with the total magnetic field and the first vertical derivative of total magnetic field
suggest that some regions in the Oceanic Domain appear characteristics that regard the
continental crust. These observations suggest the presence of microcontinents. Gravity profiles
modeling across the transition zone between distinct margin types (magma-rich, magma-poor
and transform) suggest different mantle regions with density values that either may be
associated with changes on the rifting mechanisms (e.g. extraction processes of magma) or
may be related to inherited structures as indicated by onshore geological observations.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE: MARGINS TYPES, STRUCTURAL DOMAINS, CRUSTAL

ARCHITECTURE.