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Gondwana breakup: Messages from the North Natal Valley

2019; Wiley; Volume: 32; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/ter.12448

1365-3121

Maryline Moulin, Daniel Aslanian, Mikaël Evain, Angélique Leprêtre, Philippe Schnürle, Fanny Verrier, Joseph Offei Thompson, Philippe de Clarens, Sylvie Leroy, Nuno Dias, Alexandra Afilhado, R. Apprioul, A. Bronner, Raymi Castilla, Carlos Corela, J. Crozon, C. Davy, Elia d’Acremont, Laurence Droz, J.L. Duarte, P. Fernagu, Anthony Ferrant, Maximilian Fischer, Dieter Franke, H. Inguane, Stéphan Jorry, Gwénaël Jouet, Afonso Loureiro, Pauline Le Bouteiller, Caroline Le Bihan, S. Mahanjane, D. Moocroft, Pascal Pelleau, Marie Picot, D. Pierre, M. Pitel, Marina Rabineau, C. Rombe, M. Roudaut, A. Senkans, Samuel Toucanne,

Geological formations and processes

Abstract The Natal Valley, offshore Mozambique, is a key area for understanding the evolution of East Gondwana. Within the scope of the integrated multidisciplinary PAMELA project, we present new wide‐angle seismic data and interpretations, which considerably alter Geoscience paradigms. These data reveal the presence of a 30‐km‐thick crust that we argue to be of continental nature. This falsifies all the most recent palaeo‐reconstructions of the Gondwana. This 30‐km‐thick continental crust 1,000 m below sea level implies a complex history with probable intrusions of mantle‐derived melts in the lower crust, connected to several occurrences of magmatism, which seems to evidence the crucial role of the lower continental crust in passive margin genesis.