Abstract
A normal oceanic crust cannot be generated after continental crust splitting of rifts filled by a thick pile of young sediments. The magma released by the rising mantle is trapped mainly in these sediments as basalts sills and plugs. The sediments are themselves metamorphosed by the heat flux from the underlying mantle. A metasedimentary crust is formed in direct contact with an abnormal mantle (Vp ā 7.5 km sāl) produced by partial serpentinization.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Montadert, L., Roberts, D. G., De Charpal, O. & Guennoc, P. Init. Rep. DSDP 48, 1025ā1060 (1979).
Talwani, M. & Langseth, M. Science 213, 22ā31 (1981).
Turcotte, D. L., Ahern, J. L. & Bird, J. M. Tectonophysics 42, 1ā28 (1977).
Mohr, P. Tectonophysics 94, 509ā528 (1983).
Coleman, R. G. Proc. 27th Int. geol. Congr., Moscow 9, 221ā239 (1984).
Saunders, A. D., Fornari, D. J. & Morrisson, M. A. J. geol. Soc. 139, 335ā346 (1982).
Choukroune, P. & Mattauer, M. Bull. Soc. gĆ©ol. Fr. 20, 689ā700 (1978).
Fuis, G. S., Mooney, W. D., Healy, J. H., McMechan, G. A. & Luther, W. J. J. geophys. Res. 89, 1165ā1189 (1984).
Christensen, N. I. Tectonophysics 47, 131ā157 (1978).
Christensen, N. I. & Smewing, J. D. J. geophys. Res. 86, 2545ā2556 (1981).
Salisbury, M. H. & Christensen, N. I. J. geophys. Res. 83, 805ā817 (1978).
Karson, J. A., Collins, J. A. & Casey, J. F. J. geophys. Res. 89, 6126ā6138 (1984).
Christensen, N. I. in Handbook of Physical Properties of Rocks Vol. 2 (ed. Carmichael, R. S.) 1ā227 (CRC, Florida, 1982).
Peselnick, L., Nicolas, A. & Stevenson, P. R. J. geophys. Res. 79, 1175ā1182 (1974).
Christensen, N. I. J. geophys. Res. 71, 5921ā5931 (1966).
Peselnick, L. & Nicolas, A. J. geophys. Res. 83, 1227ā1235 (1978).
Bibee, L. D. & Shor, G. G. Jr Geophys. Res. Lett. 11, 639ā642 (1976).
Roeser, H. A. Geol. Jb D13, 131ā153 (1975).
Girdler, R. W. & Styles, P. in Afar Depression of Ethiopia (eds Pilger, A. & Rosler, A.) 138ā154 (Schweizerbart, Stuttgart, 1976).
Tramontini, C. & Davies, D. J. R. astr. Soc. 17, 225ā241 (1969).
Drake, C. B. & Girdler, R. W. J. R. astr. Soc. 8, 473ā495 (1964).
Lowell, J. D. & Genik, G. J. Am. Ass. petr. Geol. Bull. 56, 247ā259 (1972).
Mulder, C. J., Lehner, P. & Allen, D. C. K. Geologie Mijnb. 54, 208ā221 (1975).
Mohr, P. A. Rev. Earth planet. Sci. 6, 145ā172 (1978).
Brunet, M. F. Geol. Mag. 121, 421ā428 (1984).
Boillot, G. Geol. Mag. 121, 407ā412 (1984).
AlbarĆØde, F. & Michard-Vitrac, A. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 40, 327ā332 (1978).
Mattauer, M. C. r. hebd. SĆ©anc. Acad. Sci., Paris 300, 71ā74 (1985).
Monchoux, P. Contrib. miner. Petrol. 37, 47ā64 (1972).
ConquĆ©rĆ©, F. & Fabries, J. in Kimberlite II: the Mantle and Crust-Mantle Relationships (ed. Kornprobst, J.) 319ā331 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1984).
Azambre, B., Rossy, M. & Elloy, R. Bull. Soc. gĆ©ol. Fr. 23, 263ā269 (1981).
De Sitter, L. U. & Zwart, H. J. Leid. geol. Meded. 26, 1ā49 (1961).
Kurat, G., Niedermayr, G., Prinz, M. & Brandstater, F. Terra Cognita 2, 240 (1982).
Nicolas, A. in Kimberlite II: the Mantle and Crust-Mantle Relationships (ed. Kornprobst, J.) 333ā345 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1984).
Vielzeuf, D. & Kornprobst, J. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 47, 87ā96 (1984).
Boudier, F. & Nicolas, A. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. (submitted).
Hess, H. H. in Petrologic studies. 599ā620 (Geol. Soc. Am., 1962).
Talwani, M., Windisch, C. C. & Langseth, M. G. Jr J. geophys. Res. 76, 473ā517 (1971).
Palmason, G. & Saemundsson, K. A. Rev. Earth. planet. Sci. 2, 25ā50 (1974).
Bibee, L. D. thesis (Univ. Calif., San Diego (1979).
Rosendahl, B. R. & Dorman, L. M. Init. Rep. DSDP 54, 23ā36 (1980).
Lewis, B. T. R. & Garmany, J. D. J. geophys. Res. 87, 8417ā8425 (1982).
Bratt, S. R. & Purdy, G. M. J. geophys. Res. 89, 6111ā6125 (1984).
Lewis, B. T. R. & Snydsman, W. E. Tectonophysics 55, 87ā105 (1979).
Laughton, A. S., Whitmarsh, R. B. & Jones, M. T. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A267, 227ā266 (1970).
Long, R. E. & Backhouse, R. W. Geophys. J. 44, 677ā688 (1976).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nicolas, A. Novel type of crust produced during continental rifting. Nature 315, 112ā115 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/315112a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/315112a0
This article is cited by
-
Segmentation and morphotectonic variations along a slow-spreading center: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (24ļæ½00? N? 30ļæ½40? N)
Marine Geophysical Researches (1993)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
