Lithospheric structure of an Archean craton and adjacent mobile belt revealed from 2-D and 3-D inversion of magnetotelluric data : example from southern Congo craton in northern Namibia

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2013. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 118 (2013): 4378–4397, doi:10.1002/jgrb.50258.Archean cratons, and the stitching Proterozoic orogenic belts on their flanks, form an integral part of the Southern Africa tectonic landscape. Of these, virtually nothing is known of the position and thickness of the southern boundary of the composite Congo craton and the Neoproterozoic Pan-African orogenic belt due to thick sedimentary cover. We present the first lithospheric-scale geophysical study of that cryptic boundary and define its geometry at depth. Our results are derived from two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) inversion of magnetotelluric data acquired along four semiparallel profiles crossing the Kalahari craton across the Damara-Ghanzi-Chobe belts (DGC) and extending into the Congo craton. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional electrical resistivity models show significant lateral variation in the crust and upper mantle across strike from the younger DGC orogen to the older adjacent cratons. We find Damara belt lithosphere to be more conductive and significantly thinner than that of the adjacent Congo craton. The Congo craton is characterized by very thick (to depths of  250 km) and resistive (i.e., cold) lithosphere. Resistive upper crustal features are interpreted as caused by igneous intrusions emplaced during Pan-African magmatism. Graphite-bearing calcite marbles and sulfides are widespread in the Damara belt and account for the high crustal conductivity in the Central Zone. The resistivity models provide new constraints on the southern extent of the greater Congo craton and suggest that the current boundary drawn on geological maps needs revision and that the craton should be extended further south.The SAMTEX consortiummembers (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Council for Geoscience (South Africa), De Beers Group Services, The University of the Witwatersrand, Geological Survey of Namibia, Geological Survey of Botswana, Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration, BHP Billiton, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa), and ABB Sweden) are thanked for their funding and logistical support during the four phases of data acquisition. This work is also supported by research grants from the National Science Foundation (EAR-0309584 and EAR-0455242 through the Continental Dynamics Program to R. L. Evans), the Department of Science and Technology, South Africa, and Science Foundation of Ireland (grant 05/RFP/ GEO001to A. G. Jones).2014-02-0

Area selection for diamonds using magnetotellurics : examples from southern Africa

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2009. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Lithos 112 (2009): 83-92, doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2009.06.011.Southern Africa, particularly the Kaapvaal Craton, is one of the world’s best natural laboratories for studying the lithospheric mantle given the wealth of xenolith and seismic data that exist for it. The Southern African Magnetotelluric Experiment (SAMTEX) was launched to complement these databases and provide further constraints on physical parameters and conditions by obtaining information about electrical conductivity variations laterally and with depth. Initially it was planned to acquire magnetotelluric data on profiles spatially coincident with the Kaapvaal Seismic Experiment, however with the addition of seven more partners to the original four through the course of the experiment, SAMTEX was enlarged from two to four phases of acquisition, and extended to cover much of Botswana and Namibia. The complete SAMTEX dataset now comprises MT data from over 675 distinct locations in an area of over one million square kilometres, making SAMTEX the largest regional-scale MT experiment conducted to date. Preliminary images of electrical resistivity and electrical resistivity anisotropy at 100 km and 200 km, constructed through approximate one-dimensional methods, map resistive regions spatially correlated with the Kaapvaal, Zimbabwe and Angola Cratons, and more conductive regions spatially associated with the neighbouring mobile belts and the Rehoboth Terrain. Known diamondiferous kimberlites occur primarily on the boundaries between the resistive or isotropic regions and conductive or anisotropic regions. Comparisons between the resistivity image maps and seismic velocities from models constructed through surface wave and body wave tomography show spatial correlations between high velocity regions that are resistive, and low velocity regions that are conductive. In particular, the electrical resistivity of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle of the Kaapvaal Craton is determined by its bulk parameters, so is controlled by a bulk matrix property, namely temperature, and to a lesser degree by iron content and composition, and is not controlled by contributions from interconnected conducting minor phases, such as graphite, sulphides, iron oxides, hydrous minerals, etc. This makes quantitative correlations between velocity and resistivity valid, and a robust regression between the two gives an approximate relationship of Vs [m/s] = 0.045*log(resistivity [ohm.m]).We especially thank our academic funding sponsors; the Continental Dynamics programme of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the South African Department of Science and Technology, and Science Foundation Ireland

Water in cratonic lithosphere : calibrating laboratory-determined models of electrical conductivity of mantle minerals using geophysical and petrological observations

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 13 (2012): Q06010, doi:10.1029/2012GC004055.Measurements of electrical conductivity of “slightly damp” mantle minerals from different laboratories are inconsistent, requiring geophysicists to make choices between them when interpreting their electrical observations. These choices lead to dramatically different conclusions about the amount of water in the mantle, resulting in conflicting conclusions regarding rheological conditions; this impacts on our understanding of mantle convection, among other processes. To attempt to reconcile these differences, we test the laboratory-derived proton conduction models by choosing the simplest petrological scenario possible – cratonic lithosphere – from two locations in southern Africa where we have the most complete knowledge. We compare and contrast the models with field observations of electrical conductivity and of the amount of water in olivine and show that none of the models for proton conduction in olivine proposed by three laboratories are consistent with the field observations. We derive statistically model parameters of the general proton conduction equation that satisfy the observations. The pre-exponent dry proton conduction term (σ0) and the activation enthalpy (ΔHwet) are derived with tight bounds, and are both within the broader 2σ errors of the different laboratory measurements. The two other terms used by the experimentalists, one to describe proton hopping (exponent r on pre-exponent water content Cw) and the other to describe H2O concentration-dependent activation enthalpy (term αCw1/3 added to the activation energy), are less well defined and further field geophysical and petrological observations are required, especially in regions of higher temperature and higher water content.The SAMTEX data were acquired through funding provided by the Continental Dynamics program of the U.S. National Science Foundation (grant EAR0455242 to RLE), the South African Department of Science and Technology (grant to South African Council for Geoscience), and Science Foundation Ireland (grant 05/RGP/GEO001 to AGJ) plus financial and/or logistical support provided by all members of the SAMTEX consortium. JF was initially supported by an IRCSET grant to AGJ for the TopoMed project (TopoMed: Plate reorganization in the western Mediterranean: Lithospheric causes and topographic consequences) within the European Science Foundation’s TOPOEUROPE EUROCORES (http://www.esf.org/activities/eurocores/ running-programmes/topo-europe.html), and subsequently by an SFI PI grant (10/IN.1/I3022) to AGJ for IRETHERM (www.iretherm.ie).2012-12-1

Lithospheric structures and Precambrian terrane boundaries in northeastern Botswana revealed through magnetotelluric profiling as part of the Southern African Magnetotelluric Experiment

21 pages, 11 figures.Within the framework of the Southern African Magnetotelluric Experiment a focused study was undertaken to gain improved knowledge of the lithospheric geometries and structures of the westerly extension of the Zimbabwe craton (ZIM) into Botswana, with the overarching aim of increasing our understanding of southern African tectonics. The area of interest is located in northeastern Botswana, where Kalahari sands cover most of the geological terranes and very little is known about lithospheric structures and thicknesses. Some of the regional-scale terrane boundary locations, defined based on potential field data, are not sufficiently accurate for local-scale studies. Investigation of the NNW-SSE orientated, 600 km long ZIM line profile crossing the Zimbabwe craton, Magondi mobile belt, and Ghanzi-Chobe belt showed that the Zimbabwe craton is characterized by thick (∼220 km) resistive lithosphere, consistent with geochemical and geothermal estimates from kimberlite samples of the nearby Orapa and Letlhakane pipes (∼175 km west of the profile). The lithospheric mantle of the Ghanzi-Chobe belt is resistive, but its lithosphere is only about 180 km thick. At crustal depths a northward dipping boundary between the Ghanzi-Chobe and the Magondi belts is identified, and two middle to lower crustal conductors are discovered in the Magondi belt. The crustal terrane boundary between the Magondi and Ghanzi-Chobe belts is found to be located further to the north, and the southwestern boundary of the Zimbabwe craton might be further to the west, than previously inferred from the regional potential field dataIn addition to the funding and logistical support provided by SAMTEX consortium members (Council for Geoscience, Geological Surveys Botswana and Namibia, De Beers Group Services, Rio Tinto Exploration, and BHP Billiton), this work was also supported by research grants from National Science Foundation’s Continental Dynamics program (USA, EAR‐0309584 and EAR‐0455242), the Department of Science and Technology (South Africa), and Science Foundation Ireland (Ireland, grant 05/RFP/GEO001)Peer reviewe

Investigation of gasochromic rhodium complexes regarding their reactivity towards CO

The detection of the toxic gas carbon monoxide (CO) in the low ppm range is required in different applications. We present a study of the reactivity of different gasochromic rhodium complexes towards the toxic gas carbon monoxide (CO). Therefore, the binuclear rhodium complexes with different ligands were prepared and their influence regarding reaction velocity and sensitivity towards CO was investigated. The most promising rhodium complex was embedded into a polymer with which glass substrates were coated. The reactivity towards CO of these layers was also investigated

Lithospheric structures and precambrian terrane boundaries in northeastern botswana revealed through magnetotelluric profiling as part of the southern african magnetotelluric experiment

Within the framework of the Southern African Magnetotelluric Experiment a focused study was undertaken to gain improved knowledge of the lithospheric geometries and structures of the westerly extension of the Zimbabwe craton (ZIM) into Botswana, with the overarching aim of increasing our understanding of southern African tectonics. The area of interest is located in northeastern Botswana, where Kalahari sands cover most of the geological terranes and very little is known about lithospheric structures and thicknesses. Some of the regional-scale terrane boundary locations, defined based on potential field data, are not sufficiently accurate for local-scale studies. Investigation of the NNW-SSE orientated, 600 km long ZIM line profile crossing the Zimbabwe craton, Magondi mobile belt, and Ghanzi-Chobe belt showed that the Zimbabwe craton is characterized by thick (similar to 220 km) resistive lithosphere, consistent with geochemical and geothermal estimates from kimberlite samples of the nearby Orapa and Letlhakane pipes (similar to 175 km west of the profile). The lithospheric mantle of the Ghanzi-Chobe belt is resistive, but its lithosphere is only about 180 km thick. At crustal depths a northward dipping boundary between the Ghanzi-Chobe and the Magondi belts is identified, and two middle to lower crustal conductors are discovered in the Magondi belt. The crustal terrane boundary between the Magondi and Ghanzi-Chobe belts is found to be located further to the north, and the southwestern boundary of the Zimbabwe craton might be further to the west, than previously inferred from the regional potential field data

Three-dimensional inversion of magnetotelluric impedance tensor data and full distortion matrix.

Galvanic distortion of magnetotelluric (MT) data due to small-scale surficial bodies or due to topography is one of the major factors that prevents accurate imaging of the subsurface. We present a three-dimensional algorithm for joint inversion of MT impedance tensor data and a frequency-independent full distortion matrix that circumvents this problem. We perform several tests of our algorithm on synthetic data affected by different amounts of distortion. These tests show that joint inversion leads to a better conductivity model compared to the inversion of the MT impedance tensor without any correction for distortion effects. For highly distorted data, inversion without any distortion correction results in strong artefacts and we cannot fit the data to the specified noise level. When the distortion is reduced, we can fit the data to an RMS of one, but still observe artefacts in the shallow part of the model. In contrast, in both cases our joint inversion can fit the data within the assumed noise and the resulting models are comparable to the inversion of undistorted data. In addition, we show that the elements of the full distortion matrix can be well resolved by our algorithm. Finally, when inverting undistorted data, including the distortion matrix in the inversion only results in a minor loss of resolution. We therefore consider our new approach a promising tool for the general analysis of real field data