The 2024 Fentale diking episode in a slow extending continental rift
The 2024 Fentale diking episode in a slow extending continental rift
Dikes can contribute to rifting, but the space-time behavior and role of magma in young and slowly extending continental rifts is unclear. We use InSAR and seismicity during the 2024 Fentale intrusion in the Main Ethiopian rift (MER) to understand magma-assisted rifting at slow extension rates (5 mm/yr). From 2021 to mid-2024, the Fentale Volcanic Complex (FVC) uplifted up to 6 cm. From mid-September 2024, upper crustal diking started northwards along the rift, initially with subdued seismicity. From late-September to early November, dike opening increased to ∼2 m and propagated a total of ∼14 km north, causing increased seismicity from normal faulting. The dike made ∼90% of the total geodetic moment, with the rest from faulting. The character of the event is similar to rifting episodes at mid-ocean ridges and demonstrates that episodic diking can occur in young, slow extending continent rifts but must be more infrequent.
East Africa, extension, magma, rift, tectonics, volcano
Keir, Derek
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La Rosa, Alessandro
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Pagli, Carolina
290edb22-712b-4563-a868-af4c21fdb6b0
Wang, Hua
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Ayele, Atalay
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Lewi, Elias
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Monterosso, Fernando
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Raggiunti, Martina
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6 March 2025
Keir, Derek
5616f81f-bf1b-4678-a167-3160b5647c65
La Rosa, Alessandro
6505ac98-3bc3-4ca9-8b85-bdc7dff60010
Pagli, Carolina
290edb22-712b-4563-a868-af4c21fdb6b0
Wang, Hua
d2464222-af0f-49da-a6bb-8770dc1f0b11
Ayele, Atalay
730f62fb-c461-4a4e-b52d-b143a7936df6
Lewi, Elias
1a95bed1-69e0-4e67-9da9-8a106be05281
Monterosso, Fernando
3e31153f-e49b-4677-99d1-79d377a582e6
Raggiunti, Martina
c9bb1c87-dabf-4c37-a3de-9fa0b4ef0de2
Keir, Derek, La Rosa, Alessandro, Pagli, Carolina, Wang, Hua, Ayele, Atalay, Lewi, Elias, Monterosso, Fernando and Raggiunti, Martina
(2025)
The 2024 Fentale diking episode in a slow extending continental rift.
Geophysical Research Letters, 52 (5), [e2024GL113214].
(doi:10.1029/2024GL113214).
Abstract
Dikes can contribute to rifting, but the space-time behavior and role of magma in young and slowly extending continental rifts is unclear. We use InSAR and seismicity during the 2024 Fentale intrusion in the Main Ethiopian rift (MER) to understand magma-assisted rifting at slow extension rates (5 mm/yr). From 2021 to mid-2024, the Fentale Volcanic Complex (FVC) uplifted up to 6 cm. From mid-September 2024, upper crustal diking started northwards along the rift, initially with subdued seismicity. From late-September to early November, dike opening increased to ∼2 m and propagated a total of ∼14 km north, causing increased seismicity from normal faulting. The dike made ∼90% of the total geodetic moment, with the rest from faulting. The character of the event is similar to rifting episodes at mid-ocean ridges and demonstrates that episodic diking can occur in young, slow extending continent rifts but must be more infrequent.
Text
Geophysical Research Letters - 2025 - Keir - The 2024 Fentale Diking Episode in a Slow Extending Continental Rift
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 21 January 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 6 March 2025
Published date: 6 March 2025
Keywords:
East Africa, extension, magma, rift, tectonics, volcano
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 501547
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/501547
ISSN: 0094-8276
PURE UUID: 711bdd17-6849-4244-be34-f5da0bcfec39
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Date deposited: 03 Jun 2025 16:58
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:04
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Contributors
Author:
Alessandro La Rosa
Author:
Carolina Pagli
Author:
Hua Wang
Author:
Atalay Ayele
Author:
Elias Lewi
Author:
Fernando Monterosso
Author:
Martina Raggiunti
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