South Atlantic, Benue Trough, and Gulf of Guinea Cretaceous Triple Junction

Abstract

Research Article| August 01, 1971 South Atlantic, Benue Trough, and Gulf of Guinea Cretaceous Triple Junction NORMAN KENNEDY GRANT NORMAN KENNEDY GRANT Department of Geology, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio 44074 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information NORMAN KENNEDY GRANT Department of Geology, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio 44074 Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 01 Mar 1971 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Copyright © 1971, The Geological Society of America, Inc. Copyright is not claimed on any material prepared by U.S. government employees within the scope of their employment. GSA Bulletin (1971) 82 (8): 2295–2298. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1971)82[2295:SABTAG]2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 01 Mar 1971 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation NORMAN KENNEDY GRANT; South Atlantic, Benue Trough, and Gulf of Guinea Cretaceous Triple Junction. GSA Bulletin 1971;; 82 (8): 2295–2298. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1971)82[2295:SABTAG]2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract During the early separation of Africa from South America, the South Atlantic and the transform faults of the Gulf of Guinea were joined by a short-lived line of lithosphere spreading running northeast from the Niger delta, under the Benue trough. The separation of the continents was established by Aptian times, and the spreading under the Benue trough lasted from the Albian to the Santonian.The early separation of West Africa from northern Brazil was characterized by lateral movements of the two continents against each other along the St. Paul's and the Romanche oceanic transform faults. Some 20 m.y. of transform fault motion may have elapsed before West Africa was completely separated by oceanic crust from northern Brazil.The South Atlantic, Benue trough, and the Gulf of Guinea formed an unstable RRF triple junction, which may have caused internal strain in the African plate. It may also have resulted in possible dilation of the Gulf of Guinea transform faults which, together with the short intervening ridge segments, served to localize the Cretaceous volcanicity thought to be responsible for the recently discovered North Brazilian Ridge. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.