Mechanism of Structure Variations at Rifted Margins in the Central Segment of South Atlantic: Insights from Numerical Modeling

Abstract

AbstractRifted margins in the central South Atlantic portray spatial variability in terms of preserved width and thickness, which relates to complex rift‐related fault activities. However, there is still a lack of systematic and quantitative explanations for the causes of the variations that are observed along the paired rifts. To elucidate this issue, 2D viscous‐plastic thermomechanical numerical models are applied to capture the behavior of deformation, in which we investigate the effects of extensional rate, crustal strength and thickness on crust‐mantle coupling, and timing of transition from rifting to breakup. Our numerical experiments demonstrate that crust‐mantle decoupling accounts for crustal hyperextension, and that incorporating moderate‐intensity rheology into lower crust may yield insights into the hyper‐extended crust and asymmetric architecture observed in the central South Atlantic. The results also suggest that undulations in lithospheric basement cause asymmetric mantle upwelling. The lower crust of fold belts takes priority to be thermally weakened over craton and induces rift migration simultaneously. A new mechanism for the formation of failed rift is described, where the mechanical decoupling derived from thermally weakened lower crust gives access to dual rift migration. These results reinforce the interpretation on how crustal rheology shapes margins architectures and highlight the first‐order effects of crust‐mantle coupling.