Image of Mantle Plume Processes in the Satellite Magnetic Field Over Africa Territory

Abstract

The spatial distribution of the lithospheric magnetic anomalies field carries information about its sources – deep tectonic structures – and reflects the processes occurring at mantle depths. Based on the geomagnetic data measured by the CHAMP satellite at an observation altitude of ~290 km, the lithospheric magnetic field parameters over the territory of the African continent were calculated. A lot of maps of the lithospheric magnetic anomalies field total intensity Ta based on various scales and degrees have been constructed. The distribution of Ta over the territories of South and East Africa is given. An analysis of lithospheric magnetic anomalies maps over the territories of African superplume influence showed good agreement with the existing hypothesis about the mantle superplume flow intrusion from the lower mantle to the upper mantle in the northeast direction and its further spread under the East African rift zone. The obtained parameters of the anomalous lithospheric magnetic field contain information about the magnetization of the lithosphere deep layers, reflecting the magnetic properties of large regional tectonic structures and the topography of the Curie surface, which is associated with the geothermal regime and tectonic setting at different levels of the lithosphere. The work shows the perspective of the geomagnetic field satellite observations using in the study of the active zones tectonics and mapping of deep lithosphere heterogeneities in hard-to-reach areas.