Tectonophysics, 213 (1992) 227-234 227

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam

Chronology and geodynamic setting of Cretaceous-Cenozoic

rifting in West and Central Africa

R. Guiraud a, R.M. Binks b, J.D. Fairhead band M. Wilson b

a Faculte des Sciences, 33 rue Louis Pasteur, 84000 Avignon and CGG, Uniu. Montpel/ier II, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
b Department of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9fT, UK
(Received October 7,1991; revised version accepted December 3,1991)

ABSTRACT

Guiraud, R., Binks, R.M., Fairhead, J.D. and Wilson, M., 1992. Chronology and geodynamic setting of Cretaceous-Ceno-
zoic rifting in West and Central Africa. In: P.A. Ziegler (Editor), Geodynamics of Rifting, Volume II. Case History
Studies on Rifts: North and South America and Africa. Tectonophysics, 213: 227-234.

The development of the Early Cretaceous to Palaeogene West and Central African rift system, which extends from
Nigeria (Benue trough) to Kenya (Anza trough), can be related to the build-up of intraplate tensional stresses during the
break up of Gondwana, which caused reactivation of pre-existing zones of lithospheric weakness. Repeated changes in the
intraplate stress regime of Africa are reflected by phases of crustal extension alternating with episodes of compression.
Many of these events can be correlated with changes in rates of seafloor spreading in the Central and South Atlantic oceans,
as reflected in flowline patterns. The West and Central African rifts can be considered as typical 'passive' rifts which evolved
in response to the build-up of intraplate stresses. However, the St. Helena hot spot appears to have been located beneath
the Equatorial plate boundary at approximately 120 Ma and may have played an important role in weakening the
lithosphere during extension.

Introduction Permo-Triassic initial rifting episodes related to

break up of Gondwana
This summary aims at describing the various
rifting phases which affected West and Central
Africaduring Mesozoic and Cenozoic times. It is The initial break up of Gondwana began dur-
ing the Permo-Carboniferous and Triassic. Rift-
basedon papers presented in the West and Cen-
tral African section of this volume. We define ing concentrated on widely separated areas,
eight major tectonic and magmatic events and namely on the eastern margin of Africa, along the
axis of the future Central Atlantic ocean and in
consider the relationships between them and the
the Tethys domain. All these areas are character-
geodynamicevolution of the African plate; more-
ized by rift-related magmatic events. In Southeast
over, we attempt to show how rifting and oro-
Africa, the onset of Karoo rifting is dated as Late
genic phases, magmatism, thermal subsidence,
Carboniferous and Permian (Lambiase, 1989); a
uplift and basin inversion fit into an overall pic-
strong Early Jurassic magmatic event occurred
ture (Fig. 1).
during the 190-200 Ma time interval (Dingle et
aI., 1983) and preceded the Late Jurassic split of
Gondwana into a western and an eastern half.
Correspondence to: R. Guiraud, Universite d'Avignon, Faculte Along the northwestern margin of Africa, rifting
des Sciences, Laboratoire de Geologie Dynamique et Ap- commenced during the Middle Triassic and cul-
pliquee, 33 rue Louis Pasteur, 84000 Avignon, France. minated, at the transition from the Triassic to the

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

228 R. GUIRAUD ET AL T CRETACEOUS-CENOZOIC RIF

Jurassic, with the intn

dykes and sills. Such in
Spain to Liberia; they
Taoudenni Basin wher
AGES RIFTING EPISODES OROGENIC MAIN MAGMATIC of about 200 Ma (H.
PHASES EVENTS
pers. commun., 1991)
QUATERNARY.t8 0u Central Atlantic dom
C PLIOCENE 1I f'.o.I c: 0u g
"c. '- between Africa and f\
5.3 1 c: I ~ :E~
E 10_ . I
1
0
"'I'~
~
0
~
L
,
Tortonian E <t
.0 ~
0
::: ~ c:
.<>
.-.<>
0
'"
0
U 175 Ma (Favre and St
MIOCENE
]~ ,lI
N '" R .~ Mediterranean Teth
20_ wiI gl_ (Maghreb) S z'iji
!? ~
~ 1-..:;
'" . ~. :E
<t
~~ r--- ~I menced during the
o OLIGOCENE
23.5 F
'"
I

cc: c~ ... l
cl
~ on
.!5. g,11 r!. I
1 C7t I
SI ~ ~ I ...;
:
I rapidly westward dur
Z 34 -g ~ I
'" <t ]j
UI I -g
0 II :!fII II I magmatism peaked i
j I t i--- E~:~~e-
o EOCENE 40_ -;
E
I ~
I
: : : : i
Algeria during the I
sic, prior to Mid-Jm
I 53 i
T
Q)
t
::J CD..Q
0
0
>0
c:
0 I
0 °1
I tween North Africa
.~. '':; ~ : :E I
PALEOCENE Q)'';' ~ .;:
C g I.B
Q) · E
CD:u
;= ,
I
'11)
,~ I
z
1 t End
C
UI
ex
.
I 1992a). Within Afric:
65 CD ""
assic rifting include
C o ., FI I---v-- I W
U Maas!. ~~ z Hl uj + ~.g ~ Cretaceous I uj
(Reyre, 1984) and t
R P Camp.80 t':: ~ I <t " ."
Pan African suture
E P sanlonian~5 I I---v-- SantoOian
E~~ t I where Permian-Jur
T R
Turonian
~ sions occur (Lefranc
A Cenom. t ~T
i
- I
I
".
g:-g
M C L Albian 97 ';;;
~
113 CD Q) '"
~ --g
Z
-
0 I
~ 16
EI Neocomian-early All
Aptian 117_ z t t f . uj
I
E 0 ~ 1 ,g ~ I ~ 81;=
:E <t~ A .
--
go Q)

E o w g ~ ~ 8,1 ~ ptlOn
~Barrem 124
119 I
~ .!!!'~ '" 'ZI 1I ~ Z -::1 A second stage 0
U E g .-on '-A. ~C
CJ'I ~ C> "';1 ~ S C~~ I 0
I
'">. "0 C >.
S R Neocomian 'Z ~
CD ~ '0 I ~ Q) cJjl:c1 "'I sition from the Lat'
S if. '"~. W z:!:: ~ I uj '" "" W.dii
zlzl I
0 II II
I t I C> I t ceous, affected laT!
O M 144 I I I I
South and Equator
J A I I 1- I
Z U ~
()
.~
.~
I and Central Africa
extend from NigeJ
o A
R 0
G
G
z
on
~ (Anza trough), anc
I
C
S
S
~
L
A
-.5
~
. _ :::
.~
C>
~ _I
I
I
'81
:EI
<t
from Tunisia to Eg
this volume; ChaJ
Iso I :!:: I '" ~I
-~.
Genik, 1992, this .
C

R
1

I
S
d
- :;;
~
S
~<t
-
I
I
I ~
~I '~
.g
0
c: '::t I

-
.~1zl
0
1 1

I
~g I
I
zl
6>1
II
I
81
~

~I
I
1992, this volume),
River Basin (Nam
margin, in the Dr
A
S
S U
~
]j -8 <t
;= Basin (western SUI
I ~ synchronous. How
C <t
P W
and in the WCAR
A ~ basins may have 1
L
E PERMIAN 8 ing the Hauterivi
o ~ some instances «(
z stages of rifting (
? UPPER Cretaceous. Thes
C CARBONIFEROUS ~ are probably reI
Fig. 1. Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectono-sedimentary events in Africa (chronostratigraphic scale from Kent and Gradstein, 1985). propagation of CI
CRETACEOUS-CENOZOIC RIFTING IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA 229

Jurassic, with the intrusion of extensive dolerite and South America and seafloor spreading in the
dykes and sills. Such intrusions are reported from South Atlantic, including the break down of the
Spain to Liberia; they occupy a large area in the Walvis-Sao Paulo Ridge barrier. The end of this
Taoudenni Basin where they yield 39Ar_40Arages rifting stage is marked in the South Atlantic by a
of about 200 Ma (H. Bertrand and G. Feraud, very early Aptian strong phase of magmatic activ-
pers. commun., 1991). Rifting terminated in the ity which affected the Namibia-Angolan and
Central Atlantic domain with crustal separation Brazilian sectors of the South Atlantic margins.
between Africa and North America around 180- Eruption of tholeiitic Parana (Brazil) and
175Ma (Favre and Stampfli, 1992). In the central Etendeka (Namibia) flood basalts has been re-
Mediterranean Tethys domain, rifting com- lated to activity of a deep mantle hot spot be-
menced during the Permian and propagated neath the newly developing plate boundary
rapidly westward during the Triassic; rift-related (O'Connor and Duncan, 1990).
magmatism peaked in the area of Morocco and Magmatism also occurred along the Brazilian
Algeria during the Late Triassic/earliest Juras- Equatorial Atlantic margin and in northern
sic, prior to Mid-Jurassic crustal separation be- Cameroon, as evident by the emplacement of
tween North Africa and Europe (Ziegler, 1988, high level intrusives, ranging in composition from
1992a).Within Africa, areas of minor Permo- Tri- alkaline to tholeiitic basalts and their differenti-
assic rifting include the on-shore Gabon basin ates (Wilson and Guiraud, 1992, this volume).
(Reyre, 1984) and the Tezzofi trough along the Initiation of this phase of magmatic activity may
Pan African suture, southwest of the Hoggar, be linked to the development of the St. Helena
where Permian-Jurassic alkaline syenitic intru- hot spot (O'Connor and Duncan, 1990).
sions occur (Lefranc and Guiraud, 1990). Rift geometries and structural data indicate
that starting from the Neocomian onward three
Neocomian-early Aptian rifting episode or possibly four internally rigid continental
'blocks' began to separate within the African
A second stage of rifting, initiated at the tran- plate, namely the Western, the Austral and the
sition from the Late Jurassic to the Early Creta- Arabian-Nubian blocks (Guiraud and Maurin,
ceous, affected large areas, including the proto- 1992, this volume), with the latter possibly subdi-
South and Equatorial Atlantic margins, the West vided into a Central and Eastern block (Genik,
and Central African Rift Systems (WCARS)which 1992, this volume). The boundaries of each of
extend from Nigeria (Benue trough) to Kenya these blocks correspond to zones of crustal weak-
(Anza trough), and the northern African margin ness (e.g. mylonite zones) which were inherited
from Tunisia to Egypt (Binks and Fairhead, 1992, from the Pan-African orogeny. Guiraud and
this volume; Chang et al., 1992, this volume; Maurin (1992, this volume) favour a northward
Genik, 1992, this volume; Guiraud and Maurin, movement of the Arabian-Nubian block with re-
1992,this volume). Onset of rifting in the Orange spect to the Western and the Austral blocks,
River Basin (Namibian margin), along the Benin whereas Genik (1992, this volume) and Binks and
margin, in the Upper Benue and in the Muglad Fairhead (1992, this volume) favour a more
Basin (western Sudan) appears to be more or less northeasterly movement of the Arabian-Nubian
synchronous. However, along the Atlantic Margin block. Binks and Fairhead (1992, this volume)
and in the WCARSdevelopment of some rifted suggest that the Central and South Atlantic rifts
basins may have begun somewhat later (e.g. dur- developed independently of each other during
ing the Hauterivian in northern Cameroon). In this early stage of rifting and seafloor spreading
some instances (e.g. Congo-Gabon margin) two and that they coalesced only later into one rift
stages of rifting are recognized during the Early system. Differential movements between North
Cretaceous. These Early Cretaceous rifting events and South America and Africa were taken up by
are probably related to progressive northward shearing in the area of the Equatorial fracture
propagation of crustal separation between Africa zone, the Caribbean and within Africa. Definition
230 R. GUIRAUD ET AL.
- CRETACEOUS-CENOZOIC

of an accurate location for the early opening pole whereby Campanian sediments unconformably The Santonian (
of the South Atlantic has proved to be difficult. A overly Coniacian strata or occasionally an older change in the intra.
better resolution of the fracture zones close to folded series. This hiatus can be related to a which led to distine
the continental margins by new seismic reflection, regional compressional episode, referred to as in many of the inl
aeromagnetic and gravity data, will be shortly 'the Santonian event', which affected much of the 1992, this volume).
available and will provide further constraints on WCARSfrom the Lower Benue to the Chad-Sudan
the position of this stage pole. border (Ngangom, 1983; Avbovbo et aI., 1986;
Benkhelil et aI., 1988). This event is associated
Aptian-Albian rifting episode with folding, conjugate strike-slip faulting, re-
Cenomanian -early
verse faulting, often generating transpressional
deepening
At the end of the Early Aptian, a new rifting flower structures, development of local schistosi-
episode commenced which mainly affected rifts ties (Abakaliki anticlinorium), and inversion of
located along the Equatorial Atlantic margin, some of the deepest Early to Middle Cretaceous The occurrence (
within the WCARS(from Benue to southern Chad) basins (Doseo and Doba basins; Genik, 1992, this (McKenzie, 1978) i
and in northern Libya, while the Sudanese rifts, volume). At the same time, the large NW-SE North and Central
the east Niger Tenere troughs and the Gao trough trending rifts of eastern Niger, Sudan and north- with a Late Cen
of eastern Mali also remained active. This rifting ern Libya continued to develop due to exten- transgression, is sig
phase lasted until Late Albian times. Magmatic sional faulting. Structural data indicate a general broad basins, in exe
activity was concentrated in the southern parts of NW -SE shortening direction, accompanied by a containing up to 5
the Benue Trough and included both alkaline dextral movement along the southern Chad Termit Basin of ea
and transitional basalts and their differentiates strike-slip fault zone. volume). According
(Wilson and Guiraud, 1992, this volume). The Santonian compressional event can also of post-rift basin fo
Structurally, the NW-SE trending rifts evolved be recognized elsewhere in Mrica, for instance in in response to co
in response to an approximate NE-SW crustal the Mandera trough of western Somalia (strike lithosphere and as'
extension, while the E- W/ENE- WSW striking and structure similar to Benue trough) and par- mally disturbed dU
elongated pull-apart basins developed in re- ticularly along the North African margin The isostatic respo
sponse to dextral (Cameroon to Sudan) and sinis- (Morocco to the Syrian Arc; Guiraud, 1986). This subsidence of the e
tral (Niger Delta to Lake Chad) strike-slip move- event is synchronous with a rapid change in the magmatic activity
ments. Essentially orthogonal extensional strain direction of the Mrican plate motion that is well ceases altogether,
in the basins of the Southern Sudan and East established by kinematic studies of the Atlantic West and Central,
Niger was taken up along the dextral Central opening (Klitgord and Schouten, 1986; Fairhead Good examples
Mrican and the sinistral Benue fracture zones, and Binks, 1991; Binks and Fairhead, 1992, this Tenere Basin (Eas1
respectively, which provided a link to the Gulf of volume). This rapid change in the Mrican plate 6 km of marine, (
Guinea. Contemporaneous rapid opening of the motion entailed the onset of its collisional inter- posits (Genik, 19~
Equatorial Atlantic Ocean (Mascle et aI., 1988), action with the European plate (Olivet et aI., Basin (W Sudan),
resulted in linking up of the Central and South 1984; Ziegler, 1988). At the same time, differ- N1400E and N-S
Atlantic mid-oceanic spreading ridges via the ences in spreading rates between the Central and thick continental
Equatorial fracture zones. Differential rates of South Atlantic spreading ridges were taken up in 1988; McHargue (
seafloor spreading in the Central and South At- Mrica along the broad WSW-ENE striking zone Anza Basin (KeI
lantic provide an explanation for the rejuvenation of deformation described in the previous section. Jurassic to Early
of crustal weakness zones in Africa and impor- This zone extends from the Equatorial Atlantic troughs (Mbede, 1~
tant lateral displacements along them (Fairhead across Mrica, with deformation focused in the which are superirr
and Binks, 1991). rift zones, located along pre-existing zones of to N1600E oriente
lithospheric weakness. Deformation in the WCARS ocene and Early E<
The Santonian (80-85 Ma) compressive event took place between 85 and 80 Ma; the earlier and Slevin, 1988).
date is derived from syntectonic metamorphism veloped in Nigeria
The stratigraphic record of many Mrican in North Mrica and the Western Alps (Guiraud, the Benue-Gongo
basins contains an intra-Santonian hiatus, 1986). and Gombe-Kerri
 CRETACEOUS-CENOZOIC RIffING IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA 231

The Santonian compressive event marked a Intra-Eocene compressional event

change in the intra-plate stress regime of Africa
which led to distinct changes in fault geometries Within most of the basins of the WCARSan
in many of the intracontinental basins (Genik, intra-Eocene erosional or depositional hiatus is
1992,this volume). evident. Late Eocene and younger sediments, re-
ferred to as 'Continental terminal', rest uncon-
formably on the older series (Guiraud, 1986).
These series may be folded, particularly in the
vicinity of large fracture zones such as the
Cenomanian -early Eocene sag phase of basin
Guinea-Nubia lineaments (Guiraud et aI., 1985)
deepening
or the west Hoggar Pan-African suture (Bellion
and Guiraud, 1988), and also along the northern
The occurrence of a distinct 'thermal sag stage' margin of Africa, from Morocco to Egypt. The
(McKenzie, 1978) in the evolution of the West, shortening direction is N1400E to NI600E. This
North and Central African rifted basins, coupled compressional event is related to a major stage in
with a Late Cenomanian-Campanian marine the collision between the African and European
transgression, is significant. During this sag phase plates, known as the end Lutetian Pyrenean or
broad basins, in excess of 150 km wide developed, Pyrenean-Atlasic phase (ca. 40 Ma; Guiraud,
containing up to 5 km of thick sediments in the 1986). Similar to the Santonian compressional
Termit Basin of eastern Niger (Genik, 1992, this event, the Pyrenean event can also be correlated
volume).According to the McKenzie (1978) model with a change in Atlantic flow-line geometries,
) of post-rift basin formation, these basins subsided reflecting a change in the opening direction of
r1 in response to cooling and contraction of the the Central Atlantic at about 40 Ma (see fig. 9a in
e lithosphere and asthenosphere which were ther- Fairhead and Binks, 1991).
'- mallydisturbed during the earlier rifting process.
n The isostatic response to such cooling is flexural Late Eocene-Oligocene rifting episode
is subsidence of the crust. In such a thermal setting
magmatic activity decreases rapidly and then Oligocene rifting, well known from East Africa
II ceases altogether, as evident in the basins of and Western Europe is also evident in the Tenere,
IC Westand Central Africa. Sudan and Anza basins, where thick Late
ld Good examples of thermal sag basins are the Eocene-Oligocene lacustrine and fluviatile se-
is Tenere Basin (Eastern Niger) which contains 4 to quences fill N1400E to N-S oriented troughs
te 6 km of marine, continental and lacustrine de- (Mbede, 1987; Schull, 1988; Genik, 1992, this
.r- posits (Genik, 1992, this volume), the Muglad volume; McHargue et aI., 1992, this volume).
I., Basin(W Sudan), which comprises a number of At the same time, a resurgence of magmatic
:r- N1400Eand N-S striking troughs filled with a activity can be observed in many areas, including
1d thick continental and lacustrine series (Schull, the Central Atlantic margin, the Hoggar, Air and
m 1988;McHargue et aI., 1992, this volume), the Tibesti massifs, the Cameroon line and East
ne Anza Basin (Kenya), which overlays Middle Africa (Wilson and Guiraud, 1992, this volume).
m. Jurassic to Early Cretaceous NW -SE trending In West and Central Africa these areas of re-
tic troughs(Mbede, 1987), the Northern Libya basins newed volcanic activity are more or less indepen-
he which are superimposed on Cretaceous N1400E dent of contemporaneous crustal extension. Mag-
of to N1600E oriented rifts and contain thick Pale- matism is alkaline in composition and the pri-
.RS oceneand Early Eocene marine series (Chatellier mary magmas appear to have been derived from
ier and Slevin, 1988). Additional flexural basins de- a basal lithosphere mantle source which may have
sm velopedin Nigeria, along the western margins of been metasomatised during earlier, possibly hot
ud, the Benue-Gongola-Bornu fold zone (Anambra spot related magmatic events (Wilson and
and Gombe-Kerri Kerri basins). Guiraud, 1992, this volume).
 -
232 R. GUIRAUD ET AL. CRETACEOUS-CENOZOIC

The synchronism and similar orientation of dence. During the Cretaceous, these facilitated placement of mantlf
these different rift systems, as well as the resur- the penetration of marine transgressions deep (Wilson and Guirau
gence of magmatic activity within a very large into the African continent (Genik, 1992, this vol-
domain, including Central and East Africa, the ume). In the Benue Trough, sediments can be
Conclusions
Red Sea and Western Europe must be empha- seen to onlap basement highs flanking the rift
sized. The geodynamic processes underlying this zone. In many of the WCARSbasins, an earlier
event, which has also been mentioned by Ziegler 'syn-rift' tectonic subsidence phase can be sepa- During the breal
(1992a), are still not clear. In the South Tenere, rated from a later 'post-rift' thermal sag subsi- wana, a sequence of
Muglad and Anza basins, Late Eocene and dence phase (see Avbovbo et aI., 1986). The sag cycles affected Af]
Oligocene resumption of crustal stretching re- basins are centred over the syn-rift basins but Permo-Carboniferou
flects reactivation of pre-existing rifts under a overstep their margins significantly. rifts, the Permo-Tria
renewed intra-plate distensive stress regime. Geophysical modelling of the WCARSrift struc- assic Central Atlant
tures, using gravity data (Fairhead, 1986; Fair- Cretaceous South A
head and Okereke, 1987; Fairhead and Green, The Early Cretac(
Neogene magmatic activity
1989), constrained by seismic refraction and re- show strong spatial
flection data (Stuart et aI., 1985), provide rough opening of the SO
Magmatic activity in West, Central and North Ocean. In contrast,
estimates of the amounts of crustal thinning and
Africa increased during the Neogene, with vol- zoic rift episodes
extension. Results clearly demonstrate that the
canic fields concentrated in Pan-African mobile
zone of lower crustal thinning is considerably crustal separation l
belts. Although volcanic activity is in some in- Africa, reflect the (
wider than the zone of upper crustal extensional
stances closely associated with Cretaceous rifts sional stress regime
faulting and that the zone of mantle lithosphere
(e.g. Benue Trough), many volcanic fields lay response to differel
thinning extends over an even broader region.
outside rifted Mesozoic basins and far away from spreading in the C
The isostatic response of this model explains the
the East African Rift system. Uplift of large oceans.
overall subsidence of the rift shoulders during the
domal structures around centres of Neogene vol- Evolution of the'
rifting phase of basin development and the flexu-
canic activity suggests that these overlie localized
ral sag of the rifted regions for periods exceeding system was accomp~
mantle upwellings. These domes are associated 50 Ma after termination of crustal extension. of magmatic activi~
with only minor Neogene tensional faulting (e.g. Cretaceous magmat]
Although these observations fit Rowley and Sa-
Hoggar, Tibesti), though they appear to straddle latter evolved in cO
the intersection of Mesozoic and older fracture hagian's (1986) depth-dependent pure-shear
model, which represents a modification of the Gulf of Guinea
zones. The chemical composition of the extruded able Mesozoic and
McKenzie's (1978) uniform stretching model, ex-
magmas indicates that they were derived by par- outside the rifted b~
tremely well, there is still insufficient data to
tial melting from a zone at the base of the conti- The Early Creta
evaluate the relationship between the amount of
nental lithosphere (Wilson and Guiraud, 1992, South Atlantic and
upper crustal extension and the degree of lower
this volume). Geodynamic processes controlling
crustal and lithospheric attenuation that may in- the compressional
the Neogene surge in magmatic activity outside events and the La
clude-apart from a mechanical-a thermal
the East African rift system are still uncertain.
component as well (Ziegler, 1992b). phase of Africa can
General upwelling of the asthenosphere beneath in 'flowline' geome
Evidence for basin uplift is restricted to the
the African plate has been postulated by Pavoni Changes in the rateI
Santonian and intra-Eocene phases of intraplate
(1991, 1992) and may be associated with its di-
compressional which affected the rift basins of related to changes i
apiric rise into zones of previously attenuated Geophysical stud
WCARS.The massive post-Cretaceous uplift of
lithosphere. spheric structure of
broad basement swells (e.g. Adamawa, Darfur,
Tibesti, Hoggar and Air), which are associated rifted basins indica
Role of subsidence / uplift during rifting with Cenozoic volcanic fields, may be related to sponse to large amo
geodynamic processes affecting the sub-litho- individual rifts are I
Geological evidence clearly indicates that the spheric mantle of Africa; these processes are not major strike-slip fau
Cretaceous-Cenozoic rifts of West and Central yet fully understood. Much of these uplifts may Africa provided we:
Africa are associated with broad zones of subsi- be an isostatic response of the crust to the em- bIe craton and are (
 CRETACEOUS-CENOZOICRIFfING IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA 233

placement of mantle-derived magmas at its base in the regional stress regime (inversion, tensional
(Wilson and Guiraud, 1992, this volume). reactivation).
The depth-dependent, pure-shear lithospheric
stretching model of Rowley and Sahagian (1986)
Conclusions
appears to account for most of the observations
in the West and Central African rift system.
During the break up of Pangea and Gond- However, during the initial stages of rifting, activ-
wana, a sequence of more or less discrete rifting ity of a deep mantle hot spot (St. Helena) in the
cycles affected Africa, commencing with the Equatorial region presumably played a major role
Permo-Carboniferous development of the Karoo in weakening the continental lithosphere by initi-
rifts, the Permo-Triassic Tethys rifts, the Mid-Tri- ating its partial melting.
assic Central Atlantic rift system and the Early
Cretaceous South Atlantic rift system. Acknowledgments
The Early Cretaceous rifting episodes of Africa
show strong spatial and temporal links with the The authors acknowledge P. Ziegler and J.
opening of the South and Equatorial Atlantic Dercourt for their constructive reviews and com-
Ocean. In contrast, end Cretaceous-Early Ceno- ments.
zoic rift episodes of Africa, which post-date
crustal separation between South America and References
Africa, reflect the development of a new exten-
sional stress regime that probably developed in Avbovbo, AA, Ayoola, E.O. and Osahon, G.A, 1986. Depo-
response to differences in the rates of seafloor sitional and structural styles in Chad basin of northeastern
Nigeria. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geo\. Bull., 70(12): 1787-1798.
spreading in the Central and South Atlantic
Bellion, Y. and Guiraud, R., 1988. Deformations d'origine
oceans.
compressive d'age intra-eoct:ne 11I'Ouest de l'Adrar des
Evolution of the West and Central African rift Horas (Mali). C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, 307: 529-532.
systemwas accompanied by a generally low level Benkhelil, J., Dainelli, P., Ponsard, J.F., Popoff, M. and
of magmatic activity. An exception is the Early Saugy, L., 1988. The Benue Trough: wrench fault related
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