A magmatic failed rift beneath the Gongola arm of the upper Benue trough, Nigeria?

Gravity and magnetic joint modeling of the Potiguar Rift Basin (NE Brazil): Basement control during Neocomian extension and deformation

“…Both gravity and magnetic highs occur in this region, occupying a small area of a few tens of square kilometers. Shemang et al (2001) carried out potential field surveys in the Gongola branch of the upper Benue Trough (Fig. 8), the African counterpart of the NE Brazilian rift system.…”

Spectral Analysis and Magnetic Modeling over Biu – Damboa, Northeastern Nigeria

“…If the major magnetic anomaly observed in the area of study is caused bymafic rocks, as the interpretation suggests, then the area represents an old rift zone where a diapiric intrusion of mantle originating rock caused by the activity of a plume rose to the lower crust and upper crust [34]. This rising diapir would then also have thermally expanded the lithosphere.…”

“…It is indeed most likely to bea magmatic failed rift that is buried at about 8km depth within the Gongola arm of the trough [34]. This 'aborted' structure indicatesthatmagmatism in the Benue Trough could have been produced bya weak plume and that is probably the reason why the volcanics did not reach the surface.…”

Gongola Basin Geoid Determination using Isostatic Models and Seismic Reflection Data and Geophysical Interpretation

“…Many authors have noted that the Benue rift (which includes Gongola basin) have many features in common with other intra-continental East African rift such as Baikal rift and the Rio Graade rift, for example [Logatchev, 1993;Shemang et al, 2001;Ugbor et al, 2010]. These rift systems are associated with volcanism and regional uplift.…”

“…Mesozoic to Cenezoic magmatism has accompanied the evolution of the tectonic rift as it is scattered all over and throughout in the trough [Coulon et al, 1996;Abubakar et al, 2010]. A magmatic old rift was also suggested for the Gongola basin by [Shemang et al, 2001] while [Abubakar et al, 2010] suggested the evolution as a combination of mantle upwelling or rise of a mantle plume which resulted in crustal stretching and thinning and the emplacement of basic igneous material within the basement and sediment which resulted in rifting. The reflection seismic time/depth structural maps also define the SE zone as a zone with favourable structural geometry for hydrocarbon accumulation.…”