Rifts

Description

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Between 128 and 117 million years ago a chain of north-south striking, freshwater, rift lakes had been created by thinning the crust as Africa and South America were torn apart. These lakes appear to have been above sea level and often coalesced giving rise to varied communities of abundant non-marine shells.

The adjacent land was high and supplied plenty of sediment fill (green). The suggestion of transform faults has been included as diagonals across the Rifts. The mantle “Plume” was still active (yellow and orange) but its major pulse had passed leaving behind extensive areas of flood basalts (dark red-brown to orange). Fossil gas bubbles have been painted in the lavas. The Plume was forming a barrier or ridge preventing the marine waters of a newly formed ocean from travelling north. Just south of the Plume, fresh, oceanic crust (purple) can be seen on either side of a newly created oceanic spreading centre (red, orange and yellow).