Morphotectonic evolution of the central Kenya rift flanks: Implications for late Cenozoic environmental change in East Africa

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Research Article| May 01, 2007 Morphotectonic evolution of the central Kenya rift flanks: Implications for late Cenozoic environmental change in East Africa Cornelia Spiegel; Cornelia Spiegel 1School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia, and Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Barry P. Kohn; Barry P. Kohn 2School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar David X. Belton; David X. Belton 3CSIRO Exploration and Mining, Melbourne and MARC, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Andrew J.W. Gleadow Andrew J.W. Gleadow 4School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Cornelia Spiegel 1School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia, and Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany Barry P. Kohn 2School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia David X. Belton 3CSIRO Exploration and Mining, Melbourne and MARC, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia Andrew J.W. Gleadow 4School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 20 Jun 2006 Revision Received: 11 Dec 2006 Accepted: 28 Dec 2006 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2007) 35 (5): 427–430. https://doi.org/10.1130/G23108A.1 Article history Received: 20 Jun 2006 Revision Received: 11 Dec 2006 Accepted: 28 Dec 2006 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Cornelia Spiegel, Barry P. Kohn, David X. Belton, Andrew J.W. Gleadow; Morphotectonic evolution of the central Kenya rift flanks: Implications for late Cenozoic environmental change in East Africa. Geology 2007;; 35 (5): 427–430. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G23108A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The Kenya rift valley is the classic example of an active continental rift zone. We report the rift flank cooling history based on a combination of previous apatite fission track (AFT) and new (U-Th)/He (AHe) data. Our results corroborate the Late Cretaceous rapid cooling episode of continent-wide significance revealed previously by AFT dating. Post-Cretaceous cooling of the eastern rift flank was slow with net cooling of <20 °C through much of the Cenozoic. We interpret this cooling style in terms of the absence of significant relief. Samples from the western rift flank and from low elevations of the eastern rift flank reveal a late Neogene cooling episode associated with net cooling of ∼38 °C, indicating that this flank was eroded to a deeper level than that to the east. The late Neogene cooling episode is interpreted as the time of uplift and shaping of the present-day relief of the graben shoulders, which attain elevations of >3400 m in central Kenya. This timing also largely coincides with the uplift of the Western Rift flanks in Uganda and Congo and with the change toward drier conditions and grassland-dominated vegetation in East Africa. We propose that the regional morphotectonic evolution of the Kenyan rift flanks contributed to late Cenozoic environmental change in East Africa, thus superimposing a pronounced local effect on global climate change at that time. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.