Abstract: The Côte-d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Continental Margin (Equatorial Atlantic): a Review

Mascle, Jean, Geosciences Azur - Villefranche-sur-Mer; Basile, Christophe - Institut Dolomieu; and Benkhelil, Jean - Université de Perpignan

We present and discuss a set of marine geophysical and geological data collected during the past 10 years along the Côte-d'Ivoire-Ghana continental margin, off Equatorial Africa. This continental margin, segment results from an initial transform type rifting, in early Cretaceous times, between the two parting Equatorial Western African and North-Eastern Brazilian Continental domains.

Single channel, multi-channel seismic reflection profiling and wide angle seismic refraction experiments allow to define the overall crustal and superficial structures of the continental margin, which is bounded by a long, linear and high standing, bordering marginal ridge: the Côte-d'Ivoire-Ghana Marginal Ridge (CIGMR). Geophysical results have been constrained by geological data from fourteen deep dives made across the continental slope between 2000 and 4900 meters depth, and four drill sites performed, between 2050 and 4600 meters of water depth, during Leg ODP 159 in 1995.

The available data provide supports for assessing the sedimentary, tectonic and thermal regimes that were operative during the transform margin creation and its subsequent evolution.

The Côte-d'Ivoire-Ghana continental margin can be regarded as one of the best data-controlled natural models for divergent transform margin evolution.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90933©1998 ABGP/AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil