Deep Crustal and Upper Mantle Structures in North Africa: A Review

This chapter provides insight and understanding into the upper mantle and lower crust of North Africa. Much study, throughout the last few decades, has been conducted on the deep structures and upper mantle of Africa. The continent’s geology is complicated, with multiple rift valleys, mountain ranges, and volcanic provinces. According to seismic investigations, the African continent possesses a thick lithosphere, which is thought to be a relic of ancient cratons that have remained constant for billions of eons. Recent seismic tomography research papers have revealed new details about the structure and behavior of the African mantle. Many mantle plumes, including the well-known African Superplume, have been discovered under the continent as a finding of this research. These plumes are believed to have played a significant and affected role in the creation of the continent’s massive igneous provinces and rift systems. In addition to mantle plumes, the African mantle has a variety of mantle domains with contrasting temperature and compositional properties. These domains are thought to have acted an essential role in the creation and evolution of the continent’s lithosphere, as well as in determining mineral resource distribution. Generally, Africa’s deep structure and upper mantle are distinguished by a complex and dynamic geology that has played an important role in defining the continent’s history and development. Continuing study provides fresh insights into the processes that have produced this interesting area, advancing our identification of the structure and dynamics of the Earth’s mantle.