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The satellite magnetic anomaly of Ahaggar: Evidence for African plate motion
Author(s) -
Phillips R. J.,
Brown C. R.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl012i010p00697
Subject(s) - magnetic anomaly , anomaly (physics) , geodesy , geology , geophysics , magnetic field , scalar (mathematics) , physics , geometry , mathematics , condensed matter physics , quantum mechanics
The Ahaggar volcanic province of North Central Africa is considered a region of excess heat flow (hot spot) and hence elevated Curie isotherm. Using a modified version of the Parker FFT potential field representation, magnetic signals were calculated at Magsat altitudes for models in which the African Plate is both fixed and moving. The moving‐plate model extends the Curie isotherm anomaly in the direction of plate motion and provides a satisfactory match to vertical component (ΔZ) anomaly data when the magnitude of plate velocity is 0.75 cm/yr. Although the signal levels are marginal for the scalar component anomalies of this region, the same model provides an adequate match to this data set and is clearly preferable to a fixed‐plate model.