Seismic Investigation of Crust and Uppermantle Structure Beneath the Ethiopia/Afar and Space Hotspot

This project proposes to evaluate models for the origin of the Ethiopia/Afar hotspot by examining the seismic structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath the Ethiopian Plateau, the Afar Depression, and the Main Ethiopian Rift. The proposed seismic experiment is part of an international, multi-disciplinary collaborative project focused on the Ethiopia/Afar hotspot. Broadband seismic recording will be conducted the PIs and French colleagues, and will be complemented by gravity, GPS, structural field mapping, and geochronology studies conducted by scientists from France and the U.K. The seismic experiment will consist of 17 broadband stations (7 US, 8 French, and 2 permanent) deployed for two years and an additional 20 stations (all US) deployed for one year. The velocity structure of the upper mantle beneath Ethiopia/Afar will provide important new information on the physical and compositional nature of mantle plumes.