The Orange Basin offshore southwest Africa provides an ideal study area to understand the entire process of continental margin evolution. Along a 2D transect seismic refraction data yield the velocity structure of the lower crust,
whereas in 3D seismic reflection data are used in combination with gravimetric and isostatic modelling to obtain the structure of the crust. In addition, well data are used to reconstruct the subsidence history of the basin which allows us to identify rift parameters and to predict the temperature evolution throughout the basin.
 

Partners

Performed as part of INKABA yeAFRICA

•  Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
•  Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
•  University of Cape Town
•  Petroleum Agency South Africa

Funding bodies

Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geoscience
Vrije Universiteit  Amsterdam