Selected recent scientific publications on the Ethiopian Rift by the CNR-IGG/University of Florence research team (email me to request a pdf)

Erbello A., Dupont-Nivet G., Kidane T., Nowaczyk N., Sudo M., Melnick D., Bookhagen B., Brune S., Corti G., Gecho G., Strecker M.R. (2025). Temporal variation in counterclockwise vertical-axis block rotations across a rift overlap zone, southwestern Ethiopia, East Africa. Tectonophysics, 230599, in press.

Sauvalle, R., Scaillet B,, Prouteau G., Scaillet S. Cioni T. Franceschini Z., Frascerra D. Sani F., Corti G., Melaku A., Andújar J. (2024). Phase equilibrium constraints on the pre-eruptive conditions of alkaline basalts of the Main Ethiopian Rift and their bearing on the production of peralkaline rhyolites. Journal of Petrology, 65, egae112, https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egae112

Franceschini Z., Cioni R., Scaillet S., Prouteau G., Corti G., Sani F., Mondanaro A., Frascerra D., Melaku A.A., Scaillet B., Oppenheimer C., Duval F. (2024). Pulsatory volcanism in the Main Ethiopian Rift and its environmental consequences. Communications Earth and Environment, 5:568, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01703-1

Muluneh A. Brune S., Pagli C., La Rosa A., Keir D., Neuharth D., Corti G. (2024). To rotate or to link? The connection between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden rifts in central Afar. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL108732.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108732

Maestrelli D., Sani F., Keir D., Pagli C., La Rosa A., Atnafu Muluneh A., Brune S., Corti G. (2024). Reconciling plate motion and faulting at a Rift-Rift-Rift triple junction. Geology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1130/G51909.1

Nigussie W., Alemu A., Mickus K., Keir D., Demissie Z., Muhabaw Y., Muluneh A.A., Corti G.,  Yehualaw E. (2023). Subsurface structural control on geothermal resources in a magmatic rift:  Gravity and magnetic study of the Tulu Moye Geothermal Prospect, Main Ethiopian Rift. Frontiers in Earth Sciences, 11, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1181533

Benvenuti M., Corti G., Keir D., Sani F. (2022). Transverse tectonics control on the Late Quaternary development of the Central Main Ethiopian Rift. Italian Journal of Geosciences, 142, 42-56, https://doi.org/10.3301/IJG.2023.05.

Maestrelli D., Brune S., Corti G., Keir D., Sani F. (2022): Analog and Numerical modeling of Rift-Rift-Rift Triple junctions. Tectonics, 41, e2022TC007491. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022TC007491.

Corti G., Maestrelli D., Sani F. (2022). Large-to local-scale control of pre-existing structures on continental rifting: examples from the Main Ethiopian Rift, East Africa. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10:808503, doi: 10.3389/feart.2022.808503.

Maestrelli D., Corti G., Bonini M., Montanari D., Sani F. (2021). Caldera collapse and tectonics along the Main Ethiopian rift: reviewing possible relationships.Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 353, S2, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.5802/crgeos.63.

La Rosa A., Pagli C., Wang H., Doubre C., Leroy S., Sani F., Corti G., Ayele A., Keir D. (2021). Plate-boundary kinematics of the Afrera linkage zone (Afar) from InSAR and seismicity.Journal of Geophysical Research, 126, e2020JB021387. https://doi. org/10.1029/2020JB021387

Wang L., Maestrelli D., Corti G., Zou Y., Shen C. (2021). Normal fault reactivation during multiphase extension: analogue models and application to the Turkana depression, East Africa.Tectonophysics, 811, 228870, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2021.228870

Muluneh A.A., Keir D.., Corti G.  (2021). Thermo-rheological properties of the Ethiopian lithosphere and evidence for transient fluid induced lower crustal seismicity beneath the Ethiopian Rift. Frontiers in Earth Science, 9:610165.doi: 10.3389/feart.2021.610165.

La Rosa A., Keir D., Doubre C., Sani F., Corti G., Leroy S., Ayele A., Pagli C. (2021). Lower crustal earthquakes in the March 2018 sequence along the Western Margin of Afar.Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 22, e2020GC009614. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009614

Zwaan F., Corti G., Keir D., Sani, F. (2020). An analogue modeling study of marginal flexure in Afar, East Africa: implications for passive margin formation. Tectonophysics, 796, 228595.

Franceschini Z., Cioni R., Scaillet S., Corti G., Sani F., Isola I., Mazzarini F., Duval F., Erbello A., Muluneh A., Brune S. (2020). Recent volcano-tectonic activity of the Ririba rift and the evolution of rifting in South Ethiopia.Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 402, 106989.

Siegburg M. Bull J.M., Nixon C.W., Keir D., Gernon T.M., Corti G., Bekele Abebe B., Sanderson D.J., Ayele A.  (2020). Quantitative constraints on faulting and fault slip-rates in the northern Main Ethiopian Rift.Tectonics, 39, e2019TC006046. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019TC006046

Corti G., Sani F., Florio A.A., Greenfield T., Keir D., Erbello A., Muluneh A.A., Ayele A.  (2020). Tectonics of the Asela-Langano margin, Main Ethiopian Rift (East Africa).Tectonics, 39, e2020TC006075. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020TC006075

Muluneh A.A., Brune S., Illsley-Kemp F., Corti G., Keir D., Glerum A., Kidane T., Mori J.  (2020). Mechanism for deep crustal seismicity: Insight from modeling of deformation process at the Main Ethiopian Rift. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 21, e2020GC008935. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC008935.

Zwaan F., Corti G., Sani F., Keir D., Muluneh A., Illsley-Kemp F. Papini M. (2020). Structural analysis of the Western Afar Margin, East Africa: evidence for multiphase rotational rifting. Tectonics, 39, e2019TC006043,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019TC006043.

Zwaan F., Corti G., Keir D., Sani F. (2019). A review of tectonic models for the rifted margin of Afar: implications for continental break-up and passive margin formation. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 164, 103649, 1-22.

La Rosa A., Pagli C., Keir D., Sani F., Corti G., Wang H., Posee D. (2019). Observing Oblique Slip During Rift Linkage in Northern Afar.Geophysical Research Letters, 46, 10782–10790, https://doi.org/ 10.1029/2019GL084801.

Boone S.C., Balestrieri M.L., Kohn B.P., Corti G., Gleadow A.J.W., Seiler C. (2019). Tectono-thermal evolution of the Broadly Rifted Zone, Ethiopian Rift. Tectonics, 38, 1070–1100. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018TC005210..

Corti G., Cioni R., Franceschini Z., Sani F., Scaillet S., Molin P., Isola I., Mazzarini F., Brune S., Keir D., Erbello A., Muluneh A., Illsley-Kemp F., Glerum A. (2019). Aborted propagation of the Ethiopian rift caused by linkage with the Kenyan rift.Nature Communications, 10: 1309, doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09335-2

Sani F., Bonini M., Corti G., Moratti G. (2019). Extension direction re-orientation in the oceanic rift of Iceland, and comparison with continental rifts. Tectonophysics, 756, 25-42.

Muluneh A.A., Kidane T., Corti G., Keir D. (2018). Constraints on fault and crustal strength of the Main Ethiopian Rift from formal inversion of earthquake focal mechanism data. Tectonophysics, 731-732, 172-180.

Corti G., Sani F., Agostini S., Philippon M., Sokoutis D., Willingshofer E. (2018). Off-axis volcano-tectonic activity during continental rifting: insights from the transversal Goba-Bonga lineament, Main Ethiopian Rift (East Africa). Tectonophysics, 728-729, 75-91.

Corti G., Molin P., Sembroni A., Bastow I.D., Keir D. (2018). Control of pre-rift lithospheric structure on the architecture and evolution of continental rifts: insights from the Main Ethiopian Rift, East Africa. Tectonics, 37, 477-496, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017TC004799.

Bastow I.D., Booth A.D., Corti G., Keir D., Magee C., Jackson C.A-L., Warren J., Wilkinson J., Lascialfari M. (2018). The Development of Late-Stage Continental Breakup: Seismic Reflection and Borehole Evidence from the Danakil Depression, Ethiopia.Tectonics, 37, 2848–2862, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017TC004798.

Brune S., Corti G., Ranalli G. (2017). Controls of inherited lithospheric heterogeneity on rift linkage: Numerical and analogue models of interaction between the Kenyan and Ethiopian rifts across the Turkana depression. Tectonics, 36, doi:10.1002/ 2017TC004739.

Minissale A., Corti G., Tassi F., Darrah T., Vaselli O., Montanari D., Montegrossi G., Yirgu G., Selmo E., Teclu A. (2017). Geothermal potential and origin of natural thermal fluids in the northern Lake Abaya area, Main Ethiopian Rift, East Africa. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 336, 1-18.

Erbello A., Corti G., Agostini A., Sani F., Kidane T., Buccianti A. (2016). Modeling along-axis variations in fault architecture in the Main Ethiopian Rift: implications for Nubia-Somalia kinematics. Journal of Geodynamics, 102, 24-38.

Balestrieri M.L., Bonini M., Corti G., Sani F., Philippon M. (2016). A refinement of the chronology of rift-related faulting in the Broadly Rifted Zone, southern Ethiopia, through apatite fission-track analysis. Tectonophysics, 671, 42–55.

Molin P., Corti G. (2015). Topography, river network and recent fault activity at the margins of the Central Main Ethiopian Rift (East Africa). Tectonophysics, 664, 67–82, DOI: 10.1016/j.tecto.2015.08.045.

Corti G., Agostini A., Keir D., Van Wijk J., Bastow I.D., Ranalli G. (2015). Magma-induced axial subsidence during final-stage rifting: implications for the development of seaward dipping reflectors. Geosphere, 11, 563–571, DOI: 10.1130/GES01076.1.

Keir D., Bastow I.D., Corti G., Mazzarini F., Rooney T.O. (2015). The origin of along-rift variations in faulting and magmatism in the Ethiopian rift. Tectonics,  34, 464-477, DOI: 10.1002/2014TC003698.

Corti G., Bastow I.D., Keir D., Pagli C., Baker E. (2015). Rift-related morphology of the Afar Depression. In: Landscapes and Landforms of Ethiopia, Billi P. (Ed.)., Series: World Geomorphological Landscapes, Springer, 251-274.

Philippon M., Corti G., Sani F., Bonini M., Balestrieri M.L., Molin P., Willingshofer E., Sokoutis D., Cloetingh S. (2014). Evolution, distribution and characteristics of rifting in southern Ethiopia. Tectonics, 33, 485-508, doi:10.1002/2013TC003430.

Corti G., Sani F., Philippon M., Sokoutis D., Willinghofer E., Molin P. (2013). Quaternary volcano-tectonic activity in the Soddo region, western margin of the Southern Main Ethiopian Rift. Tectonics, 32, 861-879.

Corti, G. Philippon, M., Sani F., Keir, D., Kidane, T. (2013). Re-orientation of the extension direction and pure extensional faulting at oblique rift margins: comparison between the Main Ethiopian Rift and laboratory experiments. Terra Nova, 25, 396–404.

Benvenuti M., Bonini M., Tassi F., Corti G., Sani F., Agostini A., Manetti P., Vaselli O. (2013).  Holocene lacustrine fluctuations and deep CO2 degassing in the northeastern Lake Langano Basin (Main Ethiopian Rift). Journal of African Earth Sciences, 77, 1-10.

Agostini A., Bonini M., Corti G., Sani F., Manetti P. (2011). Distribution of Quaternary deformation in the central Main Ethiopian Rift, East Africa. Tectonics, 30, TC4010, doi:10.1029/2010TC002833.

Agostini A., Bonini M., Corti G., Sani F., Mazzarini F. (2011). Fault architecture in the Main Ethiopian Rift and comparison with experimental models: implications for rift evolution and Nubia-Somalia kinematics. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 301, 479-492.

Corti G. (2009). Continental rift evolution: from rift initiation to incipient break-up in the Main Ethiopian Rift, East Africa. Earth Science Reviews, 96, 1–53.

Corti G. (2008). Control of rift obliquity on the evolution and segmentation of the main Ethiopian rift. Nature Geoscience, 1, 258-262.

Abebe T., Manetti P., Bonini M., Corti G., Innocenti F., Mazzarini F. (2005). Geological Map (Scale 1:200 000) of the Northern Main Ethiopian Rift and its implication for the volcano-tectonic evolution of the Rift. Geological Society of America Maps and Charts, MCH094, Boulder, Colorado.

Orlando A., Abebe T., Manetti P., Santo A.P., Corti G. (2006). Petrology of mantle xenoliths from Megado and Dilo, Kenya Rift, southern Ethiopia. Ofioliti, 31, 71-87.

Bonini M., Corti G., Innocenti F., Manetti P., Mazzarini F., Abebe T., Pecskay Z. (2005). The evolution of the Main Ethiopian Rift in the frame of Afar and Kenya rifts propagation. Tectonics, 24, TC1007, doi:10.1029/2004TC001680.

Tommasini S., Manetti P., Innocenti F., Abebe T., Sintoni M.F., Conticelli S. (2005) The Ethiopian subcontinental mantle domains: geochemical evidence from Cenozoic mafic lavas. Mineralogy and Petrology, 84,259-281.

Mazzarini F., Corti G., Manetti P., Innocenti F. (2004). Strain rate and bimodal volcanism in the continental rift: Debre Zeyt volcanic field, northern MER, Ethiopia. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 39, 415–420.

 

Other papers on continental rifting

Maestrelli D., Corti G., Bonini M., Keir D., Facincani P., Vannucchi P., Del Ventisette C., Montanari D., Sani F. (2024). Fault reactivation and growth at rift-related calderas. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 636, 118700, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118700

Zou Y., Maestrelli D., Corti G., Del Ventisette C., Wang L., Shen C. (2024). Influence of inherited brittle fabrics on continental rifting: Insights from centrifuge experimental modeling and application to the East African Rift System. Tectonics, 43, e2023TC007947. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023TC007947

Bragagni A., Braschi E., Orlando A., Guarnieri L., Corti G., Tommasini S. (2022). Time-space variations in the East African Rift magmatism: the role of different mantle domains. Italian Journal of Geosciences, 142, 83-101,
https://doi.org/10.3301/IJG.2023.08.

Sternai P., Muller V.A.P., Jolivet L., Garzanti E., Corti G., Pasquero C., Sembroni A., Faccenna C. (2021). Effects of asthenospheric flow and orographic precipitation on continental rifting.Tectonophysics, 820, 229120, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2021.229120

Maestrelli D., Montanari D., Corti G., Del Ventisette C., Moratti G., Bonini M. (2020). Exploring the interactions between rift propagation and inherited crustal fabrics through experimental modelling. Tectonics, 39, e2020TC006211. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020TC006211.

Collanega L., Corti G., Breda A., Massironi M., Keir D. (2020). 3D extension at plate boundaries accommodated by interacting fault systems. Scientific Reports, 10:8669| https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65599-5

Bonini M., Cerca M., Moratti G., López-Martínez M., Corti G., Gracia-Marroquín D. (2019). Strain partitioning in highly oblique rift settings: Inferences from the southwestern margin of the Gulf of California (Baja California Sur, México). Tectonics, 38, 4426–4453.

De Matteo A., Corti G., van Wyk de Vries B., Massa B., Mussetti G. (2018). Fault-volcano interactions with broadly distributed stretching in rifts. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Reseearch, 362, 64-75.

Philippon M., Corti G. (2016). Obliquity along plate boundaries. Tectonophysics, 693, 171–182.

Philippon M., Willingshofer E., Sokoutis D., Corti G., Sani F., Bonini M., Cloetingh S. (2015). Slip re-orientation in oblique rifts. Geology, 43, 147–150.

Isola I., Mazzarini F., Corti G., Bonini M. (2014). Spatial variability of volcanic features in early-stage rift settings: the case of the Tanzania divergence, East African rift system. Terra Nova, 26, 461–468.

Corti G., Ranalli G., Agostini A., Sokoutis D. (2013). Inward migration of faulting during continental rifting: effects of pre-existing lithospheric structure and extension rate. Tectonophysics, 594, 137-148.

Corti G., Iandelli I., Cerca M. (2013). Experimental modeling of rifting at craton margins. Geosphere,9(1), 138–154, doi:10.1130/GES00863.1.

Corti G. (2012). Evolution and characteristics of continental rifting: analogue modeling-inspired view and comparison with examples from the East African Rift System. Tectonophysics, 522-523, 1-33, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2011.06.010.

Corti G., Calignano E., Petit C., Sani F. (2011). Controls of lithospheric structure and plate kinematics on rift architecture and evolution: an experimental modeling of the Baikal Rift. Tectonics, 30, TC3011, doi:10.1029/2011TC002871.

Corti G., Ranalli G., Mulugeta G., Agostini A., Sani F., Zugu A. (2010). Control of the rheological structure of the lithosphere on the inward migration of tectonic activity during continental rifting.
Tectonophysics, 490, 165--172.

Agostini A., Corti G., Zeoli A., Mulugeta G. (2009). Evolution, pattern and partitioning of deformation during oblique continental rifting: Inferences from lithospheric-scale centrifuge models. Geochemistry, Geosphysics, Geosystems (GCubed), 10, Q11015, doi:10.1029/2009GC002676.

Sokoutis D., Corti G., Bonini M., Brun J.-P., Cloetingh S. Mauduit T., Manetti P. (2007). Modelling the extension of heterogeneous hot lithosphere. Tectonophysics, 444, 63-79.

Corti G., Bonini, M., Innocenti, F., Manetti, P., Piccardo, G.B., Ranalli, G. (2007). Experimental models of extension of continental lithosphere weakened by percolation of asthenospheric melts. Journal of Geodynamics, 43, 465–483.

Bonini M., Corti G., Del Ventisette C., Manetti P., Mulugeta G., Sokoutis D. (2007). Modelling the lithospheric rheology control on the Cretaceous rifting in West Antarctica. Terra Nova, 19, 360-366.

Corti, G., J. van Wijk, S. Cloetingh, and C. K. Morley (2007). Tectonic inheritance and continental rift architecture: Numerical and analogue models of the East African Rift system. Tectonics, 26, TC6006, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006TC002086

Corti G., Manetti P. (2006). Asymmetric rifts due to asymmetric Mohos: an experimental approach. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 245, 315-329, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2006.02.004.

Corti G. (2005). Dynamics of periodic instabilities during stretching of the continental lithosphere: View from centrifuge models and comparison with natural examples. Tectonics, 24, TC2008, doi:10.1029/2004TC001739.

Corti G., Bonini M., Sokoutis D., Innocenti F., Manetti P., Cloetingh S., Mulugeta G. (2004). Continental rift architecture and patterns of magma migration: a dynamic analysis based on centrifuge models. Tectonics, 23, TC2012, doi:10.1029/2003TC001561.

Corti G. (2004). Centrifuge modelling of the influence of crustal fabrics on the development of transfer zones: insights into the mechanics of continental rifting architecture. Tectonophysics, 384, 191-208. (The paper has been also included in Experimental Earth - Virtual Journal, Volume 2, Issue 4, August 2004 http://www.experimentalearth.com).

Corti G., Van Wijk J., Bonini M., Sokoutis D., Cloetingh S., Innocenti F., Manetti P. (2003). Transition from continental break-up to punctiform seafloor spreading: how fast, symmetric and magmatic. Geophysical Research Letters, 30 (12), 1604, doi:10.1029/2003GL017374.

Corti G., Bonini M., Conticelli S., Innocenti F., Manetti P., Sokoutis D. (2003). Analogue modelling of continental extension: a review focused on the relations between the patterns of deformation and the presence of magma. Earth-Science Reviews, 63, 169-247.

Corti G., Bonini M., Innocenti F., Manetti P., Mulugeta G., Sokoutis D., Cloetingh S. (2003). Rift-parallel magma migration and localisation of magmatic activity at transfer zones. Acta Vulcanologica, 14-15, 17-26.

Corti G., Bonini M., Mazzarini F., Boccaletti M., Innocenti F., Manetti P., Mulugeta G., Sokoutis D. (2002). Magma-induced strain localization in centrifuge models of transfer zones. Tectonophysics, 348, 205-218.

Corti G., Bonini M., Innocenti F., Manetti P., Mulugeta G. (2001). Centrifuge models simulating magma emplacement during oblique rifting. Journal of Geodynamics, 31, 557-576.

Bonini M., Sokoutis D., Mulugeta G., Boccaletti M., Corti G., Innocenti F., Manetti P., Mazzarini F. (2001). Dynamics of magma emplacement in centrifuge models of continental extension with implications for flank volcanism. Tectonics, 20, 1053-1065.