Geothermal gases from the Kenya Rift reveal a common deep mantle source beneath East Africa

An international team of scientists led by Professor Fin Stuart from the University of Glasgow, working in partnership with the Kenya Geothermal Development Company, provides the first geochemical evidence that there is a common deep mantle source beneath the East African Rift System.

Published in Geophysical Research Letters, the study analysed noble gases from the development of new geothermal fields in the Menengai caldera, part of Kenya’s central Rift Valley. These gases, especially neon isotopes, show a chemical signature indistinguishable from magmatic volatiles in basalts from the Guld of Tadjoura.

Until now, previous studies debated the existence of a common deep mantle source beneath East Africa due to limited geochemical evidence. This new research fills that gap by identifying high-temperature magmatic gases where contamination by atmospheric or crustal processes is minimal, offering a clear picture of the rift’s deep Earth origins.

These gases from our geothermal wells have provide valuable new insight into the Earth’s deep interior, helping us better understand not only the geological forces shaping East Africa but also the fundamental processes which drive the formation of our planet’s surface over millions of years.

The findings support the theory that the East African Rift is being driven by a vast upwelling of hot rock—known as a superplume—beneath the continent. This research adds a critical piece to the puzzle of what lies beneath this geologically active region.

Further reading