Evidence for Slip on a Border Fault Triggered by Magmatic Processes in an Immature Continental Rift

Continental rifting evolves through repeated tectonic and magmatic processes. Here we investigate the 2007–2008 northern Tanzania rifting episode to understand the interactions between magmatism and border fault slip during immature continental rifting. We compare modeled stress changes with geodetic observations from the western adjacent border fault of the Natron basin. We model six distinct phases of the rifting episode, including the eruptive activity of Ol Doinyo Lengai. The southern portion of the border fault experienced a positive cumulative Coulomb stress change, consistent with newly processed Global Positioning System data showing a distinct instance of slip during this time period. Our work suggests active volcanism and faulting are correlated in time, indicating magmatism associated with volcanic activity influences slip on border faults in immature continental rifts.