Abstract
This study investigates the tectonic, magmatic and sedimentary architecture of the outer Santos Basin, using new ultra-deep high-resolution 3D seismic, gravimetric and magnetic data. We document a major crustal discontinuity that corresponds to a negative magnetic anomaly named Aquarius Lineament (AL). This is associated with N-S striking east-dipping detachment faults - the Aquarius Detachment System (ADS), that extends for more than 270 km. The ADS originated abrupt crustal necking, a core-complex and supradetachment basins. Its location and orientation coincide with major changes in continental lithosphere thickness, Moho depth, and stratigraphy. Seawards from the ADS the ductile lower crust disappears, and there is a transition to a hyperextended domain with deeply incising detachment faults reaching the mantle. The hyperextended domain lies adjacent to a thick magmatic crust that transitions into a domain where the Moho shallows reaching the base of the sediments. Altogether, these contrasting architectural elements reveal a complex lithosphere breakup during the Cretaceous that distinguishes the Santos Basin as a hybrid margin.
1 Introduction
Rifted margins have been a subject of extensive research and debate over the last decades due to their geological and economic importance, with great advances in our understanding (e.g., McKenzie, 1978; Wernicke, 1985; ; ; ; Whitmarsh et al., 2001; Pérez-Gussinyé et al., 2001; ; Osmundsen et al., 2002; ; ; ; Peron-Pinvidic et al., 2013 and references therein). The search for new hydrocarbon reserves, the continuous technological advancements in deep seismic imaging and drilling have driven exploration towards ultra-deep waters, improving our knowledge about the distal and outer domains.
The evolution of a rifted margin is dependent on the lithospheric responses to local and regional forces, with mechanical, thermal, depositional, and kinematic elements interacting and influencing the final margin architecture ( and references therein). The pre-rift continental lithosphere is heterogeneous, encompassing different terranes with varying tectonic structures. These initial conditions play a fundamental role in the tectonic, magmatic, and sedimentary evolution of rifted margins, in conjunction with strain softening, extension rate and orientation, magmatism, and the interaction between mantle and crust layers (; ; Tommasi and Vauchez, 2001; Pérez-Gussinyé and Reston, 2001; Naliboff and Buiter, 2015; ; Zwaan et al., 2020). However, the initial conditions are often unrecognized. The thickness of brittle and ductile layers in the considered crustal (; Sutra and Manatschal, 2012) and lithospheric models (; ; ; ) affects the evolution of deformation and magma budget, resulting in sharp gradients in margin width (; ). The continental crust breakup may occur prior or after the mantle lithosphere breakup during depth-dependent extension, implying in “different times of breakup” () that originate various tectonic styles and eventually mantle exhumation (; Whitmarsh et al., 2001; Osmundsen and Peron-Pinvidic, 2018; ). Upper and/or lower crust rheological heterogeneities impact the margin segmentation, architecture, and subsidence (; Ros et al., 2017; Stanton et al., 2019). Along with magmatic additions during different stages and within different levels (; Nonn et al., 2019; ), these elements affect the lithosphere response to strain. However, how they interact in space and time leading to final continental lithosphere breakup and seafloor spreading is not completely understood.
The structural evolution of a continental margin plays a fundamental role in the transfer of mantle fluids such as CO2, H2, and magma to the crust and sedimentary deposits (Pérez-Gussinyé et al., 2023). Structures control the circulation of hydrothermal fluids, influencing the mobilization, accumulation, and redistribution of hydrocarbons and minerals, favoring or not their formation and/or preservation. Therefore, their recognition is essential for assessing the mineral potential of margins, especially in the transition to a carbon-neutral economy, reducing risks and favoring exploitation.
The Santos Basin is located in the southeastern Brazilian margin (Figure 1) and formed during Early Cretaceous South Atlantic opening (; ; Mohriak, 2003; ). It contributes to approximately 77% of the country’s oil production, with potential new discoveries. Despite its importance, the knowledge of the basin’s tectono-magmatic evolution is incomplete. The structural framework reveals a complex and multiphase rifting history (), that resulted in three distinct sub-basins (Figure 1): the Southwest Santos Basin (SWSB), the Central Santos Basin (CSB), and the East Santos Basin (ESB), with differentiated sedimentary architecture, magma budget, and structures (terminology adapted from ).
FIGURE 1
The distal Santos Basin structural systems, crustal nature, and tectonic evolution remain mostly unconstrained, as well as its mineral resource potential. Deep crustal structures have been associated with high mantelic CO2 content in the pre-salt deposits (
Based on new ultradeep high-resolution 3D seismic data (the Viridien Nebula project, Figure 1), gravimetric and magnetic data, we investigate the tectonic, sedimentary, and magmatic evolution of the most distal domain of the Santos Basin. We document the margin transition from 1) crustal hyperextension; 2) to magmatic rifting; 3) to an amagmatic crustal breakup. Based on distinctive potential field, seismic, and sedimentary signatures, we identified a Detachment System and an outer magmatic ridge that reveal an extraordinary outer domain crustal structure and a complex lithospheric breakup evolution.
2 Geological background
2.1 The Santos Basin tectono-stratigraphic and magmatic framework
The onshore continental lithosphere was affected by several convergence-related and extensional events that resulted in the formation of Precambrian sedimentary basins (
The Santos Basin at the CSB is a 700 km wide margin, while the conjugate Namibe Basin in the African margin is roughly 150 km wide, constituting one of the most asymmetric segments of the South Atlantic. Gravity inversion, seismology, and seismic refraction studies show a crustal taper from 35 km thick in the Proximal Domain to less than 15 km at the Distal Domain (Figure 1;
Stanton et al. (2014) proposed the interpretation of the Santos Basin into proximal, necking, and distal domains (following the concepts of Peron-Pinvidic et al., 2013). The Proximal Domain displays NE-SW basement highs and faults that are segmented by NW-SE transfer zones, exhibiting short-wavelength magnetic anomalies associated with the offshore prolongation of coastal dyke swarms (
The basement framework displays a regional strike rotation of the structural trends from southwest to northeast, from NNE-SSW to NW-SE in the SWSB, transitioning to an S-shape fault’s trend in the CSB, and to NNE-SSW structural trends at the ESB (
Different interpretations are proposed for the nature of the basement of the Santos Basin, such as thinned continental crust transitioning to intruded continental crust oceanward (e.g.,
The Santos Basin evolution encompassed four major tectono-stratigraphic phases: rift-onset flood basalts followed by syn-rift, post-rift, and drift supersequences (
Later, the basin evolved into a marine divergent setting in the Late Aptian, with the initial development of an extensive carbonate platform and marls (Spadini et al., 1988), followed by open marine depositional systems since the Cenomanian (Mohriak, 2003; Moreira et al., 2007). Six major magmatic episodes are reported throughout the rift-onset, syn-rift, post-rift, and drift stages (Moreira et al., 2007;
3 Database and methods
The present contribution is based on borehole, reflection seismic, gravity and magnetic data analysis. The seismic sections at Figure 4 are depth-converted 3D lines from the “Agência Nacional do Petróleo” (ANP) public database; the sections at Figures 3, 5, 7, 9 (locations in Figure 1) are courtesy of Viridien Company and correspond to the “Nebula C project” (Figure 1B), a 3D seismic survey recently acquired with remarkable deep crustal imaging down to 20 km depth that illustrates the crustal and upper mantle architecture, partially published by
The magnetic grid (Figure 1B) is from Stanton et al. (2019) and
The gravity and magnetic 2D forward modeling are based on the method of Talwani (1965). The physical properties (density, magnetic susceptibility, and remanence) of the layers used in the models consist of: susceptibility values obtained from diabases mapped onshore (unpublished), from basaltic rocks sampled at the Santos Basin, and general values in the literature (
TABLE 1
| Lithologies/Properties | D (kg/m3) | K (SI) | NRM (A/m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sediments | 2000–2,500 | 0.0001 | 0 |
| Sediments and volcanics | 2,500–2,700 | 0.08–0.09 | 4 |
| Upper crust | 2,670 | 0.001 | 0 |
| Lower crust | 2,900 | 0 | 0 |
| Magmatic (intruded) crust | 2,800–2,900 | 0.05–0.09 | 4 |
| sills | 2,700 | 0.05–0.09 | 4 |
| gabbros | 2,850–2,900 | 0.05 | 4 |
| underplating | 3,000 | 0.02 | 1 |
| Serpentinized mantle | 2,600–2,800 | 0.02–0.06 | 4 |
| Mantle | 3,330 | 0 | 0 |
Physical parameters for the 2D forward modeling.
4 Observations
4.1 The Aquarius Detachment System (ADS)
We characterized a crustal-scale fault system at the ESB referred hereafter as the Aquarius Detachment System (ADS). This structural system is associated with an abrupt lateral change in the magnetic anomalies, coinciding with a negative zone trending N-S here named the Aquarius Lineament (AL; Figure 2). Across the AL, seismic data reveals contrasting faulting styles and basement seismic facies indicating a lateral heterogeneity within the crust (Figure 3 Zones I and II; Table 2 in supplementary files).
FIGURE 2

Magnetic anomaly map reduced to the pole of the study area representing the location of the seismic sections displayed in Figures 3, 4 (blue lines), 7 (dashed white line) and 9 (dashed pink line); the Aquarius Lineament (AL), the main detachment faults and the interpreted tectono-magmatic features. SMH- Santos Magnetic High; CMH- Campos Magnetic High; CSB- Central Santos Basin; ESB- East Santos Basin; CFH- Cabo Frio High, BA1 and BA2 - breakaway faults of the Aquarius Detachment System (ADS); OMR- Outer Magmatic Ridge; ZECM- Zone of exhumed continental mantle. Circles are wells that drilled basalts: black: 1-Shel-33-RJS, white: 1-EMEB-1A-RJS, grey: BRSA-905-RJS.
FIGURE 3

Upper section: Deep seismic section showing the crustal and sedimentary architectures of the distal and outer Santos Basin. Lower section: Interpreted seismic section. ADS- Aquarius Detachment System; OMR- Outer magmatic ridge; ZECM- Zone of exhumed continental mantle; I to IV- Zones of distinct geological and geophysical characteristics (see text for discussion); 33- well 1-Shel-33-RJS that drilled basalts. Small black-cyan circles indicate the toplap geometries/erosional unconformities. Location in Figure 1.
TABLE 2
| Sub-basin | The hybrid margin type | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquarius Detachment Sytem(ADS) | Outer Magmatic Ridge (OMR) | Outer Domain | ||
| CSB | ESB | ESB | ESB | |
| Zones | I | II | III | IV |
| Shape & structural orientation | Linear features trending NE-SW with subtle NNE-SSW inflections | Linear features trending N-S, extends from 26ºS to 24ºS for at least 270 km. | Elongated body of ∼ 220 km ridge-shaped NE-SW oriented, 24º30' to 25º45' S | About 120 km swath before reaching oceanic crust |
| Upper Crust | 1) Continuous subparallel east-dipping reflectors in the upper unit, interpreted as rift-onset flood basalts, and 2) a reflection-free lower unit | Low reflected upper crust topped by parallel and tilted reflectors | Semi-transparent basement seismic facies without Moho reflector - possible domain of mantle exhumation | |
| Lower Crust | Higlhy reflective; subparallel west-dipping reflectors bottomed by the Moho and overlained by continuous low acoustic impedance reflector indicating lower velocity at the lower crust, which decreases in thicknes (c.a. 3 km thick) towards the ADS, and disappears eastward. | Semi continuous bright reflectors, that are shallow to the east and are warped beneath the Master detachment (BA2) likely representing shear zones. | Highly reflected crust, exhibiting locally a Moho deepening (root) suggesting underplate intrusions | |
| Moho Depth | 20 to 22 km | 11 to 12 km, formation of a major crustal necking | ∼20 km | ∼10 km |
| Fault styles | A set of synthetic listric east-dipping faults, moderate displacement. First large-scale detachment (Breakaway Fault 1, BA1) beginning c.a. 40-50 km to the west of the ADS. They root at approximately 10 km depth (Conrad dicontinuity). | 1) a Master detachment (BA 2), with large magnitude displacements, moderate dips and listric geometry that affects various crustal levels, 2) large-magnitude faults reaching the Moho, forming “breakaway blocks”, listric to flat-ramp fault geometry, locally convex-upward. | Tectonically rotated normal faults | Series of large litric faults reaching Moho. |
| Magnetics | Large positive anomalies trending ENE-WSW, up to 300 nT | Wide area of negative magnetic anomalies | High amplitude (400 nT) and ridge-shaped magnetic anomalies | A negative magnetic anomalies, with isolated sub-rounded and low amplitude positive anomalies |
| Rift Section | Large wedge depocenters, up to 2300 m thick deposited in two synrift packages: upper and lower (thicker) | Wide half-grabens, with supradetachment basin developed | Up to 3500 m thick, display rotated, inverted and folded half-grabens | The presalt is reflective and Higly intruded, less than < 3 km thick |
| Basement Tectonics | Thick crust, preservation of upper and lower crust | Hyperextended and necking zone | Evidence of tectonic reactivations, including: 1) inversion of syn-rift half-grabens; 2) creation of a compressional (pop-up) block of basement; 3) faults affecting up to the salt base | Mantle exhumation and higly intruded pre-salt sequences |
| Salt Tectonics | Large salt dome and walls, base of salt from ∼5400 to 6600 m depth. | Large salt dome and walls, base of salt from ∼ 6600 to 6600m to 7400m depth. | Compressive salt structures, indicate reactivation resulting in a elevated topography that acted as a barrier for the salt flowing. Salt base at 4800 m depth. | Isolated salt domes, deeper salt base (∼8200 to 10300 m). |
Summary of the geophysical and geological characteristics of a hybrid rifted margin from the example of the Santos Basin.
A set of synthetic listric, east-dipping faults with moderate displacement are observed, with a first large-scale detachment (the Breakaway Fault BA1, Figure 4) beginning at 40–50 km to the west of the ADS. These faults sole out at a level approximately located at 10 km depth, on the top of a strongly reflective lower crust, thus interpreted as the crustal brittle-ductile transition, where the master detachments root. They form depocenters that accommodate thick sedimentary wedges (Figure 3 Zone II, and detail in Figure 4). Along the ADS the upper crust is characterized by: 1) continuous subparallel east-dipping reflectors in the upper unit, interpreted as rift-onset flood basalts (similar to those drilled at the adjacent Tupi High,
FIGURE 4

(a) Seismic sections illustrating the Breakaway faults BA1 and BA2 (ADS) and the multiple syn-tectonic units, represented by yellow to orange colors in: (b) detail of the BA1 and the supradetachment basin; and (c) detail of BA2 (ADS) and the change in the tectonostratigraphy eastwards. The blue dashed lines represent the possible prolongation of the faults within the crust. For location see Figure 1.
The ADS displays a Master detachment (Breakaway Fault, BA2 in Figure 4) exhibiting large magnitude displacements and listric geometry that affects various crustal levels. It extends continuously for at least 270 km, striking N-S with subtle NNE-SSW inflections in map view (Figure 2). The ADS also comprises several synthetic faults that reach the Moho, forming “breakaway blocks” (
The lower crust exhibits semi-continuous bright reflectors that rise to the east and are warped beneath the ADS (Figure 3, at the boundary between Zones I and II) probably representing shear zones. Along the ADS both Moho and deeper reflectors in the upper mantle are flexed upward, reaching 11–12 km in depth beneath wide half-grabens and culminating in a major crustal necking.
As the detachment faults reached deeper levels down to the Moho along the ADS, they promoted large-scale horizontal displacement, creating over-tilted and rider blocks. The ADS faults either sole out along the crust-mantle boundary or cut the Moho. Locally, the top basement reaches the base of the salt as evidence that the footwall was isostatically uplifted and back rotated as the hanging wall progressively moved away by the detachment, giving rise to the formation of supradetachment basins (Figures 4, 5). These basins accommodate 2–6 km thick sedimentary wedges, deposited in multiple syn-tectonic packages (represented by different colored sequences in Figures 4B,C), with reflectors truncated by the regional Syn-rift Unconformity (∼123 Ma,
FIGURE 5

Detail of 3D seismic sections (see location in Figure 1) showing the geometry of the crustal necking and faults along the Aquarius Detachment System (ADS). Note the abrupt lateral variation in crustal thickness with progressively deeper incising detachment faults that reach the Moho, and the exhumation of lower crust forming a metamorphic core-complex (MCC) at (A). At (B) the reflective lower crust is observed across the section and most of the detachments root at shallower crustal levels (10–11 km).
The detachment faults change their geometry to the east, becoming bowed up at the zone of maximum crustal necking along the ADS (Figure 3, Zone II; Figure 5). This probably resulted in the detachments becoming unfit to accommodate displacement, which was then transferred eastwards, generating progressively younger faults and basins (Figures 4B, 5). The convergence of deep crustal reflectors beneath the ADS at the zone of maximum crustal necking suggests that deformation was achieved by coupling between upper crustal faulting and lower crust shear zones, which resulted in a hyperextended crustal domain. This domain, at the most distal part of the basin, is spatially disconnected from the oceanic domain by a region of thickened crust, described in the next section.
4.2 The outer magmatic ridge (OMR)
The magnetic map (Figures 1, 2) displays nearly continuous and elongated high-amplitude positive magnetic anomalies (>400 nT), trending NE-SW for 220 km along the ESB. It has width and length of approximately 30–40 km and 100 km, respectively. The seismic data and potential field modeling (Figures 3, 6, respectively) show a large basement high associated with a region of deeper Moho that corresponds to a ridge-shaped magnetic high. The crustal thickness varies from 4 to 5 km to the west (at the ADS) to 12–14 km at the basement high. The crust exhibits lateral and vertical seismic facies variation, transitioning from a highly reflective lower crust to a low-reflective middle crust and to an upper crust exhibiting parallel and tilted reflectors, possibly representing flood basalts.
FIGURE 6

(A) 2D forward gravity and magnetic modeling of the seismic section of Figure 3, displaying the basement physical characteristics. We propose 2 different scenarios for the nature of the basement at the distal and outer Santos Basin: (B) SCENARIO 1- a transition from a thick continental crust (Zone I), to a hyperextended continental crust (Zone II), to a highly intruded crust (Zone III), and to mantle exhumation (Zone IV); (C) SCENARIO 2- a transition from thick continental crust (Zone I) to a hyperextended continental crust (Zone II), to a thick continental crust with less intrusions (Zone III), and to mantle exhumation (Zone IV). Black numbers within the blcoks are densities from the 2D model in kg/m3; blue dashed lines and blue numbers refer to seismic velocities in km/s from the FWI model. The purple blocks overlying the upper crust represent the proposed basalt floods of the Camboriu Fm. Which cover the top basement at the Santos Basin (Moreira et al., 2007) and possible related crustal intrusives. The legend for the modeled blocks at the bottom of (A) display the susceptibility values (k) in SI: UC- upper crust; LC- lower crust; in-igneous intrusives; inLC- intruded lower crust; UN- underplating; S- sediments; inS- intrusives and sediments; SM-serpentinized mantle; M-mantle. The remanent magnetization values for each layer are provided in Table 1. A model for scenario 2 displaying unfitting magnetic curves is included as supplementary materials.
The potential field modeling indicates a vertical gradient of densities varying from 2,800 kg/m3 at the upper part of the basement (see purple blocks in Figure 6), which could represent basic igneous intrusives and/or the flood basalts that overlain the top basement within the Santos Basin (Moreira et al., 2007). Below these blocks, the upper crust with densities of 2,670 kg/m3 could represent metamorphic rocks. A slight increase in density at the middle crust to 2,700 kg/m3 may correspond to the presence of denser metamorphic rocks. The higher densities obtained for the lower crust (2,900 kg/m3) and its root (3,000 kg/m3) can represent ultrabasic igneous rocks or amphibolites. The seismic velocity model (FWI) indicates an upper crust with a gradient of velocities from 5,800 m/s to 6,800 m/s, showing a slight increase associated with the purple blocks, and a lower crust with a velocity higher than 7,000 m/s along the OMR (Figure 6). The wells drilled on the presalt section over the OMR range between 2,500 and 2,800 kg/m3 for the basalts intercalated with the sedimentary deposits, displaying compatible densities with those obtained from the 2D modeling (Figure 8).
The basement within the OMR exhibits subparallel reflectors of variable amplitude, likely indicating extensive igneous intrusions. Over the structural high, the syn-rift deposits are distinguished by tilted high-amplitude reflectors, which most likely represent intercalations of sedimentary and igneous, as observed in wells Shell 33 and EMEB 1a (Figure 8). The OMR exhibits evidence of tectonic reactivation, including 1) inversion of syn-rift half-grabens; 2) formation of compressional (pop-up) basement blocks; and 3) faulting that extends up to the base of the salt layer (Figures 3, 7). Additionally, the presence of compressive salt structures overlaying the OMR suggests tectonic reactivation generating significant topographic relief, which probably acted as a barrier for the salt flowing oceanwards. Based on the unconformity at the base of the salt dated at ∼ 120 Ma (
FIGURE 7

Details of 3D seismic lines displaying the Outer Magmatic Ridge (see location in Figures 2, 3). Note the uplift of the pre salt strata, the structural inversion of the half-grabens and overlying compressional salt structures. High-energy intracrustal reflectors indicate the presence of intrusive rocks. Black circle refers to well 1- Shel-33-RJS that drilled basalts (A). Note post-salt sills in (B). Small black-cyan circles indicate the toplap geometries/erosional unconformities.
FIGURE 8

Well log data from wells 1- Shel-33-RJS e 1-EMEB-1a-RJS that drilled basalts at the OMR. Location in Figure 1. The stratigraphy in these wells presents, at the base, Barremian to Aptian syn-rift shales and siltstones from the Itapema Fm., recently U/Pb dated in 126–122 Ma (
The study area shows evidence of recurrent magmatic activity, like saucer-shaped, high-amplitude reflectors observed in the post-salt sequence above the OMR, which are indicative of igneous intrusions during the drift stage.
Based on its shape, seismic characteristics, crustal thickness, and high-amplitude positive magnetic signature, we interpret the outer high as a magmatic ridge. Since it constitutes a distal structure at the Santos Basin, we named it Outer Magmatic Ridge (OMR). The deformed syn-rift strata, downlap geometry and top truncation phenomenon, as well as the strong intracrustal reflections indicating intrusives within the outer high, allow us to infer that the original basement had been reworked by magmatic activities, resulting in inversion of the overlying syn-rift strata due to the upward push from the magmatic intrusions and the isostatic compensation. Its root (where Moho reaches the greatest depths) exhibits strong subparallel reflectors, densities of ∼3,000 kg/m3 and velocities higher than 7,000 m/s (Figure 6A), which correspond to intermediate density and velocity values between normal continental crust and lithospheric mantle. The Moho reflector on the sides and below the OMR is characterized by arrays of high-reflective bands of layered reflectors ∼2–3 km thick, that are interpreted to represent mantle-derived mafic sills, indicating significant magmatic underplating.
The potential field modeling best fit within the OMR indicates the massive presence of basic igneous rocks at various levels within the entire crust (Figure 6). The model that considers a slightly intruded continental crust does not adjust with the observed magnetic anomalies, since these require a large amount of rocks with very high magnetization. In general, continental crustal rocks are characterized by low susceptibilities and remanence values, with few exceptions. In the study area, the susceptibility values measured at the continental rocks of CFTD show values in the range of 0.0001–0.007 with a mean of c.a. 0.001 SI (
Therefore, the basement nature within the OMR probably corresponds to a highly altered crust. The structural inversion and deformed strata on the top of the OMR imply that the original crust was faulted and had sedimentary filled half grabens prior to its formation, probably corresponding to a hyperextended crust similar to that observed continentward. The stratigraphic evidence from the exploratory wells 1-Shel-33-RJS and 1-EMEB-1A-RJS that drilled the OMR indicate that the half-grabens were filled with typical pre-salt deposits (Figure 8 and location in Figures 1, 2). Well 1-Shel-33-RJS (33 in Figure 1) drilled approximately 1,300 m of salt (mainly halite and anhydrite), a thin post-rift section of marls (c.a. 36 m), an upper rift section of 154 m of calcilutite, and a lower rift section, 460 m thick, of volcanic rocks with several siltstone intercalations. Well 1-EMEB-1A-RJS, located 45 km northeast of the seismic example in Figure 3, penetrated 1860 m of salt (mostly halite, with anhydrite and some carnallite) and a 580-m-thick pre-salt section. The pre-salt section consists of an upper layer of 190 m of carbonate rocks and a 390-m lower layer of volcaniclastic rocks (summing up to 80% of the section) and carbonate intercalations. Both wells exhibit pre-salt carbonate rocks (predominantly deposited in low-energy environments, most likely in distal lake settings) and CO2 contaminants. In view of the present evidences, we propose two distinct scenarios to illustrate the nature of the basement of the OMR: 1- composed by a continental crust highly intruded (>80%) by igneous rocks (Figure 6B) or 2- by a continental crust only slightly intruded by igneous rocks (Figure 6C). The scenario 2 is difficult to reconcile with the observed crustal root under the OMR and the potential field signature, therefore we favor the scenario 1.
4.3 The outer domain of the east Santos Basin
At the most distal part of the ESB (Zone IV in Figure 3 and detail in Figure 9) a steady rise of the Moho reflector seems to reach the base of the pre-salt strata. The latter is constituted by highly reflective layers that overlie a reflection-free basement associated with low-amplitude, negative magnetic anomalies (Figure 2). The potential field modeling indicates low densities for the upper basement in this region, increasing gradually with depth from 2,600 to 2,800 kg/m3. Such density variation is in accordance with those observed at the zone of subcontinental serpentinized mantle of the Iberian margin. The serpentinization process results in the decrease of the peridotite densities from 3,330 to as low as 2,500 kg/m3 (Miller and Christensen, 1999;
FIGURE 9

Details of 3D seismic lines within Zone IV (see location in Figures 1, 3B, 6B). Note the rise of the Moho reaching the base of chaotic sediments (A) and of a reflective sedimentary section (B). Vertical exaggeration is 12 x.
Within the region of thickened crust (the OMR) the magnetic and gravity anomalies display high amplitudes and cannot be fit solely with continental crust, i.e., without massive magmatic additions. This is based on the fact that: 1) mafic/ultramafic igneous rocks are the most magnetic lithologies in the study area (and in general) (
Regarding the exhumed domain, the densities and magnetic anomalies are lower than those observed within the upper continental crust, the OMR and the crust at the hyperextended domain in the study area (Figure 6). The vertical gradient of the density is sharp and higher than that observed elsewhere, the seismic velocities are lower than continentward from the OMR and the overlying pre-salt section is distinct when compared to all other domains. Based on the previous and the observation of the Moho reflector shallowing and reaching the base of the sedimentary section (Figure 9), creating seawards a zone poorly reflective and without any visible Moho, it is unlikely that it constitutes an intruded crust. In that case, it would probably exhibit mild seismic reflectivity, higher magnetic signature, and densities comparable to the upper part of the OMR.
5 Interpretations
5.1 The deformation style at the distal and outer domains of the East Santos Basin
As proposed by several authors (e.g., Wernicke, 1985; Reynolds, 1985;
At the region of extreme upper crust thinning accomplished by the detachment system, deep reflectors at the lower crust are observed rising up and converging below the detachments (Figure 5) with an arched Moho, similar to the model of
Based on a comparison with other rifted margins, the ADS constitutes an example of the type-HB1 high-B faults (coupling detachments, Osmundsen and Peron-Pinvidic, 2018), which include large-magnitude normal faults with planar, listric, or flat-ramp geometries, convex-upward, associated with footwall uplift, that promote lithosphere-scale deformation coupling (Mohn et al., 2012; Naliboff et al., 2017). The ADS marks a spatial change in the detachment surface geometry from concave-up to concave-down seaward, which created arched crustal blocks and fault splaying at some areas, similar to the flexural model of
In that context, the isostatic response of the lithosphere may have allowed the fault surface, the Moho and the lithospheric mantle to flow upwards, leading to the exhumation of lower crust (Figures 2, 5) and the formation of a continental core-complex and the asthenospheric flow into the zone of extreme necking (
5.2 Formation of the aquarius detachment system and the outer magmatic ridge and consequences for lithospheric breakup
The distinct rifting styles observed in the CSB (inner necking breakaway complex) and ESB (outer necking breakaway complex) exerted a significant influence on the structural relief, tectonic style, and thickness of the post-rift and drift sequences. Although pre-salt carbonate rocks are imaged and sampled in both the CSB and the ESB, the structural relief of the base of salt (top of pre-salt carbonates) significantly varies across the Aquarius Lineament, deepening from ca. 4,500–6,500 m to 7,200–9,000 m at the ADS (based on
The complex architecture observed at the distal Santos Basin documents successive tectonomagmatic stages. An initial distributed crustal stretching, with local basaltic intrusions and extrusions resulted in the creation of Zone I (Figures 3, 10). The formation of the ADS and abrupt crustal necking indicates that the deformation localized, resulting in intense thinning and creation of the hyperextended crust observed at Zone II. The low-energy pre-salt carbonate rocks of the sag sequence (
FIGURE 10

Sketched geological cross section in the central-east Santos hybrid margin (location in Figure 1) displaying the crustal structure and stratigraphy. The sedimentary section schematically represents only the pre-salt sequences. ADS- Aquarius Detachment System; BA1 e BA2 (ADS)- breakaway faults; OMR- Outer Magmatic R.idge.
Based on the magnetic signature of continental basement rocks, the observation of strong magnetic and gravity anomalies, the thickened crust and distinctive reflective seismic facies within the OMR, a continental crust heavily intruded by igneous rocks seems to be the most probable lithology. Therefore, the evidence of tectonic reactivation within the OMR, combined with the thick and highly reflective crust observed at Zone III, argues for a magmatic push up causing the uplift of the original basement. We propose that the emplacement of massive magmatic additions progressively thickened the original crust through intrusives, extrusives, and underplating to create the OMR at Zone III. Such emplacement would have promoted uplift and tilting of the syn-rift half grabens, reactivating the faults up to the salt base (Figure 9). The eastern flank of the OMR exhibits large detachment faults that reach the mantle (Figure 3 Zone II), folded pre-salt sediments and compressive salt structures uplift, resulting from the elevated basement topography, which forming a barrier to the seaward salt migration (Figure 3 Zone III; Figure 7; Table 2).
The pre-salt section at Zone III includes intercalations with igneous extrusions (reported in Well 33) which may be immediately pre- or syn-tectonic to the emplacement of the OMR, since they are rotated and mixed with the carbonates. An age of ∼120 Ma was proposed for the unconformity at the salt base and the breakup occurred at ∼118 Ma (
The mechanism of magmatic emplacement leading to the crustal thickening was probably gradual, developed during successive volcanic pulses similar to that observed at the South China Sea (
The crustal architecture and geophysical signature observed at the transition from a hyperextended crust at the ADS to the thickened crust forming the Outer Magmatic Ridge (OMR, Figure 7) implies a lateral change in the tectono-thermal regime within the outer margin, with a substantial increase in the volume of extrusive and intrusive rocks. The upper basement reflections possibly represent early flood basalts (Figures 3B, 7) similar to that observed at CSB Tupi Field (
The OMR relative timing of formation can be tentatively established based on the pre-salt strata, the salt tectonics, and the deep crustal structure. The structural inversion of half-grabens and the compressional salt overlying it suggest that its emplacement was related to a late magmatic event (at the end of rifting). We propose that the original hyperextended crust presently at the OMR underwent deformation and thickenning through igneous intrusions/extrusions during final syn-rift and initial post-rift stages (between ca. 126–122 Ma,
Similar ridge-shaped magnetic anomalies associated with magmatic edifices can be observed from seismic data at the outer domain of Santos Basin (Garcia et al., submitted), indicating that a stage of excess magmatism was not limited to the ESB and the OMR, but was possibly associated with a regional event (thermal anomaly?) at the end of rifting. At present there is no study to constrain this hypothesis, although at the southernmost portion of the São Paulo Plateau, earlier works have described thick volcanic successions overlying a thinned continental crust (
The region eastward of the OMR displays distinct basement and stratigraphic characters (Figure 9). The top of the crust is not observed, and the basement is reflection-free in seismic data; the Moho rises up to the base of an unstructured sedimentary sequence that is overlain by massive salt. This evidence suggests that this region may correspond to a domain of exhumed mantle, an interpretation also proposed by Zalán et al. (2011). Considering the overlying apparently autochthonous salt (Figure 9), this domain possibly embodies a Zone of Exhumed Continental Mantle (ZECM), i.e., formed after crustal breakup but prior to lithospheric breakup and oceanic crust formation (observed to the east, see supplementary information) at ca. 118 Ma according to
The observation of an outer volcanic structure and a potential zone of exhumed continental mantle at the outer Santos Basin indicates a distinctive tectonic, magmatic, and sedimentary final stage of evolution for this segment of the Brazilian margin, with possible impacts for the South American-African plate reconstructions and the pre-salt exploration. For instance, if the actual OMR structural high corresponds to a post-depositional basement uplift related to magmatic additions and isostatic compensation, the original pre-salt facies would have been deposited in distal locations rather than on structural highs similar to the Santos Basin giant fields Tupi, Mero, and Búzios which exhibit porous carbonate facies. As revealed by some wells in the distal margin of the Campos and Santos basins, the CO2 content can reach over 90% by volume (
5.3 Rifting transition from hyperextension to excess magmatism and to mantle exhumation: the formation of a hybrid margin
Rifted margins have been classified into magma-poor (MPM) and magma-rich (MRM) based on the timing and amount of extension and magmatism during their evolution (
However, in the last decades, studies worldwide revealed that rifted margins are polyphase, exhibiting a wide range of tectonic and magmatic features formed in different stages during their evolution. The simple magma-rich/poor classification was combined with a weak/strong crust classification (based on the mechanical behavior of the crust) to account for the great complexity observed (Sapin et al., 2021 and references therein). The term “Hybrid” was proposed by Reston and Manatschal (2011) to describe margins that exhibit varying amounts of magmatism along strike. Peron-Pinvidic and Osmundsen (2018) highlighted that such hybrid margins sometimes display large amounts of crustal thinning prior to a “magmatic” breakup. Nonn et al. (2019) described the central Aden margin as a hybrid type due to unequal volcanic amounts between the conjugates, with the presence of SDRs and underplating at the more magmatic segment, and exhumed mantle at the less magmatic one. Pérez-Gussinyé et al. (2023) proposed another margin type named “Intermediate” which combines some of the elements of both endmembers, but lacks SDRs (or they are irrelevant) and exhumed mantle. The intermediate margins show significant magmatism, crustal thinning, and detachment structures at the distal and outer domains, with a typical example at the South China Sea margin.
The distal East Santos Basin exhibits singular first-order variations in crustal architecture and nature from west to east, with the transition from a moderately deformed to a hyperextended crust with deeply incising detachment faults reaching the mantle (Figure 10), followed by a thickened and highly intruded crust formed by excess magmatism in the late rifting stage (Figure 7), shifting to a domain where Moho rises suggesting mantle exhumation (Figure 9). With the exception of the last stage, the tectonomagmatic evolution of the ESB displays similarities with the adjacent Campos Basin: the extensional structures in the Distal Domain are also characterized by successive detachment faults, which resulted in the exhumation of the lower crust creating a continental core-complex (
In summary, the Distal Domain of the East Santos Basin exhibits altogether the tectonic, magmatic and sedimentary elements that have previously been observed in magma-rich and magma-poor settings and thus is here interpreted as a “hybrid margin” (Figure 10). This type is distinct from the intermediate type proposed by Pérez-Gussinyé et al. (2023) where crustal and lithospheric thinning are accompanied by magma at shallower levels as dykes and underplated mafic rocks and culminate with lithospheric breakup and formation of “Penrose-like” oceanic crust. The hybrid margin of Santos does not clearly exhibit any evidence of magma at the hyperextended domain (Figures 3, 5). The magma came into the system after the process of hyperextension, as evidenced by the tectonic inversion of the Pre-salt faults and strata overlying the OMR during its formation. However, this magmatic pulse did not lead to lithospheric breakup and formation of oceanic crust, which is only observed to the east of the exhumed domain (see supplementary data). After the magmatic pulse the margin evolved to a later (amagmatic?) extensional stage, possibly exhuming the mantle. The transition from magmatic crust to mantle exhumation is difficult to reconcile, and further observations and models are necessary to unravel its mechanisms.
Remaining questions may include: What was the thermal evolution of the lithosphere during final rifting? What controlled the temporal, structural, and thermal variations?
6 Conclusions
• We document a regional structure named Aquarius Lineament and its associated ADS corresponding to N-S striking tectonic boundaries where first-order variations in crustal and stratigraphic architecture, structural style, and magmatism are observed, marking the limit between two contrasting margin segments: the Central Santos Basin and the East Santos Basin (ESB);
• The change in the structural style from concave-up to concave-down faults along the ADS generated arched crustal blocks and Moho, highly back-tilted footwall blocks and supradetachment basins that accommodated the thickest pre- and post-salt successions of the basin, coherent with the rolling-hinge mechanism of extension;
• At the ADS, deeply incising detachment faults reach the mantle and are reactivated, affecting the unconformity at the base of the sag, indicating that extensional deformation was active at least until ∼122 Ma.
• The distal and outer domains of ESB exhibit architectural elements that highlight a distinct tectonic and thermal evolution of the lithosphere during final rifting, transitioning from: 1) distributed crustal thinning; 2) hyperextension with the breakup of the lower crust without evidence of magma; 3) excess magmatism, deforming the originally hyperextended crust, generating a thick and highly intruded crust and underplating; 4) mantle exhumation; 5) lithospheric breakup at ca. 118 Ma based on published ages. The observed crustal architecture may also have been influenced by the transtensional tectonics related to the oblique rift kinematics at the study area.
• We document for the first time a late-rift to early post-rift tectonomagmatic event at the outer ESB, resulting in massive magmatic additions and underplating, forming an Outer Magmatic Ridge. Its emplacement promoted basement uplift, inverting the syn-rift half grabens, reactivating faults at the salt base, and creating pop up basement structures. A relative age (based on published data) for the formation of this feature is proposed approximately between 126 and 121 Ma.
• Our observations suggest the existence of an exhumed continental mantle domain at the most distal part of the ESB, with implications for the South Atlantic plate reconstructions and the pre-salt exploration.
• Several similarities with the tectonomagmatic evolution of the adjacent Campos Basin can be highlighted, such as the existence of extensional structures in the Distal Domain controlled by successive detachment faults leading to the exhumation of deeper levels of crust and mantle, and the formation of an outer magmatic ridge.
Statements
Data availability statement
The data analyzed in this study is subject to the following licenses/restrictions: The seismic data is proprietary. Requests to access these datasets should be directed to secretaria_sdt@anp.gov.br.
Author contributions
NS: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. AG: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. Natasha Stanton acknowledges FAPERJ for the APQ1 grants number SEI- 260003/015458/2021.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the reviewers Alessandro Decarlis, Chris Morley, Mohamed Gouiza and Charlotte Nielsen for their detailed and thoughtful comments on a previous version of the text, and to two reviewers that helped to improve the manuscript. The CGG (now Viridien) is thanked for the permission to publish the seismic data. Natasha Stanton acknowledges the ANP for the public data.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.
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Supplementary material
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1665965/full#supplementary-material
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Summary
Keywords
necking, detachment faults, tectonostratigraphy, hyperextension, mantle exhumation, magmatism, rifting evolution
Citation
Stanton N and Gordon AC (2025) New insights into the evolution of hybrid rifted margins: from crustal hyperextension to mantle exhumation at the Santos Basin (Brazil). Front. Earth Sci. 13:1665965. doi: 10.3389/feart.2025.1665965
Received
14 July 2025
Accepted
22 September 2025
Published
20 October 2025
Volume
13 - 2025
Edited by
Sanjit Kumar Pal, IIT(ISM) Dhanbad, India
Reviewed by
Claudia Teixeira, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS, Brazil
Mikael Arnemann, Brava Energia, Brazil
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*Correspondence: Natasha Stanton, natasha.stanton@uerj.br
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