13 million years of seafloor spreading throughout the Red Sea Basin.

Nico Augustin, Froukje M. Van der Zwan, Colin W Devey, Bryndís Brandsdóttir

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

The crustal and tectonic structure of the Red Sea and especially the maximum northward extent of the (ultra)slow Red Sea spreading centre has been debated-mainly due to a lack of detailed data. Here, we use a compilation of earthquake and vertical gravity gradient data together with high-resolution bathymetry to show that ocean spreading is occurring throughout the entire basin and is similar in style to that at other (ultra)slow spreading mid-ocean ridges globally, with only one first-order offset along the axis. Off-axis traces of axial volcanic highs, typical features of (ultra)slow-spreading ridges, are clearly visible in gravity data although buried under thick salt and sediments. This allows us to define a minimum off-axis extent of oceanic crust of
Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalNature communications
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 24 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Chemistry
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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