Lithospheric Structure of the Red Sea Based on 3D Density Modeling: A Contrasting Rift Architecture

Abstract

The lithospheric structure of successful rifts can shed light regarding the breakup process and the controlling factors of the architecture of conjugate margins. Studying ancient rifts is difficult because the prolonged geological history could overprint the spatial and temporal relations to geodynamic features, especially the activity of nearby plumes. Thus, to examine the breakup process and the influence of the proximity of mantle plumes on the rift architecture, a young and active case study is desired. The Red Sea offers a unique opportunity due to its young age and its close proximity to the Afar plume (Figure 1). Evidence for rifting are found along the Red Sea ∼8 Myr after the massive deposition of the Ethiopian-Yemen traps, during the Early Oligocene (Bosworth et al., 2005;Stockli & Bosworth, 2018).Even though many factors influence the modes of crustal thinning, numerical simulations showed that the rheology of the crust has a major influence on the final architecture of the rifted margins and may lead to the formation of contrasting end-member types of rifted margins (

Weakened continental lithosphere beneath the northern Red Sea inferred from elastic thickness

“…The weakened continental lithosphere in the NRS impacts its mechanical behavior. The rising of the asthenosphere 10 , 29 and the development of rifting in the axis of the NRS are among factors that caused this weakness. There is controversy over the cause of rifting, whether it’s passive or active.…”

“…Various geophysical studies have been conducted on the Red Sea crust 1,2,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] . These studies reveal that the Red Sea is a rift system displaying different stages of ocean development, from the continental rifting stage to the lithosphere drifting and ocean spreading.…”