Publication Date:
2021-07-25
Description:
We present a new model of the stress state and present-day tectonics of the Red Sea Rift (RSR) based on an instantaneous geodynamic mantle flow model. The initial density and viscosity variations in the mantle are derived from a joint inversion of gravity, residual topography, and tomography, which provides higher resolution than existing models. The calculated mantle flow shows clear distinctions along the rift axis. The tectonics of the southern part of the Red Sea is mainly controlled by the Afar plume and characterized by divergent mantle flow. The passive rifting along the central part of the RSR can be explained either by asthenospheric upwelling due to the Red Sea floor spreading or by the plume, rising from the transition zone and not directly related to the Afar plume. We also observed ridge-axis-aligned flow in the uppermost mantle in the northern part of the RSR.
Keywords:
551.136
;
Red Sea
;
tectonics
;
mantle convection
;
rifting
;
numerical modeling
;
Afar plume
Language:
English
Type:
article
Permalink
