NEW DELHI: A current research from scientists in Portugal has raised issues about the way forward for the Atlantic Ocean. They’ve recognized a subduction zone, generally known as the ‘Ring of Hearth‘, that would doubtlessly swallow the Atlantic Ocean. Presently positioned beneath the Gibraltar Strait, between Spain and Morocco, this subduction zone is predicted to increase westwards over the subsequent 20 million years.This course of may result in the shrinking of the ocean basin, in the end closing off the Atlantic.
Subduction zones happen the place tectonic plates work together, with one plate diving beneath one other. These zones are related to important seismic exercise and may have profound geological implications. Professor João Duarte, main the research on the College of Lisbon, warns that the Atlantic could also be within the early levels of closure attributable to subduction exercise.
The Gibraltar Strait, a 10-mile hole separating Europe and Africa, marks the assembly level of the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate. The African Plate is at the moment subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate on this area, resulting in seismic occasions and earthquake dangers. Regardless of the gradual motion of the subduction zone beneath the strait, specialists consider it may develop and lengthen into different elements of the ocean, a phenomenon generally known as ‘subduction invasion’.
Though the present subduction zone beneath the Gibraltar Strait is comparatively small, measuring about 125 miles in size, projections counsel it may increase to round 500 miles within the subsequent 20 million years. Utilizing laptop simulations, researchers traced the evolution of this subduction zone from its formation tens of millions of years in the past to its potential future growth.
The mannequin signifies that the subduction zone will progress westwards by the Gibraltar Strait, forming a brand new Atlantic subduction system known as the ‘Ring of Hearth’. This course of, much like the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Hearth, entails the gradual pulling of the ocean flooring beneath the continents, resulting in the closure of the ocean basin.
The research, revealed within the journal Geology, highlights the potential of the Atlantic Ocean ‘closing up’ within the distant future. The researchers counsel that the prolonged subduction zone will propagate additional into the Atlantic, ultimately reshaping the ocean’s geography. Whereas the timeline for these modifications spans tens of millions of years, the implications may very well be important for the planet’s geological panorama.
In conclusion, the findings of the research make clear the dynamic nature of Earth’s tectonic processes and the long-term evolution of ocean basins. The idea of the Atlantic Ocean shrinking and doubtlessly ceasing to exist over an enormous timeframe gives a glimpse into the geological forces shaping our planet.
Subduction zones happen the place tectonic plates work together, with one plate diving beneath one other. These zones are related to important seismic exercise and may have profound geological implications. Professor João Duarte, main the research on the College of Lisbon, warns that the Atlantic could also be within the early levels of closure attributable to subduction exercise.
The Gibraltar Strait, a 10-mile hole separating Europe and Africa, marks the assembly level of the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate. The African Plate is at the moment subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate on this area, resulting in seismic occasions and earthquake dangers. Regardless of the gradual motion of the subduction zone beneath the strait, specialists consider it may develop and lengthen into different elements of the ocean, a phenomenon generally known as ‘subduction invasion’.
Though the present subduction zone beneath the Gibraltar Strait is comparatively small, measuring about 125 miles in size, projections counsel it may increase to round 500 miles within the subsequent 20 million years. Utilizing laptop simulations, researchers traced the evolution of this subduction zone from its formation tens of millions of years in the past to its potential future growth.
The mannequin signifies that the subduction zone will progress westwards by the Gibraltar Strait, forming a brand new Atlantic subduction system known as the ‘Ring of Hearth’. This course of, much like the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Hearth, entails the gradual pulling of the ocean flooring beneath the continents, resulting in the closure of the ocean basin.
The research, revealed within the journal Geology, highlights the potential of the Atlantic Ocean ‘closing up’ within the distant future. The researchers counsel that the prolonged subduction zone will propagate additional into the Atlantic, ultimately reshaping the ocean’s geography. Whereas the timeline for these modifications spans tens of millions of years, the implications may very well be important for the planet’s geological panorama.
In conclusion, the findings of the research make clear the dynamic nature of Earth’s tectonic processes and the long-term evolution of ocean basins. The idea of the Atlantic Ocean shrinking and doubtlessly ceasing to exist over an enormous timeframe gives a glimpse into the geological forces shaping our planet.
