Concern Over Gibraltar Strait Subduction Zone

• 30 Mar 2024

Source: TOI

Recently, Scientists raised concerns about the future of the Atlantic Ocean. They have identified a subduction zone beneath the Gibraltar Strait, situated between Spain and Morocco.

• It is a narrow gap separating Europe and Africa. It marks bthe meeting point of the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate.
• The Ring of Fire: Similar to the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, where subduction zones encircle the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean may witness the formation of a new subduction system.
• Subduction Process: Subduction zones occur where tectonic plates interact, with one plate diving below another. In this case, the African Plate is subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate, leading to seismic activity and earthquake risks.
  • Scientists predict that this subduction zone will expand westwards over the next 20 million years.
• Ocean Basin Shrinking: The subduction process could lead to the shrinking of the ocean basin, ultimately closing off the Atlantic Ocean.
• Subduction Invasion: Despite its current relatively small size (about 125 miles in length), projections suggest that the subduction zone could expand to approximately 500 miles within the next two decades.
  • This phenomenon is known as “subduction invasion.”

Read More: Pacific Ring of Fire, Mid Oceanic Ridge, Seafloor Spreading, Tectonic Plates, Tectonic Evolution of Greater Maldive Ridge