A new study suggests the Atlantic may “soon” enter its collapse phase

A new study using computational models predicts that A subduction zone beneath the present-day Strait of Gibraltar will spread further into the Atlantic An Atlantic subduction system will contribute to the formation of: an Atlantic Ring of Fire, In geological terms this will happen “soon”: approximately in 20 million years,

Life cycles of the oceans: the case of the Atlantic

ocean They appear to be eternal during our lifetime, but they do not last long here: They are born, grow and one day die, This process, lasting a few hundred million years, is called wilson cycle, For example, the Atlantic was born when Pangea broke apart about 180 million years ago and will one day close. And the Mediterranean Sea is a remnant of a great ocean, Tethys, that once existed between Africa and Eurasia.

so that it is like an ocean The Atlantic stops rising and begins to closethey have to be trained new subduction zones (Places where one tectonic plate sinks beneath another). But subduction zones are difficult to create, because they require plates to break and fold, and the plates are very strong. One way out of this “paradox” is to consider that subduction zones can move from a dying ocean (in which they already exist) (the Mediterranean Sea) to ancient oceans (such as the Atlantic). This process was called subduction invasion.,

This study shows for the first time how such a direct attack can occur. Gravity-driven computational 3D model predicts this A subduction zone currently beneath the Strait of Gibraltar will extend further into the Atlantic And will contribute to creating the Atlantic subduction system: an atlantic ring of fireIn line with the structure already in place in the Pacific region.

In geological terms this will happen “soon”, but not earlier than about 20 million years.

,Subduction intrusion is inherently a three-dimensional process that requires advanced modeling tools and supercomputers that were not available just a few years ago. We can now simulate in detail the formation of the Gibraltar Arc and how it might evolve in the deep future., ” explain joao duarteFirst author and researcher at the Dom Luiz Institute of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon.

This study sheds new light on the Gibraltar subduction zone, since some authors believe it is still active because its speed has slowed significantly over the past million years. According to these results, Its slow phase will last for the next 20 million years And then it will invade the Atlantic Ocean and intensify. This would be the beginning of crustal recycling in the eastern part of the Atlantic and may also be the beginning of the closure of the Atlantic.

,There are two other subduction zones on the other side of the Atlantic: the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, and the Scottish Arc near Antarctica. However, these subduction zones invaded the Atlantic several million years ago. Studying Gibraltar is an invaluable opportunity because it allows you to see the process in its early stages, when it is just happening.” says Joao Duarte.

in general terms, This study shows that subduction invasion This is probably a common mechanism of initiation of subduction in Atlantic-type oceans and therefore plays a fundamental role in the geological evolution of our planet.

that discovery gibraltar kidnapping is still active also has important implications for Seismic activity in the area, Subduction zones are known to produce the most powerful earthquakes Ground. Events such as the Great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 are joyous and require preparation.

The work is published in the journal Geology,

Reference

Joao C. Duarte et al, The Gibraltar Subduction Zone is invading the Atlantic, Geology (2024). DOI: 10.1130/g51654.1