9725405 Buffler The southern Red Sea-northern Danakil region of Eritrea is located at the northern apex of the Afar depression, which represents a major plate boundary triple junction underlain by an upwelling mantle plume. Here three active continental rifts converge and three major plates are separating with the formation of oceanic crust. Recent circumstances have allowed research efforts in this active area to address several tectonic rift processes, tectonic inversion, and controls on rift sedimentation and hominid paleontology. Results are expected to provide tectonic and geologic framework data in support of hominid studies as well as providing insight into near-triple point rift processes.
