Northern Red Sea is still undergoing continental rifting and the area is an active, modern analog to older, non-volvanic passive margins. The PI will study existing geophysical data on bathymetry, gravity, magnetics, heat flow and seismic reflection and refraction collected by various institutions and the industry to investigate the establishment of an oceanic spreading center within a continental rift. The study will lead to an understanding of the rupturing process and nucleation of a spreading center in the continental lithosphere to form new ocean basins.
