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Answer:
Explanation:The formation of the Red Sea is primarily attributed to a divergent plate boundary. Let me explain further:
Triple Junction: The Afar region in Northern Ethiopia serves as the epicenter of a “Y”-shaped rift system. Here, the continental lithosphere is being stretched and split. The process involves three key plates:
Arabian Plate: It is rifted away from the African plate along an active divergent ridge system, leading to the formation of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
African Plate: It is also undergoing stretching along the line of the East African Rift Valley, resulting in the creation of two new plates: the Nubian Plate and the Somalian Plate.
The point where the boundaries of all three plates meet is called a Triple Junction.
Future Evolution: As the Nubian and Somalian plates continue to move apart, the area between them will thin out and drop below sea level. Eventually, new ocean lithosphere may form along the rift’s center, giving rise to a narrow ocean basin with its own mid-ocean ridge.
Hot Spot Influence: The orientation of rifts, highlands, and volcanic activity (such as the volcano Erta Ale) suggests that the rifting of the continental lithosphere is influenced by a hot spot—possibly formed by a rising mantle plume beneath the Afar region. This upwelling mantle plume causes the brittle lithosphere to stretch, fracture, and results in large lava outpourings known as flood basalts characteristic of the Afar region1.
In summary, the Red Sea’s formation is intricately tied to the dynamic interactions at this divergent plate boundary, where continents are gradually pulling apart, creating new oceanic features.
