Atlantic Ocean could be swallowed by a 'Ring of Fire'

Multimedia

19-03-2024, 16:50

INA - SOURCES

Although it may seem like an eternal feature of Earth, the Atlantic Ocean could be swallowed by a vast subduction zone, dubbed the 'Ring of Fire', a new study warns.

Scientists in Portugal say this subduction zone is currently located beneath the Gibraltar Strait, the narrow gap of water between Spain and Morocco.

But the experts think it could grow and expand westwards into the Atlantic and eventually become responsible for a 'closing' or shrinking of the ocean basin.

This will happen 'soon' in geological terms – in approximately 20 million years – at a time when humans could still be alive on the planet.

Subduction zones are locations on Earth where one tectonic plate dives below the other, and are known for powerful seismic activity.

The new study has been led by João Duarte, a professor in tectonics at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Portugal.

He and his colleagues warn that entire oceans can close up if new 'subduction zones' form – and this process may have already started with the Atlantic.

'We have good reason to think that the Atlantic is starting to close,' Professor Duarte told MailOnline.
'Subduction zones are what cause the oceans to close, by pulling their ocean floor back into the mantle, bringing the continents together.'

The 10-mile Gibraltar Strait that separates Spain and Morocco (as well as Europe and Africa) is where two major tectonic plates meet – the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate.

In this subduction zone, the African plate is subducting below the Eurasian plate, resulting in seismic activity and the risk of earthquakes.

Currently, the subduction zone below the Gibraltar Strait is 'sleeping', meaning the velocity at which the plate is sliding down into the Earth's mantle is 'very very slow'.