An Integrated Domain-Based Evolution Model for Red Sea: New Sea-Floor Spreading Evidence

Khamis Sherif Farhoud, Ahmed N. El-Barkooky

The evolution and lateral extent of oceanic accretion within the central and northern Red Sea remain subjects of long-standing tectonic debate. Although the presence of young oceanic crust beneath the southern axial trough is widely accepted, uncertainty persists regarding whether complete separation between the Arabian and Nubian plates has occurred across the basin or whether oceanic crust remains restricted to the narrow Median Ridge Valley. In this study, the crustal architecture of the Red Sea is investigated through an integrated analysis of magnetic, gravity, bathymetric, seismic, and stratigraphic datasets. Organized magnetic anomaly patterns identified in the Central Red Sea suggest a prolonged phase of seafloor spreading lasting at least ~12.5 Ma. To evaluate this domain-based evolutionary framework independently of magnetic observations alone, regional two-dimensional gravity forward models, lithospheric density profiles, and deep multichannel seismic reflection and refraction datasets were incorporated. The integrated results indicate that the basement framework is strongly segmented by fault systems associated with the offshore continuation of Precambrian suture zones and the Dead Sea-Aqaba transform system, which influence the lateral offset and fragmentation of oceanic domains. Combined geophysical and stratigraphic evidence suggests the presence of a laterally continuous mafic crustal domain in the Central Red Sea extending up to ~125 km from the Median Ridge Valley. These observations imply that the ocean-continent boundary may lie close to the present-day coastlines and provide a revised tectonic framework for understanding the spatial and temporal evolution of Red Sea rifting.