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40 AR/ 39 AR age and duration of tholeiitic magmatism related to the early opening of the Red Sea rift
Author(s) -
Féraud Gilbert,
Zumbo Vilma,
Sebai Amar,
Bertrand Hervé
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/91gl00207
Subject(s) - magmatism , rift , geology , lava , volcano , dike , geochemistry , pluton , basalt , rift zone , plateau (mathematics) , paleontology , tectonics , mathematical analysis , mathematics
The early opening of the Red Sea rift is accompanied by tholeiitic magmatism stretching at least 1700 km along the western coast of Saudi Arabia, and consisting of thick gabbroic dykes, dense dyke swarms, plutons and discrete lava flows. Whereas the conventional K‐Ar measurements have furnished a wide variety of ages, the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar analyses presented here (giving 17 plateau‐ages) display a pronounced cluster of ages from 24 to 21 Ma. Such a short‐lived magmatic event has been suggested for other continental rifts.