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Uplift and extension at the Gulf of Suez: indications of induced mantle convection

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Abstract

Reconstruction of tectonic movements since the initiation of the Gulf of Suez rift indicates that there has been 25–27 km of extension. The uplift bordering rift indicates that lithosphere heating greatly exceeds that producible by uniform lithosphere extension. I propose that small-scale convection induced by the rifting augments the heating introduced by extensional rifting and produces the broad uplifts flanking the rift.

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  1. Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York, 10964, USA

    Michael S. Steckler

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Steckler, M. Uplift and extension at the Gulf of Suez: indications of induced mantle convection. Nature 317, 135–139 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/317135a0

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