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Magmatic underplating and crustal intrusions accommodate extension during Red Sea continental rifting

Author

Listed:
  • Alessio Sanfilippo

    (Via Ferrata 1
    Via Ferrata 1)

  • Marco Ligi

    (Via Gobetti 101)

  • Riccardo Avanzinelli
  • Valentin Basch

    (Via Ferrata 1
    Via Ferrata 1)

  • Alessandro Bragagni

    (Via Gobetti 101)

  • Alessandro Decarlis

    (Piazza Università 1)

  • Hervé Guillou

    (IPSL and Université de Paris-Saclay)

  • Sébastien Nomade

    (IPSL and Université de Paris-Saclay)

  • Najeeb Rasul

    (Geological and Geophysical Research Systems)

  • Luigi Vigliotti

    (Via Gobetti 101)

  • Sandro Conticelli

Abstract

Magmatism’s role in continental rupture and ocean formation remains a critical question in Earth Sciences. The Red Sea, where Arabia is rifting from Nubia, offers an ideal setting to explore this process. This study analyses geochemical and isotopic data from gabbros and basaltic dikes in the Tihama Asir complex, formed during early Red Sea rifting (Late Oligocene). The results show that asthenospheric melts assimilated ancient lower crust before rising into shallow magma chambers with minimal upper crustal contamination. Rising asthenosphere driven by the Afar plume and by extensional stresses thermally weakened the lower crust, allowing it to decouple from the mantle, causing depth-dependent deformation. The generated asthenospheric melts underplated and intruded the thinning continental crust protracting continental rifting by re-thickening of the crust and accommodating extension. This study provides the evidence of tholeiitic underplating beneath thick continental crust during early rifting, substantially postponing the onset of seafloor spreading.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessio Sanfilippo & Marco Ligi & Riccardo Avanzinelli & Valentin Basch & Alessandro Bragagni & Alessandro Decarlis & Hervé Guillou & Sébastien Nomade & Najeeb Rasul & Luigi Vigliotti & Sandro Contice, 2025. "Magmatic underplating and crustal intrusions accommodate extension during Red Sea continental rifting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61598-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61598-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nico Augustin & Froukje M. Zwan & Colin W. Devey & Bryndís Brandsdóttir, 2021. "13 million years of seafloor spreading throughout the Red Sea Basin," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. John J. Armitage & Jenny S. Collier & Tim A. Minshull, 2010. "The importance of rift history for volcanic margin formation," Nature, Nature, vol. 465(7300), pages 913-917, June.
    3. H. Thybo & C. A. Nielsen, 2009. "Magma-compensated crustal thinning in continental rift zones," Nature, Nature, vol. 457(7231), pages 873-876, February.
    4. C. J. Ebinger & N. H. Sleep, 1998. "Cenozoic magmatism throughout east Africa resulting from impact of a single plume," Nature, Nature, vol. 395(6704), pages 788-791, October.
    5. Ritske Huismans & Christopher Beaumont, 2011. "Depth-dependent extension, two-stage breakup and cratonic underplating at rifted margins," Nature, Nature, vol. 473(7345), pages 74-78, May.
    6. Gang Lu & Ritske S. Huismans, 2021. "Melt volume at Atlantic volcanic rifted margins controlled by depth-dependent extension and mantle temperature," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. R. S. White & L. K. Smith & A. W. Roberts & P. A. F. Christie & N. J. Kusznir, 2008. "Lower-crustal intrusion on the North Atlantic continental margin," Nature, Nature, vol. 452(7186), pages 460-464, March.
    8. Sascha Brune & Christian Heine & Marta Pérez-Gussinyé & Stephan V. Sobolev, 2014. "Rift migration explains continental margin asymmetry and crustal hyper-extension," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-9, September.
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