Thanks Explorer89 and Pharmboy.
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Posted on 06/18/2013 4:49:06 PM PDT by winoneforthegipper
une 17, 2013 — A new subduction zone forming off the coast of Portugal heralds the beginning of a cycle that will see the Atlantic Ocean close as continental Europe moves closer to America. Share This:
143 Published in Geology, new research led by Monash University geologists has detected the first evidence that a passive margin in the Atlantic ocean is becoming active. Subduction zones, such as the one beginning near Iberia, are areas where one of the tectonic plates that cover Earth's surface dives beneath another plate into the mantle -- the layer just below the crust. Lead author Dr João Duarte, from the School of Geosciences said the team mapped the ocean floor and found it was beginning to fracture, indicating tectonic activity around the apparently passive South West Iberia plate margin. "What we have detected is the very beginnings of an active margin -- it's like an embryonic subduction zone," Dr Duarte said. "Significant earthquake activity, including the 1755 quake which devastated Lisbon, indicated that there might be convergent tectonic movement in the area. For the first time, we have been able to provide not only evidences that this is indeed the case, but also a consistent driving mechanism." The incipient subduction in the Iberian zone could signal the start of a new phase of the Wilson Cycle -- where plate movements break up supercontinents, like Pangaea, and open oceans, stabilise and then form new subduction zones which close the oceans and bring the scattered continents back together.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
How does that old song go?
"Tell Laurasia I love her...."
Maybe what we need is a sea level canal in Nicaragua
to let the two oceans reach equalibrum, kind of balance
things out.
No wonder Spain’s economy is tanking, it’s being
subducted.
Wouldn’t a subduction zone be the best place to dispose of nuclear waste? How long does it take for subducted rock to be recycled back to the surface of the Earth?
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Where will the volcanoes form?
Iberia will be sliding under the North American Plate?
How will this effect the Mid Atlantic spreading?
Yep, :) It's happening, and a lot faster than they're letting on...
Is Laurasia kin to Le-a? (da dash not be silent!) 08^)
Mike, that’s the catch. For right now Iberian landmass lies on the southern reaches of Eurasian Plate which we know is moving in an opposite direction of the North American Plate as evidenced by the Mid Atlantic Ridge.
So I am still trying to grasp what mechanisms would change and or present themselves.
Great question!
Errant what would be your take?
Volcanic activity / mountain ranges occur in front of the subducting zone / plate, and volcanic activity can also occur as a result of rifting apart.
If the North American plate bumps into Europe, something much more cataclysmic will be the cause. ;) As you know, my pet theory is a cyclic build of heat within earth (from tidal force and other), working its way up to the surface of the planet, and the increased geological activity worldwide, evidence. We had 75 volcanoes erupt in '12, we're already above 60 for '13.
The recent discovery of a larger than first determined hot spot in the Southern Pacific, and the magnetic pole drift picking up speed are other evidence.
I think the piece missing is how this new subduction area sets up. if it is subducting west to east then it will directly effect the atlantic ridge if it’s subducting say east to west I would think that would tend to cause the most havoc.
Agree - have to “wait” and see. lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ATDHCtaMBs&feature=player_detailpage
Sounds like those long ocean flights will be a thing of the past.
Time to sell airline stocks then.
Too bad I won’t live to see construction of artificial planets. Unless of course someone figures out how to stop aging. And then reverse it. And I don’t mean minoxodil and viagra, either.
Since the progress of civilization isn’t, there is a high probability that no one alive today will live to see artificial planets.
What is minoxodil?
Never mind. I looked it up.
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