Rising Tectonic Activity Beneath the Atlantic Could Create A New 'Ring of Fire'

The Atlantic Ocean has expanded since the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea. Experts once believed this trend would continue forever. New evidence, though, hints at a dramatic shift.

Researchers suggest an Atlantic Ring of Fire might appear in about 20 million years. This change involves active volcanoes and earthquakes along new plate boundaries.

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Scientists suspect a dormant subduction zone could awaken under the Gibraltar Strait.

The Quiet Birth of a Tectonic Threat

Scientists point to the Strait of Gibraltar as a key location. A dormant subduction zone there may reawaken in the distant future.

This possibility attracts attention because subduction often triggers seismic and volcanic activity.

A team in Lisbon, Portugal, used advanced computer models to test the idea.

They propose that oceanic crust near the Gibraltar Strait could slide under continental plates, RBC-Ukraine reports.

Under subduction, dense oceanic crust descends into the mantle. In the Pacific, that process created the existing Ring of Fire. An Atlantic version would echo that pattern.

As BGR reports, the oceanic lithosphere in the Atlantic is older and thicker. This crust resisted fractures for millions of years. Experts now foresee fractures spreading in from the Gibraltar Arc.

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Volcanic activity can surge when subduction zones become active.

Signs from Both Sides of the Ocean

The Atlantic has two known subduction zones. One lies near the Caribbean, and the other near Antarctica. Those areas formed long ago.

Cosmos explains that these older zones advanced into the Atlantic and never retreated. They may expand further.

If the Gibraltar Arc pushes westward, it joins the zones near the Caribbean and Antarctica. That chain could encircle the ocean.

Tectonic plates bend at these margins, which can spark volcanic arcs and deep trenches. Subduction also produces strong earthquakes.

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Subduction zones are where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.

The Span of Time

This shift will not happen quickly. Geologists estimate the revival of Gibraltar’s subduction zone in about 20 million years.

No immediate risks loom for coastal communities on the Atlantic’s eastern shores, but a slow convergence may eventually force the oceanic crust downward.

As Live Science reports, the Mediterranean once drifted over a subduction zone, and that same zone might migrate.

Once subduction moves into the Atlantic, the ocean may enter a new phase of tectonic life.

Possible Consequences for Marine Life

Volcanic arcs release minerals into ocean waters. Hydrothermal vents near active zones often support unique creatures. Some species thrive in these extreme conditions.

Coastal habitats could face disruptions. Corals and benthic organisms near volcanic zones may experience changes in temperature or acidity. Still, marine ecosystems often adapt over long spans of time.

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Marine ecosystems could adapt or shift with seafloor upheavals.

Why This Matters Now

Experts track seismic events in the Gibraltar region today because large earthquakes there can produce tsunamis.

The famous Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 caused widespread destruction on land and at sea, IFLScience reports, owing to tremendous energy packed into subduction areas.

Tectonic plates shift in cycles over hundreds of millions of years. That cycle affects oceanic currents, heat flow, and marine habitats. A possible Atlantic Ring of Fire hints at the next major chapter in Earth’s story.

A Look Ahead

This scenario does not involve imminent danger. The timeline is vast. Present-day observers might never witness an Atlantic circle of volcanoes. Yet the planet’s crust moves in subtle ways.

An Atlantic Ring of Fire would bring more than just geologic fireworks. It could transform marine ecosystems and coastal areas. Large quakes, shifting shorelines, and new volcanic islands might appear.

Each step unfolds over millions of years. Scientists piece together clues from seismic data and ocean-floor samples.

This evolving framework reminds us that oceans have a life cycle: they open, they grow, and they close.

For now, these revelations spark fresh questions about Earth’s future.