Geology 102. Problem Set 3. Social Sciences Coursework

Problem Set 3
Geology 102
Name:
1. Today, the Red Sea is currently a site of rifting. Given enough time, what do you expect to occur/form here?
Having been formed through the split of Arabia from Africa, The Red Sea rift continues and will ultimately lead to the formation of an ocean. The movement which began in the Eocene and hastened during the Oligocene keeps widening the sea, a fact that will lead to an ocean over time.
2. How do salt domes (specifically the dome structure) form, like those seen in the Gulf?
A salt dome is formed through the upward intrusion of a column or mound into overlying sediments. Salt domes are most likely to form in sedimentary basins where younger sediments of significant density overlie thick slabs of salt. With appropriate conditions, salt domes rise thousands of meters above the layer of salt from which they originated.
3. Why are historical transgressions often mentioned with increased rates of spreading at mid-ocean ridges? In your own words, explain how these two processes are connected.
Mid-ocean ridges are formed along divergent plate boundaries. Thi...