Atlantic Ocean Closing Soon: Formation of Atlantic Ring of Fire Draws Near as the Americas and Europe to Drift Back Together [Study]

The Atlantic Ocean could "close soon" starting about 20 million years from now which is near in a geological timescale, according to a new study led by scientists in Germany and Portugal. The geological event will be preceded by the formation of the 'Atlantic Ring of Fire' as the continents of the Americas and Europe will drift back together. This means that the vast ocean between the two continents will be sandwiched by the land masses.

A subduction zone will be the main catalyst for the looming disappearance of the Atlantic, which is home to various animal species, ranging from orcas to blue whales, manatees, king penguins, and lemon sharks. In terms of maritime activities, the said ocean is one of the transit points for commercial trade between Europe, the Americas, and Asia, as well as a route for migratory animals such as whales, sharks, and sea turtles.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, a massive supercontinent called Pangea existed but it eventually broke off, forming the separate chunks of land masses of North America, South America, Africa, and Europe that we know today. In a new research paper, emerging evidence shows that geological activities occurring underneath the Earth is causing a potential reintegration by the two continents mentioned earlier.

Atlantic Ring of Fire

The study entitled 'Gibraltar subduction zone is invading the Atlantic' published in the journal Geology on February 13 shows the formation of the Atlantic Ring of Fire before the land masses of the Americas and Europe join back together. This will make the surface where the Atlantic Ocean is sitting to be seismically active, meaning it can be a region where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are active-just like the 'Pacific Ring of Fire.'

Although the upcoming continent shift is an overwhelming long period of time on a human scale, it is considered a blink of an eye compared to the history of Earth since its formation 4.5 billion years ago. In this context, the movement of the plates under the continents will be extremely gradual due to the process called the Wilson Cycle, which pertains to the lifespan of an ocean from opening (beginning) to its closing (end).

Gibraltar Subduction Zone

In the February 2024 study, the scientists involved in the research article acknowledged that the subduction initiation is a foundation of the Wilson cycle, which marks the turning point of an ocean's lifetime. The process allows the ocean's lithosphere to be recycled into the mantle. With this, the research paper highlights that a subduction zone in the Gibraltar Arc is invading the Atlantic. The arc is located in the convergence zone along the Eurasian and African plates.

In a separate paper published in the journal Frontiers in 2023, the origin and evolution of the Gibraltar Arc system is caused by a "complex geodynamic evolution" involving the convergence of the Eurasian and African plates.