* Astronomy

Formation of the Gulf of Corinth rift, Greece

A study of the structure and evolution of the Gulf of Corinth rift in central Greece will increase scientific understanding of rifted margin development and the tectonic mechanisms underlying seafloor spreading and deformation of the Earths crust.

The Gulf of Corinth rift is an ideal natural laboratory for studying early rift history. The rift is less than five million years old and is relatively easy to interpret as its structure has not been significantly complicated by geological events over a long period of time. The rifting process is also the source of hazardous earthquakes in the region - Dr Lisa McNeill of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS).

Using available marine and terrestrial data, including high-resolution seismic reflection profiles from a research cruise aboard the MV Vasilios in 2003, the researchers analysed fault evolution across the entire rift system, producing a fault framework for the rift and revealing patterns of basin subsidence through rift history. They also estimated when faults became active and the rates at which they slip.

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