Fragmentation, rafting, and drowning of a carbonate platform margin in a rift-basin setting

Abstract High-resolution bathymetric and shallow seismic data along the northeast Red Sea margin reveal a previously disregarded mechanism for carbonate platform drowning at steep-flanked rift basin. At seafloor, salt extrusions highlight influence of extensional tectonics, with flow from southern flank Al Wajh that likely originates below. Salt-flow direction, morphology, kilometer-sized slumps rotated blocks indicate platform-margin disintegration rafting toward southwest. The outlines several smaller detached or semi-detached platforms to south main can be refitted larger by counter-moving direction mass wasting. Several platforms, reaching heights above seafloor up 650 m, are partially fully submerged in mesophotic zone appear danger drowning. We conclude outer rim is breaking apart owing withdrawal, which indicates on top sequences grow mobile ground, leading disintegration, basinward rafts, demise broken-off, pieces platform. Salt displacement also controls growth geometries individual keep-up reef (growth rate equal sea-level rise) occurring close spatial proximity. Therefore, interplay between diapirism not limited growing apexes diapirs more complex than thought.