Sedimentation and tectonics in rift basins Red Sea: Gulf of Aden / Осадконакопление и тектоника в рифтовых бассейнах Красного моря: Аденский залив

The Red Sea-Gulf of Aden is an active maritime rift system which is unique in the world. Interest in rifts is considerable because they are vital in terms of understanding the fundamental mechanisms of plate movements and their related seismicity, and because the sedimentary basins which result can be important in terms of hydrocarbon and metalliferous potential. Furthermore, the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden rift system covers about 200 of latitude and therefore is also a favourable site for the study of past climatic changes through a particularly rich sedimentary record. In recent years, the European Community programme SCIENCE (Stimulation of the Cooperation and Interchange among European Scientists) has financed several research groups working in the important field of rifting. Thus, from 1988 to 1994, four rift projects were implemented which strengthened the collaboration between the research teams, developed competences, and reinforced the mobility of researchers, thus contributing to the understanding of the Red SeaGulf of Aden rift system.

This volume, comprising eight sections, presents results of extensive research carried out by 62 scientists based mainly in different European and Middle East countries. It represents a valuable reference for all potential users (students, geoscientists and climatologists), since it covers most aspects of rifting mechanisms, starting with the geophysical, magmatic and structural framework of rifts, through early rift sedimentation and tectonics, syn-rift sedimentation, diagenesis of rift sediments and, finally, post-rift sedimentation and geochemistry. The originality of this volume is that, for the first time, rift evolution is treated from many angles. The compilation includes items of varying scale ranging from 'broad-brush' plate tectonics to microscopic sedimentary components, all relating to a common factor - rift dynamics and evolution. This compilation is also based both on classical onshore field studies and on offshore oceanographic methods, giving a balanced picture of rift dynamics and its sedimentary expression. It also discusses both the superficial and deep-crustal expressions of a given set of geological events. 
Finally, the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden volume represents a genuine step forward in the knowledge of the sedimentary processes within rift systems. Although discussed mainly in terms of a specific rift-type basin, the results may be readily extrapolated to other parts of the world and thus be utilized as a comparative model for the better understanding of rift-type basins in general. In particular, this volume provides a unique source of new data readily accessible to all researchers working on the plate tectonics of new ocean basins and the economically important sedimentary fill of rifts. <...>