The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake at a depth of 10.2 km beneath the southern Red Sea at 6.30 pm local time (3.30 pm GMT) on Monday 8 July 2013. This was followed by a Magnitude 4.4 aftershock slightly after 8.30 am on local time (slightly after 5.30 am GMT) on Tuesday 9 July. Though moderately large both quakes were too far offshore to present any danger to human life or property, and there are no reports of anyone having felt either event.
The approximate location of the 8 July 2013 Read Sea Earthquake. Google Maps.
While referred to as a sea, the Red Sea is technically an immature ocean, underlain by the Red Sea Rift , a spreading boundary between two tectonic plates, the African Plate and the Arabian, where new oceanic crust is being formed. Arabia was formerly part of the African Plate, but split away about 30 million years ago. The Great Rift Valley of Africa is a continuation of this rift, that is slowly splitting Africa in two from the north to the south.
See also The magma chamber beneath the Erta Ale Volcano, Tourists attacked on Erte Ale volcano, Eruption in the Zubair Archiapelago, in the southern Red Sea and Eruptions on Mount Nabro, Eritrea.
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