Owen Fracture Zone
Encyclopedia
The Owen Fracture Zone is a transform fault
which runs along the eastern boundary of the Arabian Plate
, separating it from the Indo-Australian Plate
for most of its length, and from the African Plate
for a much shorter distance. It extends from the Carlsberg Ridge
in the south, meets the Sheba Rift segment of the Aden Ridge
, and then continues northeastward across the northwest Indian Ocean
until it meets the convergence zone in the Iran-Pakistan border region where the continental crust of the Arabian Plate is colliding with the continental crust of the Eurasian Plate
.
In some usages, the name Owen Transform Fault is used to denote the short section between the end of the Aden-Sheba ridge and the Carlsberg Ridge. Additionally, this area has been called the Aden-Owen-Carlsberg Triple Junction, although the Carlsberg Ridge is offset from the point where the Owen Fracture Zone/Fault intersects the Sheba segment of the Aden Ridge.
Transform fault
A transform fault or transform boundary, also known as conservative plate boundary since these faults neither create nor destroy lithosphere, is a type of fault whose relative motion is predominantly horizontal in either sinistral or dextral direction. Furthermore, transform faults end abruptly...
which runs along the eastern boundary of the Arabian Plate
Arabian Plate
The Arabian Plate is one of three tectonic plates which have been moving northward over millions of years and colliding with the Eurasian Plate...
, separating it from the Indo-Australian Plate
Indo-Australian Plate
The Indo-Australian Plate is a major tectonic plate that includes the continent of Australia and surrounding ocean, and extends northwest to include the Indian subcontinent and adjacent waters...
for most of its length, and from the African Plate
African Plate
The African Plate is a tectonic plate which includes the continent of Africa, as well as oceanic crust which lies between the continent and various surrounding ocean ridges.-Boundaries:...
for a much shorter distance. It extends from the Carlsberg Ridge
Carlsberg Ridge
The Carlsberg Ridge is the northern section of the Central Indian Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary between the African Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate, traversing the western regions of the Indian Ocean....
in the south, meets the Sheba Rift segment of the Aden Ridge
Aden Ridge
The Aden Ridge is a divergent tectonic plate boundary which runs offshore in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean along the southeastern coastline of the Arabian Peninsula. It extends eastward from the Afar Triple Junction to a junction with the Owen Fracture Zone, and separates the Arabian Plate...
, and then continues northeastward across the northwest Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
until it meets the convergence zone in the Iran-Pakistan border region where the continental crust of the Arabian Plate is colliding with the continental crust of the Eurasian Plate
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia...
.
In some usages, the name Owen Transform Fault is used to denote the short section between the end of the Aden-Sheba ridge and the Carlsberg Ridge. Additionally, this area has been called the Aden-Owen-Carlsberg Triple Junction, although the Carlsberg Ridge is offset from the point where the Owen Fracture Zone/Fault intersects the Sheba segment of the Aden Ridge.