A new 'Ring of Fire' that engulfs the Atlantic Ocean could arise if the dormant subduction zone wakes up.

 According to modeling research, an active subduction zone beneath the Gibraltar Strait may erupt into the Atlantic Ocean in 20 million years, creating the Atlantic "Ring of Fire."According to recent research, a subduction zone beneath the Gibraltar Strait is moving westward and may eventually "invade" the Atlantic Ocean, causing the water to gradually close up.

Currently situated between Portugal and Morocco in a narrow oceanic corridor, the subduction zone is also called the Gibraltar arc or trench. Around 30 million years ago, a subduction zone emerged along the northern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, starting its westward journey. However, it has paused in the last five million years, leading some scientists to wonder whether the Gibraltar Arc is still in motion.

Nevertheless, a study that was published in the journal Geology on February 13 suggests that the arc is only going through a quiet moment. This interlude is expected to endure for a further 20 million years, following which the Gibraltar arc may recommence its upward motion and breach the Atlantic, a phenomenon referred to as "subduction invasion."
There are two subduction zones in the Atlantic Ocean that scientists are aware of: the Scotia arc, which is located close to Antarctica, and the Lesser Antilles subduction zone in the Caribbean.

"These subduction zones invaded the Atlantic several million years ago," said lead author João Duarte, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Lisbon, in a statement. "Undertaking research in Gibraltar is a priceless chance to witness the procedure at its inception when It is merely taking place."