The African and Arabian plates, part 1: the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea
Self-tutoring about geology: the tutor mentions the surprising depth of the Gulf of Aqaba, and its reason.
Plate tectonics describes the floating masses of rock that constitute the Earth’s crust and drift across the magma beneath. Most plates roughly correspond to known land masses, such as the African Plate.
The junction between the African Plate and the Arabian marks the Great Rift Valley, a deep crack in the Earth’s crust. It runs under the Red Sea, then under the Gulf of Aqaba. Hence, the Gulf of Aqaba is 1850m deep, while the Gulf of Suez, only 50km west, is less than 100m deep.
Source:
Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.