Working with Paul Tapponnier on the Structure, Age and Evolution of the Red Sea

As part of his sabbatical at Schlumberger in the ARAMCO in 2008-2009, Paul Tapponnier started a complete reassessment of the plate tectonic structure, age and evolution of the Red Sea.  Public and industrial geophysical data, including gravity, magnetics, and seismics, covering the whole Red Sea, have been (re)interpreted in view of recent concepts.  This study concluded that oceanic lithosphere covers a large part of the Red Sea, although the expression of seafloor spreading in the whole ultraslow-spreading northern Red Sea and on the earlier stage of opening in the central and southern Red Sea is hidden by the thick salt cover.  We have been associated to this research between 2009 and 2013 and beyond, and will present some highlights of this exciting period.