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Why is the Gulf of Aqaba much deeper than the Gulf of Suez?

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Red Sea Map showing the Red Sea and the countries surrounding it. The Red Sea is one of the most heavily traveled waterways in the world. It is about 1,200 miles (1,930 km) long, and its maximum width is about 190 miles (305 km).

The difference in depth between the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez is primarily due to their distinct geological origins and the timing of their formation within the Red Sea rift system.12

While both gulfs are northern extensions of the same rift structure, they formed during different phases of tectonic activity. The Gulf of Suez opened approximately 30 million years ago. In contrast, the trough of the Gulf of Aqaba was created during a second, more recent phase of land motion that began only 3 to 4 million years ago.12

This later phase of movement is part of the complex East African Rift System, which extends northward to form the Wadi Aqaba–Dead Sea–Jordan Rift. Because the Gulf of Aqaba is a direct component of this active, deep-reaching rift trough, it exhibits significantly greater depths compared to the older, shallower Gulf of Suez. This tectonic activity remains ongoing, characterized by seismic events and volcanism.132