How did seafloor spreading help form the Gulf of Aden?

The Gulf of Aden was formed primarily through the process of seafloor spreading. Approximately 35 million years ago, during the late Eocene or early Oligocene Epoch, the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula began to split along their current margins.1

This separation was driven by the spreading of the seafloor away from the axis of the Sheba Ridge, which is an extension of the Indian Ocean ridge system located along the middle of the gulf. As the two landmasses drifted apart in a direction parallel to the gulf's faults, they created the deepwater basin that exists today. The ongoing geologic activity is characterized by the ridge's rough topography and a series of faults, such as the Alula-Fartak Trench, which continue to shape the gulf's complex structure.1