Within 5 to 10 million years, a new ocean could divide the African continent into two parts, transforming the eastern region into an island in the Indian Ocean.
East Africa is currently experiencing a rare and remarkable natural phenomenon, a continent slowly splitting apart, driven by a series of faults spanning thousands of kilometers, scientists suggest that this ongoing process may eventually lead to the formation of a new ocean.
How do Faults Occur?
Contrary to popular belief, the Earth’s land surface is not static. It undergoes continuous and gradual movements, driven by the interaction of tectonic plates. These massive plates comprise the Earth’s rocky shell, including the crust and the upper portion of the mantle.
While the mechanisms behind plate movement are still debated among scientists, internal convection currents and forces generated at plate boundaries are known to be involved. These forces can cause faults, resulting in the tearing of plates and the formation of new ones. An example of this geological phenomenon is the East African Rift System.
the East African Rift System
The East African Rift System, often referred to as the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, is a series of boundaries that separate evolving plates in the eastern part of the continent. The Somali Plate, located in the eastern region, is gradually moving away from the Nubian Plate, a significant component of the African continent. Additionally, the Nubian and Somali plates separate from the Arabian Plate in the north, resulting in a Y-shaped rift system known as the “Triple Junction” in the Afar region of Ethiopia.
This rift, which formed approximately 25 million years ago during the Miocene epoch, stretches for 3,500 kilometers from the Red Sea in the north to Mozambique in the south, according to The Geological Society. It consists of two major parallel branches: the Eastern Rift, traversing through Ethiopia and Kenya, and the Western Rift, curving from Uganda to Malawi.
While the eastern branch of the rift is characterized by heightened volcanic activity, the western branch features deeper basins with large lakes and abundant sediments, including Lake Tanganyika, the world’s second-deepest lake.
How Will the Rift Lead to the Division of Africa?
In the heart of East Africa, a remarkable geological phenomenon unfolds, as described by the renowned website Geology. The relentless upward surge of heat from the depths of the Earth’s mantle has given birth to thermal domes, marking their presence in central Kenya and the Afar region of north-central Ethiopia.
These domes have sculpted the awe-inspiring landscapes of the South and East African plateaus, standing tall on either side of the rift. Through the sheer force of their creation, these domes have fractured the fragile outer crust, leaving behind a mesmerizing tapestry of interconnected fissures. It is within these intricate rifts that the present-day Rift Valley of East Africa comes to life, an emblem of the powerful forces shaping our planet.