THIS massive continent will tear apart, split into two pieces, study reveals, its not North America, Antarctica or Europe, the name is…
New Delhi: In a concerning development, Africa is slowly undergoing geological changes due to tectonic forces, which are causing the continent to split apart. According to the study, due to the movements along the East African Rift System, this process is dividing Africa into two parts.
According to researchers, over millions of years, the formation of a new ocean could eventually split Africa into two separate landmasses. This ongoing tectonic activity also reflects ancient changes on the planet, which will continue to reshape Africa’s landscape in the future.
A new water body may form since two major parts of the continent are gradually drifting apart. This is potentially giving landlocked countries like Uganda and Zambia a coastline in the future. The East African Rift, which first appeared in 2005 as a 35-mile-long crack in Ethiopia’s desert, is the initial sign of this process.
Seismic data published in Geophysical Research Letters indicates that the rift is forming due to tectonic activity, similar to what occurs in oceanic rift zones. This rift marks the boundary of three tectonic plates—the African Nubian, African Somali, and Arabian plates—which are slowly moving away from each other.
Christopher Moore, a doctoral student at Leeds University, said, “This is the only place on Earth where you can see how a continental rift develops into an oceanic rift.” Similar tectonic activities are responsible for the formation of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which separate East Africa from Western Asia.
The process of Africa splitting into two continents is due to a geological phenomenon known as continental rifting. This process is occurring along the East African Rift System (EARS), which is a tectonic plate boundary where the African Plate is being pulled apart. The East African Rift is dividing the continent, with tectonic plates such as the Nubian and Somali plates separating.
In 5 to 10 million years, this will create a new ocean and reshape the geography and trade routes of Eastern Africa, presenting both opportunities and challenges.
New territories like Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania will separate from Africa. A new ocean will be formed, creating what will be the sixth ocean. This will redefine borders, potentially giving landlocked countries like Uganda and Zambia coastlines.
News