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Africa is being split into two parts after a powerful tectonic process
2026-02-01 00:04:10 / MISTERE&KURIOZITETE
Scientists have confirmed that Africa is gradually splitting into two parts, as a result of a powerful tectonic process that is progressing faster than previously thought, according to Euronews.
The East African Rift System, which stretches from the Red Sea to Mozambique, is tearing the continent apart along deep geological lines and, within 5–10 million years, could create a new ocean between East and West Africa.
Recent data from NASA, the University of Rochester, and the U.S. Geological Survey show that the Earth's crust in this region is thinning and cracking in several places simultaneously.
In some areas, early signs of oceanic crust formation have been discovered, indicating that the process has transitioned from the continental to the marine phase.
Satellite measurements have recorded significant expansion of valleys and rifts over the years.
This process, although too slow for everyday human life, is being measured in real time thanks to GPS technology, which tracks earth movements with millimeter accuracy.
Geophysicists describe East Africa as a natural laboratory where the breakup of a continent can be directly observed.
One of the most prominent events occurred in 2005, when a fissure about 56 kilometers long opened in the Ethiopian desert within a few days.
The most active area is located in the Afar region of Ethiopia, where three tectonic plates meet; the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian.
This triple conjunction creates strong tensions, accompanied by earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Scientists have discovered that pulsations of magma from the Earth's mantle play a key role in accelerating the rifting process.
In addition to the seismic and volcanic risk to residential areas and infrastructure, this process also brings economic opportunities.
Tectonic activity is an important source of geothermal energy, which countries like Kenya are increasingly exploiting.
In the long term, water from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is expected to flood the rift valley, forming a new ocean and forever changing the geographical map of Africa.
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